Twice recently I’ve been asked my opinion of ‘Doughnut Economics’. The first time, I was tempted to cover my ignorance with a Johnsonian impromptu riff on supply-chain issues in the deep-fried batter sector. But sensing seriousness I steered off and googled the phrase later, so I was ready the second time to discuss Kate Raworth’s 2018 book of that title, about why we should abandon pursuit of GDP growth in favour of a gentler model in which we take better care of nature and each other — illustrated by her ‘doughnut of social and planetary boundaries’.
That’s a debate for another day, but what I really admire is the title itself, inviting readers to think about the changing world by way of sweetmeats: very much what this column tries to do in parables disguised as restaurant tips. Hoping to match Kate’s catchiness, I’ve decided to call my version ‘gastro-nomics’ and (with readers’ help) offer a global Christmas tour of good tables that highlight social change and entrepreneurial trends — starting, close to home, with optimism and resilience.
After I wrote in August about moving to the central-London enclave of Seven Dials, many of you assumed I’d left Yorkshire for good. But I still spend time in the small town of Helmsley, whose hospitality trade has attracted a tide of investment as the pandemic recedes. Our best hotel, the Black Swan, once a chintzy outpost of the Forte empire, has been restyled as a shooters’ and hikers’ inn. New restaurants — Bantam, The Log Room, Market Grill — have won praise from local eaters.
The only black spot, literally, is the ruin of the historic Star Inn at nearby Harome, which burned down a month ago but will be back, I hear, by next Christmas. ‘Life goes on,’ chef Andrew Pern declared.
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