I WAS very sorry to learn that Jamie Oliver’s restaurant chain has gone into receivership. Sorry but not surprised.

Over the past 20 years diners have flocked to ‘celebrity’ restaurants in ever-growing numbers in the belief that the dining experience would be exceptional and maybe... just maybe their chosen ‘celebrity’ would be on hand to share a glass of Veuve Cliquot.

The reality was often very different.

Mrs B and I blew a considerable wad on dinner at one famous celebrity restaurant where the service was so slow we were tempted to phone Dominos for a pizza while we were waiting.

The manager offered all kinds of apologies for the non-existent service but the damage had been done.

We had planned an unforgettable evening and it was... for all the wrong reasons.

Another famous celebrity restaurant offered us a nine-course taster menu at £150 per head.

It was our anniversary and we decided to treat ourselves.

Now, in this case the service was good but the food was... what’s the word?

Invisible.

Yes that’s it.

If I tell you that most of the items presented could have been served on a 10p piece I would not be exaggerating. It was ludicrous.

To be fair the fish course did have about a 50p piece of hake but we were so hungry it went in one forkful.

We never saw a ‘celebrity’ chef at any of the restaurants we visited.

I’m sure they rock up occasionally but I doubt mingling with customers is high on their cash-strapped agenda.

Visiting a ‘celebrity’ restaurant is a novelty that has run its course (notice how I slipped that in?).

The game is up and diners have worked out that the ‘celebrity’ title more often than not means little more than inflated prices.

In the long run it’s all about the total dining experience and the Great British public has discovered that a well-run restaurant with great service and excellent food can be enjoyed without pretence or vastly inflated prices in most local towns and cities.

The kudos of dining at a ‘celebrity’ restaurant has waned.

The genie is out of the bottle and it’s impossible to get it back.

The family owned Italian restaurant that has served people in your local community for generations will continue to do so.

That excellent Chinese restaurant owned and run by Chinese staff passionate about their food will still attract diners from all over the city.

These restaurants don’t rely on anything but their excellence and the relationship they enjoy with their customers.

Restaurants don’t need a ‘celebrity chef’ to thrive they just need to be outstanding at what they do.

SHOULD WE HAVE A PEOPLE’S VOTE?

Let me say right from the off I was a firm Remainer in the Brexit debate until Mr Cameron returned from his grand tour of European capitals. Our then Prime Minister went in search of some small concessions to acknowledge EU leaders understood our concerns.

A coming together if you will.

I did not expect our PM to return empty-handed but he did and the arrogance of that take it-or leave it attitude influenced my final vote.

Like millions of others I was astonished when the result was finally announced and the majority of voters chose to leave.

The UK had 44 years of experience of being part of the European Union and clearly the majority were not impressed.

After four decades the British people decided to leave. Just like general elections it was a first past the post race and the majority chose to leave.

That’s democracy as I understand it.

I’m not saying it’s the right or wrong decision simply that it was the result.

Now there are various proposals to hold a ‘people’s referendum’ and I’m confused.

Isn’t that the one we had in 2016 or was that one for goats, pigs and other farmyard animals?

If so I slipped up.

I thought I was one of those ‘people’ but apparently not.

In any event whatever the pros and cons we had a referendum, the majority vote was to Leave.

That was the ‘people’s vote’ so if there is to be another referendum can we give it a more honest title like ‘people who didn’t like the result’s vote.’ At least that way we will all know what it’s about.

Oh yeah, one more point, if this second referendum does take place can we decide what happens if the other side wins by a small margin.

Do we do it all over again or do we have best of three or maybe five or just keep going until everybody agrees?

Who said democracy was dead?

By Guardian columnist Vic Barlow