Heston Blumenthal puts on a brave face

Heston Blumenthal has put on a brave face after being forced to shut his three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant following a food scare last week.

Heston closed the Fat Duck last Tuesday after up to 40 diners were afflicted with a mystery illness resulting in vomiting and diarrhoea.

Environmental health inspectors have been called in to scour the restaurant kitchens but so far no direct cause has been found - with some sources even suggesting suspicions of sabotage.

Having to close your restaurant after a scare like this can't be easy for any restaurateur. Being one of only three three-starred chefs in the UK, who frequently appears on TV, certainly doesn't make this any simpler for Heston.

But in an interview with the Guardian's food editor, Matthew Fort, the chef speaks honestly about his experience putting on a very brave face indeed. He says that while the decision to close the Fat Duck represented a massive financial hit, morally it was the only option.

"You put so much blood, sweat and tears into this just to produce the quality and give the dining experience you want to give that the last thing you want is for anybody to leave the restaurant with so much as a headache," he says.

"But I don't regret closing the restaurant. I have serious regrets about the whole situation and it's been deeply upsetting. But closing the restaurant was morally and technically the only option." 

Watch the full interview on the Guardian's website here.