Northamptonshire Little Chef to get Heston's recipes
Dishes dreamed up by culinary alchemist Heston Blumenthal are set to adorn the tables of a roadside cafe in Northamptonshire after Little Chef agreed to try the celebrity chef's experimental new menu.
The legendary three Michelin-starred chef, officially regarded as the second best in the world, took part earlier this year in Channel 4 documentary Big Chef Takes On Little Chef looking at revitalising the ailing fast food chain.
His revamped menu – which features dishes including braised ox cheeks in a rich red wine sauce with mushrooms, as well as updated versions of old favourites such as the Olympic breakfast and Jubilee pancakes – was originally only available at the Popham branch of Little Chef in Hampshire.
But, following a successful trial period, the menu will now be used at two other branches. A Little Chef spokesman last night confirmed the two branches would be in York and on the westbound carriageway of the A14 near Kettering.
One member of staff at the Kettering outlet, who asked not to be named, told the Chron: "To be honest it's the first I have heard of it. I knew they were looking at other branches but I didn't realise we were going to be one of them. It's a bit daunting."
The new menu is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks and suppliers to the restaurant in Popham, on the A303 near Basingstoke, confirmed to The Grocer magazine yesterday that they had been asked to increase their orders to supply both Kettering and York. The overhaul of the Kettering branch is expected to create 16 new jobs, with the restaurant closing on July 13 for the refit.
Parts of the work are due to be filmed in conjunction with a follow-up TV programme to be aired on Channel 4 in the autumn.
Little Chef chief executive Ian Pegler said: "Heston's menu and the redesign of Popham have been very popular and, after very carefully analysing the results of the trial there we feel the time is right to enter the next stage of development.
"We are now ready to take the concept to restaurants in both the North and Midlands to see how they are received.
"It's great to be working with Heston again and we are delighted to have his continued support."
The iconic Little Chef brand has struggled in recent years in the face of increased competition and an outdated menu, but it is hoped the tie-up with the celebrity chef will help revive its fortunes. Each year, Little Chef customers munch their way through 10 million free range eggs and 12 million slices of bacon, the equivalent of an 11-mile high pile.
Mr Blumenthal's restaurant, The Fat Duck, in Bray, Berkshire, is widely regarded as the best in the country.
A 12-course tasting menu is available for 130 per person and includes dishes such as salmon cooked in liquorice, snail porridge, and bacon and egg ice cream.
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