The Fat Duck

Star-studded Bocuse d’Or UK dinner raises over £280,000

08-Feb-2024 By Joe Lutrario

A gala dinner that featured eight chefs from UK three Michelin-starred restaurants has raised over £280,000.

Friday five: the week's top restaurant news stories

02-Feb-2024 By Restaurant

This week's most read articles include the closure of Greg Marchand's Frenchie restaurant in Covent Garden, the return of Le Caprice and the latest crop of Michelin Bib Gourmands.

The Fat Duck launches more affordable tasting menu

30-Jan-2024 By Joe Lutrario

The Fat Duck has launched an abridged, lower-priced version of its tasting menu.

Ashley Palmer-Watts returns to the industry with multi-faceted Surrey restaurant project

12-Oct-2023 By Joe Lutrario

Former Dinner by Heston Blumenthal chef Ashley Palmer-Watts is returning to the industry following a three-year break with a multi-venue restaurant project in Surrey.

Fat Duck owner returns to profit

18-Apr-2023 By James McAllister

The parent company of Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck restaurant in Berkshire has returned to profit with turnover having more than doubled in 2022 compared to the year before.

People on the move: March 2023

08-Mar-2023 By Restaurant

New positions at Atul Kochhar Restaurant Group, The Samling, and Mollie's and the departure of The Fat Duck's head chef are among this month's key personnel changes in hospitality

Uncorked: Melania Bellesini

15-Dec-2022 By Joe Lutrario

The head sommelier at The Fat Duck on overseeing a wine list that balances the classics with hidden gems and pairing venison with sake.

Oli Williamson promoted to head chef at Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck

17-Jan-2022 By Restaurant

Roux Scholar Oli Williamson has been promoted to the role of head chef at Heston Blumenthal’s three-Michelin starred restaurant The Fat Duck.

The Rose & Crown in Enfield to relaunch

05-Nov-2021 By Restaurant

Redhouse Pubs Group is embarking on a joint £350,000 refurbishment of The Rose & Crown in Enfield with Star Pubs & Bars that will improve its food offer.

Oli Williamson wins 2020/21 Roux Scholarship

26-Oct-2021 By Restaurant

Oli Williamson has been named the winner of the 2020/21 Roux Scholarship cooking competition.

Chef Nick Rudge to open debut restaurant The Jackdaw in Conwy next month

03-Sep-2021 By Restaurant

Former The Fat Duck chef Nick Rudge will open his debut solo venture in the town of Conwy in north Wales next month.

Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck closes temporarily after Coronavirus outbreak among staff

15-Oct-2020 By James McAllister

Heston Blumenthal's three Michelin-starred Berkshire restaurant The Fat Duck has been forced to temporarily close following an outbreak of Covid-19 among its staff.

Former Fat Duck chef sues restaurant for £200,000

24-Oct-2019 By James McAllister

A former pastry chef is suing Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck, claiming its delicate food preparations left her with chronic wrist pain and unable to work.

The Fat Duck returns to profit after 2016 losses

06-Mar-2018 By Sophie Witts

Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck restaurant returned to profit last year after recording losses in the wake of its temporary migration to Australia.

New venture from Noma, Chiltern Firehouse and Fat Duck alumni to open in Old Street

07-Nov-2017 By Georgia Bronte

Ex-Chiltern Firehouse chef Niall Davidson has confirmed that he will open Nuala at Old Street’s White Collar Factory development this month.

Heston Blumenthal’s The Hinds Head to undergo major refurb

17-Feb-2017 By Joe Lutrario

Heston Blumenthal’s The Hinds Head in Bray is to close its doors in late March to undergo “a major transformation”.

Chefs' Secrets of Success: Ashley Palmer-Watts

25-Jan-2017 By Hannah Thompson

In the latest in our Chefs' Secrets of Success series, we caught up with Ashley Palmer-Watts, executive group chef of Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. He talks advice to young chefs, learning the basics, and the importance of taste.

Real Junk Food Manchester launches crowdfunding campaign

19-Dec-2016 By Sophie Witts

A food waste cafe headed up by a former Fat Duck chef has launched a crowdfunding campaign to open its first semi-permanent restaurant in Manchester.

