British chef, Edward Delling Williams is a key figure on the buzzy Paris restaurant scene. Alongside Edouard Lax, he is pioneering the growing neo-bistro movement and taking a dramatic step away from the traditional Parisian brasseries. His restaurant Le Grand Bain is frequently listed as the place to go in Paris if you are looking for good food and a great atmosphere. The ‘Eds’ have also opened a sister bakery, Le Petit Grain, on the same street. Today, the famed foodie talks about unbiased news stories online, the list app that changed his life and a relaxing podcast.
My favourite website… The Real News Network - It is a website that does exactly what it says on the tin. My father-in-law showed it to me one day after we were discussing British newspapers and I have used it ever since. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to read news stories that are trying to be as unbiased as possible.
My favourite app… Wunderlist [now MIcrosoft To Do] - It is a straightforward list app that changed my life. I used to carry a notebook around with me that had hundreds of little lists in it. Some examples were books and films that I wanted to read and watch, things that I had to do or people I had to see. All of that is now super organised. You can also share these lists so all our employees at Le Grand Bain and Le Petit Grain have the app and can access things like a dry stores inventory list, which they can add to if they take the last of a product at work.
My blog of choice… Treehugger - I found my favourite blog when we decided we wanted to make our businesses greener and more eco-friendly. A friend of ours, who is also one of the owners of the Quixotic Projects group here in Paris, told us about the restaurant in Brighton called Silo and a blog called Treehugger. Both were a real eye-opener for us.
My internet hero... Aaron Swartz - He was one of the founders of the website Reddit and he was quoted as saying 'Think deeply about things. Don’t just go along because that’s the way things are, or that’s what your friends say. Consider the effects, consider the alternatives, but most importantly, just think.’ There is a biography about him called ‘The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz’, which is well worth a watch.
My favourite podcasts... There are two that I listen to, and really can't split my love for. Firstly, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience’, as he has an array of people with crazy stories and secondly, ‘Your Mom's House’ which is an informal chat with one of my favourite comedians Tom Segura and his wife, Christina Pazsitzky. I listen to both of these as a way to relax. Tom is hilarious, and Joe is really interesting.
My most recent buy online was… guitar strings for my guitar.
Book just downloaded/ read… I bought the book ‘Nothing Is True, and Everything Is Possible’ written by British producer Peter Pomerantsev. It is all about the world of 21st century Russia. It's a fascinating and accessible book to read.
Favourite tweeter… I don't have twitter!
Favourite instagrammer… @chrifrapug - Christian Francesco Puglisi is a chef from Copenhagen who owns multiple restaurants; one of which is my favourite restaurant in the world, Relae. He is also a voice for sustainability and responsibility, and his cookbook is incredible.
Social media allowed me to meet… At Le Grand Bain and Le Petit Grain we have a program where employees that have worked with us for a period of time can choose a restaurant, bakery or just a place where they would like to work. We then contact their chosen restaurant and arrange for the employee to spend a couple of weeks there. When they return, there is a debrief to explain all that was learned and to find out what we can improve on. They have a great experience that doesn't take away holiday time or cost them anything, and we get new input. To do this, we usually use Instagram to reach out, so it has allowed us to meet all these cool food industry people and places.
Most worthwhile newsletter subscribed to… Think Clearly - It is funny small hand-drawn thought provoking notes. I love them.
Pet hate about life online… Sometimes it takes over a little, and I have to sit back, rethink and re-adjust how much time I spend online.
November 2018
The British chef, based in Paris, talks about his online favourites, including the list app that changed his life and a relaxing podcast.
Published November 2018