Loyd Grossman is 'upset' and 'distressed' as two people are taken to hospital with botulism after eating his curry sauce.

Consumers are advised not to eat certain jars of the former Masterchef presenter's korma sauce after two people in Scotland were poisoned.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it was a manufacturer's decision and stressed that no other batches of Loyd Grossman products were thought to be affected.

A London tourism boss has been given the old heave-ho after apparently failing to understand the purpose of his job.

Neil McCollum lost his £60,000 a year job as head of tourism for Greenwich after a Twitter post about street crime that mocked part of the borough he was paid to promote, according to the Evening Standard. 

In August, he wrote: "Guest appearance in Woolwich today. Wonder if it has changed. Mental note, make sure wallet is not visible."

McCollum, who was also in charge of Greenwich's Olympic welcome strategy, lost his job after a three month probe into the tweet, which one local described as "honesty and common sense" on an online message board.

"This shows how we allow political correctness to take priority," they wrote.

But another said: "He's an idiot for posting every thought that pops into his head on Twitter but what he said is correct."

The council released a statement: "Greenwich Council can confirm that one of its employees who worked as a tourism officer has been dismissed.

"The reason for this dismissal is that the individual brought the council into disrepute and breached the council's rules of conduct.

"The individual has the right to appeal against this decision."

It's that time of year again and here at Satellite Dishes we have been hearing lots of rumblings as to who will be the chefs competing in the next series.

This will be the seventh series of the BBC 2 show which has seen top chefs win to cook for the Queen on her 80th birthday, a banquet to be held at the Gerkin in London, hosted by Heston Blumenthal, a celebratory dinner for British troops returning from Afghanistan and last year a feast for sharing with the community.

This year, we believe the theme to encompass being the best that you can be and throw in an Olympics element to coincide with London 2012 games.

The chefs taking part so far...

Northern Ireland
Chris Bell - River Room restaurant, Galgorm Resort and Spa
Chris Fearon - Deanes at Queens Head, Belfast
Niall McKenna, James Street South, Belfast

South West
Simon Hulstone - The Elephant, Torquay
Nathan Outlaw - Restaurant Nathan Outlaw, Rock, Cornwall
Paul Ainsworth - Paul Ainsworth at Number 6, Padstow

Judge: Tom Kerridge, Hand & Flowers, Marlow

Central
Daniel Clifford - Midsummer House, Cambridge
Paul Foster - Tuddenham Mill, Suffolk
Aktar Islam - Lasan, Birmingham

Judge: Glynn Purnell, Purnell's, Birmingham

London & South East
Tom Aikens - Restaurant Tom Aikens, London
Phil Howard - The Square, London
Marcus McGuinness - Hibiscus, London

Judge: Jason Atherton, Pollen Street Social, London

North West
Aiden Byrne - The Church Green, Lymm
Johnny Mountain - the English Pig, London
Simon Rogan - L'Enclume, Cartmel

Scotland
Alan Murchison - L'Ortolan, Reading
Mark Greenaway, Hawke & Hunter, Edinburgh
Colin Buchan - York & Albany, London

Wales
Stephen Terry - Hardwick, Abergavenny
James Sommerin - the Crown at Whitebrook, Monmouth

North East
Stephanie Moon - consultant chef

Firefighters are tackling a blaze at the Hilton Hotel Park Lane, London, forcing the evacuation of guests and staff, including Black Eyed Peas singer Will.I.Am.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) was called to the five-star Mayfair hotel just after 1845 BST, according to the BBC.

Sports journalist Sam Cunningham (@samcunningham), who was among those forced to flee the building, has been live tweeting as events unfolded.

He said at around 2030 BST: "I'm hearing it was caused by a generator on this lower roof. Contained. Could be hours before people let back in."

Around 1,500 people were evacuated from the building while at least four pumps and 20 firefighters tackled the blaze.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage and there have been no reported casualties.

A number of Twitter users have posted photos, including Cunningham (above left) and Lucy O'Dwyer (@LucyODwyer - photo below, taken from a Windows 7 phone):

UPDATE: 2230 BST: Fred Sirieix (@fredsirieix1), general manager of Galvin at Windows - the Michelin-starred restaurant and bar on the 28th floor of the London hotel, said on Twitter: "All ok here on Park Lane. Thank you."

A few minutes later, the London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire), announced on Twitter: "We believe the fire at the Park Lane Hilton is now out but are still checking the hotel's ducting just to make sure." 

The Great British Menu 2011 hits our TV screens again in a few months and as ever we are keen to find out which chefs are taking part.

