Table Talk
I can see you've got your hands full, Heston, but can I just say… It seems that people will stop at nothing to get to talk to the man of the moment, Heston Blumenthal. Attending the American Food Festival at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons last week, Britain's latest three-Michelin-starred chef got up from his lunch to visit the little boys' room.
Spotting his opportunity, a Heston groupie chased after him, followed him into the toilets and coolly presented his business card.
By the time Blumenthal emerged, his main course was waiting for him, slowly going cold, while everyone else had finished theirs.
Beam me up, Scotty
Yeast cells from Manchester were sent up to the International Space Station this month.
The scientists responsible for sending some of Britain's smallest living organisms to boldly go where no yeast has gone before, say they hope to learn more about the link between cosmic rays and cancer.
Perhaps the real cause is that quality sandwich chain Pret A Manger is looking to take its expansion plans to new heights. Crayfish and space rocket sandwich, anyone?
Bless our little feathered fiends
The growing menace of aggressive urban seagulls is set to become a huge problem for alfresco dining this year, according to pest control experts. It seems that gulls are taking over from pigeons in city centres.
One recent victim was the Chy Bar and Kitchen in Newquay, Cornwall. General manager Sam Walton says: "Newquay gulls are the most aggressive birds I know - they will take a pasty right out of your hand. Last summer on our terrace, birds were swooping on customers and pinching food from their plates. Whenever a customer left a meal unattended to go to the bar, gulls would appear on the table within 30 seconds to eat what they could. The birds also knocked things to the floor, smashing plates and glasses - it was a nightmare!"
Since then Rentokil Initial has installed a series of fine metal strands suspended above the terrace to prevent the gulls swooping down. Walton is looking forward to a better summer this year.
