| In this four-part series Heston Blumenthal, holder of 3 Michelin stars, attempts to help four of Britain’s biggest brands dramatically transform their food production – and maybe improve their profit margins too. In each episode, Heston uses his maverick culinary genius to tackle the unique food dilemmas faced by organisations such as the NHS, Cineworld Cinemas, British Airways and the Royal Navy. Heston conducts outrageous and bizarre experiments in his quest to find solutions where other chefs have failed. As the companies are drawn into Heston’s madcap world, staff are flabbergasted by his seemingly impossible ambitions. But Heston’s biggest challenge comes in the toughest test of all – the real world – where the customers will be his toughest critics. Expect conflict, confrontation, and constant entertainment. Faced with the added challenges of cooking without a kitchen, for thousands, for less than £1 a meal, without trained staff, this really is a Mission Impossible. Episode 1 – NHS – The NHS’s largest children’s hospital, Alder Hey in Liverpool has a problem – the food. The children won’t touch it, and their road to recovery is suffering as a result. It’s not long before Heston realises what he’s up against – stubborn hospital staff who’ve done things the same way for eternity, tight NHS budgets, and kids for whom mealtimes have become uninspiring. Episode 2 – Cineworld Cinemas – Heston tries to transform the food at one of the UK’s biggest cinema chains, Cineworld. His challenge – to inject fun and excitement into the movie experience by overhauling the snacks on offer. Heston believes that a visit to the cinema should be a multi-sensory experience which tickles smell and taste not just sound and vision. Episode 3 – British Airways – Heston works with British Airways to revolutionise airline food. But with no kitchen, no pans, no sharp knives, and no naked flames, Heston soon realises that cooking gourmet food in a metal tube at 37,000 ft is no mean feat. The big problem, Heston discovers, is that meat and fish reheated in aircraft ovens end up overcooked and dried out, and vegetables get soggy. Episode 4 – Royal Navy – Heston boards the nuclear-powered Royal Navy sub, HMS Turbulent, to shake up the sailors’ food. It’s not long before Heston realises he’s got a big job on his hands. The men are out on patrol for 90 days at a time, and they’re eating three stodgy meals a day. And with so little opportunity for exercise on board, it’s not a healthy diet – especially when the submariners’ jobs require very high level of concentration. |
