1. Greggs I love puff pastry and will eat pretty much anything if it’s wrapped in this flaky duvet of calorific joy. Greggs, with its myriad pastry wares, should be my snacking Shangri-la – but it’s not. Its overpriced steak bakes fail to hit the spot and its signature sausage rolls are salty, pastry heavy, […]

You’re not sure of what you want, but you know you want something. Before you a cascading wall of myriad jewels  – the confectionary section. That bar? That bag? Which do you choose?  ‘Wait a minute I haven’t had one of those for ages,’ you say to yourself, ‘I wonder why?’ Only when you’ve finished do […]

Ice lollies holds a special place in most people’s childhoods, they are tied into holidays, treats and sunny days – but they are also the most transient of treats. The briefest of research reveals the hundreds of names that have since melted away – Funny Faces, Funny Feet, Rock Around The Choc, Haunted House, Cider […]

  We all know broccoli tastes like broccoli, ice is cold and Turkish delight is vile. Once you’ve tasted the building blocks of food you know what to expect when a meal is placed before you. Modern chefs (led by The Godfather Ferran Adrià and Lord Blumenthal of Heston) know and rely on this acquired […]

Upon reading nearly anything else I’ve written, one would not be too surprised to learn that I am partial to a sandwich. My Bread Meat Cheese food philosophy will testify as such. I would, however, like to make a distinction between ‘normal’ sandwiches – those of a filling between two slices of bread (named after […]

I recently had an argument with a colleague about the validity of the, widely accepted, concept of western cooking having its basis in French cuisine. He argued that Australia owed far more to Asian countries than any Gallic influences – he was of course wrong and his argument held no water, after all Asian countries […]

I love condiments. I really love them – a meal isn’t a meal without a sauce, chutney or a mustard. My cupboards bow under the weight of pickles, curry pastes and vinegars. My fridge door greets me with a pleasing symphony of jar on jar whenever opened. My life revolves around food and my food […]

It’s British Sandwich Week 2010 between May 9th-15th, which is nice, because sandwiches don’t get a lot of coverage and not many people know about them. They do, however, have their own association! Oh yes, The British Sandwich Association are there to uphold the rights of the perfect lunchtime snack and protect our bread based […]

A true partnership is one that takes, as building blocks, the constituent parts and constructs a product, greater by far than those parts alone. Food partnerships can be hit and miss, the more chefs experiment, the more amplified those disasters and successes can become. So, I say, stick to the classic ten partnerships, those that […]

All of these fall under the banner, ‘Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should’. These are not foods i simply dislike – the list would be much longer – these are an affront to what food should be. There is no reason for any of these, to be anything other than a memory. Instant tea […]

There are three divisive topics that will always lead to disagreements – Music, Religion and Crisps. Throughout cigar lounges and Gentlemen’s clubs, the length and breadth of this fair land, brandies are being swirled and the merits of Salt & Vinegar verses Cheese & Onion are being furiously debated. There is something immensely personal about […]

I’m aware that nine is not ten, but I just couldn’t find anything else that was worthy of the list. These are things that make Christmas for me. There are plenty of other things which are a welcome addition to the festive season, but are consumed throughout the year, rendering them invalid for such a […]

This list was inspired by Deborah and Charlotte, two ladies, who are not backwards at coming forwards when it comes to voicing their disappointment with something. Although they are a shade more vocal than most, they are not alone – who hasn’t salivated at the thought of a foodstuff, only to feel let down and […]

I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, as a consequence I spend a lot of my time being annoyed at things that I do. These are the ten most annoying things that happen to me on a regular basis. I’ve discounted cutting myself, whilst chopping , because of the combined regularity and stupidity […]

IHOP Although not strictly living up to its name, the American chain, International House Of Pancakes is a national institution for a reason. The speed of service, the 1,421 branches and the sheer quantity of food they can squeeze onto a plate, all make for breakfast venue to be revered. Whether you fancy pancakes, a […]