It’s been five months since an unprecedented announcement dropped out of the clear blue sky: British superstar chef, Heston Blumenthal would be bringing his three-Michelin-starred restaurant, The Fat Duck, to Crown Casino for six months in 2015 before permanently opening Dinner by Heston in the same location. The anticipation only intensified as Melburnians spent nearly half a year waiting for details of exactly how they were going to secure themselves one of the most coveted tables ever on offer in this city. Today, as the man stepped out in front of anxious media at Crown, the announcement was made.

The Fat Duck Melbourne will open on February 3, 2015 and seat around 50 people. Reservations will be taken through an electronic ballot. The ballot will be open at the Fat Duck Melbourne website from 9am (Melbourne time) on Wednesday October 8, 2014 and will close at midnight (Melbourne time) on Sunday October 26, 2014. “The Fat Duck [in the UK] gets 30,000 calls a day, “ Blumenthal explains of the demand. “The fairest way was to have a ballot. Everyone who gets a table will be contacted, and everyone who doesn’t get a table will also be contacted.” Further, the people who don’t get a table will get priority booking for Dinner by Heston. There will also be a wait list, so if people are unable to use their table, it will open up to the people who missed out.