Sally Beerworth explains the true notion of ‘foodies on the move,’ while being stuck in limbo from all the disruption caused by the volcanic ash from Iceland.

This week I found myself put out, by the rather dull issue of volcanic eruptions. As a result I found that I wasn’t necessarily able to rely on a fridge and regular meals for pleasure…and, lets say, nutrition.

My experience made me notice for the first time, just how much food is lying around out there which is up for grabs…and how much of it I tend to take.

I am undecided as to how the whole ‘mint’ in a bowl fad was started amongst the business community. If I was behind the desk at a rental car company, (especially when the plates underneath the earth’s surface are not aligning the way we might hope,) the last thing I would do is arm customers with something hard that can be thrown with relative accuracy. Regardless of how it started I am glad it did, I think I could almost get away with not buying toothpaste as a result. If my long suffering dentist is reading this, you know I am of course joking.

CHOCOLATE RUSH

Then there are those companies that hand our chocolates to people stuck in queues at stations or airports; the adult equivalent of the Easter Bunny. Again Dr Alberts this is not the kind of behaviour that I would normally condone, but in extreme circumstances a shot of chocolate is surely a medical necessity. As I type, I run my hand through my handbag and discover there are still some heart shaped chocolates from my travels, wrapped in red metallic paper….no they are not from Valentines Day…of if they are, they would be from 1993.

HOTEL BASKETS

It must be said that I am a very big advocate of firms such as hotels which leave bowls of fruit lying around…my build on this would be to leave donuts out. I am not sure that they have thought out this free love fruit thing though. Let’s assume that most people like me are inherently cheap, it therefore seems silly to hand them out food which they can then hoard like cave bears, before they have spent money on room service. If it means that I can save 11 euros by eating my body weight in bananas, then that is exactly what I will do. It will give me a tremendous sense of satisfaction to do so.

EXTENDING OUT A HAND?

Regardless of the above plethora of free food options I was rendered uncharacteristically speechless the other day, when a woman sitting next to me in a café, reached over and took a chip from my bowl. I did not know her, she didn’t have chips of her own to mistake mine for. She was just hungry. I spent some time pondering whether I would use my hand to thump her, or whether I should extend my hand and offer her my congratulations. After all there have been many times where I have been in a pub and fantasised about doing the same thing. It is also possible that with so many bowls of free food floating around Europe that she had lost her sense of boundaries. As I was trying to work it out, I made a mental note to check that my purse was still in my possession, just in case she extended her logic beyond potato snacks.

As I finish typing this in London I approach my bathroom scales with trepidation, many companies over the last week have tried to buy my love with food. As I look down at the reading, it turns out that they have succeeded. Sadly making it harder for anyone else to love me.

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