Raymond Blanc almost lost his culinary empire to his first wife (Image: Getty)
Raymond Blanc made a confession about his marriage to his first wife, Jenny Blanc.
The TV chef, who is returning to screens on Two’s Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets on Saturday (January 11), moved to Oxfordshire, England in 1972 and started working as a waiter at The Rose Revived pub.
It was here that he met Jenny, who was the daughter of the pub owner. The couple tied the knot in 1976, one year before Raymond opened his first restaurant at the age of 28.
They welcomed two sons; Oli and Sebastien, during their nine-year marriage before their divorce in 1985.
However, their marriage wasn’t always bliss as Raymond, 75, confessed he didn’t “nurture” the relationship as he should have because he was so focused on his career.
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Raymond admitted he didn’t “nurture” his first marriage (Image: Getty)
Writing for , Raymond said: “In England I met Jenny, with whom I started a humble little business during a deep recession. Food became everything for me, and I didn’t nurture the relationship
“It was a mistake, but I was a young man, a knackered young man, with no one to teach me. Like food, a relationship needs curiosity. The moment it becomes familiar it is no longer a challenge. I reinvent myself all the time.”
Jenny also opened up about the pressues of creating Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, the hotel and restaurant with two Michelin stars.
“It destroyed our marriage,” she told . “I had to sacrifice time as a mother to work in a highly pressured environment. I’ll never get that time with my children back.”
In 1981, Raymond opened La Maison Blanc, a chain of boulangeries and pâtisseries that also contain cafès, which has grown to include 14 branches across the country.
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Raymond now resides with his long-term partner Natalia Traxel in Oxford (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
The TV star admitted launching Maison Blanc was a difficult time and he came close to losing it all to Jenny in their divorce settlement.
However, he kept control of the chain and went on to open Brasserie Blanc, a restaurant brand boasting over 20 locations throughout Britain.
Back in 2013, Raymond opened up about the impact his demanding job had on his relationship with his sons.
Speaking to Daily Mail, he said: “Missing my sons growing up. I hardly saw Oli, 38, and Sebastien, 31, in their early years because I was working 18-hour days, six days a week. But things worked out well because we all have a loving bond now.”
Raymond now resides with his long-term partner Natalia Traxel in Oxford.