Monday, March 09, 2009

The Fat Duck And Food Poisoning Scares


The producer told me it would be weeks before I knew whether I’d been picked for Masterchef, so I started looking for cooking jobs again.

Then I got an email. I’d applied for stage placements (a cheffing term for unpaid work experience, or slavery) at a few of London’s top restaurants. And I’d pretty much forgotten all about them.

I stared at the words, wondering whether it was some cruel joke from one of those bastards at the paper. It was from the human resources manager at the Fat Duck, a three-star Michelin restaurant renowned for concoctions like snail porridge and bacon-and-egg ice cream – but perhaps more famous now for the mystery outbreak that has struck down up to 400 diners.

Further to our recent communications, please find attached confirmation of your stage placement here at The Fat Duck.

I couldn’t believe it. My luck really was changing.

I was going to find out how to cook with liquid nitrogen, ice baths, dehydrators, vacuum pumps, and all manner of weird science in the gastro-wizard’s lair. Secrets from the great culinary alchemist Heston Blumenthal himself. Crumbs from the table of the Mad Hatter’s tea party. I was so excited I could barely sleep. It felt like I’d just ripped open a wrapper and found a golden ticket for a one-day tour of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.

Of course, the work was unpaid, and there was a rather disconcerting mention that my “actual” hours of work would be shown on the departmental rota when I got there. But how many people could say they’d worked at the Fat Duck? It would be something to tell the grandchildren – even if it was only as a slave.

Sardine on toast sorbet, salmon poached with liquorice, hot and iced tea, chocolate wine – the man was clearly insane, and that’s what I liked most about him...that and him being an entirely self-taught chef, who’d only managed a week in a professional kitchen before opening his own restaurant.

:: This blog eventually became a bestselling book, called Down And Out In Padstow And London by Alex Watts, about my disastrous attempt to train as a chef, including stints at Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck and Rick Stein's kitchens in Padstow. You might like it if you're a foodie or have ever entertained the ridiculous idea of entering the padded asylum of professional cooking. It's here on Amazon as a paperback or Kindle book if you want a read...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

great read! tell me more - always wanted to eat at Fat Duck! not so sure now though

kerstin said...

Stage is a French term for work experience.

Hope this series continues....
x

Anonymous said...

Very entertaining - as always :-)

Nicky said...

Couldn't you just use rice paper as an edible wrapper? I'm wasted here in the office, clearly I should be in Heston's lab, pointing out the bleeding obvious ;-)

Alex Watts said...

Hi Nicky,

Absolutely, although perhaps it would have to be sardine on toast flavoured rice paper...or maybe pilchard and gherkin...so hard to know what's 'in' these days.

All the best

Lennie

Anonymous said...

Hello Lennie, I came to you via Kate's blog, A Merrier World.
How exciting to be involved with Heston's restaurant! I was impressed he didn't try to hide anything and made a difficult decision to close down, until an thorough investigation was completed. I'd eat there in an instant, given the chance and had the money!
How long does a staging stint last?
Any chance of something more permanent?
I look forward to reading your adventures in the future! Cheers.

Anonymous said...

Great to read the about the inside on The Fat Duck and Masterchef. Tell us more

cinabar said...

wow - what an amazing experience!

Some Chilean Woman said...

'smile like a shipwreck' -I am adding this to my vocabulary, hope you don't mind.