Blumenthal trades knife for paddle in WA

Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has been preparing for this weekend's Margaret River Gourmet Escape in an unexpected way - taking table tennis lessons.

While the Fat Duck restaurateur will be slicing and dicing in the kitchen at the Western Australian food festival, Blumenthal plans to mash fellow cooking competitors on the raised green.

Blumenthal said the obsession with the game was sparked at last year's Gourmet Escape when he played against other chefs at a contributors lunch.

He said George Calombaris was definitely up for a rematch after he beat the Masterchef host at a self-organised table tennis tournament in April.

"There will be some healthy competition," Blumenthal said in Perth on Wednesday.

Blumenthal said he was also looking forward to trying more of what WA's South West region has to offer, having been a long-time fan of its wine, beef and truffles.

He said this year the Fat Duck bought more truffles from WA than Perigord in France.

"They were better, more consistent, they were absolutely fantastic," he said.

The Margaret River Gourmet Escape runs from November 21 to 23.