The typical Brit will munch through 5,208 slices of pizza over the course of their adult life – but 83 per cent have no regrets about the amount they eat. A poll of 2,000 adults found 12 per cent eat up to three pizzas each week – with between 6pm and 8pm being the most popular time to chow down. This equates to an average of £21.40 a month on the beloved Italian classic – or £256.80 a year. In fact, 40 per cent are picking pizza over other meals and snacks with 18 per cent saying they’re likely to reach for a slice over other takeaway treats like kebabs (three per cent) or an Indian takeaway (15 per cent), because it makes them happy (42 per cent). With 57 per cent citing it as their ‘comfort food’. The research, commissioned by Tabasco Brand to celebrate National Pizza Month, also found Friday (24 per cent) and Saturday (21 per cent) are the preferred days to tuck into the dish. A spokesperson for the hot sauce maker said: “Pizza is an easy way to bring people together as the ultimate dish to share with friends and family. “Great for any occasion, the cheesy goodness with an added dash of hot sauce is a great way to light up any movie night or end of week celebration.’ Ordering it to your home (46 per cent) is the preferred location to eat pizza, as opposed to at a restaurant (18 per cent). The study, carried out via OnePoll, also found the nation’s top ‘pizza moments’ are a movie night at home (36 per cent) and after a night on the town (29 per cent). Pizza-lovers are also growing more adventurous, with 48 per cent experimenting with different flavours and toppings, citing combinations like hot sauce and mayo (17 per cent), hot sauce and honey (15 per cent) and hot sauce and queso (13 per cent) as the blends they’re most likely to explore. And when it comes to toppings, mushrooms (37 per cent), mozzarella (37 per cent) and onions (33 per cent) come in the top three – with pepperoni (31 per cent per cent) and garlic (26 per cent) just behind. The spokesperson for Tabasco Brand, which has teamed up with Yard Sale Pizza to allow Londoners to share custom messages to friends and family via its Yard Sale x Tabasco Pizza Post, added: “It’s great to see that people are open to experimenting with some seriously hot combinations. “Pizza is a great medium for this. Its cheesy base counteracts the heat from the hot sauce, allowing people to try out flavours that seem spicier than they’re used to. “Plus, the acidity of the vinegar cuts through the rich toppings, deepening the flavour and taste of the pizza. Together, the combination can light up even the simplest of pizzas.” The best time to enjoy a pizza: 1. A movie night at home 2. On a Friday night after a long week at work 3. When watching sports on TV 4. As a payday treat 5. Getting in after a night out 6. The day you get back from a holiday 7. The day you move house and don’t want to cook 8. As a celebration – like on exam results day 9. Your birthday 10. Leftovers as a treat lunch at work Read More Brits admit they’re ‘clueless’ about art including paintings by Pablo Picasso Brits get itchy feet in their home after five years, study finds The exact time Brits find themselves ‘uncontrollably hungry’ revealed Is there such a thing as British pizza? Jamie Oliver says he’d choose anonymity over fame if given the choice again

Jamie Oliver has claimed he would choose a life of anonymity over fame, if he was given the chance to go back and do things again. The TV chef was interviewed by broadcaster Kirsty Young for her debut podcast, Young Again, which is available on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. In each episode, Young revisits pivotal moments in the lives of her guests, and asks them what they wish they’d known at the time – along with what they would change if given the opportunity. In the third episode of the podcast, which is out now, Young spoke with Oliver about his rapid ascent to fame aged just 23, following the release of his BBC cooking show The Naked Chef. Oliver, now 45, also discussed what he learnt from a young age working in his parents’ pub, his relationship with wife Jools, and the challenge of balancing his activism and campaigning work with running a business empire. “If you could go back, would you not do it?” Young asks him during the episode. “Definitely,” Oliver responds. “I’m not trying to say ‘shoulda woulda coulda’ but if I came back on Earth and did again, I would go to (set up the) pub, and I would have a normal life and I would be aware that anonymity is our greatest gift that we will never give any currency to. “And to have just enough and to trot on, and to be the best you can at your thing, and be part of a community, and to have a mutuality… That is very very very precious.” Oliver and his wife met when they were 17, and have been together ever since. They have children together. The TV chef’s remarks come not long after his business enjoyed a major boost thanks in part to his work producing shows such as Jamie’s £1 Wonders. The programme achieved an average of 1.4 million viewers as it helped households deal with the cost-of-living crisis by creating cheap and nutritious meals. His empire, which includes TV shows, recipe books, branded products and several lucrative partnerships, along with his numerous franchised restaurants around the world, made a pre-tax profit of £7.7m in 2022, a 17.5 per cent increase on the past year. Sales for the Jamie Oliver Cookery School, which offers cooking classes in London and online, also grew by more than a third last year. Amid a return to the hospitality industry after lockdowns during the pandemic, he also announced the launch of a new restaurant in London’s Catherine Street, scheduled to open in November. Last month, Oliver called for more free school meals help from the government, urging them to “put children’s health first” and widen the eligibility. Under current rules, only children from households with an income below £7,400 – after tax and benefits – are eligible. Following a major campaign by The Independent,London mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged to roll out free primary school meals to all pupils in the capital in a year-long pilot. The first three episodes of Young Again, the new podcast from Kirsty Young, are available now on BBC Sounds. Future episodes will be broadcast weekly on BBC Radio 4 at 11am from 3 October. Read More Jamie Oliver’s businesses notch up higher profits after £1 Wonders TV success Jamie Oliver calls for vulnerable children to be given free school meals Tom Kerridge: Free school meals should be part and parcel of education Is there such a thing as British pizza? Three recipes from Michel Roux’s new fuss-free French cookbook How to cook to keep your gut healthy

