I’m regularly asked by many people – friends, family, colleagues, the taxman – how I justify spending so much time and money on such a regular basis in restaurants, especially as I spend time and money supporting charities and public work tackling poverty and worklessness.

In my head I don’t see the two as contradictory.

First and foremost, it’s important to the business that I am out and about seeing what other restaurants are doing, watching new trends and nicking any decent ideas – and sometimes people too. Secondly, I really enjoy what I do and shouldn’t need to make excuses for that.

Mrs Thatcher used to criticise Keynseian economists for thinking you could spend your way out of a recession. Maybe there’s a third reason which we could all follow on from; whether it’s at your local pub or in a fancy restaurant, we can eat and drink our way out of a recession. Buying two-for-one deals and half price beer from supermarkets may seem like a more frugal thing to do in seemingly uncertain times but the Asdas and the Tescos of the world are still raking in huge profits, whilst your local caff or curry house faces closure because you’re not going there as often.

After all, as the prime minister said, we’re all in this together.