i like eating and i like investing in restaurants etc, as highlighted on this site by my recommendation of both DOM and RTN .... these two have found a formula and made it work time after time.

Fishworks (FSH) should have been on to a winner .... the founder was a fish wholesaler and knew his stuff ..... he had the idea of opening fishmongers with attaching restaurants ..... great thinking for all the obvious reasons, not least that even London, despite its plethora of fine and good value dining establishments, is patheticly short of good fish restaurants (can you name more than about 6?).

Unfortunately, the fish in FSH's shops does not look "just caught" fresh, so obviously is not and the restaurants (hearsay reports only) are bad value - i.e. overpriced and small portions.

Great shame, but it just goes to show that (a) you need much more than just a good idea and (b) you can't fool the public indefinitely.

Choccy ..... yes I do have at least most of the notes from Chef Eric ..... as much as anything else, it is the small things one learns - e.g. how a basic tomato sauce can have its whole character and use changed by what is subtly added etc ..... Chef Eric was actually quite funny, for as he said when we started, "We won't do the silly stuff that we have to put out for Michelin!" ..... in fact, he was happy to keep cooking and showing us what to do almost ad infinitum ...... classes are only a max of 8/10.

Heston Blumenthal
Hmm! To my mind, a restaurant for food critics...... all very clever and all that jazz, but i won't to go out to eat and not for a science lesson or for "taste trickery".
I also could not believe the rave review in Saturday's Telegraph on the Hind's Head in Bray which he also owns ..... We went there and it was awful, since when we have spoken to several other friends who have also been disappointed at best .... For us, the classic was that one of our party who is "difficult" as to what he likes to eat, decided he would really like just a simple omelette ..... Eventually the message came back from the chef, that though of course he could cook an omelette, Mr Blumenthal would not allow him to do such a thing!