Letter: Stop belly-aching and eat , enjoy food

The feudlet over The Good Food Guide is typical of attitudes to food in the UK ("Prawn cocktail and spag bol? Lovely, dear!", 3 November). Rather than appreciate the pleasure of eating, the British consider food as a lifestyle choice. Until this approach changes, we will have to endure "food critics" who write about the decor, clientele and ambiance of a restaurant, instead of the food.

Admittedly The Good Food Guide is pedestrian, but its middlebrow tone is preferable to the drivel of A A Gill, whose contributions include: "Fish smiles. Fish is holistic ... Fish is for equal-opportunity acupuncture."

What to do? A little less self-consciousness and a little more enjoyment, perhaps. Otherwise, Voltaire's remark that the English take their pleasures sadly will remain true for a while yet.

Tony Bulger

Paris, France