All that stuff about credit crunch (but let’s call a spade a spade, it’s a recession) has meant that the UK travel supplements have recently orgied on the joys of British holidays, above all seaside ones. Dripping nostalgia, there is much talk of Nivea- and ozone-perfumed streets, fish ‘n chips, chintzy sofas and of course that grey sea that encircles our isles, fringed by even greyer shingle. It’s amazing what a touch of poetry can do to such an experience. So last week I set off with my partner for a reality check.

This is our friends’ idyllic garden cottage where we stayed, down Snape-way. I remember watching it being built 20 years ago, and as it’s soon to be demolished to make way for an extension to the main house, this will be my ode. At least it will live on in cyber-space. Bon voyage little house, you treated this guest well over the years.

I’ve been out intensively tasting again - in tune with the crackling leaves, blue skies and increasingly crisp air of autumnal London. As always, our capital’s food isn’t always of these shores nor is it always inside walls. While going at my usual accelerated pace through Islington the other day, I rounded a sharp corner and almost fell headfirst into a giant paella pan. This is it.

Serendipitous indeed, as the saffron yellow and fishy-chickeny aromas seemed pretty genuine to my alerted senses. This was going to make up for the paella I missed at the recent Taste Spain event at Borough Market (which incidentally while generous and delicious also came up with some great product discoveries). The rub came though when I started chatting to the behatted gentleman wielding an outsized spoon while his paella gently simmered. He turned out to be French, not even from the Spanish border but from deep in la France profonde of the centre. Ah well, no matter, globalisation bounds on. I made sure to pass by again an hour later when the paella was ready. Despite its Gallic origin it hit the spot - creamy with a good dose of prawns, chunks of chicken and that unbeatable saffron backtaste.