Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall tonight 9pm

[piskieinboots]

I have a feeling it is going to make for hard viewing - in addition to HFW's programmes, we have Jamie taking the batton on Friday

[kirsty b]

I found it very interesting and almost compulsive viewing. Bum will definitely be on seat for tomorrow and Weds.

Johnty, good to see you back, you ok?

[sewer rat]

Tonight was pretty run of the mill - though OH was shocked at the way the day olds were popped out the boxes. Tomorrow night will not make for pleasant viewing methinks. OH has been well warned what she can expect to see.
Was not at all surprised that he found the intensive rearing farmers unwilling to talk to him - and I don't really believe he was as surprised as he made himself out to be. He has after all been quite openly campaigning against them for a number of years now

[beefy]

I have a feeling it is going to make for hard viewing - in addition to HFW's programmes, we have Jamie taking the batton on Friday

I didn't see the programme but I feel that people need to know where their food comes from and how its produced.
Its not easy watching an animal being killed and I've done it often from animals being slaughtered for meat in the local abbitoirs to having to go out myself and shoot an animal that had broken a leg in a field.
There is a saying that where you have livestock you will also have deadstock -thats farming . We had around 100 milