Thursday, 28 November 2013

Oh Nigel!

I'm just watching last night's food and farming programme with Nigel Slater and Adam Henson.

The premise of the show is that, as a nation, we're rather too removed from our food because we buy stuff from the supermarket where it's imported from abroad, celophane packed and divorced from the seasons.

All sentiments I'm cool with.

They've grown durum wheat and used an artisan miller to make their own pasta flour with which to make home-made lasagne.  They've made a virtue from the more grisly cuts of beef and lamb and, true to form, lovely Nige implores us to camera to use more of these cheaper cuts at home.  It's all good.

Imagine my disapointment, therefore, when to demonstrate the seasonality of a green-hopped beer they talk to Shepherd Neame rather than a microbrewer.  Now, don't get me wrong, I've imbibed the odd pint of Spitfire and it's fine...but it doesn't strike me as in-keeping with the tone of the rest of the show.  They're a large brewing plc and quite removed from the crafty, artisan tone of the series.

Still, at least beer made it onto the show...though I find the comment "your beer's just been delivered" somewhat at odds with the simulataneous delivery of a pint to camera.  Yeah, yeah...it was probably delivered bright...but I doubt Nige would have omitted that sort of detail from the cooking side of things.

A bit of an opportunity lost in a show with wider appeal...

Nice try but Cminus...could do better.




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