Relationship with Waterside Inn

[cabrales]

If you are comfortable, could you discuss the regularity of your interactions with Michel and Alain Roux of the Waterside Inn, and what type of professional and/or personal dialogue there might be?

How has The Fat Duck's relationship with Waterside Inn evolved, as your restaurant has progressed from its earlier stages of establishing itself to its current posture? Is there a sense that having two gastronomic restaurants in Bray results in something that is greater than the sum of its parts, for example? Finally, to what extent (if any) is there a sense of competition between the two facilities?

[Heston Blumenthal]

We have a great relationship with Michel, Alain and many of the rest of the Waterside staff.

During the first couple of years, The waterside Inn kindly gave us quite a bit of business almost as an overflow restaurant!

In terms of professional dialogue, although we share a coffee and enjoy the social element, the dialogue does not really run to deep in terms of cooking-perhaps we are too far apart in terms of food for this!

This gap however has meant that a lot of our customers are also Waterside regulars as the two restaurants really dont compete with each other. To begin with, I don't think that The Fat Duck is or was ever out to challenge the Waterside Inn.

The Roux brothers have done as much, possibly more than anyone for the developement of British gastronomy and The Fat Duck is not about to challenge that.

I dont really feel that there is a sense of competition and if there is, well lets say it is just a little friendly one!