The Best in the World Does Not Cater Children's Meals

It's been nominated Top 5 Restaurant in the World for the past few years, giving a nod to experimental cooking and the genius of Chef Heston Blumenthal. Yes, we did land ourselves a much coveted reservation at The Fat Duck only last week. Just so you can put it into context - the restaurant is reputed to receive 30,000 calls a month. Seating capacity? 40.

With 14+ courses over 4 hours, this is not a menu ... it's an adventure!

Which one gives me better bragging rights? Getting a reservation and eating at the Fat Duck, or watching my kids pace us through 14+ courses of food!!?? I'm not s***ing you!

They're absolutely normal kids of course, and had to be brave tryinng the escargots in Heston's 'Snail Porridge,' were kept more or less in the dark as to which part of the goose 'Roast Foie Gras' came from (they loved it), and were not entirely keen on the seaweed-y taste of the 'Sound of the Sea.' But then neither was I.

It was a gamble, but Heston's approach, making food evoke memories, excitement, and emotional context made our meal more than just a refueling session. Of course there was that element of entertainment with all the theatrics, but what I thought was special was we were sharing and discovering together. The food stretched the adults as much as it did the kids and we were excited to be there ... .

It's doesn't always have to be a 180 quid menu that gets you excited. Just discovering food and stretching each other is what we're all about. Who's still cooking separately for the kids? How many times do you just give up and go for foods that won't encounter too much difficulty? Are you picky about food in front of the kids? How adventurous are you with your menu choices?

What do you do to stretch your kids?

Links

• The Best in the World Does Not Cater Children's Meals
• The Problem with France
• Do Parents Need to be Cruel to be Kind?

Colin

ps. We brought a Heston cookbook along, and the entire kitchen staff were so nice to autograph it for us. Whilst they apologised for the head chef not being around, one of the waiters gave us a different cookbook signed by the man himself!

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