Heston Blumenthal to develop new product line after Waitrose cuts ties

Waitrose has ended its partnership with chef Heston Blumenthal after 12 years to take its product development in a "new direction".

Items from the Heston from Waitrose range will disappear from shelves after Easter as the retailer looks to create more products using its in-house team of chefs.

Blumenthal, who is behind the three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck restaurant in Bray, began working with the supermarket in 2010. His notable creations included a Christmas pudding with an embedded orange, which sold out within days and was resold on eBay for £250.

This Easter will see the launch of a final product in the partnership, a Chocolate Dabbit which resembles a rabbit at one angle and a duck when viewed from a different perspective.

Waitrose said its own team of development chefs and developers had been behind recent successful launches such its Levantine table and Cooks' Ingredients ranges.

The Mail on Sunday quoted an unnamed source as stating Blumenthal's contract had been terminated due to his "unpredictability".

However, Natalie Mitchell, director of Own Brand at Waitrose, thanked the chef and his team for a "tremendously creative partnership".

She added: "We've enjoyed what has been one of the most enduring relationships of its kind and we're looking forward to the next chapter and unveiling some really exciting plans in the months to come. Watch this space."

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Blumenthal said that he was "pleased" the 12-year partnership had expired and planned to relaunch some of his signature products created with the supermarket under a new brand name within the next six months.

A spokesperson at the Fat Duck Group told The Caterer: "The Heston from Waitrose range has taken us all on a fantastic journey: launching some of the market's most exciting, sell-out products. We want to thank Waitrose for the partnership, and look forward to announcing upcoming plans that continue to innovate and challenge the world of food.

"Heston and his teams continuously strive to create, and this year sees the arrival of a new sensory experience at the Fat Duck as well as the opening of an innovative new bar concept and Dinner by Heston at Atlantis the Royal, Dubai.

"We are also excited to be developing a selection of new products to bring to customers here in the UK and further afield."