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it's the format of the piece. he goes to lunch with interesting people at interesting places and includes what they ate.

That's great and all, but what I really wanted to know is how he used his napkin? Was it folded in a triangle in his lap or a rectangle...gasp, did he use one at all?!

Superfluous information is superfluous information.

That said, I still skimmed it for the bits and pieces I found interesting.

As part of the format, the magazine pays except in one of the articles where the interviewee insisted on paying.

My understanding is that it is the norm in journalism for the interviewer to pay for the meal, when an interview is conducted over one.

I can think of a few reasons for this, but the ethical one (avoiding the appearance of bribery etc.) seems by far the most obvious and important.

The bill is fascinating!

The FT is always supposed to pay; if somehow it didn't, you can expect the piece to say so.

The tip is grouped together with tax, not separately enumerated.