Fancy food ain’t safe food: Heston-in-Australia edition

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Douglas Powell

Heston Blumenthal is like a rock star of the cooking world, and so is his food.

No, this is what a rock star looks like (right, exactly as shown).

But there’s one thing he wishes people would stop doing in his restaurants — taking pictures of their food.

“Chefs always have this problem now, it’s across the board and you can’t control people,” he told news.com.au while in Melbourne to film Heston Week which starts tonight on MasterChef. “

“I would prefer if they (diners) didn’t take any photos and just enjoyed themselves at the table and certainly not take them throughout the whole meal.

I’d prefer it if they didn’t barf, and wish rock-star Heston and his excess shared that concern.

Australia is like Canada in that they both have an anxiety-driven need to be recognized – even if they say they don’t.

And if Heston is coming to town, that must validate things.

(Note, this is different than Wayne Gretzky coming to Australia in that he actually seeks to promote the spread of ice hockey whereas Heston seeks to promote himself.)

The UK Health Protection Agency report into an outbreak of Norovirus that felled 529 diners at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck restaurant in early 2009, clearly identified poor reporting and employees working while sick as contributing factors to the outbreak.

Blumenthal decided to ignore this and take to the Interwebs with his own revisionist version of what went wrong earlier this year.

Television presenter Jim Rosenthal, who was sickened, called Blumenthal’s response, “pathetic.”

“He has basically attempted to re-write the HPA report and its conclusions in his favour. It is pathetic and a complete PR disaster. There isn’t even a hint of apology.

“At first I was extremely sympathetic to Heston Blumenthal, but the way this has been mishandled beggars belief. I could not believe what I was reading in this email – it was like we had been sent different reports. I am taking them to court and a lot of other people are too. A simple apology might have ended all this a long time ago.”

But on with the fawning.

For many people, dinner at Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in London, which recently took up a six-month residency at Crown Casino in Melbourne, is high on their bucket list.

So much so that 15,000 Aussies forked out $525 per person (excluding wine) for the pleasure.

Heston Week, which sees Blumenthal open four MasterChef Australia pop-ups in four days, commences tonight on Ten.

I won’t be watching.

A large foodborne outbreak of norovirus in diners at a restaurant in England between January and February 2009

Epidemiology and Infection September 2012 140 : pp 1695-1701

J. Smith, N. McCarthy, L. Saldana, C. Ihekweazu, K. McPhedran, G. K. Adak, M. Iturriza-Gómara, G. Bickler and É. O’Moore

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8647625

An outbreak of gastroenteritis affected at least 240 persons who had eaten at a gourmet restaurant over a period of 7 weeks in 2009 in England. Epidemiological, microbiological, and environmental studies were conducted. The case-control study demonstrated increased risk of illness in those who ate from a special ‘tasting menu’ and in particular an oyster, passion fruit jelly and lavender dish (odds ratio 7·0, 95% confidence interval 1·1–45·2). Ten diners and six staff members had laboratory-confirmed norovirus infection. Diners were infected with multiple norovirus strains belonging to genogroups I and II, a pattern characteristic of molluscan shellfish-associated outbreaks. The ongoing risk from dining at the restaurant may have been due to persistent contamination of the oyster supply alone or in combination with further spread via infected food handlers or the restaurant environment. Delayed notification of the outbreak to public health authorities may have contributed to outbreak size and duration.

Heston-norvirus-isn’t-my-fault Blumenthal reopens his Fat Duck restaurant

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Douglas Powell

The Daily Mail delivers what those in the biz call a BJ-piece in a fawning portrait of Heston Blumenthal, whose new menu will take diners on a ‘story-telling’ journey aimed at capturing childhood feelings of adventure when the new menu at his Fat Duck restaurant launches next month.

I have those childhood memories: being on the couch for a couple of days, watching bad game shows and barfing endlessly, much like the 529 diners and staff who were sickened by norovirus at the Fat Duck in 2009.

He has even turned to magician Derren Brown for tips on how to personalise people’s dinner choices by using auto-suggestion techniques so that diners get what they think they most crave.

Get the food safety right first, then indulge yourself with magic.

He also acknowledged that having more than 70 staff make handmade food for 40 seats at each service would likely force up the price of a meal.

Follow the money.

Heston still don’t know food safety: Fat Duck Melbourne

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Douglas Powell

A friend asked me while walking home after depositing the kids at school today, “You hear about that $525 a meal restaurant in Melbourne?”

I launched into a five-minute tirade about the food safety failings of Heston Blumenthal, ending with, that’s probably more than you wanted to know.

