Jamie's latest stand

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Posted at 11:02AM, 29 August 2008 by Graham Holliday - blogger

'Sleb chef Jamie Oliver went on the offensive this week. His target - British food and British people. In an interview with Paris Match, the Naked Chef pronounced us as "drunks with diets worse than those found in the poorest slums of Soweto... I found the cooking of the inhabitants of the slum in Soweto in South Africa a lot more diverse than ours. It's true! I'm going to be harsh, but I think a lot of English people's food lacks heart. It's bland."

Jamie Oliver's attack was also about lifestyle, the lack of a proper diet and how he thinks people waste their money on buying "huge TV sets - a lot bigger than mine" when they should care more about what they put inside their stomachs.

All of which no doubt went very well in France, where this article was published, as he did his bit to help reinforce French stereotypes, while promoting the idea of a new TV show he is planning about French food.

What passes as British food is often bland, a bit of a health hazard and more often than not microwaved.

However, he's more right than wrong. What passes as British food is often bland, a bit of a health hazard and more often than not microwaved, but as Oliver well knows from his school dinners work it's a result of a wide variety of factors - basic health education, availability of fresh produce, price, time and priorities.

In a Soweto slum like Kliptown, it's probably not that easy to nip down to the supermarket and buy a bag of Turkey Twizzlers or a cellophane wrapped chicken biryani. There's no refrigeration for a start. Fresh food, some of it still alive and kicking, has always been the main option in hot places lacking electricity. If you build up a taste for fresh food from a very young age it is more likely to stay with you. Regardless of whether you come from a Soweto slum or chav central Croydon, you'd be able to taste the difference and make a judgement based on taste. Sadly, for most of us Brits that just never happened. We often have to relearn how to taste.

As Jamie says: "In the past British cuisine was similar to Italian cuisine nowadays, without the pasta and risotto. Steam cooking, grilled meat, herbs, spices - we used to cook fabulous dishes. It's all in the past! Unlike French people, and I regret it, we lost our traditions."

There is hope though. Even Gordon Ramsay says he only learned to taste at a later age...

Comments

Nicola

29 August, 12:00PM
Nicola

I think you're right. In mediterranean countries the lunch breaks can be 4 hours long so you have plenty of time to go to the local market, prepare a fresh meal and enjoy with the family. You just can not buy ready made meals in some parts, except maybe for a frozen pizza. Life revolves around food and the thought of skipping lunch due to work is unheard of. They put more importance on sitting down as a family and having a hearty meal each day. Plus, the fresh meat, fish, veg and fruit are very well priced and it is still the custom to buy fresh each day from local sources.

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James

29 August, 12:31PM
James

He's right. I don't have a TV - and don't miss it. The land of Much Foodington is far more interesting.

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James

29 August, 5:18PM
James

Having said that, the other day I cooked for a family of three generations and the children (age 4 - 9) had the same as the adults - crab salad, duck with cherries and lemon tart and it was lucky there wasn't a pattern on the plates or that would have been eaten as well - so there is hope.....

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niamh

30 August, 7:50PM
niamh

in all fairness the nation we live in today has become lazy. im 20 years of age and have been rared up the same way as every other child breakfast, lunch, tea,supper and sweets or crisps when were peckish. is it too much effort in the morning to get up half an hour earlier and make a decent breakfast?? or prepare a healthly lunch the night before work?? working late what is wrong with grabbing an apple or some other fruit while the dinner is cooking. people now don't want the hassle its got nothing to do with time theres 24 hours in a day you only need 8-10 for a proper nights sleep. with this credit crunch people may want to think about what they are buying, turning tv's off to save electricity bills and getting out and being more active. i agree with jamie oliver british people are more interested in how much drink they can put away at the weekend than caring about how much junk there putting in their bodies

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J Hop

31 August, 7:05PM
J Hop

Jamie isso right about the dreadful state of the average British diet. So many people use the excuse of lack of time as they tuck into thier ready meals but real food made from fresh ingredients, like mum and grandma used to make for you are so much better. My kids love fresh vegetables either raw or cooked and the school lunches provided at school are definitely improving as a result of Jamie's efforts. Please keep up the good work Jamie

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Jackie Jones

1 September, 10:21AM
Jackie Jones

Whilst I agree with some of the comments made perhaps we should also look at other reasons why some people find it harder to shop for local cheap products. If farmers/fishermen had been encouraged to produce seasonal food at realisitic prices instead of being given quotas to fulfill, the British Isles could afford to be more sustainable. What has happened to our orchards? Obliterated due to cheaper produce being brought in from other countries. If other european countries can produce and sell local produce, so can we and this is what should be available in our supermarkets/markets. Go to France and look at what they have available - very little from other countries, their farmers are supported by government and the local population - ours are not!

