The third section is about food science and includes features penned by some of the food scientists who have worked with Blumenthal over the years to create some of the effects and processes he uses. As someone deeply opposed to food additives and the lies of industrial food processing, I found myself uncomfortable with some of this, although Blumenthal himself argues in favour of what he sees as a maligned branch of science. At the age of 16, Heston travelled to France with his family for the first time and became fascinated with the world of food. He spent the next decade learning the basics of French cuisine from books and working as everything from a photocopier salesman to a debt collector to fund annual research trips to France. One of the books that most influenced him was On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee, which questioned the fundamental rules of the kitchen and explored the science of cooking.

It's obsession that permeates this book, the product of a meticulous mind that seems to combine drive and determination with an alarming passion for detail. its third Michelin star (the day Heston received the news of this he had been wondering how exactly he would be able to pay his staff that month). Next we meet 50 of his signature recipes - sardine on toast sorbet, salmon poached with liquorice, hot and iced tea, chocolate wine - which, while challenging for anyone not equipped with ice baths, dehydrators, vacuum pumps and nitrogen on tap, will inspire home cooks and chefs alike. Finally, we hear from the experts whose scientific know-how has contributed to Heston's topsy-turvy world.