Another Gordon gets it wrong

Everyone’s slagging off Scotchmen called Gordon. So I’ll join in. That Gordon Ramsey talks some rubbish, doesn’t he?:

"Fruit and veg should be seasonal," he said. "Chefs should be fined if they haven't got ingredients in season on their menu.
"I don't want to see asparagus on in the middle of December. I don't want to see strawberries from Kenya in the middle of March. I want to see it home grown."…
"There should be stringent laws, licensing laws, to make sure produce is only used in season and season only," he said.

What this omits is that restaurants are already fined for serving asparagus in December. They are fined by that most intelligent regulator, Mr Market.
If you serve asparagus rather than seasonal vegetables such as swede and parsnips in the winter, you are fined twice over, once by higher costs, and again by lower demand as intelligent diners think: “what sort of addle-brained ponce wants to eat asparagus in winter? I‘ll go somewhere that serves proper food.” Asparagus-in-December restaurants are good candidates to appear in Mr Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares series.
He is making a common error here - he’s failing to see that markets can make the law unnecessary, by punishing stupidity.
Where he can perform a public service is not by calling for more laws, but by helping to raise the market-based fines on stupid restaurants, by showing how good seasonal food can be - by shifting the demand curves. And here, he does a damned good job. 

Comments

[ajay]

"Scotchmen"? When did your flight from 1831 land?

[Bruce]

"Where he can perform a public service is not by calling for more laws, but by helping to raise the market-based fines on stupid restaurants, by showing how good seasonal food can be - by shifting the demand curves. And here, he does a damned good job."

I'm sure he's not seriously thinking that there should be laws against unseasonal food. But by framing it like that he gets some decent headlines and helps educate people about seasonal food, many of whom would not have a clue otherwise. (Indeed, I'm not sure I'm certain of the UK seasons for, say, broccoli, leeks or marrow etc.)

[Luis Enrique]

not mention, as a brain-addled ponce, if I want to each insipid over-priced asparagus in winter, I don't want a law telling me I can't.

[ortega]

I am sure Gordon would agree to attend in his restaurant only people who had gone there by food or bycicle.
Out with gourmet tourism, that terrible CO2 source !

[Stewart]

Asparagus is cheaper in the winter - UK farmers charge too much. I mean, check it out the supermarkets: £4 for British, about £2 for a bigger bunch which is imported.

[dave]

When are bananas in season in the UK?

get back into the kitchen Ramsey you know nothing tart

[Bishop Hill]

"And here, he does a damned good job."

Blatant angling for a freebie, IMHO.

[Philip Hunt]

Who are "Scotchmen" -- men who like Scotch???

[Tanuki]

I'm told that this Ramsey is some sort of person who appears on the television. I don't really hold with such things. If and when we actually get television here in Witley Scrotum, I will make a point of not listening to his programme.

In the meantime my manservant has just poured me a finger of rather fine Scotch; he also has a salver of Patum Peperium on toast, both of which demand my immediate attentions. Toodle-pip, old bean!