Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has a new bee in his bonnet. The man who shot to fame for his school dinners campaign is now championing the cause of chickens. His new programme Jamie's Fowl Dinners aims to convert the nation into eating organic birds and highlight the living conditions of cheap, intensively reared chickens.
The show, which will air on Channel Four on January 11 as part of the channel's special food season, will feature a special gala dinner attended by celebrities and members of the public. During the meal he reveals to his guests some of the ways chicken-related dishes make their way to diners' plates.
"My ambition is to change the 95 per cent of Britain eating standard chicken, to get them to step up to a better-welfare bird," says the passionate chef. Andrew Mackenzie, head of factual entertainment at Channel 4, adds: "Jamie's simple message in an overt way is if you knew the process, how your eggs are produced and what you eat, you would probably buy free-range, organic chickens."
The programme includes a filmed meeting with his sponsor Sainsbury's, which according to Channel 4 is now considering changing its practices. During the food special fortnight fellow chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Gordon Ramsay will also present shows which aim to challenge the public to think before they eat.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
