MOL EC ULA R

GA STR ONOM Y
@ The Fat
Duck
 METHODOLOGY
Research Media: personal interview focused to generate required
information from the chefs and related articles issued in the various
magazines and newspapers all over the world.

Research Instrument: structured questions were asked and the

available figures were compared to conclude the overall research
work.

Data Collection: The report analyses the data given in various

magazines and on Internet, about the restaurants from all over
world about their cuisines. The various magazines concerned are:
Newsweek,
Restaurant Magazine
Gourmet Magazine, US, etc…
METHODOLOGY
Data Analysis: The research work was not merely to
give inputs on the observations but also to compare the
data collected from various newspapers and
magazines, to bring out the similarities and to figure out
the vast dominance of the British culture over the
globe.

Also, I am very obliged to thank Mr. Atul Joshi, junior

chef to Mr. Heston Blumenthal at the Fat Duck itself,
who provided me the guidance and required material
from his working experience of last 5 years.
WHY THIS PROJECT ?
? To conduct a comprehensive study on the
concept of molecular gastronomy

? To see how the concept of molecular

gastronomy has been implemented and
adopted so far.

? Who are people associated behind the hard

working, required do develop the new
concepts in molecular gastronomy

? To analyze the success figures achieved by

the top restaurants of the world

? To see what could be the future picture of the

food industry
DEFINITION
OF MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY

“Molecular” relates to simple or basic structure or form while

“gastronomy” is the art of fine dining; the science of gourmet
food and drink.

Thus Molecular Gastronomy together is the application

of
science to the basic cooking and traditional
methods.
molecular gastronomy (in cooking), the study
and application of chemistry, physics, and
other scientific principles on its processes,
preparation, and materials.
HISTORIC BACKGROUND
OF MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY
The term was invented by the Hungarian physicist
Nicholas Kurti in a 1969 presentation to the Royal
Institution called "The Physicist in the kitchen", and
popularized by his collaborator the French scientist
Hervé

The fundamental objectives were

₪ Investigating culinary and gastronomical proverbs,
sayings, old wives tales
₪ Exploring the recipes
₪ Introducing new tools, ingredients and methods into
the kitchen
₪ Inventing new dishes
₪ Using molecular gastronomy to help the general
public understand the contribution of science to
society
HISTORIC BACKGROUND
OF MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY
In popular greek culture, molecular gastronomy has
become a merging scientific tools and techniques with
culinary arts. For example utilizing tools such as
centrifuges, liquid nitrogen, microscopes or lasers in the
preparation of food items.

Molecular gastronomy has manifested itself in the modern

restaurant trade in three ways.
₣ First, it has led to a better understanding of why traditional
approaches to cooking work (or do not). For example,
science has led to an improved understanding of how to make
a perfect soufflé.
₣ Second, it has led to novel pairings of foods, such as white
chocolate and caviar. The Fat Duck has used the discovery
of unusual combinations of ingredients to earn three Michelin
stars, one of only two British restaurants that have received
this honor.
₣ Third, it has led to novel methods of food preparation.
SCOPE IN INDIA
OF MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY

Though the concept of Molecular Gastronomy is more

than 40 years old, but still it is new terminology in
India as far as its application is concerned.

The major reasons that affect India, as a whole, to

emerge distinctively in the global market are:
₪ Lack of experimentation
₪ Vast stretchable culinary background and
₪ Breakdown of cuisine on the regional perspective
₪ Consumer’s status
SCOPE IN INDIA
OF MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY

Q1. What kind of food do To find what Indians

you want to eat? prefers to eat, the
following question was
 Traditional 65% taken for a survey:
 Modern 22%
 Fusion 13%

Fusion
13% The overall response to
the above question clearly
states that only 13 out of
Traditional
Modern 65%
every 100 Indian are ready
22%
to spend on Fusion food.
 SCOPE IN INDIA
OF MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY
Moreover, to find out overall scenario of the food served in
India, the following question was surveyed covering
various organizations like restaurants, hotels, motels, etc.

Que: What cuisine is served in India?

 Indian 66%
 Traditional 22%
 International 22%

The outcome was very factual which

clearly states that the upgraded modern
form of food is limited up to the certain
places only i.e. maximum in five stars
(which are not widely spread.)
SCOPE IN INDIA
OF MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY
Conclusion:
The above analysis clearly states that it is the
perspective of the consumer which is abiding
the market to change its traditional look and
shift towards the prevailing international
standards.

As a result of this backwardness, Indian

restaurants stands nowhere, in the world’s
best restaurant list.

Thus, now time has come to work out of

traditions and to break the bars by developing
something new and unheard, of which, India is
certainly capable of and equipped with.
NAME MAKERS
BEHIND MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY
HESTON BLUMENTHAL
owner The Fat Duck

Self taught chef

His passion for food was kindled at the
age of 10. As a young adult he spent
his holidays on gastronomic
pilgrimages to France and his nights
were dedicated to his twin obsessions,
kick boxing and cooking.
First winner of the
new "Chef of the
Finally, in 1995, aged 29, he opened
The Fat Duck in Bray and world spread Year" award in the
fast. The Good Food Guide awards 9 2001 Good Food
points (out of a possible 10) Guide
NAME MAKERS
BEHIND MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY

• His combinations are legendary

• His recipes can be seen
regularly in the Guardian on
Saturdays.
• His various books have already
been published
• He has finished filming his own
6 X 30-minute TV series Kitchen
Chemistry.
• He has been profiled by a
number of publications
including Caterer & Hotelkeeper
and The Independent
• He has also appeared on the
new BBC show Ever Wondered.
NAME MAKERS
BEHIND MOLECULAR
GASTRONOMY
FERRAN ADRIA
chef EL BULLI

Adria spends 6 months of every year

experimenting and creating a
sumptuous menu for the
following year.

The phones lines are open for

booking only for one day and by
the end of the day every seat is
booked up for full 6 months.

described as “the best cook on the planet”

NAME MAKERS
BEHIND MOLECULAR
GASTRONOMY
ANTHONY FLINN
Was first student of Adria at El Bulli
for 2 years. He now commands the
utmost respect from the world’s
greatest chefs and critics for his
imaginative, experimental and
delectable menu.
Dr. PETER BRAHAM –physicist, University of Bristol
TONY BLAKE –VP food science & tech, Geneva
TONY TAYLOR –professor, university of Nottingham
Dr. CHARLES SPENCE –lecturer, Oxford University
SUCCESS FIGURES
ACHIEVED
Top ten restaurants of the world -2004

• French Laundry, Yountville, CA, USA

• The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire, UK
• El Bulli, Montjoi, Spain
• L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Paris
• Pierre Gagnaire, Rue Balzac, Paris
• Guy Savoy, Rue Troyon, Paris
• Nobu, Park Lane, London
• Gordon Ramsay, Royal Hospital Road, London
• Michel Bras, Laguiole, France
• Louis XV, Monaco
SUCCESS FIGURES
ACHIEVED
Top 10 restaurants of the world -2005

• The Fat Duck, Bray, Berkshire, Britain

• El Bulli, Montjoi, Spain
• French Laundry, California
• Tetsuya’s, Sydney, Australia
• Gordon Ramsay, London, Britain
• Pierre Gagnaire, Paris, France
• Per Se, New York, New York
• Tom Aikens, London, Britain
• Jean Georges, New York, New York
• St John, London, Britain
ANALYSING SUCCESS
ACHIEVED

On being asked,
maximum diners all over
the world prefers the
quality and fusion
character of the food and
for that they are ready to
pay heavily too.

