Most people just say hello when they answer their mobile phone. He said: "And who's calling the Golden Shot today then?" I guess some suppliers think they have hit the jackpot if they make contact. On to the British Poultry Council annual lunch, where, as I tucked into my turkey goujons, a supplier told me: "Tesco have done the right thing by not being here today." Really? "Yes, they've squeezed the ****ing giblets out of us ­ they couldn't expect a free lunch as well!" The dining continued at the The Booker Prize for Excellence, the usual glittering occasion at the Park Lane Hilton, although it was marred by the loutish din that persisted during the prize giving. Luckily, the volatile Scottish celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey was on hand to intimidate them into silence. As he began his presentation, I was expecting at least threats of severe physical damage if we didn't lose the background noise, but no, it was far worse. He said if they didn't shut up he was going to ask the generously proportioned comedian Jo Brand ­ who had entertained the guests earlier ­ to come back on stage in the nude. He continued in a respectful silence. Ms Brand had been in fine form earlier, though Big Food Group chief executive Bill Grimsey and Booker md Gerry Johnson might demure. They had come in for some abuse that decency prevents us from repeating and then Brand quipped about Bill: "Oh he's not here is he? I thought he was far too important for that." {{COUNTERPOINT }}