People looking to eat at a high-end restaurant in New York City ultimately learned that the entire thing was an elaborate prank. On Saturday 23 September, Mehran’s Steakhouse finally had a table available in its East Village location after previously having a waitlist with nearly 3,000 names on it. Around 140 diners showed up with no idea that the restaurant wasn’t real. The origins of the prank date back to 2021, when Mehran Jalali and his 16 housemates were having biweekly steak dinners that he would cook in their Upper East Side apartment. As a joke, the roommates made a Google page where they could leave good reviews. Strangers eventually found them and assumed the reviews were real. After more people got accidentally wrapped up in the prank, the roommates created a website for the steakhouse, and by 2022, the wait list had 2,600 names on it. The group then attempted to make their prank real this past weekend, when they rented an event space in the East Village, and obtained a one-day liquor license and food-handling permits before inviting those who’d put their names on the reservation list. Members of the press were able to attend the restaurant, including a New York Times food writer, as well as a reporter from the New York Post. The $144 main entree was called the Bovine Circle of Life, better known as steak and potatoes. The restaurant’s simple salad also came with an elaborate name, Agrarian Synergies. A waiter even walked around with a gallon of milk, claiming it was from a cow from Uganda named Phillip as part of the meal’s concept. Part of the prank also included a selection of framed photographs of Jalali posing with celebrities he had “cooked for” over his years as a chef, including Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Barack Obama and John F Kennedy. “The worst-case scenario for me would’ve been if like, people realise that it was a fake steakhouse not because like, like the pranks and stuff, you know, that the lies were absurd, but because just like the food wasn’t that good, which ended up not happening,” the 21-year-old told Inside Edition. The group also staged a celebrity appearance. “We had some of our friends come and hold posters for Drake so that way people walking by, people walking would think that Drake was actually inside when he really wasn’t,” one of the pranksters, Riley Walz, told the outlet. According to the Daily Mail, the creators said they hoped the night wouldn’t be a “one hit wonder”. “People said they wouldn’t change a single thing about the steak,” the chef added. Since the one-night opening, more people have taken to Google to leave the steakhouse a review. “I got the luxury of being able to attend the one night only pop up and it did not disappoint!” one review began. “The waiter was very attentive and he didn’t bat an eye even when my husband asked him to recook the steak five times! Always smiling. We received complimentary wine because of this event. It was delicious.” The review continued: “The chef told me he personally crushed the grapes with his feet and fermented the juice for 98 years. Wine was amazing but the showstopper was the steak. The aroma in the restaurant alone almost made me pass out. I was getting lightheaded as I did not eat for four days just so that I would be able to eat as much as possible today. The first bite was better than anything on Earth. I levitated ... Turns out Drake was there a bit earlier than me?! He has great taste haha.” The Independent has contacted Jalali for comment. Read More Starbucks faces lawsuit as customers claim refreshers contain no fruit Subway enthusiasts stew over launch of first ever 3-inch sandwich 8 of the best wine regions to travel to around the world Cold-weather recipes to get on your radar now Five easy recipes to cook with your kids Baked beans and pasta become kitchen cupboard staples in British households

Pumpkins and squash are great in tarts, and it’s the mixture of sweet and salty in savoury pumpkin tarts that really gets me,” says food writer Diana Henry. Pumpkin tarts with spinach and gorgonzola Serves: 6 Ingredients: For the pastry: 225g plain flour, plus more to dust 175g butter, chilled and chopped Sea salt flakes For the filling: 450g pumpkin or squash Olive oil 450g spinach, coarse stalks removed 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk 275ml double cream 50g parmesan cheese, finely grated Freshly grated nutmeg 200g gorgonzola cheese Freshly ground black pepper Method: 1. For the pastry, put the flour, butter and a good pinch of salt into a food processor and pulse-blend the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add just enough very cold water to make the pastry come together. Wrap it in foil or clingfilm and refrigerate for about half an hour. 2. Preheat the oven to 180C fan (375F), Gas 5. 3. Cut the pumpkin or squash from top to bottom into broad slices, remove the inner stringy bits and seeds, then peel. Brush lightly with olive oil and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until just tender. Turn off the oven. Put the spinach into a large saucepan, cover and wilt in the water left clinging to it (about four minutes over a medium heat). Drain well and leave to cool. 4. Make the custard by mixing together the eggs, egg yolk, cream and parmesan. Season well. Roll out the rested pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line six individual tart tins. Chill for another 30 minutes (or just stick them in the freezer for about 15 minutes). 5. Preheat the oven again to 180C fan, Gas 5. Prick the bottom of the tarts with a fork, line them with baking parchment and put baking beans or ordinary dried beans on top. Blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and cook the pastry cases for another five minutes. 6. Cut the pumpkin into small slices, about 10 centimetres long and one centimetre thick. Squeeze every last bit of water from the spinach and chop it up. Season both of these and add some freshly grated nutmeg to the spinach. Spread the spinach over the bottom of the tart cases, then add the slices of pumpkin and dot with nuggets of gorgonzola. 7. Pour the custard mix over the tarts and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the custard feels only just set when you put your forefinger in the centre of a tart. Leave for 10 minutes to let the custard finish cooking and set a little once you have taken it out of the oven. Beef pie with wild mushrooms and red wine With wild mushrooms and red wine, this beef pie is perfect as the days get shorter and colder. Serves: 6 Ingredients: 1kg braising beef, cut into large chunks 30g dried wild mushrooms Groundnut oil 350g baby onions, or small round shallots, peeled but left whole 50g butter 1 celery stick, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 30g plain flour 300ml red wine Leaves from 3 thyme sprigs 3 bay leaves 300g fresh mushrooms, sliced 3 tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves 320g puff pastry for 1 big pie, 600g for 6 small pies 1 egg, lightly beaten Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper Method: 1. Dry the meat well with kitchen paper (if it’s wet it won’t brown properly). Put the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour enough boiling water over to just cover. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. 2. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based casserole and brown the beef in batches: it is very important to cook it in batches otherwise the meat will not colour well. Remove each batch as it’s done. Add the baby onions or shallots to the pan and lightly brown them, adding a little more oil if you need it. Reduce the heat, add 20 grams of the butter and all the celery and garlic, and sweat for 10 minutes. Return the meat, with any juices, to the casserole. Season well and, over a low heat, add the flour. Stir everything round until it is well coated. Cut up the mushrooms and add to the pot with their soaking liquid (strain the liquid through muslin, as it can be gritty). Add the red wine, thyme and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Immediately reduce the heat, cover and cook over a very gentle heat for one-and-a-half hours, stirring every so often. Take the lid off for the last 15-20 minutes to reduce the liquid. You need thick juices for a pie, so, if they’re too thin, remove the meat and mushrooms and boil to reduce the sauce. 3. Melt half a tablespoon of oil and the remaining butter in a saute pan and cook the fresh mushrooms briskly over a high heat so that they get well coloured. Season and let the mushrooms cook until they exude their liquid and it evaporates. Stir the parsley and the cooked fresh mushrooms into the meat and check the seasoning. Leave to cool completely. 