The top 5 stories in hospitality this week 03/10 - 07/10

07-Oct-2016 By Sophie Witts

What were some of the top stories in hospitality this week? Here's our pick.

Small Talk

Mark Rosati on how fine dining inspires the menus at Shake Shack

30-Jun-2016 By Sophie Witts

Mark Rosati began his career at New York's Gramercy Tavern before moving on to Danny Meyer's then-fledgling burger chain Shake Shack. As culinary director he is tasked with eating his way around the globe to create a series of locally-inspired...

Chef Ashley Palmer-Watts travels to Thailand for first 50 Best Explores

14-Mar-2016 By Emma Eversham

Ashley Palmer-Watts, executive head chef for the Fat Duck group, has been seeking culinary inspiration in Thailand for the first of the 50 Best Explores series. 

Heston Blumenthal to open The Fat Duck Melbourne in February

17-Sep-2014 By Carina Perkins

Heston Blumenthal has revealed further details of his plans for The Fat Duck in Melbourne, which is due to open on 3 February 2015.

Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2014 semi-finalists announced

09-May-2014 By Carina Perkins

The Academy of Food & Wine Service (AFWS) has announced the 12 semi-finalists in the Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2014 awards, with staff from the from The Fat Duck, Pollen Street Social and Northcote among those on the list.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2014: Top 10 gallery

28-Apr-2014 By Carina Perkins

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2014 have been announced, with Noma beating El Celler de Can Roca to reclaim the top spot.

Blumenthal takes The Fat Duck Down Under

31-Mar-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Heston Blumenthal is temporarily relocating his legendary three-Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck while carrying out a six-month refurbishment of the original site in Bray.

Heston Blumenthal reveals details of new T2 restaurant

10-Mar-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Heston Blumenthal’s new ‘nostalgic British restaurant’ will be called The Perfectionists’ Café and will open at Heathrow’s newly redeveloped Terminal 2 in June. 

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal temporarily closed after norovirus outbreak

03-Feb-2014 By Luke Nicholls

Heston Blumenthal’s two-Michelin-starred London restaurant Dinner has shut up shop for a week following an outbreak of norovirus affecting members of staff and guests.

The Fat Duck's Loic Avril named world's best young sommelier

28-Oct-2013 By Emma Eversham

Loic Avril, a sommelier at The Fat Duck, has been named the world's best young sommelier after winning the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs 2013 International Young Sommelier of the Year competition. 

World's 50 Best Restaurants 2013: El Celler de Can Roca video interview

09-May-2013 By Luke Nicholls & Peter Ruddick

Joan Roca, the co-founder and head chef of El Celler de Can Roca, has told BigHospitality he expects the impact of his restaurant being named number one on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list to be 'huge' - bigger than the effect of other...

Heston Blumenthal: The Fat Duck is better now than when it was voted the world's best restaurant

01-May-2013 By Peter Ruddick

Heston Blumenthal, who this week saw his flagship three Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck drop 20 places in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, has told BigHospitality he thinks the venue is better now than when it topped the list.

Two chefs from The Fat Duck killed in a Hong Kong car crash

20-Nov-2012 By Peter Ruddick

The restaurant industry is paying tribute to two senior chefs from Heston Blumenthal's three Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck who were killed on Monday in a Hong Kong car crash.

Chef Africa: Ashley Palmer-Watts' Kenyan mini-documentary video

07-Nov-2012 By Peter Ruddick

It is just over a month since Ashley Palmer-Watts, the Dinner by Heston Blumenthal head chef, touched down in the UK after swapping his Knightsbridge kitchen for one in a mud hut in Kenya - take an exclusive look at his Chef Africa trip with BigHospitality's...

Chef Africa: Ashley Palmer-Watts's Kenyan photo gallery

22-Oct-2012 By Peter Ruddick

In his Chef Africa challenge, Ashley Palmer Watts, The Fat Duck group executive chef and head chef at Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, swapped his Knightsbridge kitchen for a hotter, smokier one in a Kenyan mud hut - check out the photos from his trip in...