“Yeah, that’s OK, it’s what you do.”

Yesterday, the first diners were welcomed into The Fat Duck Melbourne, one of the world’s most anticipated restaurant openings of this year.

They were the first of just 14,000 people who will over the next six months get to experience a 4 ½ hour “gastronomic journey of history, nostalgia, emotion and memory,” as Heston describes a Fat Duck meal delivered over more than 14 courses.

And they each parted with $525 a head — before drinks — for the privilege.

First impressions were overwhelmingly positive.

“I’ve done a lot of work looking at the DNA of the Duck. What is the DNA of these experiential, narrative, contextual dishes? It’s all about memories and experiences,” Heston said.

The diners probably didn’t hear about Heston’s nasty outbreak of Norovirus that sickened 529 at the Fat Duck in the UK in 2009, which only seats some 40 people a night, so the virus was circulating between staff and patrons and back again.

A report by the UK Health Protection Agency concluded that Norovirus was probably introduced at the restaurant through contaminated shellfish, including oysters that were served raw and razor clams that may not have been appropriately handled or cooked.

Investigators identified several weaknesses in procedures at the restaurant may have contributed to ongoing transmission including: delayed response to the incident, the use of inappropriate environmental cleaning products, and staff working when ill. Up to 16 of the restaurant’s food handlers were reportedly working with Norovirus symptoms before it was voluntarily closed.

Food porn if you like, but get the basics right first.

Today (or yesterday, Feb. 3) in 1959, a plane crash near Mason City, Iowa, killed Buddy Holly, J.P. The Big Bopper Richardson and Ritchie Valens.

Buddy Holly got the basics right.

Dinner is off at Heston’s as food bug shuts him down…again

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Douglas Powell

If I go to Coles I have to look at Curtis Stone; if I go to Woolworths, I have to look at Jamie Oliver; if I turn on Australian TV, I get Heston Blumenthal.

I’m not sure why Australians are so insecure they need celebrity endorsements for cooking — leave that to Americans.

But they endure, and cash cheques, even with questionable food safety.

In Jan. 2009, the beginnings of the world’s largest known restaurant-based Norovirus outbreak began to take hold in Heston Blumenthal’s fancy pants Fat Duck restaurant.

A report in Epidemiology and Infection concluded that 591 people were sickened, the restaurant failed to notify public health types as dozens of complaints poured in, hired its own food safety consultant, did a deep clean, and then temporarily closed.

Six of 63 staff members tested positive for norovirus (44 were tested).

Now, Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant Dinner, which has two Michelin stars, was closed last night after an outbreak of Norovirus.

The Daily Mail says the celebrity chef acted with decisive speed to shut the gourmet London restaurant’s doors for a week after a number of customers fell ill.

The establishment on Hyde Park – which specialises in historical English food – opened to universal acclaim in 2011, and was fully booked for months.

Mr Blumenthal, who was criticised for reacting too slowly when his flagship restaurant The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, was hit by a worse outbreak, said the temporary closure of Dinner might seem ‘rather extreme and over cautious’.

But he added: ‘My goal has always been to pursue perfection in the kitchen and to amaze our guests with taste sensations beyond their imagination, rather than expose them to the risk of a really nasty couple of days of heaving.’

The chef, famous for his experimental cooking, said the problem came to light two weeks ago when a guest reported feeling unwell with symptoms consistent with the norovirus winter vomiting bug.

The restaurant, in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge, immediately called in Westminster Council environmental health officers and nine further reports of illness were recorded.

Mr Blumenthal, whose restaurant caters for about 1,000 people a week and where a meal for two can cost £190, said the complaints peaked after a couple of days and tests made by Westminster officials came back negative.

But a new set of test results came in on Friday confirming norovirus in three staff members and two guests. Mr Blumenthal told The Mail on Sunday: “I therefore decided to close the restaurant.

“I personally have the experience and knowledge about this winter bug and how to contain it immediately.

“We are in a unique position of having an insight into the behavior of this bug and I will always err on the side of extreme caution. As The Who sang: “I won’t get fooled again”.’

You did, by having three staff working sick. And don’t denigrate The Who like that.

Heston Blumenthal: the gift that keeps on giving (for norovirus nerds)

Posted on July 28, 2012 by Douglas Powell

In Jan. 2009, the beginnings of the world’s largest known restaurant-based norovirus outbreak began to take hold in Heston Blumenthal’s fancy pants Fat Duck restaurant.

A new report in Epidemiology and Infection reiterates much of what was known at the time and summarized in a subsequent U.K. Health Protection Agency report, but still hammers home the point that a series of errors can culminate in a lot of people barfing.

