There is the treacle, for example, which arrives in small pots from London before finding its way into the pudding. And then there is the bicarbonate of soda. The only place I could find it was in chemists, where it is sold as a cure for upset stomachs. The other extraordinary thing about English desserts is that the longer you leave them, the better they are. The gingerbread pudding stays in the fridge for four to five days before I serve it.
Most French desserts have to be served straightaway.
The novelty factor explains part of L'Alcazar's recent success. But so too does the decor of an international restaurant that is the antithesis of the old-fashioned Gallic brasserie. But now other people are starting to follow us. There is Spoon, a high-class caf owned by Alain Ducasse, the only French chef to win six stars from the celebrated Michelin guide since the legendary Mother Brazier in the 1950s. On the first page of the wine list is a 1998 dry white from Chapel Down in Kent, one of few English wines on offer in Paris.