Heston Blumenthal

“There are so many issues in our oceans - like the near extinction of blue fin tuna - that should be taken more seriously worldwide.”

“At home I've got 1,500 cook books and the spines have all gone, the pages are all torn - it's chaos.”

“Being branded number one restaurant in the world is actually very humbling.”

“It was quite a challenge to make people eat crab ice cream.”

“A lot of country pubs will receive Michelin stars.”

“To me, food is as much about the moment, the occasion, the location and the company as it is about the taste.”

“We were saving, saving, saving then going to France and blowing the money eating. She was a nurse and had never experienced fine dining but she loved it, too. Our mates thought it absurd.”

“And I like asking questions, to keep learning; people with big egos might not want to look unsure.”

“It was not easy with a newborn, asking your wife to give up the family home and your security.”

“This kitchen is completely calm. Some of the old-fashioned chefs - they become kings in their kitchen, they've got to be called chef. But I don't care if someone calls me chef or Heston, it really doesn't bother me.”

“You need to do the work to bring the money in, but not compromise standards.”

“I write and chop with my left hand and do everything else, including eating with a knife, with my right.”

“We sunk everything into it. It came close to going under several times.”

“As we get older, we tend to become more risk averse because we tend to find reasons why things won't work. When you are a kid, you think everything is possible, and I think with creativity it is so important to keep that naivety.”