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Is Heston coming to London...

Paul Reynard
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Paul Reynard

Paul Reynard

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Posted
Chris Staines has left the building... I mean resigned from Foliage. :(

Genuinely gutted and surprised by this one. Going to have to find a new place for lunch now (as well as finding somewhere new for the wife's birthday lunch in a couple of weeks. Worst news in quite simetime for me...

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LizzyWizzy

LizzyWizzy

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According to someone in the know, and quite frankly, someone who should know, Chris Staines leaving was not some rash decision,he has a new project!

All will be revealed.

i would be led to believe this has been on the cards for sometime now! it definatly was not overnight!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...
ronak

ronak

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Posted (edited)
Heston for London?

Looks like it.

Chris Staines is also confirmed at Heckfield Place, Hampshire

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/item/3275/.../238/pg_ftr_art

he has also been for the Lufthansa.

chris staines Foliage head chef Chris Staines has been invited by aviation group Lufthansa to be the first British chef and the latest in a line of star chefs to create specialty menus for its passengers.

thats something

Edited by ronak (log)

wheelchairs

sports nutrition

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  • 3 weeks later...
CalumC

CalumC

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Posted

Well, well, well. If it is new, then perhaps the outlet for his historic stuff? I'm struggling a little to see what style it could be, is he really selling out to a brasserie or something?

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Pam Brunning

Pam Brunning

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All I can say is 'Ha, ha to personal!' With all his commitments he will never be there.

If I spent a lot of money on a work of art (another ha, ha!) I would expect it to be painted by the master not one of his students. The same if I pay a lot of money for a meal I expect the master in the kitchen, not just his students knocking out the food.

:angry:

Pam Brunning Editor Food & Wine, the Journal of the European & African Region of the International Wine & Food Society

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the count of monte christo

the count of monte christo

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Posted
All I can say is 'Ha, ha to personal!' With all his commitments he will never be there.

If I spent a lot of money on a work of art (another ha, ha!) I would expect it to be painted by the master not one of his students. The same if I pay a lot of money for a meal I expect the master in the kitchen, not just his students knocking out the food.

:angry:

Many many famous artists have teams of workers knocking out their works for them. They just issue the brief and put their signatures on the finished piece. Damien Hirst works in this way and Salvador Dali was known to sign blank canvasses.

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CalumC

CalumC

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Did he sell out when he bought the Hinds Head?

Point taken, but that has so far been an outlet of sorts to his historical stuff and seems a worthwhile visit. My point really was that if it isn't a fat duck london, i hope he doesn't use his name as the attraction to a fairly standard restaurant.

Edited by CalumC (log)
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olicollett

olicollett

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Posted
All I can say is 'Ha, ha to personal!' With all his commitments he will never be there.

If I spent a lot of money on a work of art (another ha, ha!) I would expect it to be painted by the master not one of his students. The same if I pay a lot of money for a meal I expect the master in the kitchen, not just his students knocking out the food.

:angry:

Given the way the food is prepared at the fat duck, I really cannot see what difference it would make if Heston is there or not.

The important thing in my mind is that he is busy in the development kitchen coming up with new ideas.

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CalumC

CalumC

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Posted (edited)

And personally, i also agree with this, though i do understand what olicollet is getting at. Its more a nagging feeling at the back of my mind than a strong insistence.

All I can say is 'Ha, ha to personal!' With all his commitments he will never be there.

If I spent a lot of money on a work of art (another ha, ha!) I would expect it to be painted by the master not one of his students. The same if I pay a lot of money for a meal I expect the master in the kitchen, not just his students knocking out the food.

:angry:

Edited by CalumC (log)
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CalumC

CalumC

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I wonder how many 3 *s actually have the chef there at service least 50% of the time though?

Which is why i struggle to justify demanding the person whose name is on the door (so to speak). If theyre still making great food...

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nickrey

nickrey

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All I can say is 'Ha, ha to personal!' With all his commitments he will never be there.

If I spent a lot of money on a work of art (another ha, ha!) I would expect it to be painted by the master not one of his students. The same if I pay a lot of money for a meal I expect the master in the kitchen, not just his students knocking out the food.

:angry:

Many many famous artists have teams of workers knocking out their works for them. They just issue the brief and put their signatures on the finished piece. Damien Hirst works in this way and Salvador Dali was known to sign blank canvasses.

All the Rennaisance artists worked in this way, including Leonardo Da Vinci.

A chef, by definition, is head of the kitchen. They are like a conductor of an orchestra, who coordinates and leads others who play the instruments that make up the final piece as envisioned by him or her.

The chef is there to create dishes, train others in making these to exacting standards, and maintain quality control. How often would any named chef in a restaurant actually touch your food? The answer is most likely very rarely. Even then, it may often be down to a final check over before the dish is sent to your table.

We have seen at least one notable British chef who appears to have spread himself far too thin and is currently paying the cost for this. Will Heston do so? I suppose that remains to be seen.

