PORTRAIT: PAUL MITCHELL. PHOTOGRAPH: MAJA SMEND
Don’t we all love high summer? But there’s a poignancy in 2020 as we dream of beaches far away and food cooked by someone else, eaten in dappled shade with the sound of waves sucking at the sand, a chilled glass of wine within reach. I’m getting carried away… Many of you are weighing up whether or not to risk booking (or re-booking) a holiday abroad, the decision complicated by a desire to support hard-hit hospitality businesses in the UK. As I write, restaurants are reopening, but the road ahead is far from easy.
I want to say a huge thank you to those of you who’ve instinctively understood the challenges we’ve been facing in producing your favourite magazine. Your support, as we’ve worked around the clock some days, has meant a great deal to the team. But we’ve had a few letters from people unhappy that delicious. has fewer pages than usual so I need to explain the reason for that: lockdown had an immediate and drastic effect on our sales, advertising and income. Half our team were furloughed and we had to rethink everything - fast. We hope sales will recover and we’re putting everything into producing a magazine that still has lots to read, plus inspirational new recipes you’ll be eager to cook. This and the next two issues will be slim, so I apologise in advance for that, but I hope you stick with us and that we’ll see you on the other side.