In 1969, Arthur Veysey, the Chicago Tribune's London bureau chief, described a dinner party he had attended. "It was an amazing meal," he told readers. "First there was a choice of melon or avocado from Israel, shrimp from South Africa, or rock oysters from New Zealand. With the Scotch beef came French beans from east Africa, asparagus from Florida, and a salad of lettuce and tomatoes from California." What, no dessert? "The dinner ended with a choice of strawberries from Mexico or mangoes from India, and California celery accompanied the English cheddar cheese." The article was titled: "Jet planes spread the seasonal joys."

Today, such delight would be frowned upon. People point accusingly at long-distance dinners because of the "food miles" collected and carbon emissions released along the way. Newspaper reports talk of dishes "washed down with tanker-loads of diesel" and meals that "cost the Earth". British cooks, meanwhile, avoid beans from Kenya and apples from New Zealand.