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A mother has gone viral after she sent out some hilariously blunt birthday invitations for her twins’ fifth birthday party. In a recent video posted to her TikTok, the parent, Natalie LeClaire, shared a picture of the now-viral invitation that her son received. As she described the note as “hilarious,” she shared a picture of the invite and recited what the beginning of it said. “This event is brought to you by Pinterest fails and the dollar store, so please set your expectations appropriately,” the note read. “As requested, the theme will be unicorns but with rainbows and maybe bats. But there should be princesses, also Minnie. But we need dancing lights, so dress accordingly.” The invitation went on to hilariously describe what parents should pack for their children, before attending the party. “Please pack a bathing suit, puddle jumpers, etc, in case your sweet baby angels decide our original plan sucks, and the pool would be a better time,” the note continued. The mother also invited fellow parents to the party, before noting that she’d understand if the adults say no to attending. “If you would like to drop off and run, we support that entirely,” the parent quipped in the letter. “If you would like to stay, we will provide adult juice and deny any offers to help, to be polite. But deep down, we want to support you. You do you.” Ms LeClaire, who’s based in Ontario, Canada, concluded her video by noting that she and her son are going to the party. “Needless to say, we will absolutely be attending because these are my people,” she said. “This is the kind of mom that I can be friends with.” Along with Ms LeClaire’s son’s name, the invite also had Minnie ears, bats, unicorns, princesses, and a rainbow drawn on it. As of 15 June, the video has more than 5.1m views, with many TikTok users in the comments applauding the honest thoughts that were put in the invitation. “This is incredible. It’s what we’re all thinking when hosting kids parties,” one wrote, while another added: “Do they realise how many people will now be emotionally attending this party?” A third wrote: “I’m glad a parent is finally lowering the standards/expectations because I’m done with these Pinterest/IG inspired kid parties.” Other people also poked fun at the seemingly open-ended dress code at the child’s party. “I think you should go all in and make sure you wear an outfit that hits every theme point. And from a dollar store,” one wrote. @not.just.nat #greenscreen These are my people. #birthdayparty #partyinvitations #parenting #funny #hilarious #adultjuice ♬ Comedy Music - Nissa “Can’t wait to see how everyone interprets ‘dress accordingly.’ Someone better be dressed like a bat princess,” another added. During an interview with Today, the mother who created the invitation, Carys Roberts, noted that the party will be held next month, for her twin daughters, Edie and Elle. She also shared that she came up with the invites pretty quickly, in hopes of amusing some of her fellow parents and making sure that they weren’t too worried about what gifts to get. “Ultimately, I just didn’t want anyone to stress about gifts. The last thing we want is for people to be spending a lot of money. We’re really low-key,” she said. “I’ve received a lot of great feedback and I’m truly thrilled that people thought the invitation was so relatable and funny.” Speaking to Today, Ms LeClaire went on to emphasise that she loved the invitation when she first noticed it. “I started reading it and my jaw dropped. It was so honest and straight up. I was like, ‘I need to be friends with this person.’” The Independent has contacted Ms LeClaire for comment. Read More Mother sparks viral debate for ‘shaming’ parent who refused to give her daughter a slice of cake Woman, 50, to become a surrogate mother for same-sex couple Father sparks debate over his ‘petty’ feud with an 8-year-old about her pool Mom reveals one regret after parent refused to give her child cake amid viral debate Mother sparks debate over parent who wouldn’t give daughter cake Drew Barrymore slams tabloids that claimed she ‘wished’ her mother was dead

Runners and cycling enthusiasts who are frequent users of the popular Strava fitness app may

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has directed the withdrawal of frozen foods of an animal nature.

