Following on from two, hugely successful TV series and the subsequent launch of two books, Heston Blumenthal and his team opened The Perfectionist’s Café four years ago, in departures at Heathrow Terminal 2. Forming part of the internationally renowned ‘The Fat Duck Group’, Heston, executive chef Ashley Palmer-Watts and chef manager, Julian O’Neill set about creating a unique concept to inspire and nourish those travelling through the airport on their way to exotic destinations across the globe.
“We were looking for food that Brits love to eat, but done in a way that was not only quick, but also used the very best ingredients.” Julian begins. “Our strap line is ‘Fantastic Food… Fast’ and we stand by that. We create our dishes using the finest ingredients, yet achieve a maximum service time of just 11 minutes –always bearing in mind our guests are limited on time as they wait to board their plane.”
The Perfectionist’s Café is open from 05:00 until the last flight leaves the terminal around 23:00, serving around 1100 customers every day of the week. This considerable demand for speed and turnaround not only puts pressure on the experienced team, but the kitchen equipment too.
“One of the most essential elements of our kitchen is smooth running. We can’t afford to have equipment that cannot take the strain of such a high number of covers, seven days a week.” Julian explains. “It’s not just the equipment that needs to deliver though. Situated in the heart of Terminal 2 at Heathrow, we must abide by stringent regulation around servicing and maintenance, so working with distributors who we know we can rely on is crucial.”
Having worked with Jestic, one of the industry’s leading equipment distributors, on a number of previous projects, including sourcing a Josper Charcoal Oven for Dinner By Heston, in Knightsbridge, Julian and Ashley Palmer-Watts arranged a visit to the company’s state-of-the-art Development Kitchen when planning The Perfectionist’s Café.
“Working in conjunction with our consultant, SHWDesign, Ashley and I made a visit to PaddockWood to understand more about the latest equipment. While on site, we were shown theEvolution Elite fryers from Henny Penny and almost immediately, I knew we could benefit from them at the café.” says Julian. “By including the technology in our kitchen, we could effortlessly cook the quantity of food we would require, to the same exacting standard. What’s more, the equipment would be backed by the outstanding service offered by Jestic.”
One of the most popular dishes on the menu atThe Perfectionist’s Café is the ‘Extraordinary Fish& Chips’ made using freshly caught fish, delivered to the restaurant from Cornwall each morning, coated in a secret batter, made using sparkling water and beer, before being cooked to perfection in the Henny Penny Fryer.
“The fish from our Extraordinary Fish & Chips dish is one example of the focus we put on ingredients and recipe development. Using a unique method, the best ingredients and the quality equipment, we’re able to create a wonderfully light batter, with an incredible taste and texture.” Julian comments. “The great thing about the Henny Penny fryers is the programmable settings which help us deliver precision and consistency, not just on the fish, but chips, burgers or even our homemade black pudding scotch eggs. It is so easy to use, allowing me to have confidence in my brigade and ensure our customers receive the quality they would expect, day in, day out.”
Located in one of the most tightly controlled settings in the country, regular service and maintenance is not only essential, but also somewhat of a logistical challenge for ThePerfectionist’s Café.
“In four years, we’ve never had any issues with our Henny Penny fryers.Being at the airport, we are required by Heathrow regulation, to undertake a service on our equipment and replace key components on the fryer every six months – significantly more than would be needed in a traditional kitchen. Despite this fixed requirement, Jestic has always gone above and beyond.” Julian concludes.“An engineer will arrive around 03:45 in the morning, to change a part required by the airport authority or complete a service before we open for breakfast, minimising any disruption to the kitchen. It’s because of this level of service, and the fact that the company is at the forefront of innovation that I would have no hesitation in recommending both Henny Penny and Jestic to any operator looking to fit out a kitchen.”