Gordon Ramsay trashes Prince Charles' organic food range
London, Oct 4 : Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has criticised Prince Charles' organic
food range, Duchy Originals, for its salt and sugar content.
In an interview, Ramsay has described the Duchy Originals as over-priced and
boring.
He has accused the Prince of Wales of using his royal lineage to promote sales of his
food, which currently stands has an annual turnover of 50 million pounds.
"I am upset with him. When I looked at his Duchy food I was gob-smacked, amazed and
dumbfounded at what I discovered. Why would anyone pay that much money for one of his
pies? I tried them. Just because it has a stamp and his royal crest everyone thinks it's
fine, but the number of sodiums, and the sugar content, is embarrassing," The Telegraph
quoted Ramsay, as saying.
In fact, Ramsay has met the future king on many previous occasions.
In the interview, he said that the heir to the throne produced "amazing meat, but why
does he process it?"
He added: "I'll tell you why: he wants it to have a longer shelf life. Whose
advantage is that? His. It's boring processed food. I don't think that the Royals should
be producing food like that, even if the profits do go to charity."
Prince Charles launched Duchy Originals in 1992 to promote organic food and farming,
two causes close to his heart. Now, there are more than 200 products sold in a range of
outlets across Britain
And Ramsay, who himself boasts of a personal fortune of 67 million pounds, had tasted
many of the Duchy products and checked their fat and salt content.
"If it was coming from the estate, cooked there, and 24 hours later was in my kitchen,
I would understand. But it is processed," he said.
Andrew Baker, CEO of Duchy Originals said: "Duchy Originals is proud of its commitment
to selling top quality, delicious products made from wholesome, natural ingredients, grown
in a sustainable way.
"We use Soil Association specified organic ingredients as the norm and only natural
flavours and colours. We never use artificial fertilisers or pesticides and our products
do not contain hydrogenated fat.
"We never seek to extend the shelf life of our products by over-processing. A large
percentage of our products, including our sausages, bacon and baked desserts, are
delivered fresh to store on a daily basis."
--ANI
