Molecular Gastronomer Heston Blumenthal Says ‘Women Standing Up for Themselves’ Shocks Male Chefs

Heston Blumenthal joins Marco Pierre White in the “faded chef craving relevance” club

Renowned, now less relevant chef Heston Blumenthal has followed renowned, now less relevant chef Marco Pierre White in spouting nonsense about women in kitchens. Speaking to the Economic Times, Blumenthal said:

I have always employed female chefs, but historically and ultimately, the body clock starts working. It’s evolution, and it is one thing to have a 9-5 job and quite another to be a chef with kids. So, that makes it difficult . [The physical strain of lifting] Heavy pots and pans…. But I think it is much better now that it was 15 years ago. This I can speak for.”

Blumenthal, who followed his biological clock in marrying a woman 20 years his junior in 2018, then suggested that sexism endemic to restaurant kitchens has an, uh, interesting source, as well as perpetuating the idea that sexism is an immovable object women should fight, instead of putting the onus on men to ... Not be sexist.

“Quite frankly, men [chefs] have asked for this; they’ve brought it on themselves. The shock of women standing up for themselves is strong and men get really insecure.” Women, hear this: do not enfeeble men by asserting personhood!

Blumenthal, best known for three-Michelin-starred The Fat Duck in Bray, two-Michelin-starred Dinner by Heston — but really by Ashley Palmer-Watts — in Knightsbridge, and putting snails in porridge, describes himself as a “gastronomic timelord.” He should probably get himself out of the Dark Ages. [Economic Times]

And in other news...

• London’s Michelin stars for 2020 are here, including a shocking and also not shocking new three-Michelin-starred restaurant.
• Renowned sushi restaurant The Araki lost all three of its Michelin stars, despite the guide claiming that chefs’ departures have no bearing on awards.
• Here’s every Michelin-starred restaurant in the city.
• Michelin’s star announcement was weirder than ever.
• Reports of Pizza Express’s death have been greatly exaggerated.
• Good god, this tweet: