Sad news just in. The family of 76 year old Dave Ploughman have announced that the local gastro pioneer and alcoholic somnambulist passed away peacefully late last night whilst sleep walking down the high street. A very familiar sight in his dressing gown and slippers Dave was for years the landlord of Beckworth’s Blind Badger pub, and it was whilst running the bar and drinking it dry that he invented many wonderful food stuffs we now take for granted. His protege Heston Blumenthal said on hearing the tragic news “The world will be a poorer place without Dave, but his dishes will live on. He invented pork scratchings, dry roasted nuts, scampi in a basket, to name just three but his culinary masterpiece is of course the Ploughman’s Lunch. It was originally just called Dave’s lunch, as he ate every day of his waking life.” holding back the tears he then added “It was Dave that inspired me to get into cooking and for that I will forever be in his debt.” I think I speak for us all when I say that heaven has gained a wonderful snack-making angel in Mr Ploughman. Christine Batley. Chief Deceased Publican Correspondent. Beckworth Guardian

(Above) Dave Ploughman’s signature lunch time dish