Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver: Poor Waste Money on Junk Food, Big-Screen TVs

AFP
August 27, 2013

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TV chef Jamie Oliver has raised hackles by accusing Britain’s poor of splashing out on “massive” televisions and spending money on fast food and ready meals instead of healthy cooking.

Oliver, 38, who has an estimated fortune of £150 million, told the Radio Times magazine: “I’m not judgmental, but I’ve spent a lot of time in poor communities, and I find it quite hard to talk about modern-day poverty.

“You might remember that scene in (his series) Ministry Of Food, with the mum and the kid eating chips and cheese out of Styrofoam containers, and behind them is a massive f***ing TV. It just didn’t weigh up.”

Speaking as he launched his budget cooking show, Jamie’s Money Saving Meals, on Channel 4, Oliver said he wanted to encourage people to shop at local markets and cut down on pre-prepared food.

“The fascinating thing for me is that seven times out of 10, the poorest families in this country choose the most expensive way to hydrate and feed their families. The ready meals, the convenience foods,” he said.

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