Michelin-starred celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay wants restaurants to be fined for serving fruit and vegetables out of season.
He says legislation should be brought in to force them to use home-grown, locally-sourced produce rather than having food flown in from all over the world.
Paul Campbell, chief executive of Clapham House Group, backed the idea and said it was a “good aspiration” to have.
But rival chefs accused Ramsay of hypocrisy after it was discovered that 15 unseasonable ingredients – including blackberries, parsnips and fennel – are currently being served at his own restaurants.
Research by various universities suggests that “food miles” are a myth that can mislead consumers. New Zealand lamb, for instance, creates lower carbon emissions than British meat because farmers use fewer fertilisers.
And humanitarian groups warned that farmers in poorer countries could suffer from a ban on imported food.
The Daily Telegraph 10/05/08 page 7
Financial Times 10/05/08 page 3
The Daily Mail 10/05/08 page 37
The Independent 10/05/08 pages 14 & 15
