Laurent Med Khellout is head chef and owner of restaurant and catering company Raïnaraï. There he runs an Algerian-nomadic kitchen with exclusively natural products.

‘Once you have tasted it, you will never let go, that is the power of the nomadic kitchen. I have always been a nomad, a traveller, a free man in life.

I was always outside and able to sleep anywhere. I am from Algeria, from a family of nomads. For me, the meaning of nomadic is freedom, a loose way of life and that also applies to cooking, where adventure and quality come first.

When I was thinking about the name I wanted to give my restaurant, I woke from a dream with an image from my youth. I saw my uncle on a horse singing ‘Rairairai’. Rai is an Algerian music movement dating back to the traditional music culture of the Bedouin. It is a style of singing used by the Algerian people when commenting on the news of the day. The word ‘Rai’ literally means ‘I find’. It refers to the opinion of the singer with the addition of a personal touch. For me, it stands for independence. Singing with your feelings, then you will be where you wish to be. That is what Raïnaraï means. That is how it all began.