Heston, mental health and modern work
what does the famous chef's brave story say about the demands we put on people and ourselves?
When a BBC journalist asks Heston Blumenthal if he has watched The Bear, his wife, Melanie, answers for him. He looks down at his hands with some vulnerability. He cannot watch it because it would be too much of a trigger. One day he hopes to, but right now “it’s too soon”.
Blumenthal had a serious breakdown last year which led to him being hospitalized, after his wife’s intervention, who he credits with ‘saving his life’. On Newsnight1 talking to Victoria Derbyshire, he speaks about his recent bipolar diagnosis, which went undiagnosed for 50 years.
Hours before his hospitalization, he was hallucinating so badly that he thought he saw a gun on the table. It wasn’t actually there.
It’s obvious to anyone who dines at any of his restaurants: Blumenthal is a creative genius. For my 32nd birthday, Paul took me to one of his famous London spots: Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in Knightsbridge. It is beloved by many, even Jay Rayner at The Guardian called it seriously good: ‘Dinner by Heston Blumenthal may be expensive, but it's also bloody lovely. Save up.’
We walked along the Serpentine in Hyde Park to get there, stopping off to take photos of the swans. We sat outside on a small table, sunglasses on. The waiter passionately explained the menu. One of the show stoppers was the delicious Meat Fruit: a chicken liver parfait disguised as an orange.
A year later, I went with Paul’s family for the roast of all roast dinners at Hinds Head in Bray, neighbour to his other restaurant The Fat Duck. The Berkshire village of Bray is beautiful and picturesque, that kind of perfect-looking English village you’d see in a rom-com. Blumenthal bought the pub back in 2004 and since then it’s become famous for its Triple Cooked chips and what many reviewers call “the best scotch egg I have ever had.”
Sadly, I don’t remember much of the meal. I was in the middle of a severe burnout episode, feeling like I was floating through space. Nothing felt real.