Biography
Born in London into a Jewish family and raised in Buckinghamshire, Heston Blumenthal attended the Latymer Upper School in London for one year before transferring to Lacey Green Church of England School until 12. Blumenthal completed his studies at age 18 at John Hampden Grammar School, High Wycombe.
Blumenthal is entirely self-taught. His first paid job as a chef was when he opened his own restaurant, The Fat Duck. Prior to this, his only experience in a professional kitchen was a one week long work experience at Marco Pierre White's restaurant and 10 days' unpaid experience in Raymond Blanc's kitchen.
According to an interview with The Observer in 2004, he has been cooking "seriously" since the mid-1990s. In 1992, three years before opening The Fat Duck, he created his first ever dish, the now famous and often imitated, triple cooked chips. In 2002 he invested in the Riverside Brasserie with former Arsenal FC footballer Lee Dixon and Alfie Hitchcock, but two years later he sold his shares in the business to his former head chef, Garrey Dawson.
In 2004, The Fat Duck was awarded its third Michelin star. Blumenthal is one of only three British chefs to receive 3 Michelin stars.
Read more about this topic: Heston Blumenthal
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