The scene was a vegetable plot on Gotland, an island in the Baltic Sea, and the focus of attention a few rows of enormous leeks that had been in the cold ground through autumn and winter, for more than six months. I had accompanied a Danish chef in early March to meet his Swedish supplier, and he claimed these leeks to have the best flavour in the world. I did not doubt that. René Redzepi’s restaurant, Noma in Copenhagen, is one of the world’s most highly praised. The leeks tell a story of the difficulty faced growing food in a Nordic climate and it is barely easier for British farms. Between February and May ours yield very little and we must rely on produce from Egypt, Israel, Sicily and the south of Spain. Meals out have begun to regularly feature a modern food plant