4. Put the meat in one large or six small pie dishes and roll out the pastry to fit the dish(es). Cut a strip or strips large enough to go around the edge or edges. Brush the edge(s) with water and press the strip on. Dampen this with water and cover the pie or pies with their lids, pressing the pastry down. Trim off the excess, knock up the edges and crimp them, if you like, or just press with a fork. Use the remaining pastry to decorate, making little holes in the top for steam to escape. Brush with the beaten egg and chill for half an hour. Preheat the oven to 190C fan, Gas 6. 5. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes for one large pie, or 25-30 minutes for smaller pies. Serve immediately. Pecan and pear upside-down cake “The cranberries look beautifully jewel-like on this cake, which can be eaten warm as a pudding as well as with tea or coffee,” says Henry. “The fruit combination also works well in a Tarte Tatin. The ginger here is optional, but it mutes the sweetness a little.” Serves: 10 Ingredients: For the fruit and nuts: 75g unsalted butter 115g caster sugar 350g firm pears (about 2) 140g cranberries 75g pecans For the cake: 120g unsalted butter, softened 200g caster sugar 2 large eggs, separated Drop of vanilla extract 210g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground ginger (optional) 175ml full-fat milk Method: 1. Preheat the oven to 180C fan (375F), Gas 5. 2. Melt the butter and sugar for the fruit and nuts in a heavy-based ovenproof saute pan, 25cms in diameter, over a low heat. Peel and core the pears and cut them into slices, about 1cm thick, then place them on top of the butter and sugar. Cook these over a gentle heat until just tender, then whack the heat up and cook them until lightly caramelised. Scatter the cranberries and pecans on top and gently mix all the fruit around. Turn the heat off, but don’t let the pan get cold. 3. For the cake, cream the butter and sugar and add the egg yolks and vanilla. Mix in half the flour along with all the baking powder and ginger, if using. Add the milk and then the other half of the flour. Mix until smooth. 4. Whisk the egg whites until they form medium peaks. Add one tablespoon of the beaten whites to the batter to loosen it, then, working quickly, fold in the rest with a large spoon. 5. Spread the batter over the fruit and nuts in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the sponge comes out clean. 6. Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out, but no longer, or the caramelised fruit will stick to the pan. If this does happen, carefully lever the pears off the pan and lay them on to the cake with their dark, caramelised sides facing upwards. ‘Roast Figs, Sugar Snow’ by Diana Henry (Aster, £22). Read More Is there such a thing as British pizza? Five easy recipes to cook with your kids The dish that defines me: Rosie Grant’s grave recipes Courgette season is nearly over – here’s three ways to make the most of them How to cook to keep your gut healthy Leave Rick Stein alone – it’s totally reasonable to charge £2 for mayo and ketchup

Defining Dishes is an IndyEats column that explores the significance of food at key moments in our lives. From recipes that have been passed down for generations, to flavours that hold a special place in our hearts, food shapes every part of our lives in ways we might not have ever imagined. I run a TikTok called @ghostlyarchive, where I share recipes from gravestones mainly across the US that I make and eat. It all started in 2021, while the Covid pandemic was still ongoing. I was studying to be a librarian. One of my classes was about social media and we were tasked with creating a fresh social media account and had to pick a niche. At the same time, for the same library programme, I had to choose a library or an archive to intern with. I found a fairly virtual internship that let me do things safely outside and in person – which was at a cemetery. I ended up interning in a cemetery archives at a congressional cemetery in Washington DC, and this ended up being my social media niche, too. I chose TikTok, which I was new to at the time, and the class required me to post something about my niche every day for three months. So I learnt that there was a whole section of TikTok called “GraveTok”, where there were gravestone cleaners, preservationists and historians posting content, as well as people who just really loved cemeteries and the storytelling around them. I was posting everyday, and when you post everyday, eventually you’re just sharing anything that you come across that’s vaguely interesting. So at first, it was just about the internship, then I moved on to featuring other gravestones in DC. I started sharing any interesting grave or memorial that I was learning about, and that’s how I heard about Naomi Odessa Miller-Dawson’s grave recipe. Naomi has a really beautiful gravestone in Brooklyn, New York. It’s shaped like an open cookbook and features ingredients for her signature spritz cookies, a type of butter cookie that is made using a cookie press. I remember seeing a photo of Naomi’s gravestone and wondering what they tasted like. Because it was during pandemic times, when we had a lot more free time, I had been learning how to cook more and became really curious about this recipe. So I made them, shared the process on TikTok, and it exploded overnight. People were really intrigued by the grave recipe. In the comments, they were asking questions like: “I didn’t know this, who makes these? Are there other gravestones like this?” Or sharing their own experiences saying: “My mum has a really good recipe” or “This is how I make my cookies”. After that, I learned more about who Naomi was and while I was doing that, I was learning about other gravestones with recipes on them that were featured in local blog posts or posted to Twitter, or even on local news. That’s where the project originated. I’ve now made 23 grave recipes, but that first one was such a journey and I’ll remember it forever. The very first time I made the spritz cookies, I baked them incorrectly because there were no instructions on the gravestone and I didn’t know what a spritz cookie was. I made them in little circles and later learned from people commenting on the video that I was supposed to use a cookie press, so I bought one and made them again. They are really beautiful, delicate little butter cookies that you can decorate. I initially thought they were a sort of sugar cookie, because that’s what the ingredient list sounded like to me, but when I figured out what they were and the proper way to make them, it was such a revelation. Eventually, I met Naomi’s family and made her recipe with them. It was so interesting to learn about her family. I felt very honoured that they welcomed me and took the time to talk about who this woman was and what she meant to them. Naomi was the matriarch of her family and an excellent cook. No one was allowed to bring takeaway food into her home because she would say: “I can cook better than anything you can get at a restaurant.” Her son talked about sitting at the counter in her kitchen, just waiting for the cookies to come out of the oven so he could have a freshly baked one immediately, and he did the same thing when we were cooking together. I often think about how the recipes that get put on these graves are such a big part of family food traditions, which is very cool to me. When I met Naomi’s son and granddaughter, who now live in Pennsylvania, we drove past her old house and visited her grave in the cemetery and heard stories about her. I felt close to Naomi, even though I’d never met her. There’s something about food that connects you to so many memories and people of the past. For example, I’ve never met my great-grandparents, but my mother still cooks her grandmother’s recipes and she still talks about this person when she cooks them. It’s a really interesting connection to the tastes, smells and sights that my