Raymond Blanc is in excellent spirits. Outdoor dining is back on the menu, meaning the chef's Brasserie Blanc restaurants have reopened - and despite the "freezing" conditions, the Blanc empire has "created some beautiful open marquees" complete, of course, with heaters.
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, his two-Michelin starred Oxfordshire restaurant, is also fully booked for the next six months.
It is cause for "a bit of joy in our team and of course a lot of laughter and celebration amongst our guests", says Blanc on the phone. But he is cautious too. "There's some reserve because, as you know, you don't know what's going to happen next.