Mercedes-Benz is integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT into its vehicles. The AI chatbot is coming to vehicles

A new report has found that the price of childcare is still rising in the United States and has gone up by 220 per cent since 1990. In the annual report from Annie E. Casey Foundation, the charitable organisation examined the importance of childcare across the country, with data from each state about the overall well-being of children. With an analysis from Child Care Aware, an advocacy organisation, the report found that “child care costs have risen 220 per cent since” 1990, “significantly outpacing inflation”. As noted by the US Inflation Calculator, the cumulative rate of inflation, from January 1990 to May 2023, is approximately 138 per cent . The Annie E. Casey Foundation also looked at the annual cost of childcare and how it can impact parents’ income. More specifically, the average yearly cost for care for one child in America was $10,600 in 2021, which is “more than a third of a single parent’s income”. The report looked at the annual cost for a centre-based childcare for a toddler, based on each state. Results showed that prices are the highest in Washington DC, with a cost of $24,396 per year. Centre-based childcare in Connecticut is also expensive, with an annual price of $18,156 per year. The report said over 2 million children in the US had family members who experienced job changes due to childcare prices from 2020 to 2021. The organisation examined the ethnicity of these 2 million children: 17 per cent of them were Black, 16 per cent Latino, and 14 per cent Asian and Pacific Islanders. The organisation also looked at the analysis of 2017 data, which showed how the childcare system disproportionately impacted families of colour. For example, centre-based childcare for two children absorbed 26 per cent of a working mother’s median household income. Meanwhile, 42 per cent of a Latino working mother’s median household income paid for two children’s childcare, while 56 per cent of a Black working mother’s income covered this childcare cost. On the economic well-being of children around the country, findings showed that over 12 million were in poverty in 2021. That same year, there were over 21 million children whose parents lacked secure employment, and nearly 22 million children living in a household with high housing cost burden. Earlier this year, a report by the US Department of Labor also found that families with younger children in the country pay a significant amount on childcare. After looking at data from 2018, which was adjusted based on the inflation rate in 2022, the report noted that “childcare prices range from $4,810 for school-age home-based care in small counties to $15,417 for infant centre-based care in very large counties”. Read More Thirty, flirty and declining: How 30 became a terrifying milestone for an anxious generation More help with childcare costs for families on Universal Credit from end of June Government’s childcare reforms ‘risk worsening outcomes’ for poorer children

Cornwall is, of course, all about its windswept, sea-smacked, dune-backed coast – all 422 miles of it. If you’re a fan of early morning dips, sunset walks and wild swims, you really want to be as close to the beach as possible. As such, here’s our special selection of our favourite Cornish seaside hotels, from cliff-top wonders to island getaways and secluded beachfront manors. Some stand right beside the sand, while others provide a grandstand beach panorama from the top of the bluffs – all offer maximum beach time. The restaurants nearby are full of the catch of the day and quality local produce, so you can refuel after your adventures before retreating to a room with views over the ocean. Whether you’re after a romantic retreat with your significant other or looking to take the family for an adventure by the sea, Cornwall has it all. Just don’t forget to pack your snorkel and swimsuit. The best beach hotels in Cornwall 2023 are: Best hotel for activities: Watergate Bay hotel Best hotel for families: The Bedruthan Hotel & Spa Best hotel for garden-lovers: Hotel Meudon Best hotel for historic architecture: The Headland Hotel Best hotel for seclusion: Hell Bay Hotel Best hotel for Scandi style: Primrose House Best hotel for a spa break: St Michaels Resort Best hotel for peace and quiet: The Rosevine Best hotel for traditional style: The Nare Best hotel for a weekend getaway: The Old Coastguard Hotel Best hotel for the southeast coast: Talland Bay Hotel Best hotel for boat-watching: The Greenbank Best hotel for activities: Watergate Bay Hotel Location: Newquay You can’t really get any closer to the beach than this: as the name suggests, this activity-focused family hotel sits right alongside its namesake bay, just a couple of miles along the coast from Newquay. In many ways, this is really the ultimate Cornish beach hotel: Atlantic views fill every window, you’re steps from a magnificent sweep of golden sand, and the in-house activity centre, Wavehunters at the Extreme Academy, offers you the chance to indulge in all manner of beachy pursuits, including surfing, wild swimming and stand-up paddleboarding. The majority of rooms overlook the bay from one perspective or another – some have balconies, others, sliding glass doors, and for the consummate experience, the seven bespoke-designed Beach Lofts sit literally by the tideline. Book now Best hotel for families: