Waitrose boss Mark Price revealed a presidential addition to its raft of celeb brand ambassadors last week.

When quizzed about who he had lined up to follow in the footsteps of Delia and Heston, he retorted “Barack Obama”.

No sooner had Retail Week started sketching out images of Barack in the Waitrose kitchen, than Price revealed he was joking.

No wonder. Obama may be able to deal with the wrath of opposition to controversial health bills, but could he put a clementine in a Christmas pudding? We think not.