This year we had the privilege of being guests at Taste of London thanks to the lovely events team. The damp weather held and it was great to take in the sights and smells as visitors again after hosting our first store there last year - we had a chance to bump into old friends, suppliers and try some very good food and wine.

Star of the show for us, and a worthy winner of Taste of London’s Dish of 2012, was Club Gascon’s inspired Marmite royale and soldiers – a delicious duck liver parfait with a marmite glaze, served in little marmite pots alongside an almost malty dark sourdough for dipping. Clever, inventive and so good we devoured ours in a matter of seconds.

Next up was Bocca di Lupo with their charcoal grilled cuttlefish salad with raw courgettes, gremolata, lemon segments and Pantellieria capers – light, fragrant and summery and just the kind of thing to be washed down with a minerally chilled white wine.

Then there was a major flavour hit from the Padpi channa chaat from restaurant Tamarind. Their interpretation of this simple Indian street food was brilliant – lovely soft spiced chickpeas, tamarind chutney, sweetened yogurt, gram flour crisps and blueberries, which provided a totally unexpected and very clever flavour burst at the end of each mouthful.

Alongside the dishes on offer, the stars of the culinary world were out in force - we said hello to our neighbour from last year Michele Roux Jr. who was doing his Le Gavroche Daube de boeuf a la nicoise with braised beef cheeks, olives and polenta – a real winner from last year which we were glad to see back on the menu.

Angela Hartnett, our Camden neighbour from when she was at the York and Albany, was doing a demo from her Whitechapel Gallery Dining Room menu, while Jason Atherton mixed with the crowds outside his Pollen Street Social stall nearby.

Before we knew it our whistle stop tour was up – mental note to take the full four hour session next year – and we had to go, only leaving time to say a quick hello to our friends and suppliers from the Tomato Stall who were showcasing their exceptional heritage tomatoes, sauces and juices from the Isle of Wight.

Tickets to Taste this Saturday can still be bought from their website.