Andrew Kay runs out of time and loses his shirt… well almost

To say that the Brighton & Hove Food And Drink Festival is a labour of love would be understatement on a grand scale. Those of us who do it do it for love, and it is certainly hard labour as I found out this year once again.

On the final Friday, restaurant L’Eglise hosted a second International Chef Exchange with two marvelous chefs from Lyon. It was going to be a busy day, combining my normal Friday list with preparation for the evening and for the two days after when I would be hosting the Live Food Show on Hove Lawns.

Of course I ran out of time. I simply could not get home to change for the evening and be at the restaurant in time to set up for the evening ahead, entertaining our guests and presenting both the food and the chefs, who spoke no English.

In a moment of lucid thought I decided I could jump off the bus at Churchill Square, pop into M&S, buy a nice white shirt and continue on into darkest Hove.

M&S came up with the goods; three shirts in a pack, size 18 collar, I was happy. At the restaurant I did what had to be done and at 6.40pm I went to the gents’ to change from my day old T-shirt into a crisp new white shirt. I opened the pack and pulled one out, and to my horror it was a size 16 collar. Well that was never going to fit. I looked at shirt two, size 16, and shirt three was the same.

“With a local MP and other guests on their way I was up that certain creek sans paddle”

With a local MP and other guests on their way I was up that certain creek sans paddle. Then it came to me, call M&S and see what could be done. At first the response was not positive, a lady wanted to say that nothing could be done as it was a fault in packing at the manufacturer. I persevered, and got through to menswear. A charming lady listened, and, realising my situation, acted. She found a size 18 collar white shirt and brought it to me in Hove. Now, that is what I call service, the sort that we have come to expect from M&S and the sort that reminds us how good the British retail industry can be. I called the store a few days later to say thank you and ask that my thanks were passed on, and again they could not have been nicer. M&S rules.