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March 2012 sees the launch of the unique online reservations experience for The Fat Duck. Guests dining at Heston Blumenthal’s renowned restaurant in Bray, will be sent an invitation in anticipation of their visit, allowing them to enter a secret location to view an exclusive animated world of The Fat Duck. The tour ends with a trip to a make-believe sweetshop. Actor John Hurt narrates as the shopkeeper, as listeners journey through The Fat Duck imaginary sweetshop, evoking the guests own childhood memories of excitement, discovery and expectation...

When Dominique Ansel Bakery opened in November, the New York Times hit the nail on the head by calling it “not your everyday bakery”. The chef was the first in Manhattan to offer the Breton-specialty, Kouign Amann, which he calls DKA (“Dominique’s Kouign Amann”). Ansel has had to quadruple the production of these caramelized croissant-like pastries, and has been selling out every day since opening.

Following the buzz behind his Kouign Amann, Chef Ansel also helped fuel the cannelé craze. His recipe for these small flan-like “brownies” enriched with rum and vanilla received high reviews from various publications that have deemed cannelé the “new cupcake”.

In January he expanded his menu with more French classics that are seldom found outside of France, and a few of his own unique creations...

Andrew Dargue and Donna Conroy, the partners behind Michelin recommended vegetarian restaurant Vanilla Black, have opened Orchard, a British vegetarian eatery...