Tom’s Food! Roll on 2034

Some things just creep up on you, don't they? Old age is the most pernicious one, but at least you have the advantage of an annual excuse to celebrate. I knew I had been punting out these columns for a while, but I didn't half get a start the other day. Searching for something or other, I came on the very first Tom Eats! column, published ten years ago this month. Jings! (Since you ask, it was of The Wee Restaurant, North Queensferry. Still going strong, even better than ever.)

I don't think there's much you can do to change the format of a restaurant review, other than to report from as broad a selection of places as possible. I see that in the latest round of cost saving, The Scotsman newspaper has done away with restaurant reviews altogether. Latterly, again to scrimp on expenses, poor Gaby Soutar found herself writing up places where she had a coffee and a sticky bun. The Guardian has put The Observer up for sale. The latter has one of the best food writing around with its monthly food magazine and, of course, Jay Rayner. Worrying times.

Again, there isn't too much scope for varying a recipe column. These days I'm more inclined to assume basic skills rather than try to spell out everything as one would do for a total beginner. Many of you are far better cooks than I, and I haven't had too many complaints about recipes which don't work. That's more than Mr Oliver can say.

That leaves On The Side. We do have a fair old gallimaufray of stuff, but I though it was time to take stock. I haven't done so much on food producers of late, as I don't know many of them. Contacts, please. The same can be said about Chef Watch. If you are pally with a culinary star whom you feel should be featured, let me know. And please keep the comments coming in. Since the death of my dear friend Janet Hood*, they are fewer in number, and the blog is the poorer for that.

So, how to freshen things up? I'm excited to announce a new drink feature. Award winning wine expert Diana Thompson will be contributing the occasional column. With my imagination working overtime, I'm entitling it Diana Thompson on Wine. Watch this space.

I very much value my guest reviewers for Tom Eats! but the discipline of writing a structured review and incorporating my scoring system isn't for everyone. But all of us who enjoy eating out will have had meals which were notable for good or bad reasons. I'm inviting readers to share their experiences of their best and worst meals.

Total subjectivity is the order of the day. Thus, the best could be an idyllic picnic, a romantic meal, a special family occasion, a place with a breathtaking view. In other words the food doesn’t need to be the main criterion, though a small mention would be good..

The worst meal? Well, yes, it can include the obvious – bad food, horrendous service, rip off pricing. But it can include anything else that’s awful – someone throwing up, falling asleep in the soup. You get the picture. I need about 400 - 500 words minimum for a column. If you want to compose one article for each, that's great, but I'm happy to take a best and worst in a single piece.

I'm also bouncing around some other ideas. Food in fiction, for example. There's a lot of it about. Or historical foods. Dishes which we just don't see any more. Or foods you remember from childhood. Or anything else food related. This is a column which has included an opera review, food and racism, and the impact of the railways on the way we cook our food. Nothing is off limits. I await your ideas.

*Family and friends of Janet are holding an event to celebrate her life on Saturday 19 October 2024 at Dukes Corner, 13 Brown Street, Dundee DD1 5EG at 4.30pm. The bar will be open from 4. If you plan to attend, please let her son Johnny know using the link https://bit.ly/3N748fz.

Note the change of venue from the V & A.