Gordon Ramsay has reportedly ordered that chefs should be fined if they serve fruit and vegetables which aren’t in season at the time.
Ramsay claims he has already spoken with Prime Minister Gordon Brown about the food issue, and believes it would cut carbon emissions because less food would be imported.
He told the BBC “I don’t want to see asparagus in the middle of December. I don’t want to see strawberries from Kenya in the middle of March. I want to see it home grown.”
Ramsay added that Britain has become a nation of lazy eaters who would rather follow trends than substance. He also suggests that Britain should make out-of-season produce illegal, saying that there should be “stringent laws” in place.
The public reaction to Ramsay’s suggestion has been quite negative, rather surprising since a lot of people agree with his point but feel he has no right to dictate.
The BBC has published comments from the public such as:
• “Another one jumped on the eco-fascist bandwagon. How about stop telling everyone else what to do and sort out your own personal development areas Gordon? Like, for instance, your inability to be nice or have anything nice to say about anything or anyone?”
• “A ridiculous publicity stunt timed to coincide with his new TV series. I cannot believe the BBC has been taken in by this. His PR Company must be slapping themselves on the back for this one.”
• “Oh yeah lets condemn the poor Kenyan farmer growing strawberries, and all the other producers growing these ‘unseasonable’ ingredients, to a new level of poverty so that we can satisfy some evangelical celebrity chef.”
If Ramsay knew how to speak properly to the media and the public, he would have realised that in this case he was mainly preaching to the converted, but instead he has annoyed everyone and almost turned the public against the idea entirely.
By saying the words “I want” and “I don’t want” has made his point sound more like he is dictating rather than suggesting. Also, by claiming he has gone to the Prime Minister with this idea sort of feels like the equivalent of telling the headmaster, to ensure no-one has the chance to disagree.
It could be seen as unsurprising that a foul-mouthed egocentric person such as Gordon Ramsay would have no idea how to deliver an effective public message, but his comms team, if he even has one, should know better.
Don’t do a ‘Ramsay’, call Media Mentor on 0800 032 1127.
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