Blumenthal cooks for the Queen

Experimental chef Heston Blumenthal demonstrated his skills to the Queen yesterday to celebrate the opening of the revamped Royal Institution of Great Britain.

The Fat Duck owner, who is famed for his culinary alchemy, showed Her Majesty and four hundred other guests how to make ice cream using liquid nitrogen at the venue in Albemarle Street, London.

The RI, which is dedicated to science, has been closed for more than two years while it received a £22m upgrade.

Blumenthal will revisit the museum on June 4 to give a lecture to guests about his career and how he has helped break down barriers between science and gastronomy with his groundbreaking innovations.

The venue is also planning to host more events linking science and food this summer, such as Feast – an in-depth look at why humans sit down together to eat – and The Science of Beer which examines the science behind the great British pint.

Baroness Greenfield Director of the RI said: “The RI has been a cornerstone in the history of science, and is the home of innovative and groundbreaking discoveries that are still impacting our lives today more than ever before. The impressive renovation of the 208 year old building will enable the RI to celebrate science, past, present and future, as never before, and to democratise science and technology for more people than ever.”