Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal is the man who turned the world of cuisine on its head and became a national hero with an OBE and three Michelin stars. This is the full inspirational story of the self taught genius, from a life-changing childhood holiday in France, through to his brief apprenticeship in Raymond Blanc's restaurant. Heston is a gastronomic alchemist who sees the kitchen as a laboratory where he loves to experiment for the new ways to tantalise the taste-buds of diners at his legendary Fat Duck restaurant and the newly opened Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental. Taking a look behind the scenes of Heston's hit television shows including In Search of Perfection and Big Chef Takes on Little Chef, this book shows what drives this remarkable man. With signature dishes including snail porridge and egg and bacon ice cream Heston Blumenthal is an intriguing and bizarre chef. Appearing in a number of TV shows his unique style of cooking is well known, however very little is known about the man himself.