Heston Blumenthal announces he is closing his two-Michelin star London restaurant

Heston Blumenthal reveals closure of his two-Michelin-star London eatery

The renowned chef has shared plans to permanently shut down his iconic London restaurant, Dinner by Heston, next January. This marks the end of a 16-year chapter, following challenges like climbing food costs and his bipolar condition.

“I’ve got a year to process this,” Blumenthal explained to The Times. “There’s a mix of emotions—sadness, but also a sense of completion. We’re essentially tenants, and our lease is concluding.”

Dinner by Heston first opened in 2011, a year after Blumenthal launched his celebrated three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck in Berkshire. The London venue swiftly earned its first star and secured the second within a year, becoming a staple of modern gastronomy.

Its signature dish, a famed chicken liver parfait encased in orange jelly to mimic a mandarin, captured global attention in 2011. The creation required three chefs working five hours daily, with 900 servings produced weekly. Despite its acclaim, the restaurant’s financial journey saw setbacks, including a £2 million loss in 2024, up from £1.4 million in 2023.

“This was an administrative error during our shift to a new accounting system,” a representative noted. “It’s been settled, and HMRC has received the payment.”

Blumenthal’s decision to close ties to a broader trend in the restaurant industry. “Most places are struggling,” he said. “Rising ingredient prices and tight budgets have made it tough. Partnering with Mandarin was a choice based on their service, but hotel operations often come with financial constraints.”

The closure follows his bipolar diagnosis in November 2023, after months of unpredictable behavior that led to hospitalization. During his two-week stay, he was prescribed heavy medication and limited to one phone call per day. Though he now takes less than 10% of the original dosage, he acknowledged the illness had “slowed everything down,” temporarily dampening his creative drive.

Blumenthal also mentioned his sister Alexis, who passed away in 2021, had been diagnosed with the same condition. She initially resisted treatment, and he suspects his mother may have shared the same struggle. “If she were still alive, I would’ve pushed for her diagnosis,” he added.

As the restaurant’s lease ends in summer, Blumenthal revealed the closure was delayed by six months to celebrate its 16th anniversary. Moving forward, he plans to split his time between the Fat Duck and his home in Provence, where he resides with his spouse.