Magnetic Levitation Dessert, The Fat Duck

When world renowned chef Heston Blumenthal set out to create a dessert for his three Michelin star restaurant, The Fat Duck, that evoked memories of falling asleep after a long day of holiday activity, the brief was clear: comfort, nostalgia, and a sense of lightness running through every part of the experience.

The challenge was how to reinforce that lightness multisensorially, in a way guests had never experienced before, while remaining reliable and robust enough for a busy restaurant service.

The solution was a table centrepiece that used magnetic levitation to suspend an element of the dessert in mid air, reinforced by visual cues through imagery and lighting, and audible cues through a gentle soundtrack.

It proved a huge hit with guests and became an iconic part of the restaurant's menu, even featuring on MasterChef Australia.