The Bedruthan Hotel & Spa Location: Newquay The sister property of the swish Scarlet – another deluxe beach proposition – this clifftop hotel is a firm favourite for holidaying families. It’s named after the Bedruthan Steps – the rock stacks that rise from the Atlantic waves a mile or so to the north – but the nearest beach is Mawgan Porth, which unfurls right below the hotel’s windows. The hotel itself was built in the late 1950s, but its boxy breezeblock exterior conceals an unexpectedly fun interior: all swirly fabrics, zingy pops of colour and expansive glass windows to make the most of the beach view. It’s very laid-back: kids (and dogs) are welcome, and there’s plenty for them to do, from craft sessions to an indoor cinema, surf lessons and a couple of pools. Meanwhile, you can relax in the hotel’s spa – or perhaps indulge in a sustainable, super-seasonal supper at the hotel’s recently revamped restaurant, Ogo. The clifftop gardens are a pleasure, too. Best hotel for garden-lovers: Hotel Meudon Location: Falmouth This under-the-radar hotel is hidden among fields outside Falmouth, between the popular beach of Maenporth and the Helford River. It was originally built as a private manor by the Fox family, who also planted the nearby estates of Trebah and Glendurgan – and the hotel’s own secret gardens are a delight, tumbling down through lawns, terraces and a subtropical valley filled with exotic palms, giant gunnera and rhododendrons en route to a secluded little beach, Bream Cove. Family-run for decades, and acquired in 2021 by the local Kingfisher hotel group, it’s been smartly updated with colourful mid-century furniture, bright fabrics and lively artwork, all with a slightly retro, Seventies feel. There’s a fun speakeasy-style bar for cocktails, and the restaurant has a fine garden view – even if the food doesn’t quite live up to its elevated price-tag. For once, the garden or sea view dilemma isn’t an issue here: you’ll be happy with either, but do book one with a balcony or patio. Our tip: get up early, wander down to Bream Cove for a morning swim, get coffee from the hotel’s pop-up truck, The Bream Box, and spend an hour or two soaking up those glorious gardens. Best for historic architecture: The Headland Hotel Location: Newquay It’s impossible to miss this striking Victorian-era hotel: it sits in what is undoubtedly Newquay’s prime patch of real estate, on its own headland overlooking the legendary surfing beach of Fistral, where you can watch surfers in action (or even have a go yourself). With its turrets and red-brick façade, it’s a classic slice of neo-Gothic Victoriana but, inside, the whole place has been modernised while retaining traditional architectural features. Rooms are bright and welcoming, there’s a fancy spa, and the flashy new Aqua Club has added six pools, including a hydrotherapy pool, sunset spa pool and infinity-edge pool looking over the Atlantic. For more space, book one of the cliffside cottages. Best hotel for seclusion: Hell Bay Hotel Location: Bryher, Isles of Scilly When you want to get away from it all, Hell Bay is the place. It’s the only hotel on Bryher, the quietest (and perhaps the prettiest) of the Isles of Scilly, and stands in glorious seaside isolation beside the island’s biggest, wildest beach, Hell Bay (if you’re wondering why it’s so named, come in midwinter and you’ll get a pretty good idea). With its pastel colours, sea-themed stripes and wicker furniture, the hotel has the feeling of an upmarket Hamptons getaway: several rooms and suites have private patios and views over the hotel’s neat, flower-filled gardens, and there’s a pleasant outdoor pool, garden yoga studio and a treatment shed for spa spoils. But it’s the setting that sells this place – from the doorstep, you can follow Bryher’s coast path to discover quiet beaches and swimming spots, or hike up to the top of Watch Hill for a panorama across all of Scilly. Book now Best hotel for Scandi style: Primrose House Location: St Ives This is a stylish St Ives bolthole that’s only 50m from the sands of Porthminster. Although it’s not quite on the beachfront, it’s close enough – all you need do is follow the path under the train track that runs across the bottom of the car-park, and you’re there. It’s an elegant affair, studiously minimal and decorated throughout in tasteful hues of taupe, grey, cream and mustard, with carefully chosen pieces of furniture to conjure a fashionable, Scandi-inspired vibe – a driftwood sculpture or willow-filled vase here, a rattan chair or seagrass mat there. Sea views are essential – ask for one of the rooms with a balcony, such as room 2, 3, 4 or 5, which also has a rolltop bath. The Pod, a loft-style room accessed via a steep stepladder, is a fun option. Best hotel for a spa break: St Michaels Resort Location: Falmouth This is a solid, sensible seaside hotel – not too pricey, and with some good out-of-season deals on offer. This longstanding Falmouth hotel is renowned locally for its top-class spa, which includes a big hydrothermal pool (the largest in the southwest, apparently), as well as various treatment rooms and a new Spa Garden, with a 12-seater hot tub and barrel sauna. There’s a wide choice of rooms, from basic doubles to deluxe beach apartments, all decorated in the same unfussy style: navy blues and greys, with pictures of boats and shells to remind you of the seaside location. Falmouth’s biggest beach, Gyllyngvase, is only a minute’s walk away, through