In Search of Perfection British chef Heston Blumenthal talks about the importance of making meaningful connections, surmounting our fears and perfecting that most fundamental of ingredients, water. Words: Heleri Rande
B
y
Heston
two old friends catching up, talking about the
Blumenthal is one of the best
common
consent,
human mind, connection, imagination, shared
and most influential chefs of
belief systems and, above all else, water; the
his generation. Known first and
latter subject well on the way to becoming the
foremost for his triple-Michelin-
next part of his extraordinary culinary legacy.
starred flagship, The Fat Duck
“We are working on water, prebiotics,
in Bray, his impressive empire also includes
nutrigenomics, and plasma to activate water,
double-Michelin-starred Dinner by Heston
which is used to make a drink, or soup, or
Blumenthal at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in
another food that can then activate the water
London, another Dinner at Crown Melbourne,
inside the body,” he reveals. What this means
Michelin-starred The Hinds Head in Bray,
for the future is that, alongside a team of
and The Perfectionists’ Café in Terminal 2 of
collaborators and chefs, Blumenthal will
Heathrow Airport. If the above list does not
focus on ways to activate water and change
sufficiently dazzle, there are countless more
its structure with electromagnetic energy.
achievements to mention, such as his multiple
His interest lies in seeing how this affects the
TV series, doctorates from UK universities,
human body, and how the body receives it in
and an OBE. from the Queen for his services to
the first place.
gastronomy, awarded in 2006.
“People’s relationship with food and drink
But despite all of his accomplishments,
is deteriorating,” the chef warns. “In order to
Blumenthal’s ego is far from that of a typical
improve it, we need to have a better relationship
celebrity, or what I presume a celebrity to
with ourselves through a better understanding
possess. Having spent a few days travelling
of the science of water.” Highlighting the fact
with him in Estonia, I was amazed by how
that breathing is a crucial element to life, after
approachable, compassionate and down-to-
which comes the relationship with the food
earth he was. At times, I had to remind myself
we eat and water we drink, he is adamant that
who I was with, as it seemed we were just
people do not pay enough attention to these
