Blumenthal is named Chefs' Chef 2002

Revolutionary chef Heston Blumenthal, of the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, has been named the Chefs' Chef 2002 in the forthcoming AA Restaurant Guide. The award coincides with the announcement that the six-year-old restaurant has also been promoted to five AA rosettes. Only five restaurants hold this number of rosettes - the guide's ultimate accolade.

The Chefs' Chef title is awarded after an annual poll of 1,800 chefs in Britain, based on nominations from last year's winner of the Chef of the Decade title, Marco Pierre White; Simon Wright, editor of the Restaurant Guide; other AA guide inspectors; and Caterer & Hotelkeeper Chef editor, Amanda Afiya.

Wright commented: "I think it's not just a great credit to Heston that he was chosen but also to the chefs for choosing him and understanding what he's about. The excitement of his cooking can take your breath away, but it's built on the same foundations as any other great cooking: quality ingredients and accuracy. Anyone thinking about emulating him, who is attracted by the more electric and eye-catching elements of what he does, would do well to bear that in mind."

Blumenthal described the news as "fantastic", and added: "I don't quite understand why I've got it and I don't want to be put on a pedestal, but obviously it's great to be recognised by your peers."

While some chefs and restaurant reviewers have criticised Blumenthal's unique approach to cooking, he believes that there are some who will always be opposed to it in spite of his success. "I think I'm always going to get some criticism, but I know that we are infinitely better than we were four months ago, and in a year's time we will be better still. We're just such a young restaurant - we're not even halfway through our lifetime."

The Fat Duck was the only restaurant to be promoted to five AA rosettes this year, while two previous holders of the accolade have been demoted. Le Gavroche, London, now carries four rosettes, while La Tante Claire, at the Berkeley hotel, also in London, is now rated at three.

Restaurants promoted from three rosettes to four are London's Aubergine and Pied à Terre, Stuart McLeod's La Rive restaurant in Hereford, and John Burton-Race's restaurant at the Landmark hotel in Marylebone, London, which opened too late to be reviewed in this year's guide.

Wright explained: "There's no agenda behind the changes; it's just an accurate reflection of what's going on at that level. We made a lot of visits and comparisons and this is the result. Nothing stands still. I don't think you'd expect to see the same names there year after year, and it would be sad if there was nobody taking things forward. Le Manoir is special in that respect, having held five rosettes since the first edition of the guide 10 years ago. It isn't about reverence, reputations or trends, it's about eating the meals and deciding where the best food is at any one time."

Blumenthal was selected for the Chefs' Chef award from a shortlist that included Michel Bourdin, the Connaught, London; David Everitt-Matthias, Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham; Mark Edwards, Nobu, London; Gary Jones, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire; Germain Schwab, Winteringham Fields, Winteringham, Lincolnshire; and Marcus Wareing, Pétrus, London.

AA guide ratings

Five rosettes
Altnaharrie Inn, Ullapool, Cromartyshire
The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire
Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon
Gordon Ramsay, London
Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, Great Milton, Oxfordshire

Four rosettes Aubergine, London
Castle House hotel, Hereford
Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Le Gavroche, London
Hambleton Hall, Oakham, Rutland
John Burton-Race at The Landmark, London
Lettonie, Bath, Somerset
Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
Michael's Nook, Grasmere, Cumbria
Patrick Guilbaud at the Merrion Hotel, Dublin
Pétrus, London
Pied à Terre, London
Putney Bridge, London
La Rive, Hereford
Waterside Inn, Bray, Berkshire
Winteringham Fields, Winteringham, Lincolnshire

La Tante Claire at the Berkeley, London, was five rosettes and is now three.

Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 16-22 August 2001