great-grandmother, who was an Irish immigrant, had. Weirdly, she is actually buried in the same cemetery as Naomi! There is something about food that makes us feel more present with our deceased loved ones. I don’t know what it is, but food has this amazing quality to do that. Other grave recipes that I’ve tried and continue to make include a fudge recipe from Utah and a snickerdoodle recipe from California. I’ve also made two grave recipes from Israel, which were both written in Hebrew. One of them just had the ingredients on it and his widow told the press that if you know how to cook, you’ll know what to do with them. Well, apparently I don’t know how to cook because I had no idea! Luckily, I work part time at the American Jewish University and their librarians both read and speak Hebrew, so they helped me translate the grave. They decided it was a type of mildly sweet yeasted bread and I’ve made it a few times now, it’s really delicious. My friends have asked for that one very frequently because it’s really an objectively good bread. Most of the recipes that end up on graves tend to be baked goods, or sweet recipes, there are a lot of cookies, cakes, pies, cobbler, ice cream. There are a few savoury ones, like a meatloaf, two cheese dips, and a chicken soup. But the rest of them are pretty much desserts. I think they are chosen according to what is comforting for those who are still around. They think: “My grandma made this thing and I immediately associate that thing with her, or my mum or dad, or whoever”. They have a signature dish and get excited when they think about it, and I think that’s how they choose what to put on the grave. Rosie Grant is an archivist currently living in Los Angeles. She visits cemeteries with grave recipes whenever she travels, and shares her process for making these recipes on her TikTok, @ghostlyarchives. Read More The dish that defines me: Michele Pascarella’s Neapolitan ragu The dish that defines me: Evelin Eros’s rum cake The dish that defines me: Mallini Kannan’s baked honey-soy salmon Is there such a thing as British pizza? Courgette season is nearly over – here’s three ways to make the most of them How to cook to keep your gut healthy

A woman is suing Starbucks for “false and deceptive practices” over claims that the coffee company’s iced, fruit-filled refresher beverage actually contains no fruit. Joan Kominis from Queens, New York, filed a complaint in August 2022 after learning that Starbucks’ Strawberry Acai Lemonade Refresher contained no actual acai. Court documents filed in the southern district of New York claim that “unbeknownst to consumers, the Mango Dragon Fruit and Mango Dragon Fruit Lemonade Refreshers contain no mango, the Pineapple Passionfruit and Pineapple Passion Fruit Lemonade Refreshers contain no passionfruit, and the Strawberry Açaí and Strawberry Açaí Lemonade Refreshers contain no açaí.” Kominis and her co-plaintiff, Jason McAllister of California, are seeking damages in excess of $5m. Starbucks has since called the allegations “inaccurate” and “without merit”. On Tuesday 19 September, US District Judge John Cronan rejected Starbucks’ request to dismiss nine of the 11 claims in the class-action complaint because “a significant portion of reasonable consumers” would assume that the beverages in question would contain the fruit in their names. The plaintiffs have said the main ingredients in these beverages were water, grape juice concentrate, and sugar. They claim the refreshers “differ from other Starbucks products” in that the product doesn’t contain items in their name. “Starbucks’ hot chocolate contains cocoa, its matcha lattes contain matcha, and its honey mint tea contains honey and mint,” reads the complaint. While they noted that the refresher drinks do in fact contain freeze-dried pieces of strawberries, pineapple and dragon fruit, they claimed that Starbucks “does not affirmatively indicate anywhere which ingredients are and are not in the products.” Starbucks had said that the fruits mentioned in the refreshers titles are meant to “describe the flavours as opposed to the ingredients.” Judge Cronan disagreed, writing in his ruling: “Nothing before the Court indicates that ‘mango,’ ‘passionfruit,’ and ‘açaí’ are terms that typically are understood to represent a flavour without also representing that ingredient.” In Kominis’ original filing, she claimed that she was going to buy a Strawberry Açaí refresher specifically for the açaí benefits. The suit stated that açaí berries and juice “are known to provide benefits to heart health, cognitive function, and contain anti-cancerous properties.” “Had she known that the product did not contain açaí, she would not have purchased it, or would have paid significantly less for it,” the document read. Kominis said that she and other consumers bought these menu items and “paid a premium price” based on Starbucks’ naming of the refreshers, and would either not have purchased them or “paid significantly less for them” had they been aware they were missing one of the named fruits. “The allegations in the complaint are inaccurate and without merit,” a Starbucks spokesperson told Today. “We look forward to defending ourselves against these claims.” One claim of fraud and another for unjust enrichment were dismissed from the suit, but Starbucks will have to face the rest of the allegations. The Independent has contacted a spokesperson for Starbucks for comment. This is the second lawsuit an American food chain has faced in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Burger King was sued over claims that the company misled customers by making its Whopper burger appear larger on the menu than how it appears in reality. Read More Citing sustainability, Starbucks wants to overhaul its iconic cup. Will customers go along? Starbucks cheers ‘good progress’ in plan for 100 new UK shops Ed Sheeran serves up Pumpkin Spice Lattes to surprised Starbucks customers Courgette season is nearly over – here’s three ways to make the most of them Top international cuisines Brits are keen to try Subway enthusiasts stew over launch of first ever 3-inch sandwich

1. Lakeland This smart-looking rubberwood block comes complete with five knives – paring, cook's, all-purpose, carving and bread, which covers what most kitchens need. Each is made from a single piece of hardened stainless steel and there's good handling balance. £59.99, lakeland.co.uk 2. Robert Welch This award-winning set contains six high-quality knives and a stylish knife-block with a handy in-built knife sharpener. Each knife slot has a clever integral magnet mechanism, so that when you slide the knife in or out, the sharp edge is protected. £280, robertwelch.com 3. Maxwell & Williams This five-piece slice-and-dice knife set features knives constructed with stainless steel with a non-stick overcoat for the blade. The coloured handles make them clearly distinguishable from the blade during use and cleaning and they're currently reduced from £59.96. £29.95, maxwellandwilliams.co.uk 4. IKEA Slipad This entry-level knife block, which includes five multi-coloured knives ranging from a paring knife to a carving knife, is perfect for those setting up home on a budget, students going off to college, or the occasional cook. £11, ikea.com 5. Pampered Chef Pampered Chef's knives are the business. They are finely crafted from fully forged, high-carbon German steel for a perfect edge and sharpness, stain and corrosion resistance and durability. Too expensive? There's a less comprehensive set at £127. £390, pamperedchef.co.uk 6. Zwilling This company has been making knives since 1731 and its latest range is hard to fault. The blades are perfectly balanced and all the knives are all forged from a single piece of stainless steel, which goes through six different stages of heat production followed