49 Facts About Heston Blumenthal

Heston Marc Blumenthal is an English celebrity chef, TV personality and food writer.

Heston Blumenthal's restaurants include the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, a three-Michelin-star restaurant that was named the world's best by the World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2005.

Heston Blumenthal came to public attention with unusual recipes, such as bacon-and-egg ice cream and snail porridge.

Heston Blumenthal has advocated a scientific approach to cooking, for which he has been awarded honorary degrees from the universities of Reading, Bristol and London and made an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Heston Blumenthal owns Dinner, a two-Michelin-star restaurant in London, and a pub in Bray, the Hind's Head, with one Michelin star.

Heston Marc Blumenthal was born in Shepherd's Bush, London, on 27 May 1966, to a Jewish businessman born in Southern Rhodesia and an English mother, a secretary, who converted to Judaism.

Heston Blumenthal's surname comes from a great-grandfather from Latvia and means "flowered valley", in German.

Heston Blumenthal's mother was often angry and unloving, calling him "useless" and "stupid", and never acknowledged his later achievements.

Heston Blumenthal was inspired by the quality of the food and "the whole multi-sensory experience: the sound of fountains and cicadas, the heady smell of lavender, the sight of the waiters carving lamb at the table".

When he left school at eighteen, Heston Blumenthal began an apprenticeship at Raymond Blanc's Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons but left after a week's probation.

In 1995, Heston Blumenthal bought a run-down pub in Bray, Berkshire, the Ringers, and re-opened it as the Fat Duck.

Heston Blumenthal later said that science had already begun to influence the cooking at this stage, as already on the menu were his triple-cooked chips, which were developed to stop the potato from going soft.

The Fat Duck came close to going bankrupt, and Heston Blumenthal sold his house, his car and many of his possessions to keep it open.

In 2002, Heston Blumenthal opened a second, short-lived restaurant in Bray, the Riverside Brasserie, selling many of the Fat Duck's earlier dishes at reduced prices.

At the time he received his third star, Heston Blumenthal said it was the closest he had been to bankruptcy, with enough money only to cover the following week's staff wages.

In January 2011, Heston Blumenthal opened his first restaurant outside Bray, Dinner, at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London.

In June 2014, Heston Blumenthal announced a new restaurant, the Perfectionists' Cafe, in Heathrow Airport.

Heston Blumenthal moved from the BBC to Channel 4 in March 2008, joining the celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Gordon Ramsay.

In March 2009, Blumenthal presented a television series, Heston's Feasts, showing themed dinner banquets.

In January 2012, How To Cook Like Heston Blumenthal aired on Channel 4.

In November 2012, Blumenthal presented the Channel 4 programm Heston's Fantastical Food.

Heston Blumenthal presented a new 2014 series, Heston's Great British Food, again commissioned by Channel 4.

In 2020, Heston Blumenthal appeared as a judge in the Channel 4 series Crazy Delicious hosted by Jayde Adams, alongside chefs Niklas Ekstedt and Carla Hall.

In 2010, Heston Blumenthal entered a partnership to create products for the supermarket chain Waitrose.

In 2023, Waitrose ended the contract with Heston Blumenthal, seeking to focus on its in-house range.

Heston Blumenthal has experimented with foodpairing, in which recipes are created by identifying molecular similarities between different ingredients and bringing these together in a dish.

Heston Blumenthal created unusual combinations, including Roast Foie Gras "Benzaldehyde" and salmon poached in a liquorice gel accompanied by asparagus.

Heston Blumenthal calls his scientific approach to cuisine "multi-sensory cooking", arguing that eating is "one of the few activities we do that involves all of the senses simultaneously".

Heston Blumenthal is known for his use of scented dry ice.

Heston Blumenthal became interested in historical cooking in the late 1990s upon obtaining a copy of The Vivendier, a translation of a fifteenth-century cookery manuscript that contained unusual recipes, such as a chicken that appears roasted but wakes up as it is served.

The opening of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal presented him with far greater scope for historical cooking, and its menu is composed solely of dishes inspired by the recipes of the past.

Heston Blumenthal's 2013 book Historic Heston is a collection of historical recipes that have appeared on the menus of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, the Fat Duck and the Hinds Head.

In 2009, for a private party held during Ascot week, Heston Blumenthal was invited to cook a meal for Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle.

Heston Blumenthal was selected to provide the picnic meal for participants in Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations, and was a guest in the Royal Box at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee concert in June 2012.

In 2004, Heston Blumenthal won the Chef Award at the Catey Awards, joining chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Phil Howard and Raymond Blanc.

In January 2006, Heston Blumenthal was appointed an OBE in the New Years Honours List for his services to British Gastronomy.

Heston Blumenthal has been awarded honorary degrees for his scientific approach to cooking.

In July 2006, Heston Blumenthal was presented with an honorary Doctor of Science degree by Reading University in recognition of his unique scientific approach to food and long-standing relationship with the University's School of Food Biosciences.

Also in July 2006, Heston Blumenthal was the first chef to be awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Heston Blumenthal received an honorary Master of Science from Bristol University in 2007.

Heston Blumenthal's restaurants have received awards including "Best Restaurant in the World".

Heston Blumenthal married his first wife, Zanna, in 1989, with whom he had three children.

Heston Blumenthal credited Zanna with helping the Fat Duck succeed, as she cared for their family while he was working.

Between 2011 and 2015, Heston Blumenthal engaged in a relationship with the American food writer Suzanne Pirret.

Heston Blumenthal married the French entrepreneur Melanie Ceysson in March 2023.

In 2017, Heston Blumenthal was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a condition he believed had made him hyper-focused on his work.

Heston Blumenthal said he had used cocaine in an attempt to self-medicate.

In November 2023, Heston Blumenthal was sectioned in France following a week-long manic episode, during which he hallucinated that he had a gun, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Heston Blumenthal spent 20 days on a psychiatric ward and 40 days at a clinic.