A few days ago I posted a tale of two cheese shops. What I shamefully failed to mention is that Yellowwedge Cheese (the shop) and What’s for Tea Tonight, Dear (the blog) are hoping for a gong from the Observer Food Monthly Awards. The shop is owned by David and his partner Philip and caused quite a stink in 2008 by running away with the British Cheese Award for Best New Cheese Retailer. Not bad for a couple of old reprobates.

Philip is a treasured old soul and the Imelda Marcos of scarves (the wrap-around-the-neck kind, not the bad hair day kind). He never travels by open top car for fear of being strangled like Isadora Duncan. He and I worked together for donkey’s years. I managed him for a while though I was always left wondering who really worked for whom. His innate intelligence is beautifully blended with creativity, wit and style, and the ability to drink me under the table.

Philip sent out a begging letter a short while ago. He wrote:

Dear Friends,

Voting in this year’s Observer Food Monthly Awards is open now and will close on 24 June. There are several categories which might be of interest (you can vote in as many or as few as you like) but I’m shamelessly trawling for votes in the categories:

•  Best food blog (UK based)
• Best independent local retailer

 My humble recommendations for your consideration in these categories being:

• What’s for Tea Tonight, Dear
• Yellowwedge Cheese

 I’ll leave you to work out which is in which category!

I’d be grateful for any support you’re happy to offer so if you have friends, family, colleagues, schoolmates, children, parents, students, tutors, parishioners, customers, clients, readers, editors, drinking buddies, PAs, personal trainers, hairdressers, naughty bits on the side or anyone else you think may be interested then please feel free to GO VIRAL and forward freely!!!

Philip

PS in the new category of Best Cookbook my vote goes to Lucas Hollweg’s Good Things To Eat 

If I didn’t agree to plug the nominations Philip threatened to dispatch a Lancashire bomb (a black waxed cheese in the shape of a sphere with string poking out the top). No pressure then.