Renowned British chef apologizes to sick diners

Chef Heston Blumenthal has apologized to diners who fell ill after eating at his celebrated restaurant The Fat Duck — and invited them to return as his guests.

Blumenthal said in a letter made public Friday he is sorry the diners had a bad experience at his restaurant earlier this year, which serves its customers outlandish food such as egg and bacon ice cream and powdered pigeon.

"It was deeply upsetting to all of us that your enjoyment of The Fat Duck was not as we had intended it to be," he said in the letter. "I would be delighted if you would consider returning to The Fat Duck at a time that is convenient to you."

He adds: "If this is not appropriate to you personally, please contact us and we will address each individual situation with our insurers."

Blumenthal said he had wanted to write to the diners months ago, but was advised against it by lawyers and insurers.

The Fat Duck, which has three Michelin stars, was closed for more than two weeks from Feb. 24 after diners complained of feeling ill after eating there.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

A total of 529 diners came forward in the following weeks complaining of vomiting and diarrhea. The Health Protection Agency said in a report last month that they were hit by norovirus, also known as the "winter vomiting bug," and that it was probably introduced by contaminated shellfish.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

The report also said restaurant employees who had been hit by the norovirus may have returned to work before they had fully recovered. The Fat Duck maintains it is not liable for the outbreak, and insists it followed all food hygiene procedures correctly.

The report said it had not found any breaches of hygiene at The Fat Duck but noted several "weaknesses in procedures," including a delayed response to the incident and staff working when they should have been off sick.

The restaurant, located in the village of Bray, west of London, reopened in March. Diners can choose from a variety of dishes, including a multi-course 130 pound ($208) per head tasting menu.