I don't know about you, but I've found myself watching rather a lot of telly this week. There's all the sport, of course, but for consummate foodies, the big TV event is the fifth series of The Bear. I've binged the first few episodes already and it won't take me long to finish the rest.

I've also been out quite a bit and it struck me that, as a diner, even with a special 'in', I'm insulated from whatever intense psychodrama is unfolding behind the scenes. If you've watched The Bear, you'll know what I mean.

In fact, I frequently sit back and marvel at the composure of the chefs and front of house. Whatever the situation, professionalism steps in to protect the guest. That's the deal.

I saw this at The Salt Room this week, where the chefs took a minute to entertain me at the exhausted end of a shift. Then again at Embers, where the chefs stayed cool in front of the fire during a heatwave. It's almost superhuman.