The winner of the 2014 International Epicurean Prize is :

Bhutan

Bhutan has a low standard of living and not everyone would want to go and live there and eat sheep fat. However, it is the only country that makes a genuine effort to secure the happiness of its people as a matter of public policy. Most others concentrate on money and incomes. These are important, but not the only things that matter in life. There are no other countries trying to be Epicurean, and we should encourage them.

So what about the other nominees?

– Finland: Finland is an excellent nomination and is a close second to Bhutan. Immigration is small, maybe because of the climate, and it does not share the political problems of other European countries. However, it does have one big drawback: it is right next to Russia and was historically part of the Russian empire. Anyone living anywhere near Putin has to be nervous.

– Denmark: In Europe there is a lot of publicity about the French National Front and the British UKIP, but like the other West European countries, Denmark is not a happy nation, and the cause is immigration. The word “ghetto” and warnings of a threat to “Danish values”, are now heard routinely in political and popular debate. Since 2008 the government has tried to crack down on bogus marriages. Denmark is accused of violating human rights.

– New Zealand: has a lot going for it. Auckland has recently been voted as one of the world’s most livable cities. But look beneath the surface and there are stories floating round, prior to a general election in the near future, about money inflows and tax evasion by mafias and oligarchs, and allegations of facilitation by corrupt right-wing politicians. Whether they are true or not we have no idea. New Zealand also has problems with the Maoris and Cook Islanders that go back many years.