Heston’s dishes blasting into orbit

16-Dec-2015 - Last updated on 16-Dec-2015 at 14:32 GMT

Heston Blumenthal is to create seven dishes for British astronaut, Tim Peake, which will be blasted into space to give him a flavour of home during his six-month mission on the International Space Station.

Peake, who was sent into orbit yesterday, set Blumenthal the challenge of creating the dishes for a one-off Channel 4 documentary, Heston’s Space Food, in a bid to help him combat the emotional impact of his journey.

The Fat Duck owner will work closely with the UK Space Agency, ESA and NASA as he attempts to push the boundaries of science to create a menu that will be edible in space and in zero-gravity environments.

Being approached by Peake was a dream come true for the celebrity chef.

"When Tim set me my mission, I felt a surge of pride to be involved in such a historic moment for both astronomy and gastronomy. Imagine telling a young boy that when he grows up he will create food for astronauts to eat in Space - it's a dream I couldn't even envisage, let alone it coming true,” Blumenthal said.

He will take inspiration from Peake’s childhood, creating multi-sensory, gravity-defying food, without losing its nutritional value. A bacon sandwich and the first cup of tea to be ‘sipped’ in space make it on to the menu.

“Working with the team at the UK Space Agency, ESA and NASA has been a phenomenal experience. Tim and I have also worked closely together, creating dishes that will remind him of home even though he'll be 400km away in Space. The very least I could do was make sure he had a cup of tea and a bacon sarnie.”

Jay Taylor, executive producer for Thoroughly Modern Media, the production studio behind the documentary, said: "Teaming Heston with the space agency, to create food that can be eaten in space seemed like the dream partnership, but none of us could have anticipated the monumental struggle this would be. From hundred page rule books to exploding space shuttles, this challenge has pushed Heston further than ever, but the resulting food we hope will genuinely change space travel for the better."

Sara Ramsden, commissioning editor at Channel 4, said: "If humanity is ever to get to Mars and beyond, science needs to turn its attention to the sensory and aesthetic side of nutrition in space. Heston has brought his usual flamboyant creativity to the challenge and created some wonderful dishes that we are sure Tim Peake is going to love.”

The documentary will air in Spring 2016.