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The more you talk to a toddler, the more it helps their brains to develop in early childhood, a study has found. Researchers discovered that two-and-a-half-year-olds who heard more speech in everyday life had more myelin in language-related areas of their brains. Myelin is a material produced by the body that forms around nerves, including those in the brain, that allows electrical impulses to transmit quickly and efficiently. Scientists from the University of East Anglia said their findings demonstrate how speaking to toddlers can shape their developing brains. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, involved 163 babies and toddlers being given small recording devices to wear for three days. Researchers analysed just over 6,000 hours of language data in total, including words spoken by the children and speech from adults. When the children were asleep, they were carefully placed in an MRI scanner to measure myelin in their brains. The researchers found that toddlers who heard more speech everyday had more myelin, which they said is “likely to support more sophisticated language processing”. Lead researcher Prof John Spencer, from UEA’s School of Psychology, said: “We know that children’s brains develop very rapidly in the first two years of life, with brain volume at about 80 per cent that of an adult brain by the age of two. “Myelin is made up of protein and fatty substances and forms an insulating layer around nerves in the brain.” He added: “Imagine you have a hosepipe with lots of holes in it. “Myelin is like wrapping the hosepipe with duct tape – it insulates neural fibres, bringing more of the ‘signal’ from one brain area to the next.” The researchers said their study is one of the first to show that listening to speech is associated with brain structure early in development. Prof Spencer said: “Prior work showed a similar association in four to six-year-olds, but our findings push this association much earlier in development. Indeed, we even found associations between language input and brain structure in six-month-old infants.” He added: “Although there is still much more to learn about these processes, the message to caregivers is clear – talk to your baby, your toddler, your child. “Not only are they listening, but your language input is literally shaping their brains.” Additional reporting by PA Read More Rihanna and A$AP Rocky celebrate son’s first birthday ‘I don’t get angry’: Pierce Brosnan says meditation is key to managing anger TikTok Tattoogate: How a tattoo artist sparked backlash for ‘absurd’ pricing and design changes Dean Gaffney says I’m A Celebrity ‘saved his life’ after bowel cancer scare Talented boxer reveals first sign of brain tumour after collapsing at service station GB News in ‘significant breach’ of Ofcom rules over Covid vaccine claims

London holds a special place in the hearts of food enthusiasts. In the halcyon days of the UK’s place in the European Union, it could even be said that the capital was one of the best cities in Europe – if not the best – for food. Despite it being beaten out by Paris in the Michelin guide (the French capital boasts 119 Michelin stars compared to London’s 74), the city’s sheer diversity made it stand out, with nearly every cuisine under the sun available somewhere in its streets. But recently it hasn’t really felt this way, and the people have noticed. Last week, Lily Allen tweeted: “Having been in New York for most of the time since Covid, I’ve spent long enough away to notice how far the standards have slipped in London’s restaurant scene… Delivery food and takeaways are even worse. Dunno if it’s Brexit or ghost kitchens or inflation or whatever, but it’s a terrible shame.” It’s evident from social media posts and online reviews that a lot of patrons feel the same. The restaurant industry has taken blow after blow in recent years, beginning with the UK’s messy divorce from the EU in 2016. And as it was trying to recover from Brexit, which resulted in increased costs, new bureaucracy and staff shortages, Covid hit. Restaurants were forced to shutter their doors for unknown periods of time, deal with confusing new rules, and magic whole new delivery systems out of thin air. Now, the industry is having to weather the cost of living crisis. In the face of all this, it might be a little cruel to denounce London’s usually thriving food landscape as “mediocre”. But, as painful as it might be, there is some truth to it. Ben Orpwood, a former contestant on the BBC reality series The Great British Menu, tells me that Allen’s observation, while perhaps a bit strongly worded, wasn’t completely wrong about the state of the industry. Orpwood, who was previously the executive chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat, has been cooking in some of the world’s finest kitchens for nearly two decades. But he says he’s never seen anything like the state of affairs at his latest opening, 20 Berkeley in Mayfair. “Normally when you first open a restaurant, the drop-off from the opening team [staff] is something like 20 per cent,” he explains. “You lose people who applied for something they’re not really ready for and opening week is very intense – so they go. But after we opened 20 Berkeley in June, apart from my core team, we had 100 per cent turnover. I’ve never seen anything like it.” He says that staff are leaving even with benefits like getting two meals a day, days and nights off, at least £13.50 an hour for employees with no prior experience, and a nice, conducive kitchen environment to work in – a far cry from the shouting and screaming he endured earlier in his career. “I had a pastry chef that left last week who worked 3pm-11pm, five days a week, no double shifts – he didn’t like how much work there was,” Orpwood marvels. “I can’t get my head around that mentality. The talent and the drive is just not there anymore, there are very few talented young chefs around and all the good restaurants are scrapping over them. When you’re going through that as a new restaurant, it makes it so much harder.” The chef, who has more than two decades of experience