Talk:Heston Blumenthal

Proposed Merge
As pointed out in the talk page of Talk:The Fat Duck, both articles have substantially the same content, indeed the main interest in The Fat Duck is the unique techniques employed by Heston Blumenthal. There’s not really enough information to justify two articles. --Nige 21:34, 5 September 2006 (UTC)


 * I would suggest keeping the article on the person. His contribution to the world will last longer than the restaurant, I imagine, and the restaurant would be nothing without the man.--Macca7174 09:22, 3 November 2006 (UTC)

The discussion seems to be conducted at Talk:The_Fat_Duck Bertilvidet 10:26, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

Biography
Note that the bio page on he claims to have been born in West London and only moving to Bucks later in life - though here he is referred to as being born in High Wycombe. --Pstansbu 22:19, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Pronunciation
Needs a pronunciation guide for his name. Even the announcers introing his programme get it wrong! - 88.111.177.35 (talk) 14:49, 11 December 2007 (UTC)
 * It's BLOO-men-tahl, everyone knows that Spiderone (talk) 08:57, 8 May 2009 (UTC)

Im pretty sure the man himself says BLOO-men-thal on his show. Ill see if I can find a video somewhere 90.214.18.149 (talk) 20:34, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

Yes it's definitely "thal" not "tahl". Just watch the intro to one of his shows! 90.214.18.149 (talk) 20:42, 28 May 2009 (UTC)

(Part-)German?
Where did he get his surname from? Does he have German ancestry? F W Nietzsche (talk) 22:41, 9 January 2009 (UTC)

He's Jewish. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/heston_blumenthal/article5815108.ece

Trademark Dishes
It would be great to have a description of the trademark dishes. "Beef Royale" is one example that could benefit. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 60.241.12.120 (talk) 12:38, 4 April 2010 (UTC) Hey, I noticed this page has some information about signature dishes so perhaps that might help. I'm not sure if Beef Royale is included though although some other popular dishes are like Triple cooked chips.

The "Other Side" of Heston
Heston managed to poison a load of people: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/4863948/Heston-Blumenthals-Fat-Duck-closes-over-food-poisoning-scare.html No, oysters poisoned the guests. He didn't farm, catch or breed them. He didn't add something to them that was poisonous. Idiot.

If we're going to make a decent bio of this (some would say genius) chef, we need to put a few points in that show he's only human and that he has made mistakes.

Lets start with your mistakes first.

The guy lies a *lot* about things.

No

One example is that he said, in his TV programme "Hestons Psychedelic Feast", that the Cesar Mushroom (Amanita Caesarea) is a relation to Magic Mushrooms isn't true.

Thats not a lie. Do you understand English?

While Amanita Muscaria can be considered to be a type of Magic Mushroom and Aminita Caesarea is a relation - it's a very thin link. This kind of thing happens a lot with him - he'll report information and lead fans to believe that something isn't true.

So while its a thin link, it is a link. i.e., not a lie. Geez

In a word where truth is paramount, especially on the internet, I feel this is an import thing to note. Because of this - if no-one does before I do, I will sign in and add the Poisoning to the Wiki page. *NOT* the bit about my opinion of his character.

Well done.

However, I'm half-expecting this part of the discussion and the edit to the Wiki page to be reverted, considering the esteem with which people following this page seem to hold for the chap.

No, its because its not being reported correctly.

[lazy saccade as 86.147.235.51 (talk) 22:00, 6 April 2010 (UTC)]
 * We'd be here all day if we catalogued and corrected every tiny slipup or inaccuracy that a TV presenter made. If Heston's been publicly criticised for getting something seriously wrong (like Antony Worrall Thompson and his "henbane") or just for persistently dumbing down food science, then we can quote the reference, but if it's just something you noticed on TV that annoyed you, this isn't the place to write about it. --McGeddon (talk) 15:27, 28 April 2010 (UTC)

Its called TV. Top gear do it. The news does it. Everyone does it. If you don't like it, don't watch it.

