I have a lot of cooking equipment! Some are cherished heirloom pieces which only emerge on Christmas day; others are well tended workhorses which dutifully & faithfully serve, day in, day out.

There’s a third classification however: the champions of versatility!

I shall never regret the purchase of my trusty pizza-paddle. Not only does it render scooping deliciously crusty pizzas out of the aga an absolute breeze; it also takes centre stage as part of crack-squad trio.

Behold, mouse-catching kit extraordinaire!

Zadok (Keto-Kat) has a particularly irritating habit of bringing live mice into the house and depositing them directly at your feet, from where they immediately scamper off behind the furniture.

His sense of timing is uncanny! Just when your hands are covered in boot-polish, or when you’re carrying a load of clean washing upstairs, is when he chooses to make his gifts.

Then follows a frantic half-hour of hefting furniture, swearing and body-contortion, whilst the cat looks on with contented pride.

So pizza-paddle, food-cloche and mitt; we salute thee! Thou art true princes of utility! Long may ye reign!

Thanks for reading and have a good day.

Adam.