Ferran Adria

[yvonne johnson]

When I read about chefs who are described as experimental, and who collaborate with scientists to create new combinations and improve coooking techniques, your name and Ferran Adria's often appear. (Unfortunately, I've not yet visited your restaurants or El Bulli.)

To what extent have you been influenced by Adria (and vice versa), and to what extent do your individual contributions complement one another (or not)?

[Heston Blumenthal]

Yvonne,

I think that without doubt, Ferran Adria will be regarded as one of the moast influencial chefs of recent years and indeed there have been elements of my cooking that have been influenced by him.

To be honest though, for the first time in the seven years that I have been cooking professionally, I can now see a pattern forming that will shape my cooking and allow it to become completely individual.

Interestingly enough, we are about to embark on a three year EEC funded project called INNICON. There are seven participants in this project including four restaurants. El Bulli is one of the other restaurants involved.

The idea is to work together and along with an engineering company, a flavour company and cookery school, come up with new ingredients and techniques that will save time in the kitchen and hopefully improve the quality of our cooking.