the hotel gardens. Best hotel for peace and quiet: The Rosevine Location: The Roseland peninsula This country house on the rural Roseland has been converted into a sort of Cornish apart-hotel: 15 attractive, spacious studios and suites, with open-plan layouts, little kitchens where you can prepare meals, and fine views across lawned gardens to the coast. There’s also a shared drawing room with a wood-burning stove, a kids’ area and heated indoor pool, and a very good restaurant. Plus, you’re free to wander the lovely grounds at will. It’s a lovely spot, just uphill from popular Porthcurnick Beach and its well-known beachside cafe, The Hidden Hut. For quieter sands, head out on the coast path to Porthbean beach or one of the many others nearby. Best hotel for traditional style: The Nare Location: The Roseland peninsula A reassuringly old-school hotel in a superb spot above the long, golden stretch of Carne, which joins up with neighbouring Pendower at low tide to form one of the Roseland’s biggest expanses of sand. This is definitely not a hotel for the minimalists, however: its chintzy, country-house style is geared towards guests looking for a more classic English hotel experience, from nightly turn-downs and valet service to afternoon tea served on the lawn. The rooms are spacious and have a choice of sea or country views: they all share the same sense of old-fashioned style, with pelmets, armchairs, antique furniture and Roberts radios. Several have separate lounges or adjoining bedrooms, making them ideal for families. There’s a formal fine-dining restaurant, a pleasant spa and two pools, one indoor and one outdoor; braver guests opt for an early morning sea dip on Carne, before the daytime crowds arrive. Book now Best for a weekend getaway: The Old Coastguard Hotel Location: Mousehole Run by the owners of The Gurnard’s Head in Zennor (as well as the Felin Fach Griffin near Hay-on-Wye), this small hotel on the outskirts of Mousehole is just the ticket for a quick coastal getaway – it runs a popular Sunday Sleepover package that includes Sunday lunch, supper and one night’s B&B. The location is wonderful – trimmed gardens rolling down to the coast and views over Mount’s Bay towards the rocky silhouette of St Michael’s Mount. Design-wise, it feels cosy and countrified: checked bedspreads, Roberts radios, traditional wooden furniture and little windows that peep onto the briny blue. The nearest beach is Mousehole’s harbour, where banks of soft sand are revealed at low tide; alternatively, hike out along the coast path in search of the rocky coves where locals like to swim. Alternatively, take a bracing dip in Mousehole Rock Pool, the tidal pool opposite the hotel gardens. Book now Best hotel for the southeast coast: Talland Bay Hotel Location: Looe Cornwall’s southeast coast is short on swish hotels, but the Talland Bay is a rare exception – and you’re in a prime location for exploring the gorgeous coastline between Looe and Polperro. The hotel isn’t quite beachside – you’re a 10-minute walk from the sandy beach at Talland Bay – but the lawned gardens (and most of the rooms) offer a widescreen view out to sea. The design here mixes traditional and modern: some rooms are flouncy and floral, others more contemporary, with sleigh beds, twisted wooden lamps and statement wallpapers. It’s very dog-friendly (canine guests get their own doggy welcome pack) and the front gardens are a pleasure at sunset. There’s no pool, though, so you’ll be limited to sea swims – much more fun. Best hotel for boat-watching: The Greenbank Location: Falmouth There’s a whiff of Agatha Christie grandeur about this venerable waterside hotel, which spans several buildings at the end of Falmouth’s handsomest street: Dunstanville Terrace. A feature of Falmouth’s waterfront since 1640, when the buildings were the homes of Packet ship captains, the hotel is dotted with bits of nautical memorabilia – old maps, model ships, black-and-white photos of the town’s seafaring heyday. The watery views steal the show here – river vistas fill every window, in the bar, the restaurant, the hotel’s lively pub, The Working Boat, and in many of the rooms too. Skip the inland rooms – you want one with a big bay window looking across the water to Flushing, ideally with a balcony or terrace (the fancy Lookout Suite even has its own telescope for lazy boatwatching). Directly in front of the hotel, there’s a pebbly beach to explore at low tide. When the tide comes in, the Greenbank’s quay is popular with local swimmers and paddleboarders. Read more of our Cornwall hotel reviews: Best affordable Cornwall hotels Best dog-friendly Cornwall hotels Best Cornwall spa hotels Read more about England travel: The ultimate guide to York Brighton city guide: Where to stay, eat and shop The best hotels in the New Forest Read More Best spa hotels in Yorkshire for a relaxing 2023 escape Best boutique hotels in Cornwall 2023, from beach getaways to romantic retreats Best lakes to visit in the UK for wild swimming, water sports and walks Seven of the best beaches in Northern Ireland to visit this summer Best boutique hotels in Cornwall 2023, from beach getaways to romantic retreats Best spa hotels in Norfolk for a relaxing 2023 escape

Google Drive is much more than just a cloud-based storage and syncing service with an

When New Zealand police cracked open plastic jugs of maple syrup that had arrived from Canada, they found something decidedly less sweet inside.

