No-cook classics

Take the heat off dinner with Annie Bell’s ready-in-minutes recipes

My treat growing up was a glass of Robinsons Orange Barley Water at my grandparents’ house.

Robinsons used to sponsor Wimbledon and my grandfather was quite big on the Southwest London tennis circuit and very into the sport. Grandparents get to buy what the grandchildren like, whereas parents have to think about teeth and sugar. My grandparents helped bring me up ‒ they only lived five minutes away and used to pop in every night, and I’d stay with them at weekends.

I once had a glass of wine with the Queen, Bono and Dame Judi Dench.

It was at the Diamond Jubilee in 2012. I went to quite a few functions, including the after-show party for the concert and we all stood in a circle, glass in hand, chatting about how many Union flags there were, what an amazing year it was, and how excited everyone was about the London Olympics. It was all very convivial.

Whisky is my favourite tipple.

I like a peaty one – the Ardbeg Uigeadail is my all-time favourite. I once

When I was 20 I went on a choir tour to Israel where the hotel poured spirits by the inch.

They didn’t do measures, they just poured it by hand. I’d never experienced that before. This lady poured me about an inch of whisky, and being hilarious, I said, ‘Oh, is that all?’ She apologised and poured me another two inches! I got really quite drunk.

The worst hangover I’ve ever had was after my cousin’s wedding in the 90s – it lasted for three days.

I was supposed to be sitting at the family table but the vicar decided at the last minute that he was going to accept his invitation after all, so I got bumped off and sent to sit at the children’s table, even though I was an adult. I was so cheesed off at having to babysit, I thought, ‘Right, I’ll drink then.’ The waiters had a laugh at my expense because they kept filling up my glass every time I emptied it. I must have had about 23 glasses of Blue Nun. I ended up being taken to hospital because I was being sick so much ‒ but they sent me home and said I just needed to sleep it off. I haven’t been able to drink any of those classic 80s German wines since. It was my first experience of getting blasted drunk and I haven’t done it since.

I’d like people to toast me with whisky at my funeral.

One with sea salt in it, from the peaty side of Scotland.

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