Awards or Word of Mouth?

“Awards become corroded, friends gather no dust.” – Jesse Owens.

Heston Blumenthal, the chef who mixes chemistry and cooking to spectacular effect, has just been awarded his sixth Michelin star.

The accolade is this time for his London restaurant Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, in the latest edition of the annual guide to the best food in the UK and Ireland.

Crazy for Cakes

“My aim really is to get everyone to love baking.” – Mary Berry.

The Great British Bake Off – or GBBO to us fans - has made the country go crazy for cakes.

Whether it’s George Clooney-eque looks of judge Paul Hollywood, the contestants’ longing to please co-judge Mary Berry, the terrible puns of hosts Mel and Sue, the pastel kitchens with every piece of kitchen armoury you could wish for, or simply a competition with an old-fashioned British sense of integrity and comradeship, the formula is certainly a winner.

Best bar none : Brian Sollitt - the chocolatier magician

"In cooking, as in all the arts, simplicity is the sign of perfection." - Curnonsky

Any food manufacturer will tell you that each day they strive for perfection. Many have tried and failed but for others the painstaking days of food trials and tribulations finally bore fruit.

It was sad to read this week that one such man, Brian Sollitt passed away at the age of 74.

Scottish food industry continues with boom

"The secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside" - Mark Twain

Some great news for the industry this week with the suggestion that more than 5,600 extra jobs could be created by expanding food and drink companies in Scotland's booming sector by 2018.

Bank of Scotland carried out research that showed the demand for new workers will increase as companies target new export markets.