Table talk

Chop sue-y

A Sydney hotel is being sued for allowing one of its customers to use a pair of pork chops as footwear. During a rowdy night at the Jannali Inn, Ross Lucock removed his shoes and was told by a staff member that it was unacceptable to have bare feet. Since Lucock had won the meat-tray raffle that night, he imaginatively selected a pair of pork chops and strapped them to his feet. Troy Bowron was playing pool at the time. He slipped on the floor, which he claims was greased by pork fat, and broke both bones in his forearm. Bowron is suing the Jannali Inn, its licensee and Lucock for past and future loss of earnings over his injuries. He claims the hotel breached its duty of care by "failing to remove Lucock in the knowledge that he was inebriated and clad with pork chops on his feet." Bowron was off work for 12 weeks. The Aus$750,000 civil damages claim continues.

Sick joke or an ill-arranged plan?

Rumours that William Drabble, head chef at London's Aubergine restaurant, is going into hospital and will be temporarily replaced by Tom Aikens seem to be misplaced. Drabble said that when he goes into hospital he will instead leave the running of the kitchen to his sous chef, Chris Meredith. Odd that, seeing as Meredith has moved to the Lake District to become head chef of the Samling hotel.

There'd be a welcome in the hillside

JD Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin wants to learn Welsh after locals at the chain's recently opened pub in Caernarvon started grumbling because the English landlord can't speak the lingo. Martin would like to walk in one day and surprise them. He joked: "I've got a Welsh pal and I thought, well, if he can learn it anyone can. My daughter has given me a tape to practise. I'd like to learn while working in a pub for a couple of weeks over the summer, if anyone will give me a job."

Core blimey

Cleopatra might have chosen to bathe in asses' milk, but Naomi Arnold has opted for something sweeter - apple juice. Arnold, best known as director of pan-industry organisation Arena, will use Hotelympia to take a four-hour sponsored bath in apple juice to raise funds for Hospitality Action. Main sponsor Cawston Vale, whose apple juice is being used, does not anticipate that the cost of filling the gap between Arnold and the walls of the bathtub will inflict much damage to its trading figures.

Tippler's topple is a turn up

Police were called to Paul Heathcote's Simply Heathcotes brasserie in Manchester the other day to rescue a drunken man who had managed to fall into its beer cellar, only to find he could not get out. Heathcote, who has been inundated with media inquiries about the incident, offered this advice to PR agencies: "If you've got a PR company and you want media coverage, all you've got to do is throw someone down a beer cellar." Simple.