While many comedians stood up to cancer as part of Channel 4’s fundraising extravaganza, a select audience sat down above a pub to raise money for the no less worthy cause Médecins Sans frontières.

As it turned out this was actually comedy “sans” frontman, as Bedford’s own mighty urban warrior, Simon Munnery, had double booked himself to spend the evening in his own latest concept anti-restaurant, where they serve pastichios, apparently (like pistachios but not as good).

So much was revealed by way of an apologetic non-live link-up complete with fridge magnet animation and some very silly singing.

But while Munnery un-dined in the capital, his Brighton audience enjoyed a taster menu of comics, Julie Jepson and Joe Wells proving themselves worthy challengers to the main dish, while Chris Coltrane and Paul Jones both needed a little more time in the kitchen.

Then, as if wheeling on a dessert trolley lit with sparklers, the kind management produced Marcus Brigstocke, fresh from the Corn Exchange and with enough time before the train home to pull off a deliciously crowd-pleasing last half hour.

Even without a contribution from Munnery in the flesh, 5,000 more people in the world will now enjoy access to clean drinking water. Which just goes to show that restaurants aren’t everything.