“A couple of weeks ago I posted a piece here on a new TV programme, Michel Roux’s Service. I wanted to kick off a discussion about UK service standards and was mildly scathing about the BBC’s decision to make another programme in the “reality” genre – promoting it around the “personal journeys” of real people and “quest” of a celebrity. I have to admit, having been glued to the Sky+ for every episode, that I was wrong. Of course, I completely stand by the assertion that whoever penned the deathless line “Michel Roux sets out on a personal mission to train eight young people as front-of-house superstars” on the BBC website should get 12 points on their Artistic Licence and have their typing fingers cut off, but the programme itself was brilliant from start to finish.”