For decades, the narrative was all about efficiency. Fast food, microwave meals, grab-and-go culture – it was seen as a liberation from the drudgery of the kitchen. But we’re seeing a massive pushback now. The ‘Slow Food’ movement isn’t just about cooking from scratch; it’s a protest against the homogenisation of our palates.

When you buy a pre-packaged meal, you’re eating a version of food that has been engineered to be inoffensive to everyone. It’s bland by design. Slow food, by contrast, celebrates the ugly vegetable, the local cheese that smells a bit too strong, and the joy of a recipe that takes four hours to simmer. It’s about provenance – knowing exactly where your ingredients come from and who grows them. It’s definitely a bit of a middle-class luxury, let’s be honest, because time is a commodity not everyone has. But as a philosophy, it’s a vital reminder that some things in life simply shouldn’t be optimised.