Once again, the numbers were intimate, due no doubt to school holidays and misogyny, but the spirit was great, as were the wines and food.

From the kitchen, Peter Kelso with help from Martin McMurray produced a couple of tasty canapes: olive tapenade on sourdough rounds, and a tuna-based dip served in whitlof boats. Both were largely down to Catherine Kelso and were well received, as were a brace of aperitifs: Tyrrells Old Winery rose, a better example of the drier Oz edition of this style, and the Lustau amontillado sherry, reliably nutty and lingering.

The main course saw a Thai-influenced fish parcel, accompanied by jasmine and steamed asparagus. The parcel contained pink ling pieces with a softly spicy paste made on red onion, garlic and ginger with sesame oil, coconut cream and thai basil, with a hint of green chilis, wrapped in soft lettuce leaves, and baked in foil. Moist and flaky, but not the least mushy, the meal was light and stimulating. So were the wines, a 2010 Giesen sauvignon blanc with a typical but relatively subdued grassy NZ SB palate which went well with the asparagus; and a 2012 Cannoneau di Sardegna, a Sardinian wine made from Grenache grapes and still showing good savoury tannins although starting to tire.

The cheese was once again a beauty, and this time from Australia: a Tarago Shadows of Blue from Gippsland Vic, a lovely soft double-cream blue with mild mushroom notes from the mould and great richness on the palate. It was well served by a 2012 Bourgogne Cuvee St Vincent, still quite soft but with potential for further development , a 2013 Ch de Pizay from Morgon (one of the Beaujolais crus) showing soft but full and juicy berry characters with acid and tannins to balance; and ,especially, a taste of the 2009 Constable botrytis semillon from the Hunter, with intense forward sweetness and a long finish which balanced the richness of the cheese so well. Nashi pears, roasted walnuts and golden raisins were the simple accompaniment.

Coffee was of top quality, as were the 2 types of tea which Spencer Ferrier offered as alternatives (or in addition).