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Emily

1 September, 2:29PM
Emily

I think this is a bit unfair because alot of people are do make the effort to cook at home and people are becoming alot more adventurous in the kitchen! Im in my 20's and have brought about 3 ready meals in 2 years! I try to cook healthy meals but with ingrediants that are easy to use and don't take ages to prepare. I think that people are making the effort to cook more and alot of people are very passionate about cooking! There is little point focussing on the negatives and we should be looking for the positives in British cooking!

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MrPotatoHead

2 September, 5:43PM
MrPotatoHead

Perhaps it would help if we all started by buying more British produce in the first place ?? Why then, when our farmers are out harvesting British spuds at the moment, are Asda selling German potatoes in their Inspire premium baking potato packs ??? Surely they can't use the excuse of availability when you can get them from down the road.

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Belit

2 September, 7:59PM
Belit

I'm not British and don't live in the UK, so what do I know about the British diet really... But Jamie Oliver is an international phenomenon, and I agree with him that it's serious that people don't spend time and money cooking proper family meals anymore. However, I fear he's only able to reach out to the already salvaged souls - like people who care enough to actually write comments on a website like this one. Who believes his lashings gets any attention in the households where kids get chips for dinner every day? Anyone who can cook knows it doesn't take more time and isn't much more difficult to make a fresh, nutritious meal than combining and heating the contents of 2 or 3 tins, but for someone who never cooks that's almost impossible to believe. So there it is. I think basic cooking and nutrition skills should be taught throughout school. (Maybe it is in the UK, what do I know?!) That would make a difference.

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Ant

3 September, 1:17PM
Ant

I think it's definately a bit unfair to generalise and paint us all with the same brush! I'm only 28 so have been brought up in the era of 'convenience foods' yet still cook food from scratch (or use up leftovers) every night. This is while working 10hr days in the city - so no-one can say they are too busy to cook! Perhaps is it just laziness stopping most people, but if you really understand the taste of good food you'd never eat ready meals or take aways again.

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debbie

3 September, 8:38PM
debbie

I agree its unfair to paint everyone with the same brush, we are not all drunks and eat bad food. I like to eat well and most evenings produce a meal cooked from scratch, using local produce wherever possible. I think basically there is a cnba (cannot be arsed, sorry can I use that word) attitude and when you arrive back home from work after a hard days slog it is the easier option to open a jar of rubbish. Who isn't guilty of using these on the odd occasion? For me spending a rare afternoon pottering about in the kitchen creating dishes to freeze or baking stuff is a great stress buster and I think maybe if more people allowed themselves to get into the kitchen and really taste the food they'd made they would be less keen to reach for the frozen ready meal section.

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StormyRaincloud

5 September, 10:28AM
StormyRaincloud

I have 7 children, and still find time to make a decent home cooked meal from scratch most nights. I find it therapeutic, I love cooking and my kids will mostly eat anything that is put in front of them, because that is how they have been bought up. However, I would find it much easier to give them more fresh food (I mostly use frozen veg, nothing wrong with it) if decent, healthy, nutritious food was reasonably priced. If I wanted to feed my kids salt laden, fat laden, preservative, colour and artificial flavour full foods, I wouldn't have to spend half as much on my shopping! That is so wrong!

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www.millionimpossible.com

5 September, 10:58PM
www.millionimpossible.com

Yes I think everyone is in agreement our lifestyles have changed. Time is so precious. I try to home cook everything for my children but it is very hard to find the time always, work, travelling, shopping, cleaning...you all know. I love the way Jamie is so outspoken it re awakens us all.

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Sarah

18 September, 8:42PM
Sarah

Its a bit of a damning statement when I am quite confident Mr Oliver hasn't actually visited every home in Britain to check his theory. I certainly don't remember making him a cup of tea. Some families do eat rubbish and there is nothing he, I, anyone else will be able to do to change that. Its just how some people are. We eat excellent food and my 5 year old eats everything thats put in front of him. My SD took the same values away to Uni with her and survived quite well and has at no point suffered from scurvy or similar. I've just taken a loaf of bread out of the oven for tomorrows breakfast and I'll be knocking up another batch to prove before I go to bed. I have work, a house, land, livestock, animals etc but I cook from scratch. Every now and then yes, I buy in a pizza. I assume Jamie NEVER eats out? Thats a shortcut, surely? Oh. And our TV is huge. Size isn't everything, but I think maybe Jamie forgot that. Incidentally Jamie, you are also British. Is your diet bad too?

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