Asian Chef Association

Asian Chef Association

Asian Chef Association

Little Chef is in trouble and in their desperation they have called in Heston Blumenthal, he of the bacon and egg ice-cream fame, to turn around the fortunes of the company by completely redesigning the entire menu and bringing it into the 21st century.

Little Chef vs. The Fat Duck

Little Chef is a quintessential British eatery, everyone has memories of visiting one on a long drive on holiday and the symbol was one of the most recognisable road signs on the motorway. But it is quickly losing appeal and in 2007 the company went bust and had to be rescued by a new investment.

On the contrary The Fat Duck restaurant is considered one of the top eating establishments in the world and Blumenthal is often regarded as the most inventive and exciting chefs in Britain and his scientific approach to cooking means that anyone wanting to eat at his restaurant has to book months in advance.

But is a man renowned for unusual and expensive food the correct choice to help a place that for decades has sold cheap but filling meals?

British Twist - Lancashire Hotpot with Oysters and Meat Cooked in Hay

Although he was filled with energy and enthusiasm to rise to the challenge, the mission of trying to make eye catching food but on a commercial scale that can be produced quickly and cheaply soon looked like an impossible feat. Especially as he only has six months to finish it and he usually takes two years to perfect one dish.

The first problem he notices is that not only is the menu enormous but it has more reference to Asian and European food than it does British. So Heston’s idea is to create British classics with a twist, foods that people recognise but will still be exciting enough to rope in the punters. So he came up with cooking scrambled egg in water bath, Lancashire Hotpot with oysters and meat cooked in hay.