3 Michelin Star Chefs: Heston Blumenthal, The Fat Duck

Heston Blumenthal is the celebrated chef and owner of three Michelin-starred Restaurant The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire.

• Features with Heston Blumenthal
• Other chefs with three Michelin stars

Heston pioneered the culinary technique of molecular gastronomy, emphasising the relationship between scientific experimentation and great tasting food. Heston specifically focuses on the multisensory perception and how the brain influences our appreciation of what we eat.

His signature techniques include the use of liquid nitrogen to ‘cook’ food or to disperse aromas during service; ice filtration to produce crystal-clear stocks and consommés ; and the sous-vide technique, which Heston was the first to introduce into British professional kitchens.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How did Heston Blumenthal become a chef?

In 1982, when he was 16, Heston discovered that he wanted to be a chef after he and his family went to three-star restaurant, L’Oustau de la Baumaniere, in the French Provence.

However it took Heston more than a decade to realise this dream;. he trained himself in classical French cuisine, reading cookbooks like the series “Les Recettes Originales; he practiced perfecting dishes, improved his technique and tried to find the best ways to harness flavour.

Apart from a one week apprenticeship at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, the majority of the time was spent around France, finding restaurants, suppliers and wine estates, learning about every aspect of the culinary world.

One day, he picked up a book that changed his view on cooking forever:‘On Food and Cooking: the Science and Lore of the Kitchen’ by Harold McGee.

It challenged many kitchen practices and it encouraged Heston to adopt a totally different attitude towards cuisine. The questioning and testing of culinary ideas became a key part of his approach, alongside the more traditional kitchen skills.

In 1995, he bought the 450-year-old pub in Bray now known as The Fat Duck. He launched it as a simple bistro serving French classics; inexperience and limited funds meant he was left with no choice but to put in a lot of hard work to stay afloat, but it all paid off when the restaurant began to get good reviews.

By 2000, it received its first Michelin star and was refurbished with its first multi-course tasting menu that was anything but the conventional format. In two years, the freedom to explore and create new dishes resulted in a second Michelin star, and the year after that, a third. To this day it is the fastest a restaurant has gone from one to three Michelin stars in the UK.

What is the Food style at The Fat Duck?

Heston Blumental's multisensory approach challenges perceptions and how the brain influences our appreciation of food.

In the late 1990s Heston realised that diners tasted crab ice cream differently depending on what it was called, causing him to be fascinated by how we perceive flavour, and how subjective an experience eating can be. There was further exploration of how nostalgia triggers, learned preferences and reward mechanisms can enhance enjoyment of a dish.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

In January 2011, he opened Dinner by Heston Blumenthal , his first restaurant outside of Bray. It serves dishes which are inspired by historic British recipes. It was awarded its first Michelin star in 2012, voted 7th best restaurant in the world 2013, and received its second Michelin star in 2014.

Videos of The Fat Duck: