Table talk
Shark becomes an accidental hero - on the menu
Shark is infesting the dinner tables of Oxford after local fishmonger Haymans bought a 14ft thresher shark weighing almost a quarter of a tonne. Fishermen usually release sharks, but this one got accidentally caught in the nets of a fishing boat off the Cornish coast and died, so it was brought into harbour. Ray Lindsey, manager of fishmonger Haymans, snapped up the specimen for £400 and the whole thing sold in one day. All profits went to the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen charity. Lindsey has had to buy in more shark loin to meet growing demand.
Any colour you like as long as it's pink
The features editor of a national newspaper was more than a little miffed during a visit to Alain Ducasse's Spoon restaurant in London's Sanderson hotel. She ordered her lamb well done, but It arrived pink, with a message from the kitchen. "We think lamb tastes much better like this," announced the waitress haughtily, who later offered no comment when the lamb was taken away untouched.
The international business language… sometimes
Aren't we lucky that English is the international business language? Liam Lambert, director and general manager of the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London, recalls a time during his spell at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong when the company might just have disagreed with that assertion. The concierge, a European, was asked to buy 3,000 red roses to celebrate a 30th birthday. The total cost was £17,000, but the guest was happy and paid the bill. A year later an American guest asked one of the Chinese concierges for 3,000 red roses, or so the concierge thought. This time the cost was £20,000. The guest was horrified to hear that 3,000 red roses had arrived at the hotel… he had ordered three dozen. Well, "dozen" and "thousand" are not dissimilar to the Chinese ear, you see. The hotel had to swallow the bill… and offered free red roses to guests.
A blatant way to curry favour
You may remember Victoria Beckham's recent spat with Peterborough United FC over the use of the name Posh, which she wanted to stop the club from registering as a trademark. Despite being far from famous worldwide, the Cambridgeshire team has been known as the Posh since the year dot. Now the former Spice Girl will not be impressed with the opening of an upmarket Indian restaurant called Posh Spice, in Nailsea, near Bristol. Owner Shaju Miah, however, is ready to take any heat out of the situation by inviting Victoria and husband David for a free meal. No doubt so she can tell them what she wants, what she really, really wants.
He'll make you a pizza you can't refuse
Feeling tired at the prospect of cooking and serving endless traditional Christmas dinners this month? Sami Wasif has injected a bit of imagination into the old bird-based dinner. The chef-proprietor of Eco in south London has created a £7.90 Christmas pizza, topped with stuffed turkey, cranberry, pancetta, pine nuts, and pepata sausage.
