Heston Blumenthal adds the Crown in Bray to his burgeoning empire

Heston Blumenthal, chef-proprietor of Fat Duck in Bray and star of the Channel 4 series Heston’s Feasts has bought a second pub, across the road from his three-Michelin-starred restaurant.

News of the Crown in Bray, featured on the Chef Hermes’s Blog on Friday night has been confirmed in an article by Richard Vines of Bloomberg.

Blumenthal told Bloomberg that he had not decided what to do with the 14th century inn, though he wants to keep it as a local bar for people in the village of Bray. Blumenthal already owns the Hinds Head, also in Bray. 

“We’ve kept the bar at the Hinds Head but the place has become a bit of a culinary destination, so that the Crown has become the local,” Blumenthal said in the interview.

“I might do a steak bar, but good meat is so expensive, I don’t know if the prices would be right. I just haven’t made up my mind what to do yet, though I’m not going to turn it into Bray’s first lap-dancing bar or anything like that. I just want it to be the local pub.”

The Fat Duck took third place at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in London earlier this week, behind Noma and El Bulli.

Read more on Heston Bluementhal here >> 

Ian Pegler quits as chief executive of Little Chef >>

By Amanda Afiya

E-mail your comments to Amanda Afiya here.

If you have something to say on this story or anything else join the debate at Table Talk - Caterer's new networking forum. Go to www.caterersearch.com/tabletalk

Caterersearch.com jobs
Looking for a new job? Find your next restaurant job here with Caterersearch.com jobs