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Jamie Oliver Sainsbury's fallout

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Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver yesterday blasted Sainsbury's bosses for pulling out of his hard-hitting documentary on factory farming.

TV chef Jamie, who is paid £1.2 million by Sainsbury's to front their advertising campaigns, was furious when the firm failed to turn up to a TV debate about the way battery-farmed chickens are treated.

Jamie asked bosses of the 'big four' supermarkets - Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons - to take part in a TV grilling on the rights and wrongs of selling battery-farmed eggs and chickens.

But was stunned and angry when none of them turned up - particularly his employer.

He seethed: 'It is shocking that the people I work for didn't turn up on the day. I don't know why. The fact that your PR department hasn't even got the confidence to turn up and talk about what you do for the millions of people who come through your doors each week. Of course the supermarkets should have turned up. How dare they not? I was really upset.'

A Sainsbury's representative does appear in a filmed segment on the show. But for the main section, filmed with an audience in a studio designed to look like a restaurant, only the Co-op and Waitrose took part.

Jamie wanted the supermarkets to be questioned for his show, Jamie's Fowl Dinners, airing on Friday, in which he reveals that farmers are paid as little as 2p a chicken by some supermarkets.

Jamie wants supermarkets and customers to buy British and to pay a fair price for 'ethically-reared' chickens and eggs. As a basic minimum, he wants supermarkets to stock produce marked with the RSPCA's Freedom Food label, which sets down standards for the welfare of chickens, giving them more space to roam, perches and straw bales.

He said: 'For me this whole programme is about fair trade for the animals and for British farmers. They are being pushed and pushed and are at the limit. One farmer is earning 2p a bird so has to kill 50 animals to make a quid. Where can they go from there'

Jamie has developed a five-point plan to improve chicken welfare and help farmers.

Monday 7 January 2008

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The supermarkets should be ashamed of themselves, I'd like to bet the management wouldn't get out of bed for a measly 2p per bird. Incidentally, I personally would pay a little more to ensure that the animals have had a decent living standard and the farmers are given a fair price.
Comment by Elaine Shelton on January 07 10:59

Good for Jamie i am with him all the way on this. There was a documentry on TV a couple of years ago showing the chicken coming into the UK for Chicken Nuggets, it was in frozen blocks of i think 1 tonne in weight, when analysed these blocks which came from South America contained some chicken but also bones,skin,feathers,fat and sinue all ground together.
I think Jamie has a very valid point here so i back him all the way.
Comment by Lyndon Thomas on January 07 11:23

Well, I've shopped at Tesco for years now, but I'll certainly swap to the Coop if that's the extent of Tesco's interest in a subject that matters a great deal to anyone interested in animal welfare!
Comment by susie main on January 07 12:30

I am so shocked by the 2p a bird statement! That's absolutely obscene and has made me really think and want to know more about the whole chicken and fair trade issue. I'm sure there are other people out there who are unaware of this. Well done Jamie Oliver for high-lighting it.

Comment by Thelma Shaer on January 07 12:45

I feel that Jamie Oliver is fantastic to use his fame to address the nation with facts about food, which we should already be aware of.I love how passionate he is about the rubbish food we consume and the drive to help improve our knowledge of what we are actually putting into our bodies and who really reeps the benefits. What he did for school dinners was remarkable. The supermarkets have alot to answer for not only when it come to supplying our food, but enviromental issues(packaging etc). The reason they would not appear on Jamies show is because they cannot take responsability or admit fault in anyway to the consumer. It all comes down to money as usual and not the welfare of the consumer or british farmers and poultry. Any bad press would reduce their profits and these multi million companies couldn't risk that could they!! I am making a real effort to shop at local butchers and greengrocers. It is very inconvenient and sometimes more expensive, but you do get into a routine and I feel good about it as I am helping local businesses and getting better food. I also feel good about not helping Tesco's etc rule the bloody country!!
Comment by Emma on January 07 13:26

Great to see this issue hitting the mainstream and "bravo" to Jamie for standing up!
I am not a veggie but refuse to eat cheap meat and chicken because of the welfare issues (and have done for a long time)
It is great to see a popular TV personality making a stand.....but of course the big supermarkets are refusing to be part of it al....it is all about profits to them and this is due to consumers. How can we expect cheap prices AND happy livestock. There has to be some give and take from all sides.
Comment by Sam on January 07 15:18

2p a bird is about right if you consider all other expenses big supermarkets have( from delivery to cashier...) Its obvious that it is killing the farmers, and it always was this way. The only way to change this is- have your own chickens in the garden, or order direct from the farmers . There is quite a few great organic mostly family run businesses, which offer a range of products from vegetables/fruits to all sorts of meat!
All we have to do instead of talking about it is to buy from them. Once we will not bring our 40Kvit on every visit to the supermarkets we might get them to actually change their policies.
Comment by lylitka on January 07 19:35

Well done Jamie for bringing the scandal of battery farming to the public arena. Not many 'celebs' would have the courage of their convictions to stand up to the very corporations that pay their wages so it's inspiring to see that Jamie is a person of principles. I always buy free range eggs and try to buy free range chicken but sometimes weaken and buy the cheap chicken when I'm 'a bit skint.' If supermarkets took the responsibility of supporting ethical methods and the farming community properly, ordinary budget-conscious consumers would not be forced to make the choice.
Comment by Sarah Urquhart on January 07 20:58

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