Heston Blumenthal Launches Eyewear Range With Vision Express

Heston Blumenthal and Vision Express have launched a new range of eyewear. Mr Blumenthal OBE, English iconic chef and owner of The Fat Duck a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bray, Berkshire was present to celebrate his collaboration with the high street retailer.

The Fat Duck has been voted Best Restaurant in the UK and received a perfect score of 10/10 every year since 2007 by The Good Food Guide. It has also consistently been voted one of the best restaurants in the world. Blumenthal is entirely self-taught. His first paid job as a chef was indeed when he opened this restaurant!

Prior to this, his only experience in a professional kitchen was a one week long work experience at Marco Pierre White‘s restaurant and 10 days’ unpaid experience in Raymond Blanc‘s kitchen. He is also

the first ever professional chef in the United Kingdom to be offered a Coat of Arms and is in the process of designing it!

Heston Blumenthal & Jo Wood, Emma Forbes & Gemma Sheppard

So as a spectacle wearer most of his life he decided that it was time for a cool eyewear range. The multi-sensory cooking maestro explained “Having been a spectacle wearer for years I am acutely aware of the importance of quality eyecare I found the microscopic attention to detail needed when designing eyewear fascinating. Like great food great eyewear is the result of meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to making a product that surpasses expectations where every milimitre needs careful consideration.”

Jonathan Lawson CEO at Vision Express commented ” Working with an iconic spectacle wearer such as Heston who has an innovative approach to design and technology is inspiring”.

The launch party itself saw a unique fashion led range, simply called Heston Blumenthal and offering 36 mens and womens range. Heston worked alongside prominent brit eyewear designers in specs to bring his vision for the collection interpreting, ‘culinary themes’ in frames in plastic and metal. The premise of the offering is an eyewear collection combining design features and technical details that includes 3 dot rivets smooth brushed metals beveled edges and brushed metal curves. Among the mens offering, is the ‘dice’ supra frame with stainless steel rim wire front hand polished spliced triple riveted acetate templates and unique chamfered tips.

At the party we were lavishly looked after, with a wide range of mouth watering canapes including lobster with quails eggs, medium rare beef, and Heston’s own recipe of sushi. Not the usual rice laden muck with 0.1% fish. This, we washed down with Jacquart champagne. Heaven. On top of this I was taken to have a complimentary eye test and glasses of my choice.

Heston Blumenthal & Jo Wood

Despite Heston being in considerable pain, -he is having a hip replacement operation in the very near future he told me, I kid you not!- he happily chatted with me regarding his new collection and the general shenanigans that entails being a celebrated chef.

Heston’s frames will be available across Vision Express’s branches nationwide from 27 March.

http://www.thefatduck.co.uk/ https://www.visionexpress.com/