The Fat Duck to launch 30th anniversary menus

Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant in Bray is to launch two anniversary menus to mark its upcoming 30^th birthday.

The dining room was opened by Blumenthal in 1995 and became known for its creative dishes such as egg and bacon ice cream and the Alice in Wonderland-inspired mock turtle soup.

It won its first Michelin star in 1999, a second in 2002, and first joined the handful of UK restaurants to hold three stars in 2004.

Ahead of its 30^th birthday, the Fat Duck is offering an 11-course, £395 tasting menu named ‘the Journey’ from September. It sees a return of classic menu items such as crab ice cream and the jelly of quail with truffle toast and oak moss.

A shorter, £275 version of the menu named ‘the Trip’ is also on offer from September.

In an email to customers, the restaurant said: “The Fat Duck is nearing its 30th birthday, which is a big deal for us.

“The chefs are inspired, the front of house is excited, and we want you to join us on a journey into Hestonland – a place full of exceptional cooking, extraordinary flavours and excitingly, deliciously different dishes from the foremost gastronomic magician.”

While the prices are high, they are not dissimilar to the amount charged by the Fat Duck for its signature tasting menu 10 years ago. In 2015, journalist Tony Naylor wrote in the Guardian that the restaurant’s £255 menu was “indefensible”.

In January and February this year, the restaurant offered a temporary cut-price £225 version of its tasting menu.

All meals at the Fat Duck are now priced between £275 - £395 per person including VAT for food only, while drinks, extras and service are all charged on top.