under his belt, explains that the aftermath of Brexit and Covid are primarily to blame. Brexit caused an exodus of EU citizens, many of whom questioned whether or not they were welcome in the UK. When Covid hit, more people returned to their home countries and discovered new work opportunities there, opting not to come back to British shores. “Then the government goes, ‘We’ll plug the shortage with young British workers’, except that they introduced needless academic requirements to apprenticeships with a minimum wage that people can’t pay their rent on,” Orpwood adds. The national minimum wage for apprentices aged 21 in their first year is £5.28 an hour, while the average rent for a room in London has rocketed to almost £1k a month. To say that we’re mediocre, I don’t really think it’s a fair reflection Ben Mulock Of course, some industry folk are more optimistic. Ben Mulock, executive chef of Balans, says: “The London food scene for me is still vibrant, it’s still innovative. We still have some great authenticity to it.” However, even the most positive outlook can’t ignore the biggest, most glaring problem restaurants currently face: the skills shortage. “I’ve been cooking since I was 14, and it’s never been like this throughout my entire career,” Mulock laments. “But we are striving and pushing our standards higher to try and give people the experience of years gone by with this new workforce. So, to say that we’re mediocre, I don’t really think it’s a fair reflection.” He adds that people who live in the capital have “some of the most discerning palates globally” and that feeding a London crowd “isn’t an easy thing to please”. “But when you get it right, it’s a wonderful, wonderful feeling,” he says. Perhaps, for anyone who lives outside of London, the bar has been set at an artificial high. Influencers invited to restaurants that have a marketing budget are more likely to post gushing reviews, complete with mouthwatering visuals as they stuff their gobs. Meanwhile, restaurant critics for broadsheets have been recently criticised for platforming establishments in more affluent areas, or only if they’ve been invited. Given some publications don’t pay for reviewers’ meals, this is unavoidable – but it generates a false economy in which readers believe those are the best places to eat. In his essay “London Finds Itself”, Vittles editor Jonathan Nunn wrote about the decline of reviews and the rise of simplified maps that pinpoint places to eat, which also manifests itself in lists. It’s why the algorithm adores those “10 stunning places to eat in London” videos, and why publications are desperate to churn out recommendation lists. He wrote: “The review is too discursive, too expensive to produce, written by people who demand to be paid properly. Far better to shop it all out to a freelancer who can google a bunch of stuff and stitch it together without context.” One has to wonder if this, too, has contributed to restaurants falling short of expectations – perhaps no one is looking closely enough. But Hugh Smithson-Wright, a communications specialist for restaurants, says that the food scene is no more mediocre than it’s ever been; in fact, there have always been plenty of middling eateries around. “Not everyone can be so great,” he says. “Some of my favourite restaurants have been places where food is absolutely fine.” But there’s a distinction to be made here. “Fine is OK if it’s not costing you a lot of money. Expensive is fine if the food is incredible. But now, with everything being so much more expensive for everyone on every income level, the places that are fine are getting more expensive, with smaller portions and cheaper produce, and that’s what we’re not tolerating.” Smithson-Wright points to the fate of Prezzo as a perfect example of this reduced level of tolerance. In April, the Italian restaurant chain closed 46 of its 143 branches and said it was due to soaring energy and food costs – but Smithson-Wright adds that its uninspired food was also a factor. “Prezzo was only fine – it wasn’t great or innovative, but as those prices go up, OK is not good enough. It’s these types of mid-range restaurants, whether chains or independent, that will find they have nowhere to go. They can’t suddenly make their food luxurious, and equally, they can’t suddenly charge the prices they perhaps need to be charging to keep the lights on.” Price is a painful topic right now, resulting in a bitter stand-off between some patrons and restaurateurs. But Britons have historically been averse to paying more for their food, lulled into a false sense of security by the cut-throat price war between supermarkets. Or a sense of: if I can spend less than £5 on a Sainsbury’s ready meal, why are restaurants charging three, four, or five times that for a main course? But, as Smithson-Wright points out, the “bravest thing a restaurant can do is charge what they need to” without fear of empty seats. “In some ways, restaurants punish themselves by not charging what they should and now they’re stuck in a mediocrity trap,” he says. “And they’re not helped by the psychological barrier people have over what they will pay for things.” So what does this mean for the future of food in London? The restaurant industry, as a whole, isn’t about to die any time soon. As Orpwood says, this is a resilient industry and will “just get on with it” until it comes out the other side with hopefully greener grass. Smithson-Wright adds that the current situation sounds a death knell for mid-level restaurants, many of which will not survive this period. But Mullock tries to offer a sunnier disposition. “The London food scene is alive and it’s doing some really good things. Everyone’s just pursuing deliciousness.” Read More Sorry lads, we just can’t afford any more reckless, middle-aged adventurers The dish that defines me: Alex Outhwaite’s Vietnamese bun cha Nappy changes and tantrums over Michael Gove: I took my one-year-old to a music festival Sunak rules out any new EU trade deal that undermines Brexit freedoms Tory MP broke rules over £150,000 loan from Russian businessman What is the future of the Conservative Party?

