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AIBU?

Has Jamie Oliver sold his soul?

169 replies

ABaconAndOnionTart · 16/09/2013 20:28

Okay, I know this has been done to death but, Jamie Oliver advocates higher welfare meat, and yet is cooking chicken wings in his budget programme. Can't remember seeing free range or organic wings for sale unless attached to the bird! aibu thinking his message is forget the morals to save money?

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Hullygully · 17/09/2013 14:29

weeping at "fat tongued cunt"

Calloh · 17/09/2013 14:37

Oh my god. This is really horrible. I don't get all the vitriol at all.

Surely he's trying to help? He could do nothing, just rake in the money from his books and merchandise but he's not. He is trying to actually help with recipes on the cheap. Fine, they might not be the cheapest recipes in the world but are they really targeted at those in real need? (who definitely should have as much help as possible) I thought this book was for anyone who felt their food bill had gone up loads over the past few years and wanted to being it down. How is that malevolent?

He's just a bloke who is good enough at what he does that he's made a mint - good for him and who now tries to be helpful while still making money. What is wrong with that?

There are loathsome people in the world, even on telly but he is not one of them. On the other hand I heard today an account of Roman Polanski's rape of a 13 year old and it made me feel entirely sick to my core.

Hullygully · 17/09/2013 14:38

I don't mind him I don't think

I'm not sure Roman Polanski has a place here, can't you just use the Nazis like everyone else?

YouTheCat · 17/09/2013 14:42

If he kept his big stupid opinions to himself, I think people would view him in a much more positive light.

I didn't know that the mums who were passing through burgers to their kids, during the whole school dinners rubbish, did it because they weren't being fed at school because they had cocked up amounts of food but I'd say it was fair enough. The fact that JO's little PR wagon sought to twist that to their advantage in a 'look at these awful women who don't want to feed their kids healthy food' way, just makes him look like an even bigger twat.

SeaSickSal · 17/09/2013 14:43

I made his brisket recipe for 3 people. It cost £8 for the meat alone and with the other stuff I reckon about £16.00. Which is over a £5.00 each.

Not cheap.

Calloh · 17/09/2013 14:43

Fat tongued cunt is grim. It would be grim applied to anyone ever. Macroglossia.

Yes Hully I shouldn't have brought in Roman Polanski, it was irrelevant but it was such difficult listening this morning that it kind of crept in.

Hullygully · 17/09/2013 14:44

That's what Roman said

MortifiedAdams · 17/09/2013 14:44

He has a cooking skills workshop running at a local attraction (its a permanent fixture), meant to advise those who cant cook / low income etc. Trouble is, it is set in an attraction that costs £15 entry, and has no public transport links nearby.

Idiot.

Hullygully · 17/09/2013 14:44

"Fat tongued cunt" is fabulous.

I love it.

Pootles2010 · 17/09/2013 14:45

But wouldn't £8 of brisket meat do way more than 3 portions, so the idea is to have lots of leftovers? Haven't seen recipe, but we use brisket loads, it is cheap as beef goes. Lentils/pasta obviously cheaper mind...

MortifiedAdams · 17/09/2013 14:46

The recipe was for six people and meant to use half the joint, and the other half used in a fried rice dish.

So £4 for the meat for that dish and between six people

YouTheCat · 17/09/2013 14:46

I'd expect some left from £8 worth of brisket but I'm not sure it would be enough to get a decent meal out of.

BoffinMum · 17/09/2013 14:49

Calloh, if he is trying to help, why all the publicity? And why all the fudging of facts? As people have said, in Spain there is a much more discreet but universal effort by leading chefs.

And in the UK other people do what he is doing but as amateurs and completely for free. Yet the cult of celebrity prevails and now people think you need a £28 pork joint to eat cheaply. This has undermined our collective efforts to spread the word about budget cookery.

I despair.

AmberLeaf · 17/09/2013 14:53

I used to really like him, I still do like his cooking style, it's the sort of food Id like to eat etc.

But this latest thing has put me right off him.

It isn't about trying to help poorer people, its deriding them and fanning the flames of the 'it's their own fault' brigade.

Calloh · 17/09/2013 14:54

Boffin I know that you know far more about this than I do. And I totally agree it is ridiculous to be suggesting a joint of pork for £28 is cheap.

I just think that he has fame and is trying to use it for the benefit of others as well as himself as opposed to actively courting it for personal gain.

But yes, spreading the wrong message on cheap pork is not good.

AmberLeaf · 17/09/2013 14:57

If he is doing it for the benefit of others, he'd have a blog not be selling his book for £26.

He is making money. which is fine, but be honest.

uggmum · 17/09/2013 15:01

I find him a bit irritating to be honest. But I do have some of his books.

I decided to make his Thai Green Curry the other day. I took the recipe to Sainsburys to buy all the ingredients. I have a reasonable store cupboard at home but some of the ingredients were not run of the mill.

I couldn't get a few of them. For example, lime leaves are not available in your average supermarket. When I had most of the ingredients in my basket it added up to over £16. Yes, £16 for a meal for a family of four.

I put it all back and managed to find a kit to make your own. It had everything in that you needed, except, chicken and rice and it cost £2.60.

It was lovely. I find most of his recipes really expensive and his store cupboard is full of random products that most people do not have.

PaulSmenis · 17/09/2013 15:02

Jamie sandwiches?

He's a bit of a twat. It's good to eat healthily obviously, but he is such a preachy fucker. I just end up thinking "Piss off Jamie, I'll eat what I like thanks".

I think he's just out to make as much money as he can. His idea of eating on a budget is a bit out of touch isn't it.

Snatchoo · 17/09/2013 15:05

Don't like him, don't hate him.

whois - you posted "I think £3.40 per portion for pork shoulder is really good."

Really? I bought a pork shoulder for £4.50 last week and fed 5 of us for two meals. I think THAT'S good value!

limitedperiodonly · 17/09/2013 15:08

How much would you pay for Jamie Oliver's soul?

LayMizzRarb · 17/09/2013 15:26

Loving 'fat tongued cunt' Perfect.

He is always so bloody pleased with himself.

Feta cheese 5p a portion? TWAT.

The advice to the granny who throws away loads of bread (and to all the others with packed fridges) - Don't buy so fucking much in the first place. She obviously had an obsession with buying the stuff. - Hows about looking in the fridge before you go shopping?

expatinscotland · 17/09/2013 15:30

I got deleted for calling him similar, Hairy, but I agree.

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mignonette · 17/09/2013 15:30

UggMum

You mean there weren't lime leaves available in your local park? I think Jamie's local park must be Kew Gardens.

JustBecauseICan · 17/09/2013 15:41

Were you deleted when he was doing his annual publicity spot on MN to coincide with the launch of a new series webchat recently, Expat? By any chance?

BoffinMum · 17/09/2013 15:48

There's another big question, and that is why everything to do with UK food has to be merchandised, involve the purchase of special utensils, be celebrity endorsed or otherwise fiddle faddled about with. As Frank Skinner said once, 'it's only getting a bit of dinner on'.

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