Blumenthal's new menu trialled at the Popham Little Chef is thought to be the key driver of the turnaround. The Heston menu has been rolled out to York and Kettering West. Little Chef chief executive officer Ian Pegler said: "We are now taking the Heston menu to restaurants in the North and Midlands to see how it is received." Pegler added: "There's hope for other household brand names like Woolworths which tripped over by the recession but have a soft spot in the hearts and minds of the nation. In our case fortunately, that's also their stomachs."