Efforts by Heston Blumenthal to turn around the ailing roadside cafe chain Little Chef are working, according to the editor of the Good Food Guide.
Elizabeth Carter said Blumenthal’s reworking of the menu and re-design of the decor at the trial site at Popham services near Winchester could bring about `the restaurant chain Britain’s been waiting for’ after she visited it with her family.
Braised ox cheeks, coq au vin and organic beefburgers are some of the items the Fat Duck chef put on the menu last month as part of his mission to breathe new life into the chain. He also made healthier changes to Little Chef`s famous Olympic Breakfast (pictured).
Carter, whose party sampled the ox cheeks, tag bol (‘a great reworking` of spaghetti Bolognese but with tagliatelle), fish and chips, cheese burger and “silky’ macaroni cheese, said the food was ‘a revelation’ and urged drivers to take a detour and try it themselves.
She said:“This is exemplary food at amazing prices and shows the makings of a cheerful chain with a menu of affordable, good quality dishes.
“It’s impossible to say what this Little Chef will be like in six months’ time when Heston Blumenthal is working on other projects and all the pieces have been lost from the kids’ games. But my advice is to go now and enjoy some extraordinary no-frills British cooking at fast food prices from the country’s best chef.”
Blumenthal`s unique touches to the trial site include playing sounds of the kitchen and spritzing the aroma of coffee into the lobby. He also worked with designer Ab Rogers on changing the layout and design of the restaurant.
The chef`s involvement will be covered in a documentary series for Channel 4 in January called Little Chef Experience.
Heston Blumenthal`s Little Chef plans unveiled