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Manu Feildel
Watch Manu's episode now
PG
Watch Manu's episode now
PG
To Manu Feildel, the famous French-Australian restaurateur, being a chef is not just a job. It's a genetic calling from generations of his French ancestors, beyond the grave.
“I’ve always felt like food has been in my blood,” Feildel tells SBS, explaining the natural attraction that’s propelled his life towards a successful career in food.
“My mother was a hard-working single parent but we always had great food on the table: not expensive but great food. Growing up, I thought all French families were the same as us with food, until I got older and realised that wasn’t the case.”
I’ve always felt like food has been in my blood.
Feildel knew there were many good cooks in his immediate family. On his mother’s side, his grandfather and great-grandfather were both chefs. Fieldel’s father Patrick, who left the family when Manu was aged four, was also a restaurateur.
“But I didn’t know how far the food bloodline went on my mother’s side beyond my great-grandfather.
“I also knew nothing about the family history on my dad’s side. After speaking to my dad about it later on as well, he told me he knew nothing as well. [Family history] was not something that we talked about around the table. So I was curious to know more.”
Feildel’s drive to better comprehend his lifelong attraction to cooking led him to be involved in the new series of on SBS.
Unravelling a culinary past
In episode one, the acclaimed chef and TV personality travels back to France to discover 175 years' worth of culinary excellence in his mother’s family.
“After being involved in the show, I discovered there were six generations of ancestors who were involved in the food industry in France. [My career] suddenly made a lot of sense. Food has always been in my blood.”
On his maternal side, Feildel discovers his three-time great-grandfather, Louis Justin Gréteau, kickstarted the family’s culinary excellence when he became a hard-working baker in Angers, France. During the show, Feildel is also surprised to learn that Louis’ son, Louis Georges, was initially a baker.
Back then baking was a physically tough industry that required a lot of sweat and tenacity.
“Bread was the number one thing at the table so they had to deliver. Baking was a really tough industry to work in.
"But it seems that all the way back to the 15th century, my family were very hard workers. They weren't necessarily always successful but they were very hard workers.”
'Who Do You Think You Are?': Manu Feildel and historian Nicolas Czubak retrace family roots at the Mémorial de Verdun in Verdun, France.
Not only did Louis Adolphe invent a famous cake called the délice Chalonnais, but he also demonstrated true grit by clawing himself out of financial strife after his business almost collapsed.
“The cake is a dessert that still exists today, over 100 years on, in a little pocket in France, where my great grandfather was from. It’s just unbelievable. It warmed my heart to know that a pastry chef in my great-grandfather’s village is still making it.
“I have promised myself I will replicate the délice Chalonnais at some point shortly, just with a lot less sugar and cream.”
An emotional reunion
Through the show, Feildel reconnects with his father in an emotional reunion. In a gripping moment of television, Feildel’s relationship with his dad grows on screen as he accepts how much he has in common with the restaurateur.
“Every morning, when I look in the mirror, I can physically see my dad in me,” he tells SBS, reflecting on the experience of reuniting with his father. “Even my kids and my mother have said it.
“But the big thing that’s happened since the show is that I am now closer to my dad. Over the last 40 years, our connection has been on and off. Now, we are closer than we’ve ever been. We don't hesitate to pick up the phone and have a chat now and then.”
I'm very proud of who I am and my family tree.
Feildel says he’s grateful for the opportunity to discover his roots and embrace his paternal relationship. Thanks to the show, he now understands that his career has always been a calling and his attraction to food, is an undeniable part of who he is and who his family have always been.
“Who do I think I am today?” Feildel asks, reflecting on his involvement in the famed series.
“Well, I think I'm exactly who I am. To know where you come from is to have great knowledge. I'm very proud of who I am and my family tree.”
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