Hidden Heroes: Lives of the chefs behind the restaurant industry's famous faces

03-Oct-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Behind every restaurant industry big name, high-profile restaurateur or Michelin-starred chef is a hard-working chef heading up a kitchen with someone else's name above the door - this month BigHospitality celebrated those hidden heroes with a video...

Chef Africa: Follow Ashley Palmer-Watts's Kenya trip exclusively on BigHospitality

23-Sep-2012 By Peter Ruddick

In less than 24 hours Dinner by Heston Blumenthal head chef Ashley Palmer-Watts will begin his trip to Kenya as an ambassador for the hospitality industry - BigHospitality will be accompanying him so you can follow every step of his journey.

Service standards remain the ‘weak link’ for London restaurants

11-Sep-2012 By Luke Nicholls

Service standards in London’s restaurants have been labelled as a ‘weak link’ by Tim Zagat, with his eponymous restaurant guide revealing that 73 per cent of all customer complaints relate to the front-of-house. 

Nespresso launches Zenius: Most 'technologically advanced' coffee machine

29-Jun-2012 By Peter Ruddick

Nespresso has launched Zenius, an automated coffee machine it says is its most 'technologically advanced' to date, to the UK market.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2012: 1-50

01-May-2012 By Luke Nicholls

The World's 50 Best Restaurants awards 2012 have been announced and, while Rene Redzepi’s Noma scooped top spot, the movers and shakers further down the list have made for some interesting findings.

Blumenthal creates interactive 'sweetshop experience' for The Fat Duck reservations

29-Feb-2012 By Peter Ruddick

A new interactive reservation experience, voiced by actor John Hurt, has been created by Heston Blumenthal for The Fat Duck which allows diners to enter a secret online sweetshop and view an animated version of the menu.

Follow tonight’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants live with BigHospitality

18-Apr-2011 By Becky Paskin

With just hours to go until the S. Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, tune in to BigHospitality on Facebook and Twitter for live updates, photos and gossip as the awards unfold.

Date set for S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2011

14-Feb-2011 By Lorraine Heller

This year’s S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards are due to be announced on 18 April, marking the tenth year for the restaurant industry’s most influential awards.

Heston Blumenthal opens Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental

26-Jan-2011 By Becky Paskin

BigHospitality has some sneak preview pictures of Heston Blumenthal’s first London restaurant Dinner, which is to launch on 31 January at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

National Restaurant Awards 2010 to be announced Monday

06-Oct-2010 By Lorraine Heller

Top chefs from around the UK will be gathering in London next week as results are revealed from the National Restaurant Awards 2010

Two hospitalised after Hilton Glasgow ‘norovirus’ outbreak

19-Jul-2010 By Becky Paskin

Almost 40 people have fallen ill after a suspected outbreak of the norovirus at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow

Heston Blumenthal insists he won't 'swan' into London with Dinner

09-Jul-2010 By Becky Paskin

Heston Blumenthal has insisted he won’t be ‘swanning into London’ with his new venture Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, claiming the restaurant will be more informal than other five-star hotel restaurants

Pearls of Wisdom: Michael Wignall

14-May-2010 By Becky Paskin

Michael Wignall is the executive chef of the Michelin-starred Latymer at Pennyhill Park, Exclusive Hotels’ Surrey country house property. He has previously held Michelin stars for Waldo’s at Cliveden House and the Devonshire Arms.

Hygiene: What to do if things go wrong

07-May-2010 By Chris Druce

Running a hospitality business and keeping on top of hygiene day-to-day can be a challenge, but there are things you can do when the occasional slip-up occurs to rescue your reputation and prevent bad word of mouth.

Blumenthal apologises but denies responsibility for Fat Duck poisoning

25-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

Heston Blumenthal has denied responsibility for the norovirus outbreak that potentially poisoned 500 diners at his Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, and has personally invited each diner back for a complimentary meal

Raw oysters blamed for Fat Duck closure

10-Sep-2009 By Becky Paskin

Raw oysters have been blamed for the norovirus outbreak at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant in February

Heston Blumenthal to increase Fat Duck prices

01-Jul-2009 By Joe Lutrario

Heston Blumenthal is planning a 30 per cent price hike for the Fat Duck, making it the most expensive restaurant in the UK