Heston, who was awarded the title Chef of the Decade at the awards ceremony last week, created edible trophies especially for The Observer Food Monthly Awards which were branded with the OFM logo to mimic the coveted plates traditional to the awards. Made by The Fat Duck, the trophies were layered with dark and white chocolate and filled with a passion fruit caramel.
Since their creation in 2003, The Observer Food Monthly Awards have championed the very best in British food and produce, from independent local producers to the UK’s most admired chefs. Two new categories were introduced this year to reward the best amateur food photographer and best local farmer.
Commenting on winning Chef of the Decade, Heston Blumenthal said: “I remember the day I got the OFM restaurant of the year. It was 2003 and I was on my way to Madrid to do a demo introducing the world to the concept of multi-sensory cooking for the first time: the use of liquid nitrogen as a cooking tool, dry ice to release smells, the process of taste and flavour perception, the wonderful world of aromas and flavour pairings, among other things. It was also the week I came so close to going bankrupt - and the week that I got the third Michelin star. It really was the week that changed my life!
It marked the beginning of an incredible 10 years. Now I guess many of those brand new ideas are part of everyday cooking; they are now accepted and familiar to many of us. I would never have thought at that time I would still be in business, let alone receiving this award. I am extremely proud to be awarded Chef of the Decade, I am extremely proud of my team and the continuous development and energy they bring to our industry, and I am extremely proud to still be here! It's been quite an incredible decade and I can't wait for the next 10 years.”
Speaking about the awards, Allan Jenkins, editor of Observer Food Monthly Magazine and chair of the judging panel said: “The amazing transformation in British food in this first decade of the awards shines through in this year’s winners. Whether it’s the small but brilliant L’Enclume in the Lake District winning best restaurant, or a supremely talented female teenage cook in Cornwall beating the big-city, big-money, big-boy chefs, the days of the local food hero are definitely and defiantly here. Observer Food Monthly readers voted in their tens of thousands (the numbers have more than doubled in the past three years) to put their favourite people and places on the map."