Struggling to sleep? You’re not alone. As conversations with friends, family and colleagues seem to be dominated by tiredness, middle-of-the-night wake-ups and vivid dreams, the TikTok tag ‘can’t sleep’ has currently racked up 1.2 billion views. It seems we’re all finding it difficult to get enough zeds. But is there a reason why it’s suddenly happening right now? Changing seasons “We all have an internal circadian clock, which is synchronised to the solar time with sunrise and sunset, and regulates our daily physiology and metabolism,” says Dr Laura Roden, associate professor and chronobiology specialist at Coventry University. “Day length changes with seasons, which impacts our circadian timing, and having a circadian clock allows us to respond by adjusting our physiology to these seasonal changes. Animals and plants are affected too – think bird migration, bears hibernating, spring flowers and autumn leaves. We are naturally diurnal, so should be sleeping at night when it is dark. Light acts on our circadian clock to stimulate wakefulness.” Differing lifestyles Our lifestyles also change in the summer. “Many of us are more physically active in summer than winter, and usually spend more time outdoors exposed to bright light during the day,” Roden explains. “That combination of physical activity during the day, and daytime bright light exposure, gives our circadian clock strong synchronising cues and reinforces our diurnal behavioural rhythms. This means that even though we have shorter nights, we are stimulating the feelings of sleepiness at night and wakefulness during the day. Engaging in physical activity during the day usually promotes better sleep – but we must be mindful of not exercising too late at night, as this can have the opposite effect,” she says. The Moon You may have thought the moon’s impact on our bodies is a myth, but Roden says that there is research that backs up these theories. “Some studies have found that this can affect both sleep timing and duration. Women who menstruate may notice that the phase of the moon interrupts their sleep more than biological males. Charlotte Förster from the University of Würzburg carried out a truly remarkable study in terms of data collection and analyses, that showed that women’s menstrual cycles were recurrently synchronous with the moon’s phase, and affected by brightness and gravitational pull. “As body core temperature is affected during menstruation, this would mean that at certain phases of the moon, it can be harder to fall asleep than others, and sleep duration may thus be affected,” Roden says. Sleep hygiene Brighter mornings and lighter evenings may be making your room too light or hot. “Keeping the bedroom slightly cooler than the rest of the house is ideal, but not always achievable. Cooler rooms promote sleep. Using curtains or blinds and sleep masks can help to keep bedrooms dark. But using electronic devices – such as mobile phones – that emit bright light, can cause a suppression of melatonin that we need, to indicate ‘night’ to the circadian clock,” Roden explains. Drinking more We all tend to take on more liquids when it’s hot. And you may find yourself drinking more when socialising in the sun, too. But, Roden suggests avoiding alcohol before bed. According to the Sleep Foundation, it’s best to leave at least four hours between stopping drinking alcohol and going to bed. It’s also a good idea to avoid drinking anything around two hours before sleep, and Roden recommends avoiding caffeine after midday, so you might want to skip those mid-afternoon iced lattes. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 11 ways to dip into Mediterranean inspired decor Whiten up your wardrobe with summer’s hottest trends Paternity leave should be paid for six weeks, campaigners tell Government

For a decade, Baohaus was one of the best-known restaurants for Taiwanese fare in New York City. According to Eater, the restaurant “helped lay the cultural and culinary groundwork for an ambitious class of modern Taiwanese spots” in the city. It also catapulted founder Eddie Huang to fame as his culinary expertise was thrusted into the spotlight with shows on the Cooking Channel (Cheap Bites), Viceland (Huang’s World) and MTV (Snack Off). He first opened Baohaus on the Lower East Side of Lower Manhatten in 2009, before relocating it to a bigger venue in the East Village. During the 10 years he ran Baohaus, Huang also wrote his memoir Fresh Off The Boat, which led to the TV series of the same name, starring Randall Park and Constance Wu. But in 2020, around seven months into the coronavirus pandemic, Huang announced that Baohaus would be no more. At the time, he wrote in an Instagram post: “I opened this restaurant to tell my family’s story through food at a time when no one was giving Asian Americans a chance in TV, film, books or media generally.” Since then, however, things have changed drastically for the diaspora; this year, the celebrated Asian-led cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once clinched seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Michelle Yeoh) and Best Director (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Sheinert). Now, Huang is casting his eye back to Baohaus, but this time he’s bringing it across the pond and into London. His three-month residency at Neighbourhood in Islington – which previously held “ramen junkie” Ivan Orkin’s Ivan Mazemen residency – will dominate this summer with his signature Taiwanese baos, fried chicken and noodle dishes, bringing a bowl of the Big Apple to the Great Smog. I sat down with Huang over a steaming, fragrant bowl of Taiwanese mince pork stew and rice to talk about what Baohaus’ legacy in New York was, its future in London, and what it means to have a vision. How did it feel when you closed Baohaus in NYC? I always loved having Baohaus. I never intended to close it, but the pandemic hit and I went to Taiwan to be safe, but our landlord kept on charging rent in New York. I just didn’t see an end to it. I’ve been wanting to reopen for a while but when I got home, I had to immediately get to work promoting Boogie. It was kind of bittersweet, but I try to think about everything from a more existential perspective. To have owned a restaurant for 10 years in New York while writing a memoir and doing all these shows, and then directing my first film… I just felt an immense sense of accomplishment and I felt like it was really a part of the fabric of downtown New York. So many people had come through those walls and it meant so much to me, so I was just really proud even though it was closing. It forced me to look back on everything and I had a sense of gratitude and pride, and I wasn’t angry at all. I think I was sad that it was closing, but thankful to the universe for the time that I did get. Baohaus left a legacy for Taiwanese food in New York that spread across the rest of the Western world. How does it make you feel? Even when I go back to Taiwan, people will say, ‘Yo, that’s the pork bun kid’. That’s my name back home. I’m very, very grateful that I made a lot of people happy and Taiwanese people were proud of it, and that New Yorkers were proud of it and loved it. But now, starting it back up in London is just par for the course for me. I’ve never lived in one place. Born in DC, grew up in Orlando, made New York my home. I would say I identified with New York more than anywhere else. I got dragged to LA for my work and then now I got dragged out to London to open Baohaus, so this [Neighbourhood] is now the new home base for the next three months. But the idea is to then start to look at brick and mortar spaces in London and hopefully make it more permanent. What makes Bao Haus stand out? There’s a lot of Taiwanese cooking in London now. What really defines my cooking is there is a straight line between my grandma, my mother, and myself. There are very, very small things I do to adapt it up for my taste or modern tastes, but it’s not adding trendy ingredients or smashing things together. For example, this mince pork stew is how my grandma and my mum would make it. The only thing I pay more attention to is knife skills and the exact cut of the pork belly mixed in with the ground meat. It’s the same with the Chairman Bao, it’s exactly like the baos you get in Taiwan except that I red-cook my pork instead of brown braising. So I stay within the Taiwanese pantry, but I really work on the technique. I read that you don’t really like being called a chef. What don’t you like about that chef territory? The thing is, I definitely think cooking is an art, right? Even the guy selling a dollar bowl of rice is just as artistic to me as somebody doing a tasting menu. But I feel like every generation has these chefs whose food always has to be about them. It’s less about culture and community, and more about, ‘Check out my new idea, my new thing’ and none of it ever has staying power. I get disappointed going to a lot of young chef restaurants because they’re working their s*** out and they want you to pay for their food because they feel they’re being creative. Like, ‘Because we were being creative, you should f***ing pay us and buy our food’. And I’m like, well, this just doesn’t taste f***ing good. If you’re going to charge people this, s*** should be good. There’s a lot of ego. A lot of people didn’t set out to be chefs, they say, ‘I was in fashion or I was in music, or I was a director and I busted out and ended up in food’. People see food as a place they can be all artistic and they think they can creative-direct a restaurant, but this s*** is a lot harder than you think. You can have a cool brand and a great vibe, but to keep people coming back for 10 years, your food’s gotta be really good and be a good deal for your customers. Everything is exciting when it’s new, but does it stand the test of time? Do you keep thinking about it the next day? Are you a perfectionist? Here’s an example: chips. We were known for our taro fries in New York. I did taro fries because you can get French fries anywhere, and they go great with our food, but I wanted to do something