by an ice-hardening process, for optimum durability and stain resistance. £169.99, lakeland.co.uk 7. Judge This eye-catching set makes it easy to find the right knife for the task in hand. The five Sabatier blades with contoured anti-slip handles are clearly displayed in their acrylic stand and if you don't like the red, there's a black version, too. £48, judgecookware.co.uk 8. Stellar James Martin Designed in conjunction with TV chef James Martin, these high-specification stainless-steel blades have a high level of Molybdenum (a type of metal) for lasting quality and come with a lifetime guarantee. Additional knives are also available. £72, stellarcookware.co.uk 9. Raymond Blanc Knives Each blade in this six-piece knife collection is ice-hardened Japanese steel and they run the entire length of the handle to ensure perfect balance, precision and durability. The Suregrip handle is ergonomically countoured, too, enabling a really firm grip. £125, raymondblanc.com 10. Robert Welch Here's another set featuring the multi-award winning Robert Welch Signature kitchen knives. This time, the base – a bamboo drawer unit – is designed for those who like to keep their worktops tidy while cooking. It's also ultra-safe for households with children. £110, robertwelch.com

Food from the Philippines, Brazil and Vietnam have topped a list of the 20 international cuisines Brits are keen to try. Sri Lankan, Scandinavian and South Korean feasts were also included in the list of the most-desired international dishes. A poll of 2,000 adults found on average, adults cook seven different foreign cuisines at home each year. And eight in 10 consider themselves ‘adventurous’ with their eating. Of more familiar foods, Greek, Indian, Spanish and Japanese featured in the top 20 most loved plates - with Gen Z tucking into sushi multiple times each month. With 43 per cent of the younger generation who have made international dishes before having sought inspiration from social media. The study, commissioned by Jongga, found over half (54 per cent) of adults want to travel more, to experience authentic international foods from different countries. But 27 per cent find it hard to get enough time off work, while 17 per cent don’t have anyone to go with. The biggest problem however, shared by 54 per cent, is finding the spare money during the cost-of-living crisis and this rises to almost two thirds (62 per cent) for Gen Zs. Jennifer Lee, head of Global Food Business Unit, Daesang at Jongga, said: “When you see the data and globetrotting nature of the nation’s tastebuds, it is impressive. “Unfortunately for many, the current financial climate means it can be tricky to jet away and try as many international cuisines as they’d like. “Fortunately for them, many UK supermarkets – not to mention specialist shops – sell ingredients that in the past you’d have had to travel thousands of miles to find.” The research found more than one in five adults (21 per cent) would want to try Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food – or try it again if they’ve already had a go. And Gen Z are most likely to eat it – with 29 per cent tucking in at least once every two weeks. Exactly a third would travel to another country to experience more authentic international cuisine – most true of Gen Z and Millennials. Around four in 10 (38 per cent) admit to being impressed when they find authentic international food in the UK. And a quarter (25 per cent) prefer other cuisines to traditional English foods like a roast dinner or fish and chips, according to the OnePoll.com figures. When people go abroad, the number one thing they love doing is taking a tour of the local areas (47 per cent) – followed by eating in local-recommended restaurants (45 per cent). Just over four in 10 (41 per cent) like finding hidden spots such as lakes, fields or beaches, and 36 per cent enjoy sampling local wines or beers. Knowing travel may be off the agenda for many Brits, Jongga is bringing a slice of Seoul to the UK, with a free, three-week pop-up, launching on Saturday 16 September in Covent Garden, London Jennifer Lee added: “Trying new foods is one of the most exciting parts about being away, and a key driver for travel. “It’s fun to be able to tell people that you’ve eaten something they may have never even heard of, let alone tried in the past. “Seoul’s food and flavours attract many to the city every year, and it was interesting to note that almost a quarter of the UK population wanted to try Kimchi or try it again if they’ve already sampled it. “It’s all about being adventurous – if you’re not sure, just close your eyes, hold your breath and give it a try – you might find a new favourite.” Top 20 cuisines Brits want to try: 1. Filipino 2. Brazilian 3. Vietnamese 4. Sri Lankan 5. Scandinavian 6. Caribbean 7. South Korean 8. African 9. Malaysian 10. Israeli 11. Lebanese 12. Australian 13. Polish 14. Ukraine 15. Moroccan 16. Turkish 17. Russian 18. Japanese 19. German 20. Thai Top 20 favourite international cuisines: 1. Italian 2. Chinese 3. Indian 4. Mexican 5. Spanish 6. Greek 7. American 8. Thai 9. French 10. Japanese 11. Turkish 12. Caribbean 13. Moroccan 14. German 15. Vietnamese 16. Lebanese 17. Malaysian 18. South Korean 19. African 20. Brazilian Read More Five easy recipes to cook with your kids The dish that defines me: Rosie Grant’s gravestone recipes Courgette season is nearly over – here’s three ways to make the most of them How to cook to keep your gut healthy The symbolic foods that are eaten on the Jewish New Year ‘Fried rice syndrome’: Dietitians warn against eating food left at room temperature

Fans of Subway’s sandwiches are up in arms after stores in Pakistan launched its first ever 3-inch mini sub as a budget-friendly option. The bite-size sandwich, which recently appeared on Pakistani menus and in social media posts, provides “value” to customers, a spokesperson for Subway told Bloomberg News last week. The new size is half the length of the company’s previous smallest sandwich, which is six inches. Its largest size, otherwise known as the “footlong” sub, is 12 inches. But the newer, cheaper, size is said to be a more bite-sized option to fulfil a “snack craving”. Announcing the launch, a post shared by Subway Pakistan’s Instagram account read: “Say hello to our NEW Mini Sub! The perfect treat for your snack cravings! Get ready to fall in love with its incredible flavors!” A second post added, “Our New Mini Sub is the cutest explosion of taste you’ll ever experience!”, followed by the slogan: “Unleash the mini magic”. The reduced size comes as Pakistan contends with Asia’s fastest rates of inflation, which has seen double-digit percentage increases in the price of fuel amid a cost of living crisis. The August data from Pakistan’s statistics bureau showed that food inflation was elevated at 38.5 per cent. Confronting rising prices, many restaurants have reportedly increased prices on their menus or reduced portion sizes. Pakistan was saved from debt default after securing a further $3bn bailout disbursement from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in July. However, the deal has come with specific measures attached, including an increase in fuel and energy prices. These rising energy costs have sparked protests among citizens across the country. Meanwhile, Subway fans have been expressing their disappointment about the “tiny” size of the new sandwich. “No one is walking outta the shop after eating this and feeling full,” wrote one Twitter/X user. “That’s like 2-3 bites!” wrote one social media user, as another added: “This would barely feed a toddler.” While it seems that the mini sub has only been rolled out in Pakistan so far, it is unconfirmed whether the menu item will be available at other global stores. The Independent has contacted Subway for comment. Read More Tea enthusiasts stew over 60-second PG Tips teabag: ‘It’s a massive step backwards’ Dunkin’ fans appalled by amount of sugar in Ice Spice’s Munchkins Drink: ‘This should be illegal’ Millennial woman reveals everything Gen Z coworker has taught her: ‘Class was in session’ Three recipes from Michel Roux’s new fuss-free French cookbook How to cook to keep your gut healthy The symbolic foods that are eaten on the Jewish New Year

