Jamies Fowl Dinners: Jamie Oliver Interview

Forget about School dinners, Jamie Oliver is on a new crusade. In his new show, Jamies Fowl Dinners the naked chef will be investigating the life and death of chickens sold cheaply in our local supermarket.

In this interview, Jamie shares what he hoped to achieve by taking part in the show, and some of the shocking facts that all us meat eaters should know.

Why are you making this programme? What do you hope to achieve?

As far as I can see, the British poultry industry is at an incredibly vulnerable point right now and if we don’t start making changes, like shopping differently, we might not have a poultry industry in 20 years time.

In terms of what I hope to achieve, I think if even a small percentage of people watching were informed and decided to shop differently as a result, then that would make a real difference. Some of the people in the audience at the filming were shocked enough to want to change their shopping habits so I’m hoping some of the viewers at home will be affected in the same way. We should all be thinking why something is so cheap, rather than why others seem so expensive.

What did you find when you visited farms and talked to producers?

Well, we were only allowed into certain farms and all of those were best practice. I guess the ones we weren’t allowed to film in were refusing permission for very good reasons. I think the thing that shocked me most was the fact that farmers have to sell something like 100 chickens to make 3 or 4 quid and to me that’s outrageous.

Whose fault is the current situation - is it farmers, retailers, consumers or the Government?

It’s a cocktail of all of those, because this point has been reached slowly over many years so it has gone unnoticed - people selling chickens 20p cheaper here, cages getting a few inches smaller there - and we’ve reached a point where people expect to be able to buy a chicken for £2.50, when really it should be at least £4. And if the EU get their way, some of the welfare standards will get worse, rather than better.

Will you be ‘naming and shaming’ farmers and retailers? Aren’t farmers already under a lot of pressure, with bird flu, grain prices and the amount they are paid by retailers for their produce?

I’m not naming and shaming any farmers because I’m a big supporter of all British farmers and, to me, they are caught between a rock and a hard place. In a way, this has been the hardest show I’ve ever made - what we’ve tried to do is make a straightforward programme about difficult issues in a balanced and fair way, and after broadcast I want to be able to sleep at night.

What do you think consumers can do to make a difference, what chicken and eggs should they buy?

Basically, buy the highest welfare bird and eggs that you can afford. If you’re used to buying standard battery eggs, try to trade up that extra 5p per egg to barn eggs (which are much better welfare). If you’re used to buying a non-free range chicken, trade up a £1 or so for an animal with better living conditions, like natural light and stuff to do. It’s morally better for the animal and it’s morally better for the producers, because I haven’t met a farmer yet who wouldn’t love to move up to a better welfare situation for their animals.

Isn’t it up to people what they buy? Won’t it be difficult for normal, hard-working families to afford to pay three times as much for a chicken?

I’m not asking people to pay three times as much, just what they can afford. I believe the conditions under which standard eggs and standard chickens are reared are morally wrong and if changing your habits means that you don’t have chicken as often, so be it. The Italians on average eat meat three times a week whereas in the UK, meat-eaters will tend to have it six or seven times a week. Basically, I’m putting a flag in the sand here - if no changes are made now, we may not have an industry left. For example, RSPCA ‘Freedom Food’ chicken is only 99p extra to trade up. The difference in welfare to the current standard is considerable, but really comes down to light, space and slower growing breeds

Have you had negative reactions from people in the industry, did many people refuse to take part?

Anything I do is going to provoke a mixture of opinions and I’m used to that. I haven’t met a farmer who doesn’t strive to improve the welfare of their animals or the quality of their produce. If the industry in the main is keeping everything behind closed doors I believe it’s my duty to take the information to the public to let them make their own choices.

Some of the demonstrations were very disturbing. How did you feel about killing the chickens and showing people quite sensational, upsetting scenes?

I hated it. I’d rather be at home with my wife watching tv, but let’s be honest, this is a job that needs to be done and I’m prepared to do it if it helps to make a difference.

I don’t think it’s sensational to show people the reality of how chickens live and die at the moment. It may be upsetting for some people, but that’s how things are. And if seeing some of the practices helps to change the shopping habits of just 5% of people watching, then it will be worth it.

All of those birds would have been killed anyway, as thousands are every day up and down the country. And the battery hens we featured in the programme, which normally would have been disposed of, will now be living the free range high life at my house in Essex - lucky girls!

Jamies Fowl Dinners will be aired as part of C4’s The Big Food Fight season: Jamie’s Fowl Dinners, 11 January 2008, 9pm, C4 www.channel4.com/food