Jean-Christophe Novelli and Michael Winner's spat was a set up

Kitchen Rat has learnt that the spat between celebrity chef Jean Christophe Novelli and bumptous Sunday Times' restaurant reviewer Michael Winner may have been nothing more than a publicity stunt. JC, not the famous one that walked on water, but the chef who has never been shy of a camera or attracting publicity for his various culinary ventures (NB did anyone see his recent trip across the Andes on Channel Five with a group of celebrity Z-listers?) So rumour has it he set up poor old Winner by inviting a snapper to picture Winner's embarrasment as he was turned away from JC's latest venture at the White Horse gastropub in Harpenden in Hertfordshire. Of course, publicity - whether good or bad - would have been desperately bad for JC's latest culinary opperation, particularly as it's hardly getting great reviews.... see Squaremeal. However, I'm sure there are plenty of restaurateurs who would be pleased to see Winner getting some of his own medecine. Apparently, he once snorted to the general manager at Chewton Glen that some of the guests in the hotel's restaurant were wearing polyester trousers, something he found rather vulgar.