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We threw away 68,000 tons of perfectly good food over the summer. Let that sink in for a moment. Overstocking, the heat, spontaneous social plans and having less motivation to cook were some of the main culprits, according to new research by Boursin. The most commonly wasted ingredients included sad vegetables, soggy pasta, wilted salad leaves and stale bread. Surprisingly, chicken, fish and even cheese made the top 20 list of frequently wasted foods. In an effort to put a stopper in this cycle, Boursin has teamed up with Great British Bake Off star Manon LagreÌ€ve to serve up simple solutions for reducing food waste. Aimed at the 67 per cent of us who prefer to cook simpler and less time-consuming dishes through simple family friendly recipes, LagreÌ€ve’s recipes showcase how British culinary classics can be easily elevated with the nation’s favourite indulgent cheese, Boursin, and a unique French twist. So dig out the leftovers from the fridge, grab a pack of Boursin, and get cooking. Vegetable Provencal Boursian tian Serves: 4-6 Ingredients: 150g of dry rice 2 tbsp of Boursin Garlic & Herbs, plus 1 tbsp to top the Tian with 2 tbsp of olive oil 2 courgettes 1 aubergine 6 tomatoes 1 red onion 3 cloves of garlic 2 tsp of herbes de Provence Salt and Pepper Method: 1. Slice the aubergine and place face down in the tin, generously season with salt and leave to soak and release moisture. 2. Place the rice in a pan, with 300ml of water, ½ tsp of salt, cover and bring to boil. Once it is boiling, remove from the heat and leave for 10 minutes covered. 3. Wash and slice courgettes, tomatoes, onions and garlic. 4. Rince the aubergines, pat dry with a kitchen towel and brush with some olive oil. 5. Pre heat the oven to 180C fan oven. To assemble the Tian, drizzle some olive oil at the bottom of the tin, spread the cooked rice and crumble the 2 tbsp of Boursin on top. 6. Cover the rice with the vegetable slices, tomato, courgette, aubergine, onion, garlic then drizzle with olive oil, herbe de provence, and season well with salt and pepper. 7. Cook for 45 minutes to 1hour and serve hot! Almond and Boursin grilled cod, with frites and peas Serves: 4 Ingredients: 4 filets of cod, skin off 50g of shaved almonds 2 tsp of Boursin Garlic & Herbs 1 egg 1 tbsp of breadcrumbs Fresh chives 1kg of potatoes 45ml of vegetable oil 500g of fresh peas 1 medium onion 2 tsp of salted butter 3 garlic cloves 2 tbsp of mayonnaise 1 tbsp Boursin Garlic & Herbs Salt and pepper Method: 1. Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into thin French Fries. Place them in a large bowl of hot water and leave them to soak for 10 minutes. 2. Preheat the oven to 220C. 3. Rinse and pat dry. Add the vegetable oil, 1 tsp of coarse salt and mix with your hands. Transfer to a large roasting tin to create one layer. Put a timer on for 20 minutes. 4. In the meantime, prepare the crust by mixing the almonds, Boursin, eggs and the egg. 5. Slice the onions and place in a roasting tin with the peas, garlic and salted butter diced. Add the cod on top of the peas, season with salt and pepper then divide the crust and spread it on top of the cod. 6. Use a spatula to mix the French fries in the oven and place at the bottom of the oven, turn the temperature down to 210C and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. 7. Make the Boursin mayo and serve the fish on top of the peas, add some dill and the French fries. Voila! Creamy plant-based Boursin pasta (vegan) Serves: 4 Ingredients: 400g of dry pasta (or leftover cooked pasta) 100g of fresh peas cooked. 100g of pine nuts 300g of cherry tomatoes 1 pack of Boursin Plant-Based (130g) 2 tbsp of olive oil ½ red onion A small bunch of fresh basil Salt and pepper Method: 1. In a pan, fry the diced onions with the olive oil for a couple of minutes, then add the cherry tomatoes and fry for 3 minutes. 2. Use a spatula to pop in some of the tomatoes. Add the pine nuts and a couple of tbsp of water if needed. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. 3. Cook the pasta in salted water respecting the package instructions. 4. Remove the sauce from the heat, mix the Boursin in with a fork in a bowl, then add to the tomato sauce. Finally pour the just cooked pasta over the top. 5. Serve the pasta, top with some peas, a tsp of plant-based Boursin and some fresh basil. Boursin and spinach stuffed chicken roulade Serves: 4 Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts 300g of baby spinach 2 tbsp of breadcrumbs 100g of Boursin Garlic & Herbs 4 slices of Jambon de Bayonne or Parma ham 1 big white cabbage 2 tbps of salted butter at room temperature 2 tbsp of Boursin Garlic & Herbs 500ml of boiling water 2 tbsp of olive oil A sprinkle of parsley Method: 1. Place the baby spinach in a colander and pour the boiling water over to cook it. Then press it against the colander to remove as much moisture as possible. 