Table talk
Top chef on a diet? It must be the Zilli season
Late to bed, early to rise, no breakfast, nibbling in the kitchen all day, lunch whenever and dinner after midnight. The eating habits of the average chef are not the healthiest, so it wasn't surprising to see restaurateur and chef Aldo Zilli taking part in ITV's Celebrity Fit Club last week. However, weighing in at a perfectly respectable 14st, Zilli said he was spurred on to lose weight by the thought of starting a new family with his 28-year-old girlfriend. But apparently there are jobs which are even unhealthier than slaving over a hot stove - such as playing professional darts. Zilli has a head start in the flab fight ahead of fellow contestant, world darts champion Andy "The Viking" Fordham, who drinks 25 bottles of beer a day, and weighed in at more than 30st.
Two pints, and a bit lower down on the left, please
What could be better after a hard week at work than relaxing in the pub with a cold beer? Relaxing with a cold beer while somebody gives you a back rub, that's what. It's the mission of a company called Urban Chill to take massage into wine bars, pubs, parties and events all over London. The company has a team of more than 100 masseurs, who administer five-minute neck and back rubs to revellers. In return, customers are encouraged to pay whatever they feel their massage was worth. The average punter coughs up a fiver and the therapist, who leaves a business card that reads "You've been chilled", keeps half of the takings. Urban Chill has also sent out its masseurs to parties hosted by L'Oréal, NSPCC, and Häagen-Dazs.
The eyes - possibly bloodshot - have it
Are the days of tipsy guests fumbling for their room keys numbered? An iris recognition system, similar to that being adopted at airport immigration checks, operates at Boston's Nine Zero boutique hotel. Guests booking the penthouse suite have a digital photograph made of their iris. A monitor by the suite door recognises it and releases the lock. The hotel says the technology is reliable.
