17 NOVEMBER 2003
Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson will be cooking up a gourmet lunch for George W Bush and Tony Blair at No 11 Downing Street this week during the US president's London visit.

The menu for the event is being kept top secret, but light fare is expected. The two statesmen will be enjoying a state banquet with the Queen at Buckingham Palace the previous evening, and are scheduled for a dinner at the US ambassador's residence later on that day.

President Bush is already familiar with the domestic goddess' tasty recipes – his wife Laura, who will also be a guest at the lunch, included one of her soups as the first course for the presidential Christmas dinner last year. "Laura Bush is a big fan… The first lady has not put forward any suggestions as to what Nigella might cook but she is looking forward to it, absolutely," said a White House spokesman.

Nigella, meanwhile, is no stranger to the kitchen at No 11. Her father, Lord Lawson, lived at the address while he was Margaret Thatcher's chancellor.