** Confirmed: new series of Great British Menu starts Monday 4 April, 6:30pm, BBC2 http://bit.ly/hgau2q **

This is the sixth series of the show, and rumours flying around over the past few weeks on Twitter and forums as to the format this year and with the help of Caterer's forum, Table Talk we can start to reveal the line-up and the format for the show.

The format this year is to focus on communities and sharing - think street party - but chefs will still have to cook four courses. 

This series of The Great British Menu is working with The Big Lunch, a community street party initiative which encourages communities to get together one day in the summer. Street parties will be held all over the country on Sunday 5 June 2011. If you want more information go to The Big Lunch website.

The final dinner will take place down the cobbled streets of Leadenhall Market in London. 

Chefs taking part this year are: 

North West

Lisa Allen - Northcote, Lancashire

Jason Birkbeck - The Samling Hotel, Windermere

Johnnie Mountain - The English Pig, London

Judge: Marcus Wareing, Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley, London

WINNER: LISA ALLEN

South East

Tom Kerridge - Hand & Flowers, Marlow

Tom Aikens - Restaurant Tom Aikens, London

Phil Thompson - Auberge du Lac, Hertfordshire

Judge: Jason Atherton, Pollen Street Social, London

North East

Tim Bilton - The Butcher's Arms, Hepworth

Andrew Pern - The Star Inn, Harome

Stephanie Moon - consultant chef

Judge: Nigel Haworth, Northcote, Lancashire

WINNER: ANDREW PERN

Ireland

Chris Bell - The Longridge Restaurant, Preston

Brian McCann - Shu, Belfast

Chris Fearon - Deanes at Queens Head, Belfast

Judge: Richard Corrigan, Corrigan's Mayfair, London

WINNER: CHRIS FEARON

South West

Andre Garrett - Galvin at Windows, London

Paul Ainsworth - Number 6 Restaurant, Padstow

John Hooker - Browns Hotel, Tavistock

Judge: Michael Caines, Gidleigh Park, Devon

Scotland

Tony Singh, Oloroso, Edinburgh

Michael Smith, The Three Chimneys, Isle of Skye

Philip Carnegie, Inverlochy Castle, Fort William

Judge: Alan Murchison, 10in8 Fine Dining Group

Midlands

Richard Bainbridge - Morston Hall, Norfolk

Aktar Islam, Lasan, Birmingham

Sue Ellis, Belle House, Pershore, Worcestershire

Judge: Glynn Purnell, Purnell's, Birmingham 

Wales

Hywel Jones - Lucknam Park, Nr Bath

Gareth Jones - Bodesgallen Hall, North Wales

Aled Williams, Plas Bodegroes, Gwynedd

Judge: Angela Hartnett, Murano, London

Restaurateurs beware. It is no longer enough to provide great service and fab food to give diners a great experience. Apparently some guests require instructions on how to eat it.

A Miami doctor is sueing a restaurant for not teaching him to eat a vegetable: an artichoke to be precise.

Arturo Carvajal says he was hospitalised after eating an entire grilled artichoke at a branch of Houston's in north Miami and is now seeking $15,000 (£9.450) for pain and medical expenses.

Apparently it was Arturo's first time eating the vegetable and he didn't know he was only supposed to eat the fleshy meat on the leaves.

Glenn Viers, vice president of the chain, told businessinsurance.com that while it is difficult to make light of a situation where a guest ends up in hospital, "it's just kind of a silly notion" that the company has a duty to post warnings against someone eating an entire artichoke.

"What's next? Are we going to have to post warnings on our menu they shouldn't eat the bones in our barbeque ribs?" he added.

We all know the last couple of years have been tough for trade.

But while most casual dining restaurants have gone down the discount voucher route to drum up footfall there's one Arizona eatery that is literally giving its grub away - but only if you weigh more than 25 stone.

The Heart Attack Grill, home of flatliner fries and the quadruple bypass burger (pictured), is doing its bit to encourage the morbidly obese one-step closer to giving the bucket an almighty boot.

If you don't qualify for the free food yet, a few trips to the diner will no doubt get you there in no time.

Diet drinks are strictly unavailable.

Customers are given surgical gowns to wear as they tuck in to the calorie-laden grub delivered by wairtresses dressed as nurses.

Blair Rivers, who at 46 stone almost qualifies twice for the free food, has been signed up to star in an advert for the unusual offer.

The restaurant, which boasts the tagline "taste worth dying for" is run by former nutrionist Jon Basso who used to head up a Jenny Craig weight loss diet centre. Clearly when some people fall off the wagon, they fall very, very hard.