Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck has regained its three Michelin stars to rejoin the elite of world restaurants, increasing the number of top-rated eateries in the UK from three to four.
The high-end venue run by the chef renowned for serving snail porridge lost its stars last year after he moved it 10,000 miles to Melbourne, Australia, for 12 months.
But at the unveiling of the 2017 Michelin Guide on Monday, it was announced that the £255-per-person restaurant in Bray, Berkshire – which reopened in September 2015 – was back in the three-star club.
After eight anonymous inspections, it was deemed worthy of regaining its status as one of only about 100 restaurants in the world with three Michelin stars.
The guide’s editor, Rebecca Burr, said: “Our inspectors had many meals here during the course of the year and found the restaurant invigorated, rejuvenated and unquestionably worthy of being re-awarded our highest accolade.”
The Fat Duck takes its place at the top of the pile alongside Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – both in London – and Michel Roux’s Waterside Inn, also in Bray, Berkshire. Those three already had three stars and there were no other new restaurants receiving the honour. Blumenthal’s Knightsbridge restaurant Dinner retained its two Michelin stars, along with Araki, Le Gavroche and The Ledbury.
For the first time in the guide’s history, the results were announced at an invitation-only gathering in central London. Last year, Michelin released them a day early on Twitter amid fears of the list being leaked. Among the “great and the good” in fine dining were Éric Fréchon, head chef of Le Bristol in Paris, and Michel Roux senior.
Overall, 18 new establishments in the UK have been awarded one Michelin star, including two pubs: the Wild Rabbit in Oxfordshire, with Tim Allen in the kitchen; and the Crown at Burchetts Green in Berkshire, run by Simon Bonwick and his family.
London’s oldest Indian restaurant, the Raj-inspired Veeraswamy – which celebrated its 90th birthday earlier this year – was awarded one star, along with the famous Ritz restaurant. “These establishments have long and illustrious histories, but the cooking at both has never been better than it is today,” said Burr. “London’s great variety of establishments, its history but also its dynamism and vitality are illuminated by the capital’s new Michelin stars.”
A brand new award for the best female chef in Great Britain and Ireland went to Clare Smyth from Northern Ireland, who, as head chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea, became the first female British chef to hold and retain three Michelin stars. Smyth, who is planning to open her own restaurant in Notting Hill, west London, next year, said: “It’s fantastic that women are achieving awards like this, but when I am in the kitchen I don’t think about my gender. I just work very hard and do the best I can.”
Bruce Poole, founder and co-owner of Chez Bruce in Wandsworth, south-west London, which has one Michelin star, said: “It’s great to see Michelin rewarding the quality and variety of British cooking but it is disappointing that it has not recognised any new restaurants with three stars.”
This edition of the guide also marks the 20th anniversary of the Bib Gourmand – Michelin’s award for great good-value cooking. This year the guide includes more than 140 ‘Bibs’, of which 24 are new.
Blumenthal said at the event that he was more enthusiastic than ever after winning his stars. “I’m more ambitious and I have more energy, more creativity, more drive than I have ever had before.” He insisted he wanted to leave a legacy, saying: “I want to leave this world happier than I found it.” The Fat Duck, which seats only 38 people, gets between 20,000 and 30,000 telephone calls a day, he added – but not many get through.