Understanding your gut can be confusing, particularly when it comes to what to eat and which ingredients can support and improve digestive health. To help, Love Your Gut Week (18-24 September) has partnered with author and writer Dr Joan Ransley to share six new simple recipes that both you and your gut will love. Each dish is based on gut-healthy combinations of foods to showcase how easy and delicious it can be to cook to support digestive health. c. From a vibrant breakfast smoothie bowl, to tasty sardines and cherry tomatoes on toast, comforting smokey beans, a fresh pea and prawn stir-fry, herby meatless meatballs and a zingy Mexican chicken and black bean chilli, there’s a dish for everyone to enjoy this Love Your Gut Week and beyond. Breakfast smoothie bowl This smoothie bowl makes a great nutritious breakfast to help kick start the day. Thanks to the oats, muesli, fruit, nuts and seeds, this dish contains dietary fibre, which helps the passage of food through the gut and feeds healthy bacteria. Government guidelines recommend that adults in the UK should consume 30g of fibre per day, but most only manage about 20g. This recipe also provides plenty of plant points, as well as calcium, protein, vitamins and minerals, and a range of polyphenols – to help support the good bacteria in the gut. Prep time: 5-10 minutes | Cooking time: NA Serves: 4 Ingredients: 250g live, plain, dairy yoghurt or plain, vegan yoghurt 2 ripe, medium sized, peeled bananas 30g rolled oats 120g frozen mixed berries, defrosted 80g muesli (no-added-sugar) 20g mixed seeds ie, sunflower, pumpkin, poppy, linseed 30g walnuts, chopped 150g fresh seasonal fruit such as blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, blackberries, strawberries Method: Place the yoghurt, bananas, oats and defrosted berries into a blender and blitz until smooth. You may have to do this in batches. Pour the smoothie mixture into the base of four bowls. Scatter the seeds of your choice into a small pan and heat gently until they are just beginning to brown. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Sprinkle the muesli between the four bowls, followed by the toasted seeds and walnuts. Finish it off by arranging an assortment of fresh seasonal fruit around the top of the bowls. Cooking tip: If the fruit is not completely defrosted it can still be added to the yoghurt and puréed, which is a nice touch during hot weather. Sardines and cherry tomatoes on toast This dish is made mainly from store cupboard ingredients and is ideal for weekday meals or as a snack. Tinned sardines are a cost-effective way of getting healthy fish oils such as omega-3 into our diet. Omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive effect on the type and abundance of gut microbes and could also play a key role in the gut immune system. The wholegrain toast provides a source of insoluble fibre, which can help decrease your chance of constipation dietary fibre, which can help decrease your chance of constipation. Due to the vibrant colours in the tomatoes and watercress, you will also get a wealth of polyphenols, which promotes the health of the gut. Polyphenols can act as antioxidants in the body, to neutralise harmful free radicals that can cause disease. When polyphenols which promotes good health in the gut. Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 15 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 4 slices of toasted wholegrain bread 1 clove garlic, peeled 2 tins sardines in oil 150g cherry tomatoes, cut in half 85g watercress 1 lemon, cut in half 4 dessertspoons kimchi or sauerkraut 20g fresh parsley, chopped Method: Rub each piece of toast with the garlic and place on a plate. Remove the sardines from the tin reserving the oil. Cut each sardine in half lengthways along the side where it has been gutted. Divide the sardines between the four pieces of toast. In a small bowl, mix the oil reserved from the sardines with the tomatoes and the watercress. Squeeze a little of the lemon over the tomatoes and watercress and mix well. Scatter the tomatoes and watercress around the sardines on toast and add a serving of kimchi or sauerkraut on the side. Finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Cooking tip: Store any leftover sardines in an airtight container. Left over sardines can be mashed with a little olive oil and lemon juice and used as a sandwich filling. Smokey beans topped with feta cheese and coriander Step aside beans on toast, this wholesome and warming smokey beans dish is packed full of different beans and tasty veggies to add depth and texture, helping to keep the gut happy. The beans are a good source of fibre and a complex carbohydrate, meaning it is digested slowly by the gut. The combination of herbs and spices also increases the diversity of plants in the dish and adds additional micronutrients. Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 25 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, sliced 2 sticks of celery, diced 2 red peppers, seeds removed and roughly chopped 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 2 x 400g tins of mixed beans, drained 400g can chopped tomatoes 150g feta cheese, crumbled Small bunch coriander, leaves and stalks chopped (or fresh parsley) Method: Warm the olive oil in a large pan and add the onion, celery, red peppers, garlic, smoked paprika and cumin. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are soft but not coloured. Add the beans and chopped tomatoes to the vegetables. Fill one of the empty cans with water and add it to the pan. Add half of the chopped coriander. Stir well and bring the pan to the boil. Turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the tomato sauce is rich and thick. Add a splash of water if the sauce for the beans gets too dry. Divide the beans between four plates and scatter with crumbled feta cheese and chopped coriander. Serve with baked sweet potato wedges or wholemeal brown rice. Cooking tip: Both the tender stalks and leaves of coriander can be chopped up and used in recipes. If you don’t like coriander, you can use fresh parsley instead. Pea and prawn stir-fry with ginger and coconut This tasty, one pot meal is a real crowd pleaser that screams gourmet but is super simple to make. It’s also great for the gut. The peas and sugar snap peas provide soluble dietary fibre. This means that it is a prebiotic, which acts as food for healthy gut bacteria to feed on. Soluble fibre dissolves in water and can help the passage of food through the gut and soften stools. It also contains ginger, which has been shown to help relieve gastrointestinal discomforts in clinical studies. The colourful vegetables also contain polyphenols, which are known to increase the diversity of bacteria in the gut. Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 6 spring onions 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped 1-2 fresh red chillies, seeds removed and chopped ½ stalk of lemongrass (optional) 20g piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1 orange pepper, cut into strips 1-2 tsp olive oil 340g frozen king prawns, defrosted 150g sugar snap peas 100g frozen peas, defrosted 80ml coconut cream 100ml vegetable stock 2 limes. Juice and zest one. Cut the other into 4 wedges 30g coriander, leaves and stalks roughly chopped 1 tsp Thai fish sauce 4 nests of wholewheat noodles Method: Trim the spring onions and cut into 2cm lengths. Discard the outer layer of the lemongrass (if using) and finely chop the bottom part of the stem. Drizzle a little oil into a large frying pan or wok and cook the spring onions, garlic, chilli, ginger, lemongrass, and pepper strips over a medium heat until soft but not coloured. Add the prawns, sugar snap peas, peas, coconut cream and vegetable stock to the pan. Add the lime zest and add half of the chopped coriander. Bring the pan to a simmer. Cook gently for 5 minutes or until the prawns are cooked (they will turn pink) and the vegetables are tender. Just before serving add a splash of Thai fish sauce, a squeeze of lime juice to taste. While the vegetables and prawns are cooking, place 4 nests of wholewheat noodles in a separate bowl and cover with boiling water. Drain the noodles after 4 minutes and place a few noodles in the bottom of four warm serving bowls. Serve the prawns and vegetables with the noodles and a scattering of chopped coriander and lime wedges. Cooking tip: Other vegetables can be used in this dish instead of peas, such as baby sweetcorn, fine beans, or broccoli, which all have dietary fibre. Meatless meatballs with a herb flavoured tomato sauce Looking to cut down on red meat? These meat-free meatballs are the perfect substitute. Infused with spices and herbs, this dish is packed full of flavour and high in resistant starch and dietary fibre – all of which contribute towards a healthy gut. Resistant starch is important in the diet because it resists digestion, passing directly through the small intestine to the colon. It is then fermented by “good bugs” to butyrate which plays a key role in reducing inflammation, increasing calcium absorption, and maintaining the health of the gut lining. Prep time: 10 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves: 4-6 (makes 20 “meat” balls) Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1 x 400g tin chickpeas 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tbsp wholemeal four 1 medium egg Pinch of black pepper Zest from 1 lemon 3 tbsp chopped coriander both leaves and stalks 1 tbsp chopped parsley 50g fine breadcrumbs e.g. panko Rapeseed oil for shallow frying For the tomato sauce: 1 tbsp olive oil 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes ½ tsp dried oregano 2 bay leaves Method: Warm the olive oil in a small frying pan, add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Set aside and allow to cool. Meanwhile, place the chopped garlic in a food processor with the drained chickpeas, kidney beans, cumin, wholemeal flour, and egg. Pulse the bean mix so there are still a few visible lumps of beans and chickpeas. Transfer to a bowl and season with pepper. Add the fried onion, lemon zest, chopped coriander and parsley to the bean mix. Keep a little coriander back for garnish. Place the fine breadcrumbs onto a plate. Take a tablespoon of the bean mix (about 30g), shape into a ball, roll in the breadcrumbs and place on a sheet of baking parchment paper. Continue rolling the balls until you have used up all the mixture. Place the balls in the fridge while you make the tomato sauce. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 and place a shallow oven proof dish in the oven to warm. Warm the olive oil in a small saucepan and add the chopped garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes bay leaf, and dried oregano to the saucepan and heat until they just begin to simmer. Continue to simmer the tomato sauce while shallow frying the meatless “meat” balls. Remove the ‘meat’ balls from the fridge and shallow fry in oil for about eight minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden, draining the balls on kitchen paper after frying. You may have to do this in batches and place the balls in the dish warming in the oven. Pour the tomato sauce over the ‘meatballs’ and serve with brown rice and a scattering of parsley and coriander. Cooking tips: For a gluten free option, use gluten free bread to make the breadcrumbs by cutting it into small cubes and adding it to a food processor until fine. Spread the crumbs on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 200°C until golden. Once the breadcrumbs have cooled, add seasonings of choice. For a vegan version, leave the egg out of the recipe and replace the flour with chickpea (gram) flour to help to bind the bean mixture together more firmly. This version of the recipe will be slightly crumblier than the original one, but the meatballs will hold together and taste great. Mexican chicken and black bean chilli Make it a Mexican night without the worry of gut troubles. This recipe contains more than 10 different plant foods and is high in dietary fibre thanks to the black beans. The dish also contains two types of onions. Onions are a major source of inulin, a naturally occurring prebiotic. Inulin travels through the gut and is fermented by the colon helping healthy gut bacteria to thrive, keeping the immune system functioning efficiently and the cells lining the gut healthy. Prep time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 30 minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped 30g bunch of fresh coriander, stalks and leaves chopped separately 1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground coriander 1 pinch of dried chilli flakes 2 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1cm strips 1 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes 1 x 400 g tin of black beans, drained For the tomato salsa: 4 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 green chilli, seeds removed and chopped 3 spring onions, trimmed Juice of 1 lime 1 tbsp olive oil To serve: 4 wholemeal flour tortillas 1 little gem lettuce, leaves pulled apart and torn 100g low fat Greek style yoghurt Method: Warm the olive oil in a large pan and add the sliced onions and chopped garlic. Cook gently for 5 minutes until soft. Sprinkle the chopped coriander stalks, ground cumin, coriander and chilli flakes into the pan and add the chicken strips, turning them in the hot oil. Add the chopped tomatoes and bring to the pan to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the chicken, partly covered, for 20 minutes. Finally, add the drained black beans and cook for another five minutes. The chicken and bean mixture should be quite thick. Mix the chopped tomatoes, green chilli and spring onions and place in a small bowl. Add the chopped coriander leaves, a squeeze of lime juice (to taste) and a drizzle of olive oil Warm each tortilla in a hot frying pan or griddle until the outside begins to char. Place the chicken and bean mix, torn lettuce leaves, a dollop of Greek yoghurt and a tablespoonful of salsa on the tortilla and fold in half. Cooking tip: To make a vegetarian version of this dish, omit the chicken and serve the beans with grated cheddar cheese, salsa, and yoghurt. 