It is very difficult to return to an eaterie that you have managed to give a decent and published review for without them making a song and dance around us.
Lovely though this is, we are not always in the mood to be flattered or talk about it with them, every time. Difficult one that.


The other strange thing, in the shape of an e mail I was sent last , was from a panicky and indeed shocked hotelier, who I only reviewed last week, saying "please don`t publish as we have had to shut urgently".

A dreadful shame and a sign of the times. Only four days ago, the place was a hive of activity.
This closure was blamed on a sudden rent increase that the owners could not afford. The sad fact is, that one of the loathsome chains of eatries probably would not even have checked the bill or letter that preceded it and just paid the increase in fee.

I think there should be a genuine concession on independent food retailers in this country or before we know it, all we will have to eat will come from Tesco, KFC etc.

Running a successful restaurant-it's got to be the most difficult business in the world !

Gordon Ramsey is right the way and bullies chefs and owners into getting it right.

Yes quite true actually Veritas.
I am working on a list of nice, generous guys that have survived in that business.
I shall let you know when I have the first name on the list......