In the mid 1990s I launched a trade magazine called Tandoori for the Indian restaurant sector. Amazingly, it’s still going. When we set it up with all the sizzle of a mixed platter I made up a series of completely unverifiable claims about the curry world knowing from my journalist days that hacks wouldn’t check facts they wanted to get into their papers.

So you have probably heard that Chicken Tikka Masala (CTM as it’s known in the trade) was created in a restaurant up north in the 70s when a customer ordered tikka and found it had no sauce so the chef took it back into the kitchen, whirled it about in a pan with some Campbells tomato soup and cream and hey presto, our national dish was created. I made it up and I love the fact that people to this day quote this story back to me as if they’ve unearthed some great revelation. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.

Recently I have been roped in to advise government on the establishment of an academy for Asian cuisine to build local skills to establish more interest in the curry restaurant sector rather than rely on talent being recruited from abroad. It’s being dubbed the curry college and everyone’s jumping on board because, of course, we all love a curry.

But do we love making unsubstantiated claims?

Over the weekend The Independent’s online version ran a video clip about the project in which our very own Mayor Boris appeared and cited the “fact” that there are more Indian restaurants in London than in Delhi and Bombay combined. It put a smile on my face but won’t on his when I tell him (which I will take pleasure in doing) that I made that one up too. I am the chair of his Mayor’s Fund Business Club – or at least I am until he finds this out.