11 January 2010: In the February issue of Sainsbury's Magazine, the results of a reader poll to find the Chef of the Decade were published. The winner was Heston Blumenthal; Raymond Blanc and Gordon Ramsay were the runners up.

On hearing of the award, Raymond said: "I would like to offer my sincerest congratulations to Heston on this thoroughly deserved accolade. He is one of the most outstanding chefs of his generation who has grown and developed immeasurably since his early days. Equally important is the fact that he is happy to share and pass on his knowledge to younger chefs and those just starting out in our wonderful profession. Heston is a marvellous trainer and an inspiration to the next generation.

"I am obviously also hugely flattered to have been recognised by the readers of Sainsbury's Magazine as one of the three most influential chefs of the decade. I hope that we will all continue to learn and develop, and carry on giving the younger chefs the benefit of our experience."

The full results of the awards can be seen in the February issue of Sainsbury's magazine, out now.