Fat Duck owner cries 'fowl' over eatery's closure

London: It could have been the clams or a sick diner spreading germs. But what if a jealous rival deliberately sabotaged Heston Blumenthal's three Michelin-starred restaurant, causing the food poisoning scare that has forced him to shut?

The search was on for the culprit who nobbled Blumenthal's The Fat Duck.

If this was a Miss Marple drama the finger of blame would surely point at Gordon Ramsay, the only other contender for Britain's greatest living chef and a man eager to divert attention from his own travails - allegations of an affair and claims that he embellished his football career.

But sadly for the scriptwriter of this particular mystery the Scottish chef has a cast-iron alibi.

Blumenthal, known for his "molecular gastronomy" that brought the world snail porridge and bacon and egg ice-cream, has now turned detective himself while his restaurant in Bray, Berkshire, remains shut.

In an interview he said Monday: "I put that suggestion [sabotage] forward a couple of weeks ago. I have been so fastidious about everything.

"We need to be aware before a customer even gets a headache, so if something comes up I said we have to look at this, not that I have any idea that someone is out to do something.

"It would be devastating, scary. Once we have explored the obvious avenues, you look further afield and get more unusual origins of a problem."

He has reached the conclusion after tests on everything from cooking vessels to the staff themselves came back negative.

The Fat Duck closed last week after 40 customers fell ill over the previous weeks, prompting Blum-enthal to call in health inspectors.