When gazing at the bill after a Michelin-starred meal, the average diner’s first thought is not usually: “I wish I’d got less food for that.”
But Heston Blumenthal has come up with a new menu catering to just that sentiment, tailored to reflect a growing demand for smaller portions, driven by weight-loss drugs.
The restaurateur and TV chef says his alternative selection of tasting courses at the Fat Duck will provide the same flavour and theatre for less-hungry guests – including those taking appetite-suppressing drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro – but in reduced quantities.
When booking at the world-famous restaurant in Bray, Berkshire, diners can choose the Mindful Experience, which offers all the same creations as the usual menu, the Journey. These include the Nitro-Poached Aperitif, a frozen cocktail puff made with liquid nitrogen, and the Crab and Passionfruit 99′, which reimagines a seaside ice-cream cone.
However, portion sizes are reduced by about 20%-30% per dish, and in some cases by up to 50%, while the price is £75 a head cheaper at £275.
The offering reflects a rush to accommodate changing tastes as other GLP-1 drugs such as Saxenda become more common in the UK as treatments for obesity.
Blumenthal has himself been prescribed Mounjaro to help manage weight gained as a side-effect of his medication for type 1 bipolar disorder. “What struck me was the feeling of not being hungry,” he tells the Guardian.
“I still wanted to eat, but I didn’t feel that drive. It made me think – this is going to kill the restaurant industry, because if people aren’t eating as much, restaurants won’t be as enticing. I’m not sure what will happen to supermarkets either.
“I don’t think this change is bad for health. It could actually be very good for people. But it will affect alcohol, wine, food consumption, even supermarkets. I’ve even heard airlines could save money on fuel. This is only going to escalate in the next couple of months, and already millions of people are on these drugs.”
The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire. Photograph: Tim Ockenden/PA
According to the industry publication Food Manufacture, 37% of UK consumers now cite weight loss as their top health priority. Research presented at a UKHospitality seminar earlier this year showed that 7% of UK adults, about 3.6 million people, used these drugs.
Businesses whose models have been upended include Weight Watchers, which has emerged from bankruptcy protection in the US after amassing more than $1.4bn (£1bn) of debt and is now recommending GLP-1 jabs alongside its usual lifestyle-change advice.
The wider food industry is also bracing for change, though the effects could be gradual. Analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate that the consumption of fizzy soft drinks, baked goods and salty snacks in the US could fall by up to 3% by 2035.
However, some in the industry have said they do not anticipate a big impact on sales as take-up of the drugs could remain relatively low. Other food manufacturers are already making changes: Nestlé, for instance, is developing higher-protein and nutrient-dense products to meet the needs of consumers eating less overall.
The consumer champion Martin Newman says: “We’re already seeing other hospitality businesses pivot. In the US, brands like Chipotle, Sweetgreen and Panera have expanded lighter, protein-rich menu ranges designed for people eating less … Here in the UK, restaurant groups are widening ‘lighter choice’ menus, and delivery platforms like Deliveroo are making calories and protein far more visible.
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“Weight-loss drugs are no longer niche … It’s a lifestyle change and not a fad. Therefore, eating out must adapt.”
Newman says some operators may worry about “spend per head going down” with smaller portions, but that “misses the bigger picture”. He added: “If you can align eating out with people’s health goals, you’ll increase frequency and protect loyalty.”
Blumenthal, who has built a career on innovation and exploration of the science of food, says his new menu reflects these shifts. “Millions of people are eating much less food, drinking less, losing interest in restaurants, losing interest even in food,” the chef says. “For more than a decade I’ve been saying that mindful eating is one of the keys to happiness and mental health.”
Blumenthal adds that mindful eating can be applied beyond fine dining, even to simple meals. But in the case of the Fat Duck, the new menu is designed specifically to meet shifting appetites. “Sometimes, less really is more.”
Trish Caddy, of the analysts Mintel, argues that while weight-loss drugs are beginning to affect dining out in the UK, their impact remains limited. “These drugs are expensive and highly regulated, restricting their use typically to wealthier consumers. Heston Blumenthal’s smaller-portion menu seems tailored to this group, highlighting a shift toward health-conscious dining rather than a mass-market change.”
The Fat Duck says the price of both menus reflects the labour-intensive nature of service at the restaurant, which operates with almost as many chefs and waiters as guests during a sitting.
The restaurant is celebrating its 30th anniversary, three decades after opening on 16 August 1995. Originally a brasserie, it soon became famous for its experimental molecular gastronomy, producing dishes such as snail porridge and nitro-scrambled bacon-and-egg ice-cream. The restaurant rose rapidly through the Michelin ranks, gaining three stars by 2004, and in the following year was named the world’s best restaurant, the only British venue to ever take the top spot.
“Appetite suppressants are here in significant numbers,” Blumenthal says. “The way we eat is changing. Restaurants will have to change with it.”