Successful partnership comes to an end after 12 years, with Waitrose focusing on own label

The highly successful relationship between Waitrose and Heston Blumenthal is coming to an end after 12 years.

The Heston from Waitrose range has scored some huge hits over the years, not least when his hidden orange Christmas pudding sparked a bidding war online. 

However the supermarket has confirmed that it is ”taking our product development in a different direction”, highlighting the fact that it has its own team of development chefs and product developers have scored a number of successes including the Levantine table range, the recently relaunched Cooks Ingredients range and its No. 1 range.

Waitrose said one final Heston product will be launched for Easter, the Chocolate Dabbit, which resembles a rabbit at one angle, but a duck from another.  

Natalie Mitchell, director of own brand, 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.

“So we would like to thank Heston Blumenthal and his team for what has been a tremendously creative partnership and wish them all the best in the future.”

A spokesperson for The Fat Duck Group told the Daily Mail: “We want to thank Waitrose for the partnership. Heston and his teams continuously strive to create, and this year sees the arrival of a new sensory experience at The Fat Duck as well as the opening of an innovative new bar concept and Dinner by Heston at Atlantis the Royal, Dubai.”