Kitchen Rat: Above par; All white on the night; Sheppard's delight

Above par

Couples deciding how to travel on their wedding day may have traditionally considered a horse and cart or vintage car, but one Lake District hotel is looking to revolutionise post-nuptial travel with a fully specced, £20,000 golf cart. Abbey House has unveiled its cart, complete with monogrammed luxury upholstery and built-in Champagne bucket, saying it will add “extra sparkle” to wedding days. This rat just needs to find someone to say ‘I do’ (applications via Twitter: @thekitchenrat).

All white on the night

It’s always good to know that even the gods encounter strife. Last week Jason Atherton was named Chefs’ Chef at the AA Awards, rising from a sea of black ties to accept the award in his chefs’ whites. Atherton, who is no stranger to receiving plaudits for his wildly successful international restaurant business the Social Company, explained his attire, telling those gathered that he had run over to accept the award from the kitchen of his latest restaurant, the Betterment in Grosvenor Square. He said he had been working service because his latest opening, like everyone else’s, is short by 20 chefs. Cue one of the most impressive job adverts hospitality has ever seen.

Sheppard’s delight

Meanwhile, our congratulations to Robin Sheppard, who was not only awarded the AA Lifetime Achievement Award on the same night, but announced that he had tied the knot with his partner of 18 years. The Bespoke Hotels chairman and co-founder announced he and the new Mrs Sheppard were thrilled to be spending the second night of their honeymoon with 1,000 people.