Pieces of me Chef Alain Ducasse

My life in eight objects, by the chef Alain Ducasse

1 Menu I bought a stack of old menus, some dating from the 1900s, at a fea market in northern Paris. I used them for inspiration when I was selecting a name for my new restaurant, Champeaux. 2 Hermès notebook I keep this with me at all times so I can jot down ideas when I’m travelling – sometimes just a word; other times a sketch. 3 Key ring I always carr y this limpet-shaped keyring by the Parisian jeweller Lorenz Bäumer. It’s embedded with three jewels that represent each of my children.

4 Pestle and mortar My grandmother taught me how to cook. She used a pestle and mortar to crush her herbs, and I adopted the habit. I now collect them.

5 Fennel sculpture The ceramicist Jean-Paul Gourdon and I are from the same region of France and also share a deep respect for vegetables. He only makes one or two sculptures a year – mostly of vegetables.

6 Drawing My eldest son painted me this picture. It represents one of his earliest moments of self-motivated creativity. He is now seven years old and a keen artist. 7 Oliver Peoples glasses I was fying to Courchevel with four colleagues in 1984 when our plane crashed into a mountain – I was the only one to survive. My eyes were injured and I’ve had to wear glasses ever since. Now they’re part of my personality; I’ve worn the same style for 20 years. 8 Book I frst met the chef Dan Barber at my restaurant Louis XV more than 20 years ago; he had saved up enough money to eat there. He has since become a sensation in New York and I was proud to read his thought-provoking book, The Third Plate.

Alain Ducasse, 59, is a French chef with 21 Michelin stars and 25 restaurants. He lives in Paris and Monaco with his wife, Gwénaëlle, and their three children. Interview by Saphora Smith