Jamie's anti-English rant

Posted by Jane Murphy

Tsk - well, how do you like that? TV chef Jamie Oliver has done the unthinkable and rubbished English cuisine in an interview with a French magazine.

"I found the cooking of the inhabitants of a slum in Soweto in South Africa a lot more diverse than ours," he told Paris Match. "It's true! I'm going to be harsh, but I think a lot of English people's food lacks heart. It's bland."

What's more, Jamie accuses the English of being obsessed with a "culture of alcohol".

"It's nothing to do with famine or war - quite the opposite," he rants. "England is one of the richest countries in the world. The people I'm telling you about have huge TV sets, state-of-the-art mobile phones, cars, and they go and get drunk in the pubs at the weekend - their poverty shows in the way they feed themselves."

So do you agree with Jamie - or does he owe this nation's culinary maestros a huge apology? And what do you think he'll do next? How about bad-mouthing the England cricket team to the Australian press? I wouldn't put it past him...

Picture: Rex Features

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Comments

[j jones]

Whilst our top chefs provide top quality dishes, it's in the homes that cooking is poor.There is a general lack of knowledge or skill. You go abroad on hols & what do you see the Brits eat, burgers pizzas chips When asked about the lacal food all you get as a reply is "oh I don't like foreign food" They won't try or experiment with different dishes

[Fernando]

In fact you, british people, have a lot of great dishes, there should be no doubt. But I still have to agree with Mr. Oliver. I've spent for personal and professional reasons a lot of time in different places of the UK and in fact, averaging, the food quality was quite poor. It's not a matter of the "Know How", nor of the ingredients quality, I'm sure, but as you, british, prefer spending your time in other stuff as enjoying food.
About drinking ... hmmm ... spirituous drinks aren't as bad as Mr. Oliver says, are they?
By the way, Jamie Oliver: Herbs and Spices should accentuate a dish. Please moderate yourself with so much spices!!!
Nice greeting from sunny Spain to everybody!

[Howard]

Why anyone listens to this self-serving fool is beyond me. He was the one who in his early days berated anyone who bought food from a supermarket and then made millions advertising Sainsburys - even though his wife has been photgraphed coming out of Morrisons! The man should keep his semi-literate mouth shut.

[Cornwall]

He's got a point... then again I'm drunk so what do I know?

[elaine]

this t.t cant even speak english with that god awful bloody lisp does anybody understand anything he says plus his over use of the word pukka.....

[.......]

What an idiot... what about roast dinners? stews? tomato soup? fish and chips? sure they may be simple but they taste nice. it makes us unique what does he want? us to become another france? (lord no) i live in spain and they dont appriciate food here! tapas is the nicest meal you can get here (if you call it a meal) the rest is greasy and the meat is thin. and even though it is a country with more fresh veg but the veg you get in restaurants are all from tins and are disgusting!! now thats lazy! my mum is a chef and shes really big on food preparation... she thinks it is the best part of cooking.. agree with the alcohol thing but we're not the only country that drink! its just in spain and italy and such they drink gradually so there isn't much public drunkness (saying that i know some spanish (younger generation) that drink like the british....

[Stan Still]

I have always thought Oliver was a complete dipstick, he is a jumped up individual who has no formal qualifications, who thinks he is better than he really is. If he doesn't like it here, clear off somewhere else, your cooking isn't that good that we need you here.

[Paul]

jamie oliver is a complete and utter t**t, he has no idea at all, he totally screwed up school meals and now he is rubbishing the British cuisine, the same cuisine he cooked in his uncles pub, what a ****.

[richard Matthews]

Unfortunately he is right, I like many of my British colleagues travel a lot for business and it is clear that we do not value food in the same way that other countries do. It seems that to a lot of people in the UK food is merely an energy source and not something to be celebrated or for that matter enjoyed. Most European countries spend a much greater % of their income on food than we do in the UK, with all the consequences that brings. We need to start valuing our own food culture as there is some very good British food, however finding it is not easy!!

[Johnny Slapper]

Although I don't agree with moaning about the english to the french, I do agree with his opinion on our food. And it's equally english to get in a huff about it and stamp our feet.

As for the whole alcohol thing, I couldn't have put it better myself. When you ask someone "what are you doing this weekend?" and the only thing they can respond with is "I'm getting s**tfaced" then yes, perhaps there's a problem...

To respond to what Andy Steer had to say about walking down the high street at the weekend.. in all honesty... I'd rather not. I work with enough gibbering idiots as it is, let alone spending my free time with gibbering strangers who may or may not stab me. OI OIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII *shudder*

[Daniel]

Of course he's right.
if you look past just being patriotic and hating red heads (which we're the only country to do so), and admit it, you'd see we dont have a food culture as a country, there's good cooks, but others countries have really good cuisine, we have fish n chips, thats about it. we're not a good food country, we just cook to stay alive, and if you don't admit that everyone is obsessed with alchohol, to the point at where people see it as weird to not drink it, your blind, on majority, most of the country are drug addicts

[Andy steer]

I am 24 and a chef myself, i agree with jamie oliver..he is just saying what alot of people are thinking, traditional english food is crap, there is nothing wrong with criticing your own country, as for the english being a nation of drinkers, just walk down the high street on the weekend and you will get your answer.

[Julian Davies]

I am a chef of over forty years and have travelled to many countries around the world whilst I was in the forces and I agree with Jamie Oliver, as opposed to the cuisine of many other countries ours is very unexciting and there are so many ready meals consumed these days as well as gallons of alcohol. As for Gordon Ramsey, dont like him and never have and never will, arrogant, foul mouthed.
Go Jamie I am behind you all the way.

[ian]

who does this idiot think he is, how dare he criticise the way us real brits live.Surely isnt it up to the individual what they do with there money,some of us work 50-60 hours a week for our little luxuries, not like this idiot whos own waistline has increased to go with his £25 million in the bank PRATT!

[london]

Gosh, and he calls himself a British chef. He does not know what happens in his country! I don't agree a bit with him, except the part that English people tend to drink too much.

[Paul]

I dont know what the fuss is about, every country in the world referes to how bad the foo in the UK is, and although i would like to be loyal to the UK i have to agree, you only need to look on the shelves in asda to see how many ready meals are sold.

we have the lasiest people on eart when it comes to foo preperation, i trael all over the world and our food is awful in comparison, except possibly Holland.

Except roast beef what do we cook, pies fishnchips god help us

What is Jamie on about! we cook loads of great food. And why doesn't he mention the mega rich? us normans have hardly any money yet work hard for it. we deserve to have fun and if that involes alcohol so what. my advice Jamie: get a life and come down off your extremly high horse. and i agree with charlie, go Ramsey!

[Charlie]

Shut up Jamie! You made your point when you ranted and raved about the English school meals! Everyone hated you for that, but to dis your own country it just plain stupid! Now you've annoyed everyone, i'm going to annoy you! GO RAMSEY, YOU DA BAST!