Celebrity chef Torode calls for better chef education

By Michelle Perrett

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Unilever food solutions Nutrition

Torode: healthy eating campaign
Torode: healthy eating campaign
Celebrity chef John Torode has called on the government to back plans to promote healthy eating with an education strategy for chefs. He argued...

Celebrity chef John Torode has called on the government to back plans to promote healthy eating with an education strategy for chefs.

He argued that possible legislation requiring restaurants and food-led venues to label menus and provide full nutritional information to consumers would be "very difficult" to implement. This is due to the fact most traditional chefs do not have the full training in nutrition, he argued.

Speaking at an event hosted by Unilever Food Solutions, he predicted the market would divide into two types of chef. The traditional chefs, such as himself, who he described as "bloody minded" and "dinosaurs" who are are unlikely to change their approach. And the young chefs who need better education on nutrition and a different set of skills.

Torode said: "Education for the public and industry is paramount.

"People coming up through the ranks now will need a different skill set from what we were trained with. If the Government wants to pass laws like this they have to be able to put the training system in place."

He added: "I think putting the onus on us as operators is rubbish.

"The responsibility has to also be on the consumer. We can take a certain responsibility but if the consumer decides to have a salad and no dressing and then drink two pints of ale its not my fault they are going to get chubby."

Unilever food solutions managing director Tracey Rogers said she thought it was unlikely the government would legislate on the eating out sector and said it was more likely it would insist on a voluntary code. The DoH is expected to release details on its plans at the end of the month.

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