The food trends that need to die

Jacques – a tiny French restaurant in Finsbury Park – was the very first posh joint I ever ate at, back in 1987, and I have fond memories of it. The proprietor, Jacques, was a flamboyant 40-something: very gay, extremely rude to his customers (did I mention he was from Paris?) and partial to drinking his own profits. Nouvelle Cuisine, with far less fat and much smaller portions, was on trend, and Jacques’s glorious menu of rabbit in mustard sauce with mashed potatoes, and rich crème brûlée, was slowly replaced by carrot salad, followed by minuscule portions of blowtorched fruit. The cheaper ingredients and smaller portions allowed Jacque to consume more champagne sur la maison. 

Today, one food fad I would love to see disappear is oversized sandwiches, including gigantic burgers – basically, anything Jay Rayner calls ‘boy’s food’. While these might sound delicious to the ravenous, eating one should be classified as an Olympic sport – be sure to cover your entire upper body with napkins if you tackle one.