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鈥淒o you come here often?鈥� is, admittedly, not the best line that a male journalist could use to introduce himself to a group of mostly male fit-out contractors, but I鈥檝e been a little thrown by the surroundings. The Milk and Honey is not a pub and it definitely doesn鈥檛 do pints. Tucked behind an anonymous black door in Soho, it is the type of low-lit, leather-armchaired private members鈥� club that I imagine the local media community does all its best work in. Jon hastily explains: 鈥淚t鈥檚 my wife who鈥檚 a member. I don鈥檛 want to sound too poncy.鈥�

Poncy or not, it is clear that the bar has many attractions. 鈥淭he lights are dark, which hides a lot,鈥� points out Gavin, and apparently if you book it in the afternoons there鈥檚 an honesty bar. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the kind of fit-out contractor we are,鈥� says Greg, although it鈥檚 unclear whether he means they鈥檙e honest or just like to spend their afternoons in unmanned bars.

My second attempt at a gambit fares little better. 鈥淪o who wants a drink?鈥� I ask, not noticing the waiter loitering behind me. It鈥檚 that kind of place.

The pub question I clearly should have opened with was: 鈥淒id you watch the game last night?鈥� Steve is looking mournful, and I sense it may have something to do with England鈥檚 sterling efforts the previous evening to make a game of it against the might of Andorra. 鈥淗ow can they continue to underachieve?鈥� he asks plaintively.

Nobody seems able to provide a satisfactory answer, but Greg is prepared to offer his services to Steve McClaren. 鈥淚鈥檇 probably play 鈥� for 拢3m a year,鈥� he says gallantly. 鈥淗e used to play left back,鈥� explains Steve. 鈥淭o a very high standard,鈥� adds Greg (although it has to be said that he looks a little short of match fitness. It must be the light).

Those who hadn鈥檛 tuned in to the football had caught the evening鈥檚 other big TV event: the first episode in the new series of The Apprentice. Jon set up OD Projects on his own four years ago and has built it into a 拢10m turnover company, so clearly has a bit of an entrepreneurial instinct. Does he see any parallels? No. 鈥淭hey supposedly had the 16 best prospects there and I just thought, 鈥楴o you鈥檙e not!鈥�

鈥淚 could imagine myself as Alan Sugar, though.鈥�

Warming to his theme he adds: 鈥淧icking the team here was a bit like choosing The Apprentice panel. Greg was the steady head.鈥�

Someone slightly undermines Jon鈥檚 description of his team-picking skills by reminding him that they turned up drunk for the interview: 鈥淚 was sober for the second one though.鈥�

And, as if on cue, the waiter reappears to replenish our drinks.