Jamie Oliver Fowl Dinners

[Mungler]

Well, hats off to the Essex lad. I found his program very interesting, engaging and not as patronising as HFW's attempt.

 

Both Messrs. Oliver and Whittingstall are batting for the same side and so jointly I think they can say job done, although for me the boy Oliver did the graft.

 

Elements that stood out for me from last night:

 

1. no shots of the Jamie Oliver cook book, his restaurant or other commercial ventures that he may currently be engaged in

2. gassing of the male chicks in an entirely straightforward way "this is what happens for free range, organic or battery - it's what happens in the industry"

3. no blubbing, although the melancholic music that got played when ever the death of a chicken was involved was mildly gay

4. backing for the RSPCA method of indoor intensive rearing - it's still a lot of chickens under one roof but they had perches and toys and were to the eye sprightly and doing well (net cost of RSPCA farmed chicked +£1 [affordable]).

5. no suggestion that all chickens should be completely outdoor and free range and that nothing else would do (i.e. there was balance and a middle path shown).

6. no preaching - it is human nature not to like being told what to do. You tell a town that you are going to make them "free range" or that they must go free range (for whatever reason) and you will immediate polarise the population - there will be no one in the middle, those that aren't going to go along with you will probably resent you.

 

All in all, a more balanced and less emotional look at it all.

 

 

EDIT:

 

Mrs Mungler made the point that JO was given access to the intensive farmed chicked sheds and broiler houses. We were told in the HFW program that no one could get filmed access which was why he was to create his own.

 

Mrs. Mungler has bet me a fiver that JO will be wearing a Waitrose T-shirt just as soon as his Sainsburys contract expires.

Edited January 12, 2008 by Mungler

[webber]

Mungler

 

Dont forget the picture of HFWs shop selling free range chicken.

 

So if he turns Axminster free range he will need more free range birds.

 

Acquire land; build chicken shed, quite possibly paid for by the film production company.

 

Make the film and the point.

 

Convert the intensive half into free range.

 

Even more free range chicken.

 

Good programme, even better business move for HFW.

 

webber

[Fat Dog]

Good effort by both, however I do think HFW message was diluted by the inclusion of his business interests.

[Oly]

They have been very good. My only gripe was JO's attituted on mechanically reclaimed meat (MRM). They way he sold it was sort of 'as if the birds havent gone through enough they are then put in for MRM'. Not that I'm saying I'm a fan of this type of meat , but surely that is a good way of showing respect for the bird - by using it all of it and not wasting any

Edited January 12, 2008 by Oly

[ROBLATCH]

They have been very good. My only gripe was JO's attituted on mechanically reclaimed meat (MRM). They way he sold it was sort of 'as if the birds havent gone through enough they are then put in for MRM'. Not that I'm saying I'm a fan of this type of meat , but surely that is a good way of showing respect for the bird - by using it all of it and not wasting any

 

i have to agree with that.it sort of puts every little bit of last respect into the bird. not that i would eat it.

[5matu]

i thought that there shows were brill

 

put through a stong image though and so it should

 

batery + the new cages are cruel i think that free range or the rspca cages were best

 

as one that eats my own chikens/ lamb+beaf beleave me its better

[5matu]

ive got 2 go with what oly said even though it tastes LIKE ****

[al4x]

I have to say that the battery hens he showed looked a damned sight healthier than the ones in the studio. But other than that it was a much better programme, and I don't think sainsburys will sack him

[Jonsey]

I recorded it and watched it yesterday and I think it was an excellent programme. Agree with all the points you made Mungler. I was far more balanced and not melodramatic like HFW.

 

Even Mr Jonsey who thinks Jamie Oliver is a lady boy thought the show was imformative, well presented and thought provoking.

 

He had a good cross section of 'customers' having dinner and i think he got his message across without resorting to scare/disgusted tactics.

 

10/10 from me for that.

 

I'm also in agreement with Mrs Mungler, I think he'll be measuring up for a Waitrose uniform soon.

 

Heard a quote the other day that made me laugh out loud. "I love sainsbury's it keeps the riff raff out of Waitrose"

 

EDIT

 

You know when you make yourself an egg sandwich at home, you slice the egg and there's always white without the yolk on a couple of slices it's not the best bit so you use one and then give the other bit to the begging dog.......then a few days later you are rushing between meetings and run into Upper Crust or somewhere similar and buy an egg and tomato and there's never any slices of white without the yolk. I know why now...it's the Long Egg. *** was that?

Edited January 13, 2008 by Jonsey

[Cranfield]

HFW is getting a roasting in some of the Sunday newspapers for his show.

Such as;

 

Apparently he was granted access to commercial chicken farms and in fact filmed there for 3 hours, but they did not show that.

 

The Producers state that the segment where HFW says they could not get permisssion, was filmed at the start of the programme making, when permission had not been obtained.

 

It is claimed that his sheds had no adequate air conditioning etc., which is why they stank of ammonia.

 

Even his "free range" chickens were in worse conditions that commercial barn chickens.

 

Etc.

 

I think HFW may not have done himself any favours (especially commercially) with his programme.

 

My mother always use to say, " if you are going to make any money out of chickens, you need to have seven, or seven thousand".

We had seven chickens. :o