Heston Blumenthal, Chef-Patron of the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, one of just a handful of restaurants worldwide to have three Michelin stars, has been awarded an OBE by The Queen in the New Years Honours List.After a year of accolades culminating in the Fat Duck being voted The Best Restaurant in the World by a poll of over 600 food critics and journalists globally, Blumenthal looks set to begin 2006 on the same prestigious note.The self-taught chef, whose interest in gastronomy has seen the creation of some of the world's most exciting new dishes, continues his research and development of both the menu at the Fat Duck and that of his neighbouring Hinds Head pub, where he has created a menu of classic British dishes.'When I was given news of my OBE I was speechless,' said Blumenthal. 'I believe we are producing some of the best cuisine and gastronomy in the world at the moment in the UK and I am very proud to be British.'Throughout 2006, work continues on the development of the Fat Duck menu with new dishes and changes being implemented on an ongoing basis. A second book, a definitive work of The Fat Duck is also in progress and is due for release in 2007.
