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.
"Scotchmen"? When did your flight from 1831 land?
Posted by: ajay | May 09, 2008 at 10:34 AM
"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.)
Posted by: Bruce | May 09, 2008 at 01:06 PM
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.
Posted by: Luis Enrique | May 09, 2008 at 01:44 PM
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 !
Posted by: ortega | May 09, 2008 at 04:04 PM
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.
Posted by: Stewart | May 09, 2008 at 04:05 PM
When are bananas in season in the UK?
get back into the kitchen Ramsey you know nothing tart
Posted by: dave | May 09, 2008 at 05:05 PM
"And here, he does a damned good job."
Blatant angling for a freebie, IMHO.
Posted by: Bishop Hill | May 09, 2008 at 07:11 PM
Who are "Scotchmen" -- men who like Scotch???
Posted by: Philip Hunt | May 09, 2008 at 07:22 PM
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!
Posted by: Tanuki | May 09, 2008 at 08:28 PM