Half past five. Closing time for most shops on Market Square. If you’re meandering to Tesco after a late lecture, chances are you’ll be greeted by the sight of waitresses, waiters and shopkeepers wrestling with black bags. Unfortunately, these bags often contain food which is perfectly edible. A lot of Durham cafes and bakeries prepare fresh food every morning and then discard the leftovers as the day draws to a close. Supermarkets are also guilty of possessing the same ‘bin happy’ mentality. Food has to be thrown out if it’s past its sell by date, even if it’s fine to consume in reality.

As students we generally want to save up the cash rather than splurging on expensive food all the time. In the supermarket, I guess most of us think more about having to rush to the next lecture rather than launching into complex ponderings about the ethical implications of our food selection. In the same way we can flick over from harrowing images on the news at ten and be laughing about Monica’s cornrows on ‘Friends’ in a matter of seconds, we can munch on the delights of a Yorkie bar without considering how it is made or who has been exploited in making it…

Molecular gastronomy has become a worldwide sensation since its birth in the 1980s. But is it doomed to failure- attacked in the current economic environment for being too extravagant, and almost fetishising food with dishes that simply display the chef’s technological creativity?

Victoria Raimes samples the Spanish delights of new restaurant La Tasca…