Will kirby's moves prove a recipe for disaster?
It seems James Martin did more than just win over the hearts of housewives with his latest antics on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing - he inspired some of his colleagues to start dancing too. We hear Robert "Snake Hips" Kirby, chef-director at Lexington Catering, has enrolled himself at international judging sensation Len Goodman's school of dance in Dartford. Goodman, of course, was chairman of the judges on Strictly Come Dancing and the "good cop" on the panel. Kirby is already known for ricocheting his way around many a dance floor, so we'll all be waiting with bated breath, Rob, as you choose your partner for a Viennese waltz at the next industry "do". And watch out for those spaghetti arms - being a chef doesn't give you any excuse!
Well, canapes are good for the carpet... aren't they?
The Ivy's chef supremo Mark Hix found his cool-as-a-cucumber reputation under strain recently when he fulfilled his promise to cook dinner for the person who purchased his talents at last year's Leuka charity dinner. Arriving at the bidder's house - a palatial, cream-carpeted, shoes-off-at-the-door kind of place - he was warned that the lady of the house wouldn't take kindly to anything besmirching the purer-than-pure design of her abode. Almost inevitably, self-destruct mode kicked in. Carrying a plate of canapés across the hallowed carpet, he watched with horror as the plate tilted downwards and the contents slipped slowly over the rim. Then, after a desperate attempt to counterbalance the tilt, the remaining morsels shot off the opposite edge.
A fistful of dollars talks
On a recent press trip to San Francisco we decided to pop into the Clift hotel's Asia de Cuba bar for a nightcap. It was a Saturday night and the place was heaving, but we spotted a niche in a corner big enough to accommodate everyone and made a beeline for it. Halfway to plonking our derrières down, we were accosted by a waitress who told us that the table was booked. The next table was just leaving so we shifted along, only to be denied refuge again. Why? Because "multiple parties" were a big no-no. We waved a fat wad of dollars and said we'd have a bottle of grand reserve Champagne. Miraculously, the first table became unbooked. Call me old-fashioned but I'd call that poor service - and it proved once again that money does talk.
Sodexho's va-va-voom
According to the FT, Sodexho is looking to "expand its role" at Le Lido in Paris, the Champs Elysées rival to the Moulin Rouge. Although Sodexho already does the catering at the venue, best known for its half-naked, headdress-tastic dancers, it's now in discussions with Le Lido as a potential investor.