Nick Reynolds, aka "nickrey"

"The Internet is full of false information." Plato
My eG Foodblog

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food1

food1

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I wonder how many 3 *s actually have the chef there at service least 50% of the time though?

Which is why i struggle to justify demanding the person whose name is on the door (so to speak). If theyre still making great food...

Theres a very fine line, which in my opinion, too many chefs have been allowed to cross it seems. Im very suprised that folk couldn't care less whether or not the chef is in residence. I'm not too sure what this really says.

I don't think there is anything wrong with chefs having other interests BUT I strongly feel this should not take presidence over their main job. Look at the sorry state of the MP's. Been allowed to pay lip service to the job in hand, at the end of the day, won't do. Its no different for chefs. They may get away with it for a time but it seems to catch up with them in the end. What better example that G.R. A chef who obviously thought everybody wanted a (consulted) culinary piece of him. Times are changing and I reckon the eating public are wanting more honesty right across the board.

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Simon_S

Simon_S

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Posted
Im very suprised that folk couldn't care less whether or not the chef is in residence. I'm not too sure what this really says.

I think it says that most people don't care who cooks their dinner as long as standards remain high. If standards slip, then the problem may or may not be that the "named" chef didn't cook your dinner, and that should certainly be addressed. In that case, maybe the chef really does need to spend more time there, but I don't take that as a given. Of course, if standards don't slip, then I don't care whether the man whose name is over the door ever sets foot in the place.

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olicollett

olicollett

Posted
Posted
Im very suprised that folk couldn't care less whether or not the chef is in residence. I'm not too sure what this really says.

I think it says that most people don't care who cooks their dinner as long as standards remain high. If standards slip, then the problem may or may not be that the "named" chef didn't cook your dinner, and that should certainly be addressed. In that case, maybe the chef really does need to spend more time there, but I don't take that as a given. Of course, if standards don't slip, then I don't care whether the man whose name is over the door ever sets foot in the place.

Indeed - it's the food that matters to me. In Heston's case, as far as I understand it his role at the fat duck on the food side is coming up with new ideas and tweaking dishes on the menu. Given the amount of change there has been to the tasting menu there of late, I can't see why he could not juggle this with at least one other restaurant without going down the Ramsay path.

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Polarbear

Polarbear

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All I can say is 'Ha, ha to personal!' With all his commitments he will never be there.

If I spent a lot of money on a work of art (another ha, ha!) I would expect it to be painted by the master not one of his students. The same if I pay a lot of money for a meal I expect the master in the kitchen, not just his students knocking out the food.

:angry:

Many many famous artists have teams of workers knocking out their works for them. They just issue the brief and put their signatures on the finished piece. Damien Hirst works in this way and Salvador Dali was known to sign blank canvasses.

All the Rennaisance artists worked in this way, including Leonardo Da Vinci.

A chef, by definition, is head of the kitchen. They are like a conductor of an orchestra, who coordinates and leads others who play the instruments that make up the final piece as envisioned by him or her.

The chef is there to create dishes, train others in making these to exacting standards, and maintain quality control. How often would any named chef in a restaurant actually touch your food? The answer is most likely very rarely. Even then, it may often be down to a final check over before the dish is sent to your table.

We have seen at least one notable British chef who appears to have spread himself far too thin and is currently paying the cost for this. Will Heston do so? I suppose that remains to be seen.

Saw a programme on the Furniture manufacturer Chippendale, did exactly that. Hired the help and sold it under his umbrella.

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  • 3 weeks later...
malcolmwilliamson

malcolmwilliamson

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Caterersearch confirms Heston's plans to open in London in the autumn next year.

He'll be fitting a 140 seat restaurant into the space currently occupied by Foliage with the room redesign to be done by Adam Tihany. The kitchen will be headed by Ashley Palmer Watts.

Sad that we'll lose one of the best value lunches in the process.

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sunbeam

sunbeam

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Posted
Caterersearch confirms Heston's plans to open in London in the autumn next year.

He'll be fitting a 140 seat restaurant into the space currently occupied by Foliage with the room redesign to be done by Adam Tihany. The kitchen will be headed by Ashley Palmer Watts.

Sad that we'll lose one of the best value lunches in the process.

Indeed and does anyone know where Chris has gone? I'd happily go to a new place of his rather more than I'd go to a new Bloominghell place

S

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cachan

cachan

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I cannot see how a 140-seat restaurant could be fitted into the Foliage space as it is quite tiny, it only seats 46 at the moment. Unless the restaurant next to it, The Park, will also be included in the new space ? Big shame to see Foliage going.

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Pam Brunning

Pam Brunning

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I cannot see how a 140-seat restaurant could be fitted into the Foliage space as it is quite tiny, it only seats 46 at the moment.  Unless the restaurant next to it, The Park, will also be included in the new space ?  Big shame to see Foliage going.

Hear, hear. It is offical HB is taking over the Foliage site. A sad day for London dining!! :angry:

Pam Brunning Editor Food & Wine, the Journal of the European & African Region of the International Wine & Food Society

My link

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