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Original poster

Nigel Slater makes me angry.

214 replies

CatMumsw · 03/08/2021 16:50

Just had to sit through one of his shows with my mum, who really likes him. There's something about his tone of voice, vocabulary choices and even the styling of the cooking programme that makes me want to tear my hair out.

I'm sure he's a nice enough man, but he comes across as a smarmy, self-satisfied twat. Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks this!

OP posts:
Original poster
CatMumsw · 03/08/2021 22:46

Kerridge doesn’t bother me as much- I’m impressed with his weight loss, but don’t care for his food.

TV chef rants are definitely the way forward, though. 🤣

OP posts:
ILoveToads · 03/08/2021 22:48

I think he drives his car on the other side of the road as it were.*
*
Ugh, hate this saying. None of your business. This thread has some awful comments. Fair enough to criticise his writing but not to comment on his sexuality.

StillWeRise · 03/08/2021 22:55

I am sure that this programme is really about Nige In and out of the kitchen
I'm not sure I've ever seen him on TV but I mostly like his recipes...except he does have an annoying habit of sticking unknown ingredients in otherwise perfectly fine recipes, and those unknown ingredients usually turn out to be dead pig.

tsmainsqueeze · 03/08/2021 22:56

I want to live with him and his lovely cat ,potter round his garden and have him make me delicious food with the leftovers in the fridge.

ilovesooty · 03/08/2021 22:56

@Hemingwaycat

He’s the only chef I actually like. Loved the BBC programme a few years ago about his childhood, ‘Toast’ I think.
I enjoyed that too.
longwayoff · 03/08/2021 22:59

I'm not aware that he's done anything dreadful if but I cannot bear him. He looks grubby (sorry Nigel) for a cook, puts me right off and he is also quite patronising and misogynistic in a quietly snarky way. Tom Kerridge, on the other hand, looks like someone who likes food and most people.

Ozanj · 03/08/2021 23:01

He’s lovely in RL. Met him a few times accidentally on UK holidays when we were told ‘James May’ was filming locallyGrin

CharmingScene · 03/08/2021 23:09

I have a friend who met him through work (something arts related), and says he's a nice man. Quite shy, but lovely.

CharmingScene · 03/08/2021 23:09

@Ozanj yes, that echoes what I was told.

KingsOfTheWildFrontier · 03/08/2021 23:11

I really like Nigel Slater, haven't watched him in ages. I liked tbat his recipes were not too difficult for me! Was given his autobiography, need to read it soon.

doorornottodoor · 03/08/2021 23:15

I really disliked him in his autobiography- the way he spoke about his mother, really patronising. Sad

MoltenLasagne · 03/08/2021 23:17

@PresidentJoey

I get him mixed up with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Blush I love Hugh's statement though 'We fall into two broad categories: those who care about food and those who don't'. ❤️
Just realised I have done this too - not sure why!
DoctorSnortles · 03/08/2021 23:19

@chocolateorangeinhaler

I hate the word 'supper' used by grown people at the best of times. Makes me cringe. Ditto 'pudding' he says both. He also has slightly shaky hands and a silly slow motion way of stirring things. He puts me on edge and I don't know why. His recipes are ok though and his books are great.
‘Supper’ is two cream crackers or a biscuit and a cup of tea just before bed. Or it was in the Snortles house when I was growing up.
ScrambledSmegs · 03/08/2021 23:23

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Nigel's Real Food is my most useful and well-splashed cookbook. And I have a lot of cookbooks Blush

One of the 'poncy butchers' used to be my local. Actually it was pretty down to earth, London prices but apart from that just a decent butcher. The only problem was that half the time you'd try to go in and buy some sausages, but you couldn't because Lorraine Pascale* was filming her Christmas special.

  • Yes it was bloody years ago. Yes I'm still bitter. I had to buy Walls from the Londis.
LoveFall · 03/08/2021 23:25

I quite like him too, even though I often feel a tad inadequate after his shows. You know, being a colonial (Canadian) and all.

I find his recipes interesting and his presentation style soothing. I often wish he was cooking for me.

WoodenSpoonsAreGreat · 03/08/2021 23:28

I wish I could go round to his house for tea 😁

(I hope no one ever shows him the mean comments about him on here 🥺)

paddlingon · 04/08/2021 01:15

It could be worse @LoveFall at least you are a high class colonial 😉

You could you know have the misfortune to be a Yank or an Ozzy.

( I'm joking and happily living in USA at present. Although I like getting normal sandwiches when in Canada)

IntermittentParps · 04/08/2021 15:16

Broadly felt the same OP until I watched his travel/cookery show where he travelled around the Middle East. He had genuine warmth and empathy with the people he met and cooked with including being a good guest. Basically he had good manners and it changed my mind.
I loved that show. He really came into his own, having been a bit unrelaxed as a telly presence before.

There's a lot of inverse snobbery on this thread. So what if he can afford a nice house and nice delis? He is from fairly humble beginnings. And he's still not above rhapsodising about a Twix or a cheap sausage bap.

BlithePilgrim · 04/08/2021 18:42

@IntermittentParps

Broadly felt the same OP until I watched his travel/cookery show where he travelled around the Middle East. He had genuine warmth and empathy with the people he met and cooked with including being a good guest. Basically he had good manners and it changed my mind. I loved that show. He really came into his own, having been a bit unrelaxed as a telly presence before.

There's a lot of inverse snobbery on this thread. So what if he can afford a nice house and nice delis? He is from fairly humble beginnings. And he's still not above rhapsodising about a Twix or a cheap sausage bap.

He was actually a thoroughly good egg in that, especially as I’d just been watching a Rick Stein travel show where he had been unbelievably snide about the cooking of some (obviously very poor) Indonesian fisherman’s wife, saying something like ‘I thought she was going to do a bit more than that!’
Moonwatcher1234 · 05/08/2021 15:11

Oh yes Rick stein is so pompous on his trips abroad. And notice how he writes down the recipes of these people who are often quite poor and then sells a souped up version for bucks in his fancy restaurants. I really hope he pays those people something for using their recipes.

luckylavender · 05/08/2021 15:23

I love Nigel Slater. You had the pick of all those obnoxious chefs and you picked Nigel?!

longwayoff · 05/08/2021 15:52

That's a very valid point. In face of the competition he doesn't rate. Forgive me Nigel.

foxandbee · 05/08/2021 16:00

He is lovely. The Christmas Chronicles is a wonderful read in the run up to Christmas.

KarlMaldensNose · 07/08/2021 23:12

I get him Mixed up in my head with Simon Calder, they seem interchangeable to me
I have seen he’s had grubby fingernails when prepping food though

HideousKinky · 07/08/2021 23:14

I make his Christmas cake recipe every year.
It's amazing

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