The incorrigible Corrigan
Richard Corrigan is not one to mince his words. At last month's Skills for Chefs conference in Sheffield, the straight-talking Irish chef was asked whether he was concerned about wheat-free, vegan and other special dietary requirements. "Do I worry about those kinds of things?" pondered Corrigan for all of two seconds, before answering: "Er, no, I don't give a f***."
Don't forget to wash your hands
Britain sealed a new trading partnership with Romania this month when the first batch of English sheep's semen was handed over at the Royal Agricultural Show. The English Beef and Lamb Executive's livestock export manager, Henry Lewis, handed over the Suffolk sheep semen to the Romanian secretary of state, Dr Liviu Harbuz. Photos of the handover are available from the Meat & Livestock Commission's press office. Call 01908 844166.
Chief executive's inspiring vision
Clapham House Group boss David Page is in a stew after making a bet with the managers of the Real Greek, one of his restaurant brands. The former chief executive of PizzaExpress bet that the new Real Greek branch on London's South Bank could not achieve takings of £50,000 a week by Christmas. "If they do, I've promised to run naked over Tower Bridge," he told the Times. "They served 2,500 customers on their first day, and I'm starting to feel rather nervous. I've offered to make a big donation to charity to get me out of the bet, but they seem determined to see me embarrassed."
Creaming it in Cornwall
It's not just the owners of broom cupboards in Knightsbridge that have benefited from the property boom. A tiny Cornish ice-cream kiosk went up for sale for £95,000 last week. Roy Bourne, who has run the business for seven years, was initially surprised by the estimate but said its prime location helped to make it a profitable business. He has already been contacted by interested buyers. Last year the kiosk, in the picturesque village of Polperro, had a turnover of £39,000 with a gross profit margin of 60%.