No more so than in the diversity and delight of its food scene. Great restaurants, great markets and great community initiatives flourish across the metropolis. Together, they showcase London’s greatest asset: cultural inclusion.

These are some of the themes celebrated in this fifth edition of London Essays, which Capco, as a proud investor in London, is pleased to support. The collection explores many dimensions of the capital’s food revolution – from school initiatives to the artisanal food movement – while recognising that food in the city is not without its challenges.

There are communities in which kids still arrive hungry at school and others where childhood obesity is commonplace. It would be easy, but ignorant, to see London only as a city of great chefs and unbeatable social experiences. We need to understand and address the needs of the less fortunate around us.

Less than two decades ago, London’s food scene languished in the shadows of Paris and New York. No longer is this the case. London is thrilling as a global destination and inspiration. But we should not be complacent. Progress in our capital requires constant thought and curation, invention and investment. Our determination to deliver this enables change for the better and inspires the magical to happen.