TV chef Heston Blumenthal has admitted he is baffled by what may have caused a health scare that forced him to close his three star Michelin restaurant.
The Fat Duck celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal
The man dubbed the "culinary alchemist" for his scientific approach to cooking temporarily shut The Fat Duck while tests are carried out.
Around 40 customers have been taken ill over the past couple of weeks.
Blumenthal said that food poisoning had been ruled out but he took the decision to close the Michelin-starred restaurant in Bray, Berkshire, as a precaution.
All of our checks were clear but, if there is a problem, then the restaurant has a duty to try and find out what it is.
Tests by the celebrity chef's own food safety consultants and environmental health officers from Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council have so far failed to solve the mystery.
Blumenthal, who opened The Fat Duck in 1995, found fame with his innovative cooking style.
The Fat Duck restaurant
He researches the molecular compounds of dishes to achieve a greater understanding of taste.
The chef said: "The whole thing is really upsetting and perplexing. We have done so many tests but nothing has shown up.
"All of our checks were clear but, if there is a problem, then the restaurant has a duty to try and find out what it is."
Blumenthal said that experts believe it could be a non-specific virus that is going around.
He told how he had to cancel 450 bookings, but that customers have been very understanding.
He said the results of all tests should have been completed by Monday and he hopes to reopen the restaurant on Wednesday.
The Fat Duck boasts three Michelin stars and was voted "the best place to eat on earth" by Restaurant magazine in 2005.
It is currently second only to Spain's El Bulli.
Food-lovers have to book months in advance to secure a table at the restaurant, where the tasting menu costs £130 and features dishes like snail porridge and scrambled egg and bacon ice cream.