About 591 in this outbreak.

The report doesn’t mention The Fat Duck by name, but rather, states the restaurant “uses an approach based on the principles of molecular gastronomy, prepares and serves unusual dishes using what it describes as innovative methods.”

Nice dig.

“The complex nature of food preparation in this particular restaurant, with extensive handling of foods, requires excellent food management systems to ensure safety. Two of the 22 food samples taken from the restaurant were contaminated with E. coli and Enterobacteriaceae, reported to be an indicator of a breakdown in food hygiene practices.”

Ouch.

This was after the restaurant failed to notify public health types as dozens of complaints poured into the restaurant, hired its own food safety consultant, did a deep clean, and then temporarily closed.

The figure (bottom) is particularly instructive.

Once the health types got involved, they started testing some staff and ill diners; even late in the outbreak, six of 63 staff members tested positive for norovirus (44 were tested).

“Diners were infected with multiple norovirus strains belonging to genogroups I and II, a pattern characteristic of molluscan shellfish-associated outbreaks. The ongoing risk from dining at the restaurant may have been due to persistent contamination of the oyster supply alone or in combination with further spread via infected food handlers or the restaurant environment. Delayed notification of the outbreak to public health authorities may have contributed to outbreak size and duration.”

Norovirus in raw shellfish, especially oysters, is nothing new. But the amplification of risk by a series of dumb assumptions (we can contain this) and omissions (don’t tell anyone) is staggering.

“The size and duration of this outbreak exceed any other commercial restaurant-associated norovirus outbreaks in the published literature. It is hoped that lessons learned from this outbreak will help to inform future action by restaurateurs especially in early notification to public health authorities once an outbreak is suspected.”

Fat Duck still delusional about food safety

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Douglas Powell

Traditional media is starting to pick up on the food safety nonsense coming out of the Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal’s signature restaurant that sickened 529 with norovirus from raw oysters – and staff – in 2009.

The Guardian reports today the Fat Duck fiasco was the largest restaurant-related norovirus outbreak, ever.

The latest report published in the journal, Epidemiology and Infection, reports that at least 240 people had gastroenteritis

The fun part is the delusional deconstruction offered by a Fat Duck spokesthingy to the Guardian:

"The reported illness in February 2009 at the Fat Duck was confirmed as oysters contaminated at source by norovirus. At the time we voluntarily closed the restaurant and called in the authorities. We co-operated with all parties fully and transparently and received a clean bill of health to reopen after a 10-day investigation.”

The paper says the outbreak was reported to health types six weeks after the putative index case, and only after the restaurant had hired private consultants and only after the restaurant had already closed. By this time the restaurant had received 66 complaints of illness, but not bothered to tell anyone.

"We also received full support by our insurers who found no fault in our practices following a report from a leading UK independent specialist.”

Insurers tend not to publish peer-reviewed papers; no one knows who this independent specialist is. But anyone can know what the health types found. It’s in the paper.

“There is still no guaranteed safety measure in place today to protect the general public with regards to shellfish and viral contamination. For this reason we still do not serve oysters or razor clams at the Fat Duck."

There never was a guaranteed safety measure to protect the public from norovirus in raw shellfish, yet the restaurant knowingly chose to serve them anyway – until they got caught and made a lot of people barf.

Keep blaming others, Heston and crew, the Brits will swallow anything. Guess that’s why the Duck was attracting tens of thousands of calls a day from prospective diners earlier this year.

529 sickened; final epi report into norovirus-in-oysters at the Fat Duck won’t please Heston

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Douglas Powell

By March 2009, 529 diners had become sick with norovirus from raw oysters served by Fat Duck proprietor and pseudo-celebrity, Heston Blumenthal.

From the beginning of the outbreak, Blumenthal blamed others – especially the suppliers – failing to recognize that as owner and chef, he determines what is served, and his business, with consumers who fork over hundreds of pounds for a meal, is based almost entirely on trust.

When health-types noted a number of staff were working while sick, Blumenthal employed the but-we-have-a-manual defense, which is nothing more than an invitation for more derision.

When Blumenthal did finally issue an apology on September 25, 2009—seven months after the outbreak was discovered and more than two weeks after the U.K. Health Protection Agency issued a report on the outbreak—it suggested that he viewed an empathetic apology as an admission of guilt.

The apology was too late and again failed to accept responsibility for the aspects of the outbreak that were under the chef’s control—namely, acquiring seafood from unsafe sources and allowing sick employees to handle food.

