Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal is to open an informal café at Heathrow’s redeveloped Terminal 2 – The Queen’s Terminal which opens in June.
The Perfectionists’ Café promises to provide service that is fast, friendly and informal.
Inspired by the “In Search of Perfection” TV series, the menu will include burgers, fish and chips and pizzas cooked in the first wood-burning oven in an airport.
The look is intended to be “nostalgic and hark back to the heyday of 1960’s passenger flights, when air travel was deemed glamorous and travellers dressed in their best to fly”.
The concept and menu of the venture have been under development for a year and a half with Blumenthal and his team, led by group executive head chef Ashley Palmer-Watts and head chef Julian O’Neill, observing the specific requirements of passengers in an airport terminal.
Blumenthal said: “The demands of an airport outlet are quite different from our other restaurants. Some guests will have very little time to spend with us and others, in transit or with longer check-ins, will have time to linger.
“The restaurant will, of course, cater to both, but we want to deliver food that is fun and familiar – food that is stimulating to the palate and at the same time easy to enjoy.”
He added: “When we made ‘In Search of Perfection’ we travelled to Naples in Italy and spent hours researching the exact temperature of pizza ovens that deliver the perfect crispy but chewy base with meltingly soft toppings. We knew that could only be achieved here with the right oven, so it was really fortunate we were able to incorporate one into the design.”