Scran: Food in the North

I think it was some time in the 1990s, perhaps around the zenith of New Labour or when a fresh-faced Jamie Oliver first appeared, when a notion took root that British people would all be healthier, happier and generally more relaxed if they simply adopted a Mediterranean-style food culture, sat around chatting noisily to friends while sipping espressos and eating spaghetti al pomodoro and bruschetta drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. Taken al fresco, naturally.