One of the first things you notice about Jody Scheckter, the organic squire of Laverstoke Park Farm, is that he notices everything. As we move away from admiring his herd of water buffalo sheltering from the rain in their massive barn, he mutters into his memo taker ‘another back scratcher for the buffalos’ having heard mention that the big beasts are currently having to queue up for their mechanical treat.

Curious about which culinary figure, dish and ingredient summed-up the noughties? Read the results of a poll of Sainsbury’s Magazine readers here…

Annie Manson lives and works in Vejer de la Frontera, Spain, where she runs bespoke cookery classes in the heart of this historic Andalucian whitewashed village. Along with a sprinkling of sherry, topped up with fabulous Spanish wines, she ensures guests will head home inspired to bring Andalucian sunshine into their kitchens. Find out more at www.anniebsspanishkitchen.com

Pig farmer and restaurant in perfect harmony. Outside Sheffield Max Freeman raises rare-breed pigs for The Milestone restaurant in Sheffield to serve to their customers. They’re happy, the pigs are happy and Nick Harman has a smile on his face too as he sees how teaming up like this has made this city restaurant an award-winner

In the company of BBC’s Olly Smith, Douglas Blyde travels to Tuscany to see how a quartet of its leading wine producers are thoughtfully modernising…

The iconic London gin is the only one to be actually still made in London, and Beefeater is the favoured gin of the new, hip, mixologists. Not bad for a spirit once the subject of 18th century vilification. At the Beefeater Distillery in South London, we meet Master Distiller Desmond Payne and he takes us through the process and into the bar!

What can you get for fifteen pounds in London Town? Half a ticket to the back row of a West End show? One and a quarter cocktails in a chi-chi Soho bar? Well how about dinner, a drink, dessert and ready-made date banter? Thomas Henry throws up his pizza.

Coinciding with the launch of the world’s largest passenger ship, Douglas Blyde boards one of the most bijou – the ‘Hebridean Princess’ – for an afternoon of tea and talks.

There is, as the adage goes, no such thing as a free lunch. Owing to the intensity and expectation of organisers, Douglas Blyde found a recent meal at Borough Market’s British restaurant, ‘Roast’ occasionally hard to digest.

To Mark Hix’s new restaurant in Soho where in the big basement a tasting of Irish Cheese is taking place. Now I am second only to Wallace in my love of the stuff, although Wallace’s Wensleydale is not my favourite by any means. Ireland certainly has the grass for the cows and goats required, but can it cut the cheese? Let’s find out.