It feels a bit odd writing a review of a performance by a restaurant critic. Celebrity chef Jay Rayner is at his funniest when giving hilariously scathing accounts of bad restaurants, but unfortunately there’s nothing for me to be scathing about here. Rayner’s talk about his upcoming cookbook was very entertaining, and the question-and-answer session was illuminating. Prompted by videos from his celebrity friends and aided by a PowerPoint presentation, he shared anecdotes about his best and worst culinary experiences, as well as his own experiments in the kitchen. Topics ranged from the perfect roast potatoes to the futile quest for truly “authentic” food. Forced to contend with a couple of drunk patrons who began heckling during the first half, Rayner managed to get everybody laughing about the situation after they were unceremoniously removed in the interval.

It was particularly funny watching the audience, mouths watering after listening to so many descriptions of delicious food, flocking to the bar to buy ice creams before the second half of the show. It made me laugh, but it also made me hungry.

Sid Phoebus