Leading UK chef Heston Blumenthal will still make his way to Melbourne to take part in Melbourne Food and Wine Festival despite the food poisoning scare that closed his famous restaurant The Fat Duck, say organisers.

Blumenthal is one of the top attractions at the giant festival that has kicked off for this year. The Masterclass session at the Langham Hotel that he is conducting as part of the festival sold out months ago soon after the program was released. The star chef is also scheduled to be part of other joint sessions with high profile American chef Thomas Keller and Australia’s Neil Perry.

Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Bray reopened over the weekend after it was closed down last month after 400 diners reported becoming unwell with an unexplained illness.

Melbourne Food and Wine organisers maintain that Blumenthal is still on his way and will arrive in Melbourne on Thursday. “Heston will be joining us in Melbourne on Thursday as planned, ahead of Langham Melbourne MasterClass this weekend,” said MFW chief executive officer Natalie O’Brien.