EVEN though the weather is complete rubbish, we’re still in the middle of our busiest season, with wall-to-wall weddings, significant birthday parties, christenings and banquets littering the calendar.

Whereas our focus is food, flavour and fabulous visual and aromatic feasts, we’re very lucky to cater for events in some amazing locations, from cliff tops in Devon, grand private houses in London to stately homes in Wiltshire and Dorset.

One of our favourites is St Giles House in Wimborne St Giles. Having been recently restored with award-winning attention to detail, it really is a beautiful and romantic setting for pretty much any occasion.

It’s owned by the coolest couple on the planet, Nick and Dinah Ashley-Cooper (Lord and Lady Shaftesbury) and they welcome a diverse range of events from their yoga and chilli festivals to weddings, family lunches and corporate launches.

On a completely different tip, we also work with Barford Park Farm, owned by the legendary Minette Batters.

She has converted one of her barns into a more DIY style events venue, with stunning views into the very heart of English farmland. It’s a relaxed, peaceful environment to share with 150 close friends.

Another absolute gem is Woodgreen village hall, home to the most exquisite murals, painted in the 1930s by two students from the Royal College of Art.

It creates such an atmosphere of warmth and nostalgia, to which it’s difficult not to respond.

I mentioned we were into smoke and fire this summer, so I wanted to pass on a great find – the National Coppice Federation.

I won’t do a sales pitch, but it is great to be using some sustainable, locally-produced, quality charcoal to cook over, which doesn’t stink of paraffin or come from a South American rainforest.

But if you really want to get fired up for next summer, you need to go and pay a visit to Meatopia in Tobacco Dock, about a 20-minute walk from Tower Bridge, London.

It’s a festival of high-quality, ethically-sourced meat, all cooked over ethically-sourced wood and charcoal by some of the world’s leading chefs.

A weekend-long love affair of meat, drink, fire and music – it’s a legendary event for food lovers.

It takes place from Friday, September 2 to Sunday 4, but book early – Saturday is already sold out!