Mary Jo Thorensen was 24 when she was taken on as an apprentice pastry chef at Chez Panisse, Alice Waters’ acclaimed restaurant in Berkeley, California. Now she has a restaurant of her own, Thorensen still remembers the inspiring work ethic at Chez Panisse and Waters’ constant efforts to “get that wonderful little thing”.

“There was one old gentleman who supplied Alice with raspberries,” she says. “It was the only thing he had. They came in these little baskets with just the right-sized piece of wax paper in them. And they were perfect.”