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Dunkin’ Donuts has launched a new drink collaboration with rapper Ice Spice, but its recipe has raised some eyebrows among coffee lovers. The Bronx-born rapper - who recently won Best New Artist at the 2023 MTV VMAs - debuted a brand new drink with America’s favourite coffee company on Wednesday 13 September. Dubbed the “Ice Spice Munchkins Drink”, the cold beverage blends frozen coffee with pumpkin cake Munchkins, Dunkin’s famous bite-sized doughnut holes. The drink is then topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. This is also the first time a Dunkin’ bakery item has made its way into a drink, in what the brand has called “a collaboration you never knew you needed”. While the Boston-based coffee company is excited about the new pumpkin-flavoured drink just in time for fall, it seems that many Dunkin’ aficionados are taken aback by the contents of the Ice Spice Munchkins Drink. In a post shared to X - formerly known as Twitter - popular account Pop Crave shared an image of the Ice Spice Munchkins Drink official recipe. The quantity of coffee syrup and liquid cane sugar varies with size. A small contains four pumps of liquid cane sugar and two pumps of coffee syrup, while the largest offering contains four pumps of coffee and eight pumps of cane sugar. For a large size drink, four Munchkins, which are each 4g of sugar, are blended into the drink, followed by three spins of caramel drizzle in the cup, whipped cream, and then three spins of caramel drizzle again. It’s fitting that Dunkin’ has collaborated with Ice Spice for its new drink, considering it literally consists of both ice and pumpkin spice. The drink is also named after Ice Spice’s fan base, who call themselves Munchkins after her 2022 song, “Munch (Feelin’ U)”. However, some people took issue with the Ice Spice Munchkins Drink recipe for its lack of, well, coffee. “Where is the coffee?” asked one user on X. “Is there any actual coffee in this drink LMFAOO,” said someone else. “This should be illegal idk,” another wrote. Others were also confused how the baristas at Dunkin’ were able to combine Munchkin doughnut holes in a frozen drink. “MUNCHKINS in a beverage?! There’s just, so many things wrong with this,” one person said. “Wait, I’m a little confused… are there Munchkins IN the coffee????????” another shared. Some people simply couldn’t read the Ice Spice Munchkins Drink recipe without being concerned by the sugar content. According to the Dunkin’ website, a medium Ice Spice Munchkins Drink at Dunkin’ is 830 calories, which is reportedly equal to three and a half glazed doughnuts. A large, on the other hand, is 1,080 calories and equal to four and a half glazed doughnuts. “As the child of a nutritionist I am positively terrified by this,” said one user, while another said: “This gonna send me into a sugar coma,” To announce its newest drink collaboration, Dunkin’s official brand ambassador Ben Affleck teamed up with Ice Spice for a new commercial that aired during the 2023 MTV VMAs on Tuesday 12 September. In the ad, the Boston native sat down in an office with the “Barbie World” rapper to brainstorm names for her new Dunkin’ drink. Ice Spice mentioned that she calls her fans "munchkins”, leading to the introduction of the Ice Spice Munchkins Drink. “I’ve always been a Dunkin’ girl!” Ice Spice said in a press release. “Collaborating with Dunkin’ and Ben Affleck on this spot was a dream. The drink has a fun twist, a little something in the name for my fans, too. I can’t wait for everyone to try it.” The Independent has contacted Dunkin’ for comment. Read More Taylor Swift and Ice Spice react with shock to NSYNC reunion at 2023 MTV VMAs ‘I’m a real actor, this is an art form’: Ben Affleck mistaken for another star in new Dunkin’ Donuts advert Ben Affleck reveals his go-to Dunkin’ order after Super Bowl commercial cameo Leave Rick Stein alone – it’s totally reasonable to charge £2 for mayo and ketchup London’s best new restaurants from the past 12 months ‘A step backwards’: Tea enthusiasts stew over 60-second PG Tips teabag

First, they came for our energy bills. Now, they’re waging war on our beloved fish and chips. When will the tyranny end? Probably not any time soon and certainly not in Padstow, where Rick Stein has decided to add a £2 surcharge for extras like gravy, curry sauce and aioli at his fish and chippy. Apparently even celebrity can’t protect you from “food inflation, energy costs and rising wages”. Naturally, all hell broke loose among Padstow punters, who were outraged at the additional cost to their already £20 order. “I’ve always felt that there’s something of the night about him,” one decried. “Let’s boycott it,” exclaimed another. Let me add an unpopular opinion to the opprobrium. Back off, penny pinchers. Ketchup doesn’t come for free just because you decided to dine at Stein’s. It’s a product like any other, and it comes with a price. Why should Stein, or any other restaurant, have to pay it? As a restaurant critic, I’m aware that dinner is getting quite dear. But my advice for anyone complaining about prices is: have some perspective. My initial thoughts on hearing the news from Padstow were twofold. Firstly, if you don’t want to pay upwards of £20 for fish and chips, why don’t you just… go somewhere else? Stein’s is hardly the only joint in town. It’s also not the highest rated so if you are splashing the cash, splash it elsewhere. Secondly, what do people expect? Prices are going up in every aspect of our lives. Restauranteurs aren’t immune to that – they face exactly the same problems we do, if not more. The only thing alarming about the news is that even a brand as big as Rick Stein’s is struggling to survive. For a sachet of Heinz mayonnaise, sure, Stein should probably suck it up (though I imagine that, too, costs more these days). But is it so far-fetched to charge for condiments that are made in house, on the day, with quality ingredients, by trained chefs? Yes, Stein could just plonk it onto his already extortionate prices (£16.95 for cod and chips? You must be joking), but I imagine you might have a thing or two to say about that as well. At least he’s giving you the choice of paying for condiments at all. If you replicated the recipe at home, I’d be surprised if you could get the ingredients for under £2 in the supermarket. That perspective should extend to the impact our changing climate has had on fishing. We’re catching far fewer fish, which has driven up the price of a catch by 11 per cent in the last year. Politics also plays a role, where tariffs on Russia, which previously supplied 40 per cent of white fish in the UK, have forced fishermen to cast their nets elsewhere. The cost of vegetable oil has also gone up by 80p per litre. Given the fish and chip industry uses somewhere in the region 100,000 tons of the stuff, that’s an enormous cost for restaurants to shoulder. Even potatoes are heading upwards of £400 per ton due to increased fertiliser costs and the impact of last year’s hot summer. Then there’s the energy crisis – businesses don’t enjoy a price cap. You can see what I’m getting at. It’s a perfect storm. While arguments that a business as big as Stein’s should be able to absorb the costs somewhere in the empire are totally fair, the news reflects the struggle of all restaurants to reconcile spiralling costs with diner expectations. Earlier this year, Mandy Yin, owner of London laksa bar Sambal Shiok, responded to complaints from diners that prices were too high with a detailed breakdown of how much it costs to produce a single dish. From a portion of their £13 fried chicken, the business only makes 30p. This whole debacle also reminds me of a conversation I had recently with Charlie Bigham, a household name mainly for his boujie “ready meals” (he despises the term). When I asked him to justify why his fish pie now costs around £10 for two people, he gave me the usual spiel about rising costs etcetera, then asked: but why are we so obsessed with paying less and less for food? If we care about the quality of the produce, the impact on the environment and fair pay for the people that work in the industry, shouldn’t we be prepared to pay a bit more? For those lucky enough to be in the contingent that can afford fish and chips, £2 curry sauce might not be the hill to die on. Don’t get me wrong: I think it’s outrageous. But I don’t blame the restaurants. Next time you’re in Padstow, a little understanding, perspective and kindness would go a long way. Read More London’s best new restaurants: From Spanish-Welsh fusion at Mountain to British kitsch at 20 Berkeley The dish that defines me: Michele Pascarella’s Neapolitan ragu Is bottomless prosecco going to be killed off by climate change?