Blumenthal returns, rethinks, and is raring to go

IN his heyday, Heston Blumenthal was the culinary equivalent of a rock star. He was one of the first to adapt scientific principles in cooking and spawned what would be known as "molecular gastronomy" - a term that he hated but which earned him legions of followers and fans. His three Michelin-starred restaurant The Fat Duck was the holy grail of food lovers the world over, and he spun it into an empire of sorts with his pop-up in Melbourne, his new Dinner by Heston in London, gastropub The Hind's Head, successful TV shows and more.

The restaurants are still there, and The Fat Duck still enjoys a strong following for its story-telling immersive experiences, but the man himself seemed to have dropped out of sight for the past few years. But it has not been for lack of activity. In Friday's issue of Weekend magazine, the British celebrity chef offers an exclusive insight into what he has been up to the last five years - rethinking his work from the past quarter century, his business and his life - and how he is now raring to go again with brand new ideas, research and a mission to get people to rethink their relationship with food. Find out more, and also what he has in store for this year's Formula 1 race.

Blumenthal may have excelled in turning food into stories, but the cinema is still the place to watch them come alive on the big screen. We speak to Clara Cheo, CEO of Golden Village, to get her views on the challenges that the cinema business faces in this age of cable TV and streaming services.

Elsewhere in this issue, we look at the rise of artisanal bakers in Singapore - a growing number of passionate bakers in pursuit of the perfect loaf of bread. We visit a bachelor who turned one level of his family's Little India shophouse into his own personal living space; review Season 3 of Netflix's Stranger Things; check out some valuable luxury watches up for auction; and offer tips on how to refresh your suit wardrobe.