Justin calls in a favour from Brian at the BL Board which infuriates Martin.

Radio Times: Justin calls in a favour and Pat is offended

Characters: Brian, Helen, Justin, Lynda, Martyn, Pat, Robert

• Pat is looking forward to being in charge of the cooking at the Elms. She is going to make a vegetable stew. Helen is still landing childcare on her parents while she gets ready for her first cheese-making course on Thursday. Only 5 to start with but that is a way of seeing what works. Pat isn’t sure it’s enough for the longer term. It needs to be financially viable. And now she is in the Food and Farming awards they’ll get more publicity.
• Brian isn’t sure that Justin can persuade BL Martin that they don’t need an expanded farmers’ merchants. They need mainstream high-end retail. Profit and footfall. He expects Brian’s full backing – he wouldn’t want his position challenged again. Brian points out it is a pity that Lilian no longer has her shares in the market development. Justin says they’ll have to live with it.
• Lynda and Robert are enjoying a spring day while the rest of the country is covered in snow. Robert tries to convince her that now she has finished with Cider with Rosie, the next books should be the Lord of the Rings. Lynda isn’t keen so Robert suggests the Silmarillion. Lynda agrees she will have a look at it. She does try a chapter or too but isn’t convinced about where the story is going. Robert suggests that that sounds like a complaint but Lynda says no.
• Pat and Helen think about the funeral. It seemed only yesterday that Helen was Nic’s bridesmaid. Pat says it makes her think about John. Pat will have to take over her spare veg casserole to Will. She was surprised that one of the customers thought she needed to add more fruit, herbs and spices. Pat decides she’ll try that version for supper. It turns out that the recipe from the visitor to the Elms was very good. Pat isn’t too pleased at being usurped and suggests it will be interesting if one of the clients at Helen’s cheese class suggests a way to make Borchester Blue better.
• Martin tries to press his view that they need a bigger farmers’ merchant on the market but Justin disagrees and then leaves Brian to make the case. Martin thinks it is just bog standard shopping which Justin points out that that is because it works. Martin assumes Brian is agreeing with Justin because he is in his pocket. Martin loses the vote and takes it out on Brian afterwards. He obviously has no moral standards at all. Justin has almost to break them up physically. Brian is depressed but Justin says it might be the time his fortunes changed.