No love lost actually: Matthew Freud and Hugh Grant in bitter chocolate cake fight at Annabel’s

In one corner, there was London's most influential public relations man, Matthew Freud. In the other, Britain's most bankable film star, Hugh Grant.

The setting was nightclub Annabel's, where some of the capital's glitterati were toasting the birthday of the socialite wife of a billionaire.

The two engaged in an extraordinary spat involving chocolate cake, wine and a thrown punch.

The dispute began after Heather Kerzner, the wife of casino and hotels tycoon Sol Kerzner who was celebrating her 41st birthday, thanked everyone for coming — saying there was "so much love in the room." Her birthday cake bore the words: Love is all you need.''

The party was also a birthday celebration for seven other guests, including Sir Philip Green, Sir Michael Caine, Scott Douglas — Tracey Emin's boyfriend — and shoe designer Patrick Cox.

Unfortunately, love actually didn't happen when Grant, 49, and Freud, 46, squared up to each other.

According to those present, a woman asked Grant if he would like to meet Freud, presumably unaware the two men had known each other for 20 years. The public relations supremo represented the actor when he starred in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Standing close to Freud at the bar, Grant then allegedly used a four-letter word to describe the PR man, saying he had no desire to meet him.

Freud responded by smearing chocolate cake down Grant's shirt. He later told friends: 'I saw a lot of white shirt and before I could stop myself it was all brown.''

After a period of simmering anger, Grant returned to throw a punch at Freud's cheekbone. At some point, a glass of wine was thrown, which ended up over Johnny Gold, former owner of another celebrated nightclub, Tramp.

As others looked on open-mouthed, Freud left the club.

Grant remained, changing into a clean shirt supplied by the club, smiling and chatting to friends, including former girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley.

He brushed off the incident as a minor provocation and told Mrs Kerzner he hoped it had not spoiled her evening. He even posed for photographs with fans. "He was a total gentleman, a 21st century David Niven," said one guest.

Freud later responded with a typical PR move, emailing a photograph of the soiled shirt to friends with the message: "That dress becomes that shirt," referring to the famous moment when Grant escorted Hurley to the premier of Four Weddings wearing her Versace "safety pin" dress.

Freud also told friends: "I'm a pacifist, I only throw cakes, he's a scrapper. There were no heroes last night."

The source of the antagonism remained a mystery today, with suggestions there had been a previous disagreement relating to a mutual friend.

And the events were scarcely typical of the star-studded parties normally thrown by Kerzner and his wife. Last autumn they staged a £15 million bash to launch their new Moroccan resort, during which 5,000 bottles of champagne were drunk by dozens of celebrities flown from all over the globe.

Last year Mrs Kerzner celebrated her 40th birthday at the Dorchester, where guests included the Duchess of York, Hurley and husband Arun Nayar, and Sir Philip Green.