It is 9am. I pour myself a generous measure of Fernet-Branca, the Italian liqueur much loved by British chefs including Fergus Henderson (co-founder of the Michelin-star St John), who famously likes a stiffener before breakfast.
Wow. Fergus may call it a medicinal infusion of selected blossoms and rare aromatic herbs, but it’s 40 per cent alcohol and tastes like witch’s mouth-wash.
