Reply to: I had a table booked at the Fat Duck tonight

[BrowneIssue]

3 Michelin stars. Best chef in the world.

Used to be...

If I want the squits, there's cheapo kebab vans I can go to...

[d000hg]

"Hey, honey, surprise. Remember that restaurant that made 400 people poorly last year? To show you how much I love you, I'm taking you there to eat."

You have a year to think this through.

3 Michelin stars. Best chef in the world.

Of course, I'll check carefully that the current problems have been resolved... either it will be fixed or shut down. Luckily Mrs d000hg isn't so stupid to reject something because of one problem... these things happen to the best of us after all.

[BrowneIssue]

Anyway, I still look forward to the day I can take the wife there. It'll be our 5th anniversary in 369 days, that would be something worth splahing out for...

"Hey, honey, surprise. Remember that restaurant that made 400 people poorly last year? To show you how much I love you, I'm taking you there to eat."

You have a year to think this through.

[d000hg]

He is really, really pushing his luck keeping food at 60C for long periods. Sorry, not his luck, his customers' luck. He is relying on efficient heat distribution in the oven, the accuracy of oven thermometers and the temperature gradient of the meat. A joint taken from the 'fridge and put into an oven at 60C will take ages just to get up to 55C in the middle. And during that time the bacteria will be breeding like crazy and releasing toxins into the meat. It will then be kept warm - and still toxic - until it is served up. The damage has already been done in the first couple of hours in the oven.

Having watched a few of his TV programs, he really seems to take a scientific approach to food as well as being a perfectionist. I therefore don't think it's likely he developed this approach to cooking without testing it first.

And as I said, if this is simply unsafe technique it should show up easily in tests rather than being a big mystery. The news suggested they couldn't find the source, and I'm sure the people he brought in to do tests would be quite thorough.

Anyway, I still look forward to the day I can take the wife there. It'll be our 5th anniversary in 369 days, that would be something worth splahing out for...

[dang65]

At 60C you are at the very top end of the 'danger range' of temperatures for keeping food. Almost all disease-causing critters will be killed.

Yeah, but the ones that aren't are going to be really pissed off.

[Board Game Geek]

I went to the hospital....

SFW

[Turion]

Isn't it obvious. Just like our dirty NHS (that we all love so much ) created MRSA, He's created a new unknown restaurant super bug, that's grown resistant to his 60C cooking. This is gonna spread to a kitchen near you. We're all doomed

[BrilloPad]

I ate there 2 years ago : had a fabulous time. I liked the orange/blackcurrant jelly thing.

[BrowneIssue]

What's your point? Even if his cooking doesn't eliminate germs (proteins break down at ~50 degrees IIRC) it still requires the ingredients to be infected.

And as soon as it is exposed to air, it is. And in the case of meat & dairy products, also before then.

And besides, with great ingredients, raw food isn't that bad - raw beef and egg are commonly eaten in many countries - let alone low-temperature cooking.

Personally, I like my parasites dead when I eat them.

I also like my toxin-producing bacteria dead before they get a chance to breed.

Also, in the West we do not routinely eat diseased food and so do not get accustomed to it as small children, hence the bad tummy on holiday in exotic places.

At 60C you are at the very top end of the 'danger range' of temperatures for keeping food. Almost all disease-causing critters will be killed. Plenty that are not disease-causing will not be killed. Then there's the border-line cases.

He is really, really pushing his luck keeping food at 60C for long periods. Sorry, not his luck, his customers' luck. He is relying on efficient heat distribution in the oven, the accuracy of oven thermometers and the temperature gradient of the meat. A joint taken from the 'fridge and put into an oven at 60C will take ages just to get up to 55C in the middle. And during that time the bacteria will be breeding like crazy and releasing toxins into the meat. It will then be kept warm - and still toxic - until it is served up. The damage has already been done in the first couple of hours in the oven.

[d000hg]

"Environmental health officers have yet to find a cause for the diners' symptoms."

"Blumenthal is a proponent of low temperature, ultra–slow cooking, whereby a joint of meat is cooked for up to 24 hours so as to contain the fat content while preventing collagen molecules from re-forming within the meat. In his In Search of Perfection series, he cooks a Bresse chicken at 60 degrees Celsius."

Hmm. Anyone know any rocket scientists or brain surgeons?

What's your point? Even if his cooking doesn't eliminate germs (proteins break down at ~50 degrees IIRC) it still requires the ingredients to be infected. For recurring problems like are reported that means some link in his supply chain or one of his staff... but his quote on the news was that everything had been tested with nothing being seen.

And besides, with great ingredients, raw food isn't that bad - raw beef and egg are commonly eaten in many countries - let alone low-temperature cooking.

[BrowneIssue]

"Environmental health officers have yet to find a cause for the diners' symptoms."

"Blumenthal is a proponent of low temperature, ultra–slow cooking, whereby a joint of meat is cooked for up to 24 hours so as to contain the fat content while preventing collagen molecules from re-forming within the meat. In his In Search of Perfection series, he cooks a Bresse chicken at 60 degrees Celsius."

Hmm. Anyone know any rocket scientists or brain surgeons?

[BrowneIssue]

Bit off if they didn't contact you to say it was closed.

And the web site is tulipe too.

"We are currently in the process of updating the design, technology and style of this site to offer you a more informative and inspiring visit." - at least it doesn't have one of those naff "work in progress" JCB GIFs.

"RESERVATIONS - To make a reservation please call our reservation line +44 (0) 1628 580 333 between 10am and 5pm Monday to Friday (including bank holidays)."

Not at the moment they don't. It's shut.

"Please note that all the information and facts you are about to read are current" and "In July 2006 Heston Blumenthal will be awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science" - if his cooking is as good as his web site, I'm not surprised at the news.

The menu link opens in a new window which you cannot resize. Or print.

I'd give you a link to his web site, but item 3.1.6 of the tediously long TERMS AND CONDITIONS do not permit it. So I won't.

[scooterscot]

Watched this story on the news - reeks of sabotage.


£100 says this is a crime scene.

[norrahe]

how far in advance did you book that?

Bit off if they didn't contact you to say it was closed.

Hopefully you didn't spend 2 hours doing redial on your phone just to book it initially.

you can only book 2 months in advance in general with these guys.

[jmo21]

how far in advance did you book that?

hope it wasn't a first date you were trying to impress!