Starry starry Skye

LAST year produced a raft of terrific cookbooks but, for me, the most exciting ‘new’ talent to burst onto the culinary scene in the past few years is Skye Gyngell.

Skye is not exactly a teenager but she’s still got that wonderfully endearing hippy-like quality: the infectious enthusiasm of youth. She is passionate about real food, slow food, food fresh from the garden. Skye is seasonal in her approach and adores her vegetable and herb patch, drawing much of her inspiration from it.

Not long before Christmas I went to her restaurant at Petersham Nurseries near Richmond. I can’t remember when I was last so enchanted. It’s a 45-minute taxi ride from central London — you can’t get a tube to Richmond — and when you arrive, you emerge into what is truly a magical enclave of good taste.