When he was 19, Raymond Blanc was working as a waiter in a restaurant in Besancon. One day he tasted the head chef's sauce and commented, "Chef, I wonder if this is a bit too salty." A frying pan hit Raymond hard in the face. He fell and his jaw was badly smashed. The owner of the restaurant told Raymond that he had upset the chef and would need to leave, but he knew a restrauteur in England who would give him a job. The restaurant in France was Le Palais de la Biere in Besancon.