different. So I would brine the taro, black it and then double fry it, and they were some of the best fries I’ve ever had and people went nuts for them. But it’s much harder to source taro here in London, because I want the whole fresh taro, not frozen. It was proposed that we do French fries, but they were bringing in frozen ones. But I didn’t want anything like that on our menu that isn’t the best version of it. I guarantee you everything on our menu is the best version you can get here in London. No one’s going to touch my bao. I know there’s another place here, BAO. I’m not even going to eat there. I know mine’s better. I will not try it. I will not. So, back to the fries, I said those fries aren’t going on my menu because they’re not the best fries. So now we’re sourcing all kinds of potatoes. Certain restaurants like St John’s only have chips seasonally when the potato is consistent, and I like that. I like when people are like, when it’s good, it’s good, and I will serve it to you then, and when it’s not good, I’m not going to serve it to you. That philosophy needs to be adopted by more. You don’t have to serve everything, you don’t have to do everything. You don’t have to be the most clever. Just be the best version of you and do what you do best. You know, I got a dozen madeleines from St Johns and I smuggled them all the way back to LA. My wife was like, ‘Dude, are these going to be good?’ After my flight and then another day in between, I heated them up and they were phenomenal. I gave some to my dogs – my dogs got to eat St Johns madeleines! They went crazy. You used to host a TV contest show called Snack, where people got random ingredients and had to make something with it. What’s the best thing you made with random ingredients? I invented the Cheeto fried chicken. It happened when I was really high one night. I didn’t have any bread crumbs, so I crushed up Cheetos in a bag, then coated the chicken and fried it. This s*** is crazy. It was a lot of fun but I spent a lot of time on it and then I found the right Cheetos, the right cheese dust, and I think we really perfected the dish. We only offered it once a year on 4/20 at Baohaus, it became a tradition. So if we have a brick and mortar space in London, I would absolutely bring the Cheeto fried chicken bao back only on 4/20. You’ve worn a lot of hats in your lifetime, restaurant owner, chef, author, director, fashion designer. How do you feel about hustle culture? Everything right now is based on the image and identity that you’re selling. Who are my friends? How do I dress? How am I curating my life? What starter pack do I fit into? I get it – I definitely think it’s important to work extremely hard because it’s hard to make money right now. The income inequality gap is insane and my solution to that is to acquire a skill and just refine it. If you have a tangible skill, you’re already ahead of most people in your generation because most people have knowledge and contacts and willingness, but do they have an actual skill? For example, the idea of a creative director is just so funny. What’s the skill? There’s very few creative directors who are skilled and honour the craft, but being a creative director is not just knowing a few really good photographers and good graphic designers and telling them what to do. You’re telling a story, you’re directing the creative. Do you have the vision? It’s not just the mood board, they need to take it seriously. Read More ‘Ramen junkie’ Ivan Orkin on mazemen, MSG and the resilience of the human spirit BBQ salad recipes without a soggy lettuce leaf in sight Grace Dent’s quick and easy recipes that only require the microwave How to shop for and cook Japanese food at home like a pro

Campaigners are calling on the Government to extend paid paternity leave from two to six weeks in the UK after research found it could reduce the gender pay gap. A report from the Centre for Progressive Policy think tank (CPP) and charity Pregnant Then Screwed (PTS) analysed Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data to explore the economic and health impacts of extending the statutory entitlement to paternity leave and pay. It shows that countries with more than six weeks of paid paternity leave have a 4.0% smaller gender wage gap and 3.7% smaller labour force participation gap – the proportion of men and women in the workforce. The analysis also suggests that closing gender employment gaps in all UK authorities would increase economic output by £23 billion. We have the worst paternity benefit in Europe which is negatively impacting children, gender equality and the economy Joeli Brearley, Pregnant Then Screwed It comes as the UK has the least generous paternity leave entitlement in Europe with a statutory entitlement of two weeks and pay of £172 a week, which is 44% of the national living wage. The researchers also looked at PTS data from 1,735 mothers and 1,805 fathers, finding that just 18% of prospective parents say they or their partner could afford to take six weeks of paternity leave at the current