Trade hits back at TV chef's pub food criticism

Celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott has been fiercely criticised by the trade after he said the standard of food in pubs "let Britain down".

The chef (pictured)​, who is famous for his antics on hit cookery show Ready, Steady, Cook, said: "Pubs let us down but most of us have a good restaurant down the high street".

The remark made in an interview for commuter paper Metro has sparked anger from the industry and television chef Anthony Worrall Thompson has challenged Ainsley to taste some award-winning pub food.

Pub food fan Mr Thompson, who is also president of the Campaign for Real Food, said: "It's true that there are pubs serving dreadful food - badly prepared, poor quality, boil-in-the-bag rubbish, but there are also pubs dotted around the UK which are committed to and passionate about real food.

"Pubs which are accredited members of the Campaign for Real Food serve fresh, natural food which is prepared on their own premises. We would be delighted to take Ainsley to one of our accredited members' pubs and let him judge for himself."

Food plays an important role in the success of a pub's business and, according to The Publican's Market Report 2001, a survey of more than 1,000 licensees, 49 per cent say hot food is of increasing importance to their trade - second only to soft drinks.

Many pubs have made a feature of their food and use it to offset a declining drinks trade - especially where drink-drive laws are a factor - to give people a reason for driving to the pub.

Bronya Fitzsimmons, licensee of the Knockedown Inn in Carsington Water, Derbyshire, said she was offended by the chef's comments.

"I totally disagree," Mrs Fitzsimmons said. "You can get just as good food in a pub as a restaurant and for a better price than you would in a restaurant.

"I'm offended by these comments - we don't just serve basic food such as bangers and mash but we serve a large selection of different meals in our pub and our restaurant as well."

But Georgie Stuart, licensee of The Good Intent in Petersfield, Hampshire, agreed with Ainsley Harriot. She said that while a minority of pubs served good quality food, the majority didn't.

"That's why we are accredited by the Campaign for Real Food, so that customers know that our food is good," she said. "A lot of pubs do serve junk," she added.