Jeremy Clarkson Takes Aim at French Food After Cornish Star’s Dig at British Cuisine
Responding to comments from award-winning actress Kristin Scott-Thomas claiming French food surpasses anything available in the UK, Jeremy Clarkson has offered some forthright observations for the newly elected local councillors.
During an appearance on Jessie and Lennie Ware’s Table Manners podcast, Kristin explained that while she was born in Redruth, her mother was from France, and French cuisine plays a significant role in her life.
She revealed that although she enjoys cooking while in France, she rarely spends time in her kitchen when in Britain because our produce simply isn’t good enough.
“I’m going to be brutal about it, but the produce is better in France than it is here,” she said.
However, Jeremy has responded by defending produce from British farms. Acknowledging he’s always been rather fond of the English Patient star, he wrote in the Sunday Times: “Does Kristin think that French meat is better than British meat, because I don’t. I’m not saying theirs is worse but it’s definitely not better.”
He noted that climate change has significantly enhanced the quality of tomatoes grown in the south of the country, while our warmer summers and milder winters are allowing British wine-producers to compete with their French counterparts.
Yet Jeremy acknowledges that while our produce can rival anything the French offer, the way it’s sold could be enhanced: “When Kristin says the produce in France is better than it is here, she means the shopping experience is better. Which it is,” he says.
Following this week’s local elections, Jeremy has offered some guidance for councils: “Make your town’s local market day a big thing. Turn it into a weekly event, a reason for going into town.”
He argues that creating thriving farmers’ markets in every town would simply require relaxing certain regulations while rigorously enforcing one particular rule.
According to Jeremy, if local authorities lifted parking restrictions and bus lane rules, permitted bar and café proprietors to temporarily extend their premises onto pavements, and eased restrictions on street performers, it would create a more vibrant, festival-like shopping atmosphere.
“If it was fun to buy the food, then it’ll be more fun to cook it, which means it’ll taste better,” he explains.
However, he emphasises that alongside these relaxed regulations for farmers’ markets, certain rules must be strictly maintained: “Only allow local people and local allotment holders selling local produce to have a stall.
“If someone wants to flog second-hand telephones, or novelty sex toys, tell him to bugger off,” Jeremy proposes.
