Heston Blumenthal interview about his restaurant: perfectionists' Cafe

Heston Blumenthal talks about The Perfectionist restaurant - Celebrity chefs - UK food and recipes - allaboutyou.com

Q Tell us about The Perfectionists’ Café, your new café at Heathrow - how did you come up with the name? What's the ethos behind it?
Heston: It is called that partly because of the TV series I made for the BBC, In Search of Perfection, with the premise that perfection is subjective. You can have a glass of water up a mountain and it feels like perfection. So when Heathrow approached me, I asked what food the people at airports want to eat most - burgers, pizza, smoked salmon, cocktails - and went for that. It’s about what you would deem the perfect meal in the right setting, and in this case that turns out to be British favourites with a global feel.

Q What is your favourite easy supper?
Heston: If the sun is shining - although, to be honest, even if it is raining - I would say a burger on a barbecue. And if I’m being healthy, which is not very often, I would wrap it in lettuce.

Q Who is your favourite celebrity chef?
Heston: I don’t have one these days but when I was growing up it was Keith Floyd, if for no other reason than his incredible passion for what he does.

Q What is your favourite UK restaurant?
Heston: There is an Indian restaurant in Cookham called Maliks, which always does magnificent things with spices, and I think I love the simplicity of curry for that reason. The meat can be pretty much anything, but the way you complement it with a sauce transforms it. So it’s simplistic but very complex at the same time.

Q What is your favourite cuisine?
Heston: I like British because that is my cuisine. Otherwise I like Japanese. I love the aesthetic of Japanese cooking. It comes in so many different forms. I like that.

Q Do you feel nervous serving oysters these days?
Heston: Yes, I’ve not served them since the norovirus thing, which is sad. But I thought I might have been finished after that.

Q What’s next on your agenda?
Heston: We’re closing The Fat Duck for six months for repairs and things. But I didn’t want to leave the staff without work for that amount of time so I’m opening in Melbourne and taking them with me! It’s great for everyone, but it works commercially as well. Australia has some of the best produce in the world, particularly when it comes to meat, so it’s going to be a great adventure for us all.

Find out more about The Perfectionist at London Heathrow Terminal 2

Heston on pickled fish, falling cakes and Keith Floyd