statutory rate of pay. However, this changed to 57% if the leave was paid at 90% of their income, as statutory maternity pay is for women. The analysis also suggests that for 20% of fathers, no parental leave options were available to them following the birth or adoption of their child. The organisations further commissioned a YouGov pool, which found that 65% of mothers with children under the age of 12 thought increasing paid paternity leave would have a positive impact on mothers’ readiness to return to work while 83% thought it would have a positive impact on mothers’ mental health. Campaigners from CPP and PTS are now urging ministers to extend the statutory leave entitlement, to pay it at 90% of income in line with currently statutory maternity pay and to ensure paternity leave is available to all working fathers and partners. They are also calling for the Government to enhance existing maternity rights to reduce financial hardship, the gender employment gap, and the gender pay gap. Joeli Brearley, chief executive and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said: “We finally have evidence that boosting paternity leave will reduce the gender pay gap, improve the health of both parents and it will benefit the economy. “Paternity leave is not a luxury but a necessity.” Rosie Fogden, head of research and analysis at CPP said: “While long-held societal norms about gendered parenting roles are shifting, the UK’s parental leave system has not kept pace. “As our findings show, it is still very difficult for many fathers and second parents to be able to afford to take leave when their children are born, and this has serious consequences for both parents’ mental health.” Ms Brearley added: “If our next Government wants to set out a positive vision for the future, then thriving families must be central to their campaign. “We have the worst paternity benefit in Europe which is negatively impacting children, gender equality and the economy. “We are calling on the government to increase the length of non-transferrable paternity leave to a minimum of six weeks at 90% of income, in line with current statutory maternity pay.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live My teenager gets all their news from TikTok – should I worry? How to take care of pets in the heat Struggling with menopause symptoms in the heat? An expert shares tips

Jonnie Irwin has revealed that he sometimes “removes himself” from his family home to go to a hospice while he continues to live with terminal cancer. The A Place in the Sun presenter, 49, first went public with his diagnosis of lung cancer last year after discovering the disease had spread to his brain. He currently lives with his wife, Jessica Holmes, and their three children, Rex, three, and twins Rafa and Cormac, two. However, Irwin admitted that sometimes the pain he experiences makes him “not good to be around”. Speaking to Hello! magazine, the TV host said: “I remove myself on a number of occasions because I’m not good to be around when I’m in pain. “I’m like a bear with a sore head and I don’t want [my family] to be around that.” Irwin has previously spoken candidly about how the pain his illness causes affects his moods. Speaking on the podcast OneChat last month, he said: “I have been close to death’s door, twice at least. “You lose your memory, you lose your patience. I have got a very short temper. It’s not made me a better person, that’s for sure.” This week, Irwin also opened up about why he hasn’t yet told his sons about his terminal cancer. He said it would be difficult for them to understand the situation due to their young age. “I keep being asked, ‘Are you going to tell them?’ but tell them what?” he said. “It would be horrible news that they’d have to get their heads around. And it would confuse the hell out of Rex – he’s got a shocking enough day coming. Let’s bury our heads in the sand for as long as possible.” After publicly revealing his condition, the Escape to the Country host said he was worried that his children will not remember him if he died last year because they’re “too young”. He told The Sun: “Every time something really nice happens with them, I have this thing knocking at my door, saying, ‘Don’t get too happy because you’re not going to be around much longer’. “Then I think, they’re not going to remember me, they’re really not. They’re too young and if I die this year, there’s no chance they will have memories.” In early June, Irwin was admitted to hospital to be “monitored” due to a “changeover in my pain management regime”. Read More Thirty, flirty and declining: How 30 became a terrifying milestone for an anxious generation Woman who went from size 18 to size six shares surprising things ‘no one tells you’ about weight loss Vegan family writes letter to neighbours requesting they close their windows when cooking meat Jonnie Irwin ‘removes himself’ from family home amid terminal cancer battle Jonnie Irwin explains why he hasn’t told his sons about his terminal cancer A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis