It’s been 10 years since Heston Blumenthal first teamed up with the expert private brand product developers at British grocer Waitrose to bring a host of unique products to the supermarket’s shelves and Waitrose.com. To celebrate the 10-year partnership, Heston has developed an array of food and drink for 2020 including his Lazy Sunshine Gin, Full English Sandwich and a seasonal selection to make this Christmas truly magical.

Over the past decade, the three Michelin star chef and proprietor of The Fat Duck – who is known for his curious creations, immersive dining experiences and sometimes divisive dishes – has brought the magic of illusion, playful innovation and unusual flavor combinations to the dining tables of the supermarket’s customers.

Back in 2010, the chef introduced his now-iconic Heston from Waitrose Hidden Orange Christmas Pudding as part of his Christmas range. Huge demand for the dessert caused a nationwide sell-out when the must-have dessert even appeared on eBay, with the supermarket tripling its orders for the following year.

Heston has captured the imagination of Waitrose customers over the decade with an array of over 200 culinary creations launched at Waitrose, including some truly imaginative and quirky dishes. They include a Banana & Bacon Trifle – a sweet and salty flavor combination packaged into the classic pud; a Melting Chocolate Sprout Dessert which gave the illusion of gravy being poured over Brussels sprouts, Profiter’coals – profiteroles made with charcoal pastry and a fiery orange center, Edibaubles – a selection of festive flavored chocolates designed to look like tree decorations; a Bloody Mary inspired prawn cocktail; a Golden Chocolate Egg made to look like it came straight from a storybook, ice cream flavors including Chocolate & Rosemary and Horseradish, as well as his most recent invention the Heston from Waitrose ‘Full English’ sandwich – all inspired by Heston’s favorite places, flavors, stories and experiences as well as his restaurant menus.

The Heston from Waitrose Hidden Orange Christmas Pudding is in the top five best-selling Heston products over the 10 years, which also includes Lapsang Souchong Tea Smoked Salmon, Citrus Sherbet Lazy Gin, The Ultimate Beef Burgers and Earl Grey & Lemon Hot Cross Buns.

Heston continues to bring his exciting and creative approach to his range, with the appeal of his food and drink reaching overseas too. The Heston from Waitrose range is a top seller in countries across the globe, with products exported to 10 different countries and as far away as Singapore and Hong Kong.

Heston Blumental says “I like to tell stories with food. For the last 10 years, Waitrose has given me the opportunity to delve into my imagination to come up with delicious, curious culinary narratives – such as Lapsang Souchong Tea Smoked Salmon, Lazy Sunshine Gin, Eggstraordinary Dippy Egg and Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail. (And let’s not forget that Hidden Orange Christmas Pudding that sent the internet into overdrive.) It’s food that’s innovative and individual. Food that’s flavorful and, above all, fun. We continue to explore new frontiers of flavor, examining our relationship with food and ourselves, and looking for ways to trigger not only the taste buds, but also the emotions for Waitrose customers to experience.”

Olivia Basten, Heston Brand Manager for Waitrose

Olivia Basten, Heston Brand Manager for Waitrose adds “At Waitrose, we love working with Heston and his team to create such incredible, innovative products to share with our customers.”

“Our Heston from Waitrose range is all about fun, experimentation and an element of the unexpected combining to create something truly special. We are sure our shoppers will love his new additions, and we have plenty of surprises in store for them this Christmas.”

Heston Blumenthal’s new festive collection

Heston has been working his magic on some new festive favorites to introduce exclusively to Waitrose shoppers this Christmas, with an array of scrumptious sweet and savory surprises in store.

Start the seasonal celebrations with the irresistible Heston from Waitrose Night Before Christmas Mince Pies – which are sure to speed Santa and Rudolph on their way. Golden carrot and caraway shortcrust pastry, filled with rich carrot and vine fruit mincemeat laced with cream sherry – a delicious winter warmer with a special sprinkle of smoked sugar on top.

For a truly special Christmas breakfast, the chef has infused smoked salmon with his Citrus Sherbet Gin. The Heston from Waitrose Citrus Lemon Gin Smoked Salmon is a refreshing twist on the Christmas brunch classic, finished in gold luster for a really indulgent start to the festivities.

The new Heston from Waitrose Fish and Seafood Platter – available exclusively from Waitrose Entertaining –  combines a selection of favorite fish and seafood, including Heston’s Lapsang Souchong Tea Smoked Salmon, Heston’s Lemon Gin Smoked Salmon & Heston’s Bloody Mary Prawn Cocktail in one beautiful centerpiece.

To dazzle diners over Christmas lunch, the Heston from Waitrose Jeweled Stuffing Ballotine is inspired by a dish at Blumenthal’s restaurant, The Hind’s Head. It features succulent pork stuffing, flavored with juicy sultanas, dried cranberries, apple, apricots and candied orange making it a beautiful and delicious accompaniment to a turkey feast.

When it comes to dessert, every good pud should have a surprise inside and this one’s no exception! Heston from Waitrose Sherry & Balsamic Vinegar Christmas Pudding features plump Turkish sultanas soaked not just in Ruby Port but aged Balsamic of Modena to bring out all their rich, fruity flavor. With fresh apple, cider and dark, intense Pedro Ximenez sherry, the pudding has been maturing for a full 12 months for an indulgent, boozy finish to your festive feast.

For a festive treat at teatime, a rich brioche dough, plump rum-soaked vine fruits, candied pineapple, fudgy caramel pieces, lime zest, ginger and marzipan combine to create the new Heston from Waitrose Tipsy Stollen. The stollen, which is inspired by a traditional historic British recipe and based on one of Dinner by Heston’s signature desserts, also comes in a pack of six Heston from Waitrose Tipsy Stollen Slices, ideal for a suitably seasonal snack.

Or for a taste of the continent, an Italian favorite and classic British pud have been re-imagined with an unexpected twist in the Heston from Waitrose Sherry Trifle Panettone, bringing the best of both into one delightfully delicious bake. Golden Italian panettone is scattered with Amontillado-soaked cherries, filled with custard and sherry syrup and topped with dark chocolate, toasted almonds and fennel comfits.

And to finish the festivities with a sparkle, light up your celebrations with Heston’s Chocolate Bucks Fizz Candles for a fabulous after-dinner treat. White chocolate candles hide a secret center of velvety chocolate ganache, with a citrusy kick and a celebratory splash of marc de Champagne.

Heston Blumenthal comments on his new range, saying; “Christmas is the most magical time of the year and I hope my new additions at Waitrose will bring some unexpected surprises to the festive season. They combine some of the season’s favourites with a special twist and fantastically curious flavors, like my personal favorite, The Night Before Christmas Mince Pies.”

The Heston from Waitrose range is available exclusively in Waitrose shops and on Waitrose.com, launching from mid-October throughout the festive season.