Television presenter Jim Rosenthal, who was sickened, called Blumenthal’s response, “pathetic.”??

“He has basically attempted to re-write the HPA report and its conclusions in his favour. It is pathetic and a complete PR disaster. There isn’t even a hint of apology."

Last week, investigators published the results of the investigation in a peer-reviewed journal, Epidemiology and Infection.

According to the paper, HPA received notification of four individuals who had developed symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting on Feb. 25, 2009, after a local health authority received notification from private consultants late on Feb. 24, 2009. The consultants had apparently been hired by the restaurant in mid-Feb. to review its food safety management system following complaints from diners.

The restaurant voluntarily closed Feb. 22, 2009, but didn’t bother telling health types until late Feb. 24 – and it was the consultants who notified investigators. By this time, 66 complaints of illness had been received by the restaurant, although no one had contacted the health department (because most people don’t know to contact the health department in suspected foodborne illness cases).

Not telling health-types there is an outbreak going on and hoping it will go away reflects serious misgivings with upper – and the upperist – management.

Abstract below.

A large foodborne outbreak of norovirus in diners at a restaurant in England between January and February 2009
Epidemiology and Infection 01.dec.11, FirstView Article : pp 1-7
A. J. Smith, N. McCarthy, L. Saldana, C. Ihekweazu, K. McPhedran, G. K. Adak, M. Iturriza-Gomara, G. Bickler and É. O’Moore
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=8446062
SUMMARY
An outbreak of gastroenteritis affected at least 240 persons who had eaten at a gourmet restaurant over a period of 7 weeks in 2009 in England. Epidemiological, microbiological, and environmental studies were conducted. The case-control study demonstrated increased risk of illness in those who ate from a special ‘tasting menu’ and in particular an oyster, passion fruit jelly and lavender dish (odds ratio 7·0, 95% confidence interval 1·1–45·2). Ten diners and six staff members had laboratory-confirmed norovirus infection. Diners were infected with multiple norovirus strains belonging to genogroups I and II, a pattern characteristic of molluscan shellfish-associated outbreaks. The ongoing risk from dining at the restaurant may have been due to persistent contamination of the oyster supply alone or in combination with further spread via infected food handlers or the restaurant environment. Delayed notification of the outbreak to public health authorities may have contributed to outbreak size and duration.

Norovirus and celebrity chef a risky mix

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Douglas Powell

Norovirus has been found in shellfish from the Waitara region of New Zealand. Heston Blumenthal of the Fat Duck and host of a norovirus outbreak that sickened 529 patrons in the U.K. in 2009 is going to New Zealand to help prepare a $7,000-a-plate dinner in March 2011.

Careful with that raw shellfish.

Taranaki’s Medical Officer of Health Dr Greg Simmons, said,

"The issue with norovirus is that the infectious dose, in other words, the amount of viral particles you need to consume in order to develop an illness is quite low, so there is a potential risk there. That risk to me would be unacceptable, and I wouldn’t expect other people to expose themselves to that risk."

The virus was found during testing for a resource consent application by New Plymouth District Council, which wants to continue piping Waitara’s partially-treated sewerage into the sea.

One sample had moderate levels of human strains of norovirus – four others had low levels.

Dr Simmons ordered the council to erect signs on Waitara’s beach advising of the hazard.

Australian chef Neil Perry has enticed close friends Heston Blumenthal, the British star of TV cooking show Heston’s Feast, and American Thomas Keller, the creator of The French Laundry restaurant in California, to create a six-course degustation dinner on March 26 next year.

A seat at the table will set each couple back at least $7000 – which includes a three-night stay at the five-star resort near Napier.

Heston still don’t know noro

Posted on September 12, 2010 by Douglas Powell

Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal’s latest attempt at PR salvation in this morning’s Daily Mail is another crass and superficial effort to blame others for the March 2009 norovirus outbreak that sickened 529 at The Fat Duck restaurant. Heston has a memory of convenience in yet another quest for salvation and, sympathy while pushing a new fancy restaurant and cookbook. Here’s a reminder.

“I thought my world was caving in.”

So did the 529 people barfing and confirmed as having norovirus from your Fat Duck.

“I’m just a chef who likes asking lots of questions.”

Not enough questions – like where those oysters came from, and if I’m going to use them in dishes such as jelly oyster with passion fruit and lavender, should they be cooked so people don’t barf?

“Blumenthal is still seething about the report into the incident published 12 months ago by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), which he believes maligns his £150-a-head establishment and his business methods. ‘The report insinuated things that I found very frustrating. For example, that staff were back at work while they were physically ill. Our staff training manual very clearly lays out a 48-hour return-to-work policy – you don’t come back until 48 hours after you feel better.’”

