Fat Duck flies to top of the chart, says Good Food Guide 2008

The new-look Good Food Guide (http://www.which.co.uk/gfgbook ) has for the first time ranked the best UK restaurants to produce a gastronomic top 40*. Gordon Ramsay’s Chelsea restaurant is at number 2, Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons at number 3.

All top-three establishments score nine out of ten, awarded for cooking that “reaches a pinnacle of achievement”. But Heston Blumenthal pipped the opposition by producing “white-hot gastronomic alchemy”. The Guide’s review is peppered with superlatives: “Astonishing curiosity, daring and consummate technique… sets the senses racing… the kitchen works miracles”.

Heston Blumenthal, chef, The Fat Duck, says:

“The Fat Duck has received huge worldwide acclaim but being voted the Best in Britain is of special significance to us personally. The Good Food Guide is the longest serving UK restaurant guide and we are really privileged to have received this award from their readers - our diners.”

The highest new entry is Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Cornwall in at number 12, which demonstrates “refined, beautifully crafted cooking” in a relaxed setting. Other newcomers include Gidleigh Park, Devon (“exemplary country-house dining”) at number 18 and Edinburgh’s Kitchin (“classy cooking in a converted warehouse”) at 38.

The Good Food Guide (http://www.which.co.uk/gfgbook ) is extremely thorough, as you might expect of a book produced by Which?** The rankings are not just based on expert inspections but also reader feedback, so the evaluations are based on several meals rather than one.

Elizabeth Carter, editor of The Good Food Guide, says:

“Both Gordon Ramsay and Raymond Blanc's restaurants are unmissable experiences, but The Fat Duck has produced truly stunning food this year. Congratulations to Heston Blumenthal for daring to push at the boundaries of modern cooking and pulling it off spectacularly.”

The Good Food Guide 2008 can be ordered on 01903 828557 (£16.99, p&p free) or at www.which.co.uk or bought from bookshops. The full Top 40 listing can be found at http://which.co.uk/gfgbook