What are your plans for lunchtime? A cold sandwich at your ‘workstation’ perhaps? How about learning to cook squid stuffed with chorizo and swiftly eating it before the hooter goes to summon you back to the factory? Now that’s a working lunch we can all get behind.

Described by Time Magazine as ‘the best cognac you have never heard of’, Audry was founded in 1878 by Aristide Boisson, great, great, grandfather of current owner Bernard.

Douglas Blyde eats a rare meal at Simpson’s – one entirely accompanied by Audry Cognac

The Primrose Hill Bakery has opened up a branch in Covent Garden. Anita Pati who admits she has a thing going with Mr Kipling, steps out to see if fancy cupcakes could be her cup of tea.

A crowd has gathered in the upstairs room of the Hinds Head pub in Bray on Thames for the launch of a new cookery book. Many of the assembled have probably never heard of the author and have been lured to the event by the promised attendance of Heston Blumenthal, Andy Lynes included

Ferran Adria was in town last week. The legendary chef/patron of the World’s Best Restaurant El Bulli took part in a live Q&A session in front of his adoring fans. It turned out to be one long answer though as the Master held forth non-stop and at length. Andy Lynes bravely had his hair blown back by the word blast and reports on it all here

The box is shiny black and James himself poses on the front, semi-lit and looking like one of the Bad James Bonds, George Lazenby perhaps. The question I keep asking myself is why would an Executive want a table blender anyway? Don’t they employ people to blend things for them?

Lunch at the Auberge du Moulin de la Roome meant shuffling past a gang of heavily mustached workers having their midday feast like the Village People on a break. Food is a selection of meats and pates, all very good indeed, as it’s what they like to eat around here, washed down with, what else, but fine beer.

There are more cookery programmes and celebrity chefs knocking around these days than there are dinner ladies. It’s enough to make you think that this country is in the middle of a foodie frenzy, an orgy culinary patriotism. Except it doesn’t feel that way, not even in the beating heart of the London restaurant scene.

The vines march down the impossibly steep slopes of the Mosel valley like thousands of regimented Roman soldiers, aptly so because it was they who discovered the potential of this region and began the process of creating what is today a showcase for fine wine and healthy pursuits.

Street food need not be about ‘E-Coli, Mr. Whippy or sausages from a tin’ according to food columnist and broadcaster, Richard Johnson. Through his newly established British Street Food Awards, the 46 year-old presenter of BBC’s ‘Kill It, Cook It, Eat It’ hopes to uncover our most ‘razzle-dazzling, showman mobilers.