I live near Tom Kerridge’s and Heston Blumenthal’s restaurants—even locals can’t afford it | UK | Travel

I live just around the corner from some of the nicest restaurants in the area, if not the best in England. This includes The Hand and Flowers by Tom Kerridge and the restaurants of Heston Blumenthal, but I’ve surprisingly never been to any of them. As tempting as it is to have such famous restaurants on my doorstep, they’re known for being pretty pricey and high-end.

Many people will travel far and wide to reach these restaurants and pubs, yet locals like me have never set foot in them. The Fat Duck, in Bray, Berkshire, is a fine-dining restaurant owned by Heston Blumenthal.

It holds three Michelin stars, having retained them for the 21st consecutive year as of February 2025, and continues to be recognised as a top culinary destination under the chef.

To celebrate its 30th birthday, The Journey menu offers the fullest exploration into “Hestonland and the gastronomic delights that await”. It features dishes such as Bacon & Egg Cereal, Hot & Iced Tea, Beef Royal, Tonic of Botanics and Cheese & Grapes to name a few. Guests can enjoy this menu for a whopping £350.

Despite living in and around Bray my entire life, there aren’t many residents who could afford to dine at The Fat Duck. 

The village is also home to The Hinds Head, which holds a Michelin star and is owned by Heston Blumenthal. It’s more affordable, of course, than The Fat Duck, but still around £30 for fish and chips. 

A side of chips on their own is £9, and some bay buttered carrots as a side is £7. 

However, it does have raving reviews on TripAdvisor, with one user visiting earlier this month claiming the dish and chips “didn’t disappoint”. 

Another said: “The whole experience was flawless, we have never eaten better food, they listened and remembered my wife’s birthday. If you go, make sure you order the bread and butter with beef dripping sauce. This was outstanding.”

Tom Kerridge also owns a fine dining restaurant, a short drive away from Heston’s, The Hand and Flowers, located in Marlow. It was the first pub in the UK to be awarded two Michelin stars. The chef also owns The Coach Marlow, which serves beautifully refined British pub classics. 

The Hand and Flowers holds two Michelin stars and the restaurant uses the best possible ingredients from independent butchers, fishmongers and vegetable suppliers. 

While it is pricey, the restaurant currently has a midweek lunch deal where guests can dine for £25 for two courses, or £32.50 for three from a set lunch menu. 

Its classics menu is priced at £85 for three courses, Monday to Friday only, or its house menu is a whopping £195 per person. Fishes on the house menu include Cornish halibut, a 30-day-aged beef fillet, and a vanilla crème brûlée to finish. The menu options sound delicious, but they are very pricey.

On Sundays, guests can also enjoy the restaurant’s Sunday lunch menu for £195 per person.

The pub has great reviews, but one states it should be good for the prices it charges. Another said: “Great night, staff and service, warm atmosphere, the food was out of this world.”

A third commented: “It has a fine choice of drinks from well-presented cocktails, beer and fine wines.”

So, whilst all three fine dining establishments have raving reviews, there is quite a lot of availability, which could be down to the pricing.