The average menu cost of the top restaurants of

the world comes around 300$.
ANALYSING SUCCESS
ACHIEVED

BUKHARA was the only Indian restaurant, who was

listed at the 36th position in the year 2004.
20 UK On looking at the long list
France of top 50 restaurants of
15
USA the world in the year
10
Spain 2005. The list is clearly
Australia dominated by the Britain
5 Germ any where the practicing of
Italy molecular gastronomy is
0 India at its peak.
Asia, even as a continent was no where in the picture as there is
hardly any Asian country in the long list.
ANALYSATION
OF QUESTIONNAIRE
The following results were finalized as per the responses
received on 200 Consumer Feedback Form, picked
randomly

Q1) The food was …

 Unique
 Common
 Exceptional
 Not up to the mark

The exceptional and unique character of the restaurant’s

food was liked and appreciated by 75% of the diners.
Q.2) The most best part of the food was…
 Main course 20%
 Starters 32%
 Dessert 28%
 Accompaniments 20%

Accom panim ent, 20% Starter, 20%

Dessert, 28%
Main Course, 32%

Anything awarded with the “best” needs to be best in

every fine detail. Every part of the meal was enjoyed by
the guest, is being proved here
 Q.3) Egg and bacon ice cream sounds …
 Unconventional 64%
 Yummy 28%
 Tasteless 2%
 Out of socks 6%

Out of reach, 6%

Tasteless, 2%

Yum m y, 28%

Unconventional, 64%

The thing which is unconventional, could do wonders.

The response for most popular item of fat duck states
that new experiments are warmly welcomed throughout
the world.
Q.4) Price you have paid for the food is …
 Reasonable 36%
 Enough 52%
 Too much 12%

Pricing is the one field required to look upon as the

percentage of reasonable voters are expectedly less. No
doubt food requires serious effort and attention, but still
selling price per menu is quiet expensive.
Q.5) The presentation of
50%
the food was … 40%
 Creative 56% 30%
 Attractive 42% 20%

 Useless 2% 10%

0%

Q.6) The items in the menu

force you to …
 Eat again and again 50%
 Eat at least once 42%
 Not to eat them 8%

Any food before consumption is judged by the eyes, and

this is the reason modern food is gaining popularity day
by day and thus 50% of the diners are willing to eat the
same food repeatedly.
Q.6) Dining out experience
at fat duck was …
 Memorable 60%
 Unusual 39%
 Boring 1%

This question clears the people’s personal view about

The Fat Duck. According to majority of the people, the
dinning experience at The Fat Duck was memorable for
them and almost every diner feels that the food of the
restaurant is really unusual and out of trends.
DEVELOPMENT & TECHNIQUES
USED IN MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY

Que: What causes a wide range of likes and dislikes when it

comes to the food that we put in our mouths?

This whole subject is incredibly complex, possibly the most

complex of all processes performed by the human body and it
starts in the womb; It has been shown that flavour can be
passed from mother to baby through the amniotic fluid as early
as 11 weeks (six months before birth); By the time that we are
born into the world, we have already experienced many of the
flavour from our mothers diet.

The process of taste aroma and flavour perception is being

researched around the world.
Listen, this food is music to your ears
“In coming
years, you will
probably be
hearing the
sound of
yourself eating”
-HESTON
BLUMENTHAL

Chef –owner Heston Blumenthal believes that we savor with our ears
and sound is the neglected part of the dinning. A sound system is
installed at THE FAT DUCK that will let diners hear themselves eat.
“If you bite into an apple or a carrot, you want to hear the crunch. It
goes very deep within us and is something we have perhaps forgotten
over the years.”
THE FAT DUCK
THE FAT DUCK
Bray, Berkshire, Britain

It is a three Michelin star restaurant situated

in Bray, Berkshire in Britain.

Run by chef Heston Blumenthal since it

opened in 1995, it already has three
Michelin stars under its belt.
The food is here is unlike anything you are
likely to have tasted before.

Chef Heston Blumenthal –regarded as

second to god in the culinary cosmos

The spectacular eight-course tasting menu

costs $225.
http://www.fatduck.co.uk
 by

RAHUL NAVET
THIRD YEAR

DELHI INSTITUTE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT

& CATERING TECHNOLOGY

THANK YOU