At the time of the outbreak, Blumethal reported conducting his own testing of staff and customers, and stated “so far it is categorically not food poisoning." Wrong.

Blumenthal also tried out the but-our-training-manual-says defense last year. The quotes are eerily similar to what he said in 2009. Maybe they were just lifted.

The HPA report did state ongoing transmission at the restaurant—leading to illnesses from January 6 to February 22—was thought to have occurred through continuous contamination of foods prepared in the restaurant or by person-to-person spread between staff and diners or a mixture of both. Investigators identified several weaknesses in procedures at the restaurant may have contributed to ongoing transmission including: delayed response to the incident, the use of inappropriate environmental cleaning products, and staff working when ill. Up to 16 of the restaurant’s food handlers were reportedly working with norovirus symptoms before it was voluntarily closed.

“I took the decision to close the restaurant within 24 hours, as a precautionary measure. It was a financial blow but I couldn’t consider money at the time. … I felt desperately sorry for all the people who suffered. My instincts were to contact everyone personally and apologise but I was advised against this by my lawyers, insurers and official bodies conducting investigations. It was extremely frustrating, but my hands were tied.”

Blumenthal is arguing he took a financial blow, but wouldn’t risk a financial blow and say I’m sorry, which was the decent human thing to do instead of hiding behind barristers and bureaucrats.

When Blumenthal did finally issue an apology on September 25, 2009—seven months after the outbreak was discovered and more than two weeks after the Health Protection Agency report was released—it suggested that he viewed an empathetic apology as an admission of guilt.

"I am relieved to be able to finally offer my fullest apologies to all those who were affected by the outbreak at the Fat Duck,” said Blumenthal, “It was extremely frustrating to not be allowed to personally apologise (sic) to my guests until now. It was devastating to me and my whole team, as it was to many of our guests and I wish to invite them all to return to the Fat Duck at their convenience [for a free meal]." The apology was too late and again failed to accept responsibility for the aspects of the outbreak that were under the chef’s control—namely, acquiring seafood from unsafe sources and allowing sick employees to handle food.

Television presenter Jim Rosenthal, who was sickened, called Blumenthal’s response, “pathetic.”??

“He has basically attempted to re-write the HPA report and its conclusions in his favour. It is pathetic and a complete PR disaster. There isn’t even a hint of apology.??“ At first I was extremely sympathetic to Heston Blumenthal, but the way this has been mishandled beggars belief. I could not believe what I was reading in this email – it was like we had been sent different reports. I am taking them to court and a lot of other people are too. A simple apology might have ended all this a long time ago.”

Another diner blogged, “I’m appalled because I was so entranced by Heston Blumenthal and he comes across as being very decent and clever. We had been so ill and, at the very least, we expected some kind of acknowledgment. We really thought they would be interested in what had happened to us.”

Boxing promoter Frank Warren commented, "Everything was fabulous about the evening – the food, the setting, the service, it was unbelievably good but unfortunately, afterwards, all of us were ill. … Since then we have not heard anything from the restaurant at all. I am very disappointed and I know that the people I went with are very disappointed with the feedback"

Blumenthal is now gearing up for the opening of a lavish new restaurant, Dinner, at London’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel in December. He is also working on a new, simpler cookbook, Heston At Home, which will be out in a year’s time.

Heston, you need to get a lot better at this PR thing if you expect either to sell.

My “mind went to dark places.”

We’ve all been to dark places; grow a pair and admit what went wrong rather than incessantly whining while promoting. Then maybe you’ll get some sympathy.

Heston still don’t know noro but praised for TV show

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Douglas Powell

Norovirus denier Heston Blumenthal was praised by the Sydney Morning Herald for his television show, Heston’s Feasts, and his scientific approach to food prep, including exploding duck and edible eyeball.

“… believe it or not, watching half a dozen B-grade British celebrities get slowly shickered as plate upon plate of outlandish meals is piled before them and they try to describe the experience in their own words is classic, thesaurus-less, comedy gold. When they’re gobsmacked, they admit it. ‘I’m gobsmacked.’” Similarly, if they’re amazed, they’ll get straight to the point. ‘’That’s amazing!’ an amazed TV presenter screeches, before adding: ‘I’m totally amazed!’

What’s amazing is a chef of such abilities insists on remaining clueless about the norovirus that sickened 529 patrons of Heston’s Fat Duck restaurant, blaming suppliers, and allowing sick employees to continue working.

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