We spent the Spring Bank Holiday weekend in the little Cotswolds village of Notgrove. Our four-bedoomed farm cottage had all the mod cons. Robins frolicked in the garden and Roe deer peered at us from the hedge. One day, we hired Hasan, an Iranian chef to cook us a festive meal. He first served a selection of canapés in the living room with our magnum of Champagne Drappier Grande Sendrée from the excellent 2004 vintage.

Table for dinner was laid in the next room and Hasan served a seasonal starter of asparagus, quails eggs and hollandaise sauce. We drank Josmeyer’s Alsace Grand Cru Hengst 2007 with it.

Next came slow braised Persian lamb, couscous, braising juices, courgettes and baby aubergines (Imam Bayildi), Labneh yoghurt, stuffed roasted peppers and orange, pomegranate & onion salad. Warwick Estate Trilogy 2012 en magnum was poured.