Heston Blumenthal has said he is “pleased” that Waitrose has decided to end his 12-year partnership with the brand.
It was reported at the weekend that the 56-year-old Michelin-starred chef and John Lewis-owned supermarket chain had decided to part ways after more than a decade of him starring in TV adverts and helping boost sales through his exclusively available food range.
According to The Mail on Sunday, Waitrose bosses were said to have ended Blumenthal’s contract worth “hundreds of thousands of pounds a year,” after tiring of his “unpredictability”.
Commenting on the change, the London-born chef told The Mail’s Eden Confidential: “I am pleased the contract has expired.”
Responding to the claim about his alleged “unpredictability,” he was less than impressed, saying “this is so disgusting”.
He went on to suggest that Waitrose had not appreciated his creativity in the kitchen, saying: “Unpredictable to me is a non-linear process that turns to creativity.”
The Heston from Waitrose range had initially focused on festive offerings and had proved a huge hit.
While he will no longer be working with Waitrose, Blumenthal is keen to launch his own food range, telling the publication: “We are evaluating the positioning of each product that has been sold in Waitrose — some of them are our Intellectual Properties, whereas some of them are joint. Within the next six months, we can to relaunch those products with the new brand name, for example Heston’s.”
Waitrose has been contacted for comment.
Natalie Mitchell, director of Own Brand at the supermarket, in a comment given to the Caterer thanked the chef and his team for a "tremendously creative partnership”.
She said: "We've enjoyed what has been one of the most enduring relationships of its kind and we're looking forward to the next chapter and unveiling some really exciting plans in the months to come. Watch this space."
