HESTON BLUMENTHAL

How will the industry have changed when things return to normal?

I think we have to be positive and optimistic; we have to see that there is opportunity that develops out of every crisis – it usually presents itself when you least expect it, but through all of this there will be angles where we can do stuff differently. For us, for instance, it has been with delivery of food. It would seem absolutely unthinkable a year ago that we would have been talking about a food collection service for fine dining, but that’s what we did with Dinner By Heston, allowing people to order and collect from Mandarin Oriental.

 

Are you concerned that you are diminishing the experience though?

No because experience is an ever-changing thing; it is never the same twice. For people who are used to going out to a posh restaurant – to have that food brought to them at home actually ticks all the boxes of novelty, fun, convenience; and that’s before we’ve even touched on safety and abiding by the rules of social distancing. We need to take ourselves out of ourselves, if you can understand what I mean by that. We need to explore new ways of doing things and to embrace those – it’s not detracting from an experience, it’s simply altering it.

 

Do you have other concerns?

Primarily my fear is for those working in the industry. The diners will only come back if the producers, suppliers, restaurants and staff are still in place. I have been involved in fundraising initiatives for hospitality workers, and it’s crucial we support these, as much in the sense that by doing so we will be protecting our own food experiences for the future, as well as their livelihoods.