The menu itself is like a journey through one of Heston’s childhood holidays – probably Cornwall – beginning with the day before the car ride down, moving on to breakfast, a visit to the seaside, dinner in a smart restaurant and then finishing with bedtime. The service is much more involved than at a normal restaurant, with waiting staff weaving a story together instead of just bringing plates to the table. Right from the off you’re asked to choose between one of four frozen cocktails, but the first real signs of personalisation come with ‘breakfast’.

Inside a variety pack of full English breakfast-flavoured cereal is a little wooden puzzle that every diner needs to complete so they can earn a coin for the sweet-shop-cum-doll’s-house at the end of the meal (stay with me here). Mine was embossed with the logo of my favourite football club (Stoke City FC if you’re interested) – something I’d briefly discussed on the phone with someone at The Fat Duck a few weeks ago. This happened again with a mini-cone of the crab ice cream (or frozen crab bisque) that inspired Heston all those years ago; it came accompanied with a little wooden sign from me and my partner’s favourite ice cream parlour, as well as a postcard from Funchal, where we’d spent our favourite holiday together.

There were other subtle additions to the menu – our gin and tonic aperitifs were served in the same balloon glasses we’d fallen in love with on our holiday, brought to the table with a wink from the waitress. Dessert came with a side order of giant white chocolate sea shells, after I mentioned my partner’s favourite chocolates were Guylian. They were all timed just right and made the meal all the more special. Certainly like nothing else I’d ever experienced in a restaurant.

The idea of multi-sensory dining was present throughout the night, from the lights changing colour for each course (those representing the seaside were served under a bright, sunshine-like glow) to the famous Sounds of the Sea, which for me was the standout dish of the evening. I expected a plate that tasted of incredible shellfish and perfectly cooked seaweed; while these were certainly present, it was the overall experience of being transported to the seaside, getting sea spray in your mouth and smelling the wet sand that really blew me away. Was this because of the waves I could hear crashing in my headphones, the sand underneath my glass plate, the lighting or the taste and smell of the dish? I think it must be a combination of them all.

It took a few days after leaving The Fat Duck until I could make sense of it all. The whirlwind of courses, each one perfectly segueing into the next, makes the whole meal feel like one big experience rather than a succession of dishes. Heston said he wanted diners to experience five emotions when they eat at The Fat Duck – adventure, playfulness, excitement, curiosity and happiness. He’ll be pleased to know every mouthful was chock-full of them all. If this is just the beginning of what he’s trying to do, I can’t wait to see how it evolves from here.