2. In a bowl, mix the cooked spinach, breadcrumbs and Boursin to make a paste. 3. Spread a chicken breast, then slice the thicker side from the inside to extend the chicken breast and make it thinner and larger. Spread 1 tbsp of the Boursin mix in the middle and roll the breast to make a tight roulade. Then wrap the chicken breast with the Parma ham and place in an oven dish. Repeat with the rest of the chicken breasts. Set aside in a roasting tin. 4. Pre heat the oven to 200C fan. 5. Cut the cabbage into wedges and dip in water to add moisture. Drizzle a roasting tin with olive oil and place the wedges on top. Mix the Boursin and butter together and brush it over the cabbage wedges. Season with salt and pepper. 6. Place the chicken on top of the oven shelf and the cabbage at the bottom and roast for 30 minutes. 7. Baste the chicken with the juices a couple of times through cooking. 8. Serve hot and sprinkle with parsley. Boursin and butternut squash filled conchiglioni (vegetarian) Ingredients: For the stuffing: 500g of squash or pumpkin, diced skin off 1 tbsp of olive oil 100g of parmesan 100g of Boursin Garlic & Herbs For the sauce: 2 cans of good quality diced tomatoes 4 garlic cloves 1 vegetable stock cube 1 tbsp of sugar 1 tsp of dried oregano 1 bunch of fresh basil Salt and pepper 2 tbsp of olive oil Extras/alternatives: Mozzarella Extra Boursin Garlic & Herbs 500g of large conchiglioni Method: 1. Pre heat the oven to 220C and roast the squash with the olive oil for 30 minutes until tender. 2. In the meantime, start to make the sauce. Add the olive oil and the diced garlic and fry on medium heat for a few minutes, add the oregano and half of the fresh basil and fry for another minute. Add the canned tomatoes, the stock cube and 100ml of water. 3. Add the sugar and leave to simmer on low heat until the end of the recipe. 4. In a blender or a food processor, add the rest of the stuffing ingredients and the roasted squash and season then, blend for a minute. Pour that into a piping bag. 5. Season the tomato sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Optional, you can use your food processor to blend it to a smooth sauce if you wish. 6. Pour the tomato sauce onto an oven dish and start to fill up the Conchiglioni one by one, simply using the piping bag. Spread the filled Conchiglioni on top of the tomato sauce. 7. Top with the mozzarella and crumble some Boursin. Cover with tin foil. 8. Cook for 40min at 200C covered, then remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes. Boursin hachis parmentier Ingredients: 500g of mince beef 1 shallot 1 onion 3 carrots 2 cloves of garlic 30g of butter Salt and pepper 1kg of potatoes 50g of butter 200ml of warm milk ½ tsp of nutmeg 1 broccoli 100g of Boursin Garlic & Herbs, plus extra to crumble Method: 1. Peel and dice the potatoes and transfer to a large pan, cover with cold water, generous amount of salt for 30 minutes. 2. Dice the carrots, onion, shallot and garlic. Heat up a pan, add the 30g of butter and the carrots, onion, shallots and garlic. Fry for a few minutes until softened. 3. Add the minced beef to the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Transfer the meat to your oven tin and set aside. 5. Boil and cook the broccoli in salted water for 8-10 minutes. Drain the water, then mash the broccoli with a masher or a fork and add the Boursin to it. 6. To make the purée, drain the water from the potatoes, then add the warm milk, the 50g of butter and season well with salt and pepper. Mash the potatoes with a masher to make the purée. 7. Preheat oven to 220C fan. 8. To finish the Hachis, spread the purée on top of the mince, spoon the broccoli on top of the purée and make some swirls with a fork. Sprinkle some Boursin on top. 9. Place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes and serve hot with a small, dressed salad. Read More Budget Bites: Three one-pan recipes that minimise on washing up Cold-weather recipes to get on your radar now How to cook to keep your gut healthy Three recipes from Michel Roux’s new fuss-free French cookbook Formula for the ‘perfect’ fish finger sandwich revealed Being vegetarian may partly be in one’s genes, study finds

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