Heston Blumenthal

Heston is a self-taught English chef renowned for his experimental and scientific approach to cooking and gastronomy. He holds multiple honorary degrees in recognition of his scientific approach to cooking. He is the head chef of The Fat Duck, a three Michelin-starred restaurant voted the best restaurant in the world in 2005, and the best restaurant in the UK for a number of years. Additionally, it was voted best restaurant in the world in 2005 by Restaurant magazine. Since that date, it was awarded 2nd place in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, 3rd in 2010 and 5th in 2011, and 12th in 2012. His reputation is based upon his constant and meticulous scientific examination of food. This includes both the chemical processes subjected to food structures during cooking, and also the inherent physical properties of foodstuffs. Blumenthal's famously experimental dishes include bacon and egg ice cream and snail porridge. Heston Blumenthal regularly collaborates with scientists such as Dr Peter Barham, Reader of Physics at Bristol University and author of the book The Science of Cooking, and Dr Charles Spence, an experimental psychologist at the University of Oxford, with whom they experimented on the use of headphones whilst eating. He has been a regular contributor to various BBC food programmes, has written a number of books on cooking and recipes, and contributes to newspapers such as The Guardian. Blumenthal has had numerous books published. His first book was Family Food: A new approach to cooking in 2000. His second book was Heston Blumenthal: In Search of Perfection in 2006 (in which he attempts to find the best way of preparing classic dishes, including fish and chips and Black Forest gateau). Heston Blumenthal: Further Adventures In Search of Perfection was published in 2007 and The Big Fat Duck Cook Book in 2008 published by Bloomsbury. "Heston Blumenthal at Home" was published in late 2011 and is currently in the top 10 in the food and drink category on Amazon's bestseller's list. The Big Fat Duck Cookbook is a 532 page cookbook written by Blumenthal and published in 2008. Heston won the Food & Wine Personality of the Year Award - GQ Magazine, Glenfiddich Awards in 2004. In 2005 he produced a series of six half-hour television programmes called Kitchen Chemistry with Heston Blumenthal which were transmitted on Discovery Science along with a book Kitchen Chemistry, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry and distributed to six thousand schools in the UK and Ireland. To date, it is the most successful book ever produced by the Society. He opened his first London restaurant, Dinner, in the exclusive Mandarin Oriental Hotel where he has abandoned his experimental approach to food in favour of studied approach to classic English cooking. Heston is represented in London, UK by Useful Talent.