As the dust settles on this year's Hospitality show at the Birmingham NEC, it's worth reflecting on the effort some people go to make the exhibition a success.
Take Satyajit Moocheeroy, for example, an international student working at Jury's Inn in Croydon.
Satyajit had entered a salon display class on the Tuesday of the show, but that morning, couldn't find the exhibition. He'd gone to the address on the confirmation letter he had been sent, but hadn't realised he was outside salon director Peter Griffith's house in Knowle, Solihull, having typed Peter's postcode into his Sat Nav. He rang Peter to say where he was, slightly surprised to see that no-one was home.
So Peter directed him to the NEC only to find that he had turned up with a box of raw ingredients, not realising that the competition he had entered was in the Display Salon (entries are supposed to be prepared in advance and left on display for the duration of the show).
Confused and upset, Satyajit said that he thought he was supposed to cook from scratch. After looking at what raw ingredients Satyajit had brought, quick-thinking Peter suggested a live class, Fish Dish, and as if by magic, there was an empty station.
Satyajit took part in the competition and was awarded a bronze medal for his efforts.
"His face was a picture when his name was announced at prizegiving," Peter told Caterersearch. "He'd driven all that way on his own, in a strange country - what dedication! Since starting Salon in 1987, I have never had a competitor turn at my house with all his produce ready to cook!"
So, all round to Peter's to toast Satyajit?