One of Britain’s leading chefs, Heston Blumenthal –author of the bacon and egg ice cream, snail porridge and a mousse “poached” in liquid nitrogen sending vapour stream out of the diner’s nose– wants to add sound to culinary experiences.

Charles Spence, an Oxford University psychologist, and Ian Sands, a sound engineer, helped him develop a sound system which includes headphones and a microphone that picks up every crunch and slurp. The sound is transmitted to an “equalising” box –in which the noise levels of individual sounds are adjusted to the diner’s preferred setting, before being sent to his/her headphones.

Diners will be able to fashion their sound to one of more than 200 variables, which have names such as Cave, Cupboard-Under-The-Stairs, Spaceman, Vinyl or Helium.

A Sunday Times reporter tested the sound system last week-end and found that the relayed noises enhanced the flavours of the food he was eating. However, the microphone has to be so sensitive that, when he spoke, the noise was hardly bearable.

P.S. Blumenthal’s three Michelin-Star Fat Duck establishment was recently named second in the world by Restaurant magazine, after French Laundry in California.

From The Sunday Times, August 29, 2004, News, p.11 (unfortunately for subscribers only.)