I am feeling a bit humbled because I have been mumbling under my breath to colleagues about the fact that my desk is an avalanche of visa applications, restaurant booking forms and a list of San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants. I am thrilled to have been invited to attend the San Pellegrino Cooking Cup in Venice in a few weeks time, alongside Rust en Vrede chef David Higgs and PJ Vadas from The Roundhouse. PJ will be competing against some of the top chefs in the world, while David will be part of the judging contingency. I'll be observing and will report back on how we did.

I’m also really excited because I am staying on for a few extra days to eat at Osteria Francescana in Italy (currently number 4 in the world) and then number 2 (El Celler De Can Roca) and number 3 (Mugaritz) in Spain to see whether they’ll feature on my nomination list for next year’s San Pellegrino awards. Judges for the competition have to nominate restaurants in their own region, plus some from around the world. It’s also a really good opportunity to see how our local restaurants compare to the international ones.

Suddenly it doesn't seem like quite so much paperwork!

Abigail

Image: El Cellar De Can Roca, Flickr