In defence of British food

Recently in Spectator Life Rob Crossan laid bare ‘the unpalatable truth about British food’ – namely that it is, er, in some establishments he’s been to, done badly. Leaving aside the fact he’s looking for his fish and chips in the wrong place (outside the M25 it wouldn’t be such a struggle), encountering a few dodgy versions of British fare is not a good reason to sit idly by and allow our culinary heritage to disappear. British food can compete with the world’s best – if we allow it to.

In many ways we have had to develop a thick skin when it comes to the loss of treasured bastions of food and drink. Time-honoured institutions forever seem to be just about keeping their heads above water, or indeed vanishing without trace (Rex Whistler, The Gay Hussar and Le Gavroche, for example). Even in London, a city of boundless appetites, in the past couple of months alone we’ve had to face up to the planned closure of the ancient Smithfield