Stereotype is a funny thing, not least of all when it comes to spas, but it is also something that has the capacity to be extremely dangerous. While the vast majority of people associate spas with time out and something enjoyable, the range of details of what one might do on a day or break seems to remain remarkably narrow. The association between spa and relaxation is engrained, but often the details remain elusive.
I was in high school when I first decided that design would be my destination, but my GPS must have been on the blink, because the exact area of design was undetermined. Today, I'm no closer to finding the exact location I fit into, but I have discovered that it's something that doesn't need to be found.
The Dîner des Grands Chefs is in its third year, first they took their knives and expertise to the Château de Versailles, last year it was Gotham Hall in New York. Just 600 places are up for grabs as the former fish market on the banks of the Thames, Old Billingsgate, is transformed into 'theatre of food'.
Worn almost as a badge of pride by the likes of Bubble Dogs, Barrafina, Lobster Burger, MEATLiquor, Polpo, 10 Greek St and, of course, Dishoom, the no reservation policy might as well be a by-word for trendy, casual dining. It also means that if you get your timing wrong you could be waiting up to two hours to eat.
Some 100 lobsters a week, 20 guinea fowl, 40 wild rabbit and that's just the prep before I've even started making the pasta which has to be fresh every service. So getting all that achieved whilst Angela Hartnett was in the kitchen with a film crew and James Martin wondering around was intimidating and inspiring...
Zomato's breadth of coverage now exceeds all their existing London competitors with their main selling point the scanned copies of menus for every one of their listings. They've signed up several thousand members and their website is attracting hundreds of thousands of hits a month - all without having spent a penny on advertising the London arm!
We live in a country where 30% of children leave school obese or overweight and where we spend £6billion on treating diet related diseases every year. We have a generational skills gap - 60% of 18 to 25 year olds leave home without being able to cook five basic dishes. And it is making us unhealthy and unhappy.