Hind bite
Three-Michelin-starred chef Heston Blumenthal has now opened his first pub. He talks exclusively about his approach to MARK TAYLOR
Best known for serving snail porridge and smoked bacon and egg ice cream in his world-famous restaurant, superchef Heston Blumenthal has taken an entirely different approach to running his first pub.
Situated a stone's throw from his three Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant in the sleepy Berkshire commuter village of Bray, the Hind's Head was taken over by Blumenthal in October 2004.
A 17th-century inn, the Hind's Head is steeped in history and has numerous royal connections: it was even the chosen venue for Prince Philip's stag night before he married the Queen in 1947.
News that the "mad professor" of the restaurant world had bought the village pub may have initially worried a few of the pub's regulars, but any concerns that he would add cauliflower risotto with chocolate jelly to the menu were short-lived.
"We had a very definite concept and direction for the Hind's Head in the sense that we decided to run it as a pub and serve traditional English food," says Blumenthal.
"The Hind's Head is still the village pub and that's how it's perceived, so it was very important to be sensitive to that fact."
With three Michelin stars to his name for the ground-breaking molecular gastronomy at the Fat Duck, Blumenthal has decided to apply his kitchen skills, techniques and grasp of science to recreate classic British dishes at the Hind's Head.
Dominic Chapman has moved across from the Fat Duck to become the pub's head chef, with both kitchens sharing many of the same high-quality suppliers.
The pub has a total of 140 covers, including 45 in the downstairs restaurant area and 30 in the bar. The rest are in an upstairs restaurant and a 20-cover private room.
The menu appears on a simple, typed A4 sheet and on blackboards above the bar. There are no headings for "starters", "main courses" or "puddings", the idea being that people can order two starters, three courses, or simply order a pint of beer or glass of wine without food.
Popular dishes include pea and ham soup (£4.95), Lancashire hotpot (£12.50) and a 4oz steak with charred onions and watercress sandwich (£5.50).
"We've had a few people come to the pub who know about the Fat Duck and they were surprised that we didn't have things jumping out of the food, but then it is just a pub," laughs Blumenthal.
"The menu needs to be perceptively simple, approachable and relaxed. I wanted it to be flexible because I think informal dining is the future of dining in this country.
"The Fat Duck is a fine-dining restaurant, but we're probably the least grand three-star Michelin restaurant in the world. I'm all for relaxed dining and I think spending lunch or dinner with friends is one of the nicest things you can do.
"If you want to dress up, then fine, but if you want to go out and kick off your shoes and relax, then that's great."
With its polished wood panels, ancient oak beams, glowing real fires and wealth of original features, the Hind's Head is a handsome pub; but it's the attention to detail that really sets it apart from other food-driven pubs.
Andy and Susan Proctor, who manage the pub and work front-of-house, used to work at the Fat Duck and before that worked in Michelin-star restaurants in Bath.
Blumenthal says: "Technically, if you've got a good range of beers, a decent wine list and a good menu, then you're half-way there really. It's as simple as that. Of course, there has to be a certain element of value for money and service needs to be friendly above all else.
"I'm making it sound easy, and I don't mean to, but the benefit for us has been the attention to detail that we've applied to the Fat Duck over the years we've just applied a watered-down version of that.
"It's just the little things. If somebody's going to have butter, make sure it's spreadable. It sounds a really simple thing.
"You've got to make sure all the glasses are clean and polished, you've got to make sure the beer is looked after properly.
"In the same way, don't serve oxidised wine and make sure you choose wine for the list that's the best you can find within that category. It's all of these things,
"The tricky thing then is instilling that into the staff and we're very lucky that we've got Andy and Susan, because they have come through gastronomic restaurants and these things come more naturally to them than to others.
"We had a few difficulties in the beginning with people coming in, sitting down and waving for attention or waiting to have their wine poured. Because of their restaurant experience, Susan and Andy's gut reaction was to go over to the table but I told them they wouldn't do it in any other pub so we've stuck to our guns. It's a pub and you come up to the bar to order."
The same attention to detail front-of-house is also applied backstage in the kitchen, where Blumenthal and his chefs utilise the Fat Duck's "laboratory" to perfect and revive some simple British classics.
A good example of this is the sublime oxtail and kidney pudding, a pub staple which, in Blumenthal's hands, is elevated to a dish of greatness.
"We did an awful lot of work on the oxtail and kidney pudding. We tried out loads of different cuts of meat and we had a careful look at the right rendered fats for the suet. We rendered kidney fat, marrow fat, we even tried out foie gras, but it was a little too extravagant.
"We do the research on the historic side of things, but it's just being that pernickety about stuff that gets the result.
"The next stage is making sure the team in the kitchen can produce that day in and day out, sometimes for up to 140 covers.
"That's where the work that's been carried out at the Fat Duck has been really beneficial, because in order to obtain the consistency we need today, we've brought in a whole load of systems and techniques.
"I'm very excited about the Hind's Head because we've got the bones of a great concept. If Michelin came along and gave the pub a star, I'd be surprised, but it would be important not to allow that to change everything and make sure it remains a village pub."
That last comment was made just a few days before the Hind's Head was awarded a Bib Gourmand in the 2005 Michelin Red Guide.
Blumenthal on chefs
"It's amazing how many chefs don't taste their own cooking. When you're at home and cook, you taste everything to make sure it's OK. In the professional kitchen, some chefs can get too hung up on the importance of getting the food out to the people on time, and that is important, but you still need to taste stuff."
On the menu at the Hind's Head
Potted shrimps with watercress salad and bread £7.50
Soused herrings with beetroot and horseradish £7.00
Rabbit and bacon terrine with Cumberland Sauce £7.00
Oxtail and kidney pudding with buttered cabbage £14.00
Pork chop with pease pudding £12.50
Rump steak with bone-marrow sauce and triple-cooked chips £15.50
Treacle tart with iced milk £4.50
Poached pear in red wine and spices £4.50
Banana Eton mess £5.00
