Conran's introduction of the Quaglino ashtray in the early nineties was a stroke of marketing genius. The heavy metal Qs instantly became the hottest property around, and were so regularly "lifted" from the restaurant that someone finally had the bright idea to sell them.
Hotels also regularly suffer from light-fingered guests, with toiletries, bathrobes and towels disappearing with alarming regularity, no matter how esteemed the customers.
Now a new wave of online hotel and restaurant shops are making a healthy profit out of the public's seemingly insatiable desire for memorabilia - and it's not limited to lousy T-shirts.
- Malmaison has teamed up with Veuve Clicquot to offer some funky and very yellow Hunter wellies (60), or, if gardening isn't your thing, there's a branded director's chair (35) and VC bottle and glasses set (49) to help while away the summer in sytle.
- The offer at the Waterside Inn in Bray, Berkshire, might appeal more to sport lovers, with branded golf balls which will set you back 4 a pop, or perhaps try a relaxing game of carpet boules from Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons (12) in Great Milton, Oxfordshire.
- Stock at London's Le Gavroche's is for bigger budgets - its line of silver animal tableware designed by Grard Bouvier starts at 1,200 for the crab and climbs to 7,000 for le couple coq et poule.
- And finally, if you need to have a lie-down after all that strenuous online shopping, you can even buy your very own "Heavenly" bed from Westin Hotels. Prices start at 880, excluding delivery.