Not sure if this person wrote the '2009 food scare' section but it's written very much POV, suggest it should be included but rewritten to be neutral rather than in the highly critical manner it currently takes. 188.221.104.204 (talk) 15:06, 28 April 2010 (UTC)
 * Agreed, the editor musing on an "interesting link" and theorising that the place must have been cleaned "pretty sharpish" seems pure WP:OR unrelated to any sources.
 * The section should really be merged into The Fat Duck article, since it's a news story about a restaurant that just has a couple of quotes from Heston, and no apparent personal involvement. --McGeddon (talk) 15:12, 28 April 2010 (UTC)

By now this has happened again, in another one of Blumenthal's restaurants: |Heston Blumenthal's Dinner closed temporarily due to norovirus outbreak. I think this would warrant at least a cursory mention in the personal article, as it no longer concerns just a single restaurant. 129.132.62.57 (talk) 13:00, 7 February 2014 (UTC)

Signature dishes
This section include "liquid nitrogen", which is hardly a dish. Master z0b (talk) 02:28, 7 May 2012 (UTC)
 * ...and he decided not to use it for safety reasons - Guardian report. Bizarre! -- John of Reading (talk) 07:27, 7 May 2012 (UTC)

lead is seriously flawed
Remind me what is the lead about? Him or his restaurants? Why they all are linked I am sure but they also have separate articles,. In any event the lead summarizes leave the awards and details to the body. So much focus on his restaurants it forgot why he is notable as a chef. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.177.196.121 (talk) 13:45, 14 October 2012 (UTC)

More Bio?
This is meant to be Wikipedia, so could we add some more about him instead of a link to a website? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Titusfox (talk • contribs) 18:07, 3 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Added details on family & new partner. Grill (talk) 20:44, 12 April 2015 (UTC)

Qualifications
MSc DSc ??? Where are the sources for his qualifications? 210.0.140.125 (talk) 07:24, 10 July 2014 (UTC)
 * See the section: "Honorary degrees and recognition" which explains when, where and why they were bestowed. The Banner talk 22:05, 24 February 2015 (UTC)
 * Honorary degrees aren't considered real qualifications. 124.170.88.115 (talk) 05:16, 17 July 2015 (UTC)

Advertising
This seriously smells of advertising. So someone can go from no/very basic knowledge of cooking to tv show in 5-7 years. Yes Daphene, there is a Santa, as well as like other myths, with the right connections and background it can be done...oh yes OBE too, which they seems to give out to everyone under a rock these days.

A bigger question is how come hes still unknown in North america, with a last name like Blumenthal, you would of think New york and Hollywood would of had a good 8 season out of a reality show from him by nowStarbwoy (talk) 19:01, 21 July 2015 (UTC)
 * Sorry, but what is your point? Do you have any requests or suggestions for improvements? The Banner talk 19:26, 21 July 2015 (UTC)

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External links modified
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Does he cook or eat non-kosher food?
Does he cook or eat non-kosher food like pork and shellfish? 86.186.93.14 (talk) 03:56, 13 December 2018 (UTC)

Latvian surname
The reference that Blumenthal comes from Latvian is incorrect. It is clearly and directly translated from the German, as valley of flowers. I'm not sure how to correct the whole Latvian angle, since he may indeed have a Latvian ancestor, but that is very unlikely to be the source of his surname. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.9.99.164 (talk) 16:45, 21 April 2019 (UTC)


 * Blumenthal is inded a German name, so German, Jewish, Latvia and a lable given of having English ethnicity, and this article decribes him as having English natinality, what is that anyway? What is his nationality de jure? Jewish father born in Southern Rhodesia and an English mother who converted to Judaism. His surname comes from a great-grandfather from Latvia and means 'flowered valley' (or 'bloom-dale'), in German. 85.94.248.27 (talk) 20:37, 10 July 2024 (UTC)

You are 110% correct!
The name is not derived from Latvians, I am one and I have never come across this name unless it had German or Jewish ancestry in it. Blumenthal is clearly NOT a Latvian name. He may have Latvian ancestry but NO the Blumenthal surname is clearly NOT Latvian but German or Jewish.

No mention of food poisoning?
The largest single restaurant-related outbreak of novovirus occurred at his flagship restaurant and it's not even mentioned? Seems odd. Is there an objection to including it? —Matuko (talk) 05:16, 11 June 2023 (UTC)


 * The full story is covered on the Fat Duck page, but it's definitely worthy of mention on this page too. Popcornfud (talk) 10:52, 11 June 2023 (UTC)