Heston Blumenthal won't be cooking at free MasterChef pop-ups

• MasterChef winner scores job at the Fat Duck

An announcement on Channel Ten's MasterChef website earlier this week generated excitement that UK mega-chef Heston Blumenthal would be returning to Melbourne to cook at four free one-night-only pop-up dining experiences.

"Each pop-up restaurant will offer a completely different dining experience and will be located in a different, top-secret location in Melbourne," read the statement on tenplay.com. It also quoted Blumenthal as saying: "Coming on MasterChef Australia over the years has always been amazing fun, but this time, out of the studio and into this great foodie city that I love, popping-up with MasterChef Australia, is even more exciting."

The internet responded with understandable enthusiasm. Or rage - some people forked out $525 a head to dine at the Fat Duck during its six-month stint in Melbourne last year.

But it turns out Blumenthal will not be cooking at the pop-ups, to be held during MasterChef Australia's annual "Heston Week". Rather, each site will be run by contestants in a challenge set by the celebrity chef.

"I wish to take this opportunity to confirm that Heston Blumenthal will not be cooking at any pop-up restaurants in Melbourne. He will however, be participating in this exciting project for MasterChef Australia," Blumenthal's publicist Monica Brown said in a statement on Thursday.

So that's a yes to free dining experiences (which punters need to solve clues to attend), but no to free Fat Duck or Dinner by Heston pop-ups.

The first clue to the Hidden Heston pop-ups will be released on MasterChef's social media channels on February 28.

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