TV chef Heston Blumenthal got married again over the weekend – and this time he’s made sure it’s official.
The Michelin-starred owner of The Fat Duck, known for delighting diners with surprising dishes like snail porridge and egg-and-bacon ice cream, met entrepreneur Melanie Ceysson, 36, in her native France on Saturday given the yes word.
The wedding took place in a picture-postcard village in Provence, the area that inspired Blumenthal, 56, to become a chef.
His last wedding was in 2018 to another French woman, Stephanie Gouveia, the mother of his youngest child.
However, the Chron revealed earlier this year that the “improvised beach ceremony” was not legally binding in the Maldives.
Michelin-starred owner of The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal (left), tied the knot with entrepreneur Melanie Ceysson (right), 36, in her native France on Saturday
The bride (left) wore a classic ivory crossover midi dress by Emilia Wickstead, which retails for £1,420, while the groom wore a green suit by Issey Miyake
However, there is no doubt as to the legality of his marriage to Ms. Ceysson, as the couple tied the knot in a brief, formal ceremony at the village wedding hall.
The bride wore a classic white outfit by Emilia Wickstead, a favorite of British royals, while the groom donned a green suit by Issey Miyake.
The newlyweds later hosted a reception at their home nearby for around 60 guests, including Blumenthal’s fellow TV chef Raymond Blanc, owner of the two-Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons restaurant in Oxfordshire, former BBC chief executive Lord Birt and Great British Menu Judge Matthew Fort.
Blanc, 73, told the Chron: “Ever since Heston spent a week in my kitchen I’ve loved his fire and creativity. Over the years he has helped me improve and I hope I have helped him too. It’s our special bond, so of course I had to be here.”
Guests were served a range of Blumenthal’s signature dishes from its restaurants, including oyster and passion fruit jelly, meat fruits, triple-boiled ships and Scotch eggs.
Known as a culinary showman, Blumenthal demonstrated his playfulness by decorating the tables with candles, which turned out to be edible.
The chef’s most recent marriage was in 2018 to another French woman, Stephanie Gouveia, the mother of his youngest child, but was not legally binding (pictured with Ms Gouveia).
The chef has credited his first wife Zanna with raising their three children while he built his career and previously said she is the “biggest reason” for his success
The menu was served by a team of chefs and front-of-house staff flown in from its UK restaurants, including The Fat Duck of Berkshire (Heston Blumenthal outside his The Fat Duck restaurant).
Raymond Blanc (pictured) was among the guests at the intimate wedding and reception. He told the Chron he “had to be there” (file image)
Heston’s Intricate Romantic History
1989 – 2016: Married to first wife Zanna. The couple share three children.
2011-2015: Romance with US food writer Suzanne Pirret
2018: “Marries” Stephanie Gouveia, with whom he shares a five-year-old, in a Maldives ceremony
2023: Marries entrepreneur Melanie Ceysson, 36, in a ceremony in France
The menu was served by a team of chefs and front-of-house staff flown in from his UK restaurants The Fat Duck and the Hind’s Head in Bray, Berkshire and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park in London.
Blumenthal announced in January that he had proposed to Ceysson, who he met when she worked at a hotel in Val-d’Isere, the ski resort in the French Alps.
There he spent the Christmas holidays with his table tennis coach.
“I found my other half,” he told the Chron Diary. ‘I will officially marry Melanie.’
The chef, who trained at Latymer Upper School in west London for £22,530 a year, moved to France in 2019, a year after having a child with 35-year-old property agent Stephanie Gouveia.
In addition to his five-year-old with Stephanie, Blumenthal has three children with his ex-wife Zanna, from whom he divorced in 2016.
During their marriage, Blumenthal had an affair with US cookery writer Suzanne Pirret, who said her favorite things to do were “food and sex.”
Blumenthal and real estate agent Stephanie Gouveia pictured in 2019. They had a “non-legally binding marriage” after an impromptu ceremony in the Maldives before separating
Heston Blumenthal was married to ex-wife Zanna from 1989 until their separation in 2016 and they have three children together
Blumenthal had an affair with Suzanne Pirret (left) during his marriage to ex-wife Zanna. She previously said her favorite things are “food and sex.”
Last month the chef got into a row with Waitrose after The Mail on Sunday revealed the supermarket chain had decided to drop him after a 12-year partnership in which he starred in TV commercials and helped boost sales.
Bosses at John Lewis’ own Waitrose chain are said to have ended Blumenthal’s contract, worth “hundreds of thousands of pounds a year”, after growing tired of his “unpredictability”.
The remark enraged Blumenthal, who told the Chron: “This is so disgusting. I am happy that the contract has expired.’
The chef’s latest innovations – including a banana and bacon trifle – didn’t go down well with Waitrose shoppers and were spotted in supermarkets’ discounted sections
The supermarket chain decided last month to ditch the top chef after 12 years of partnership, despite the popularity of his previous ranges
He suggested that the comment about his supposed “unpredictability” was linked to his genius for creating surprising new dishes.
“To me, unpredictability is a non-linear process that turns into creativity,” he said.
Originally geared towards festive foods, Waitrose’s Heston range proved extremely popular.
In one year, his orange Christmas pudding was so popular that it was listed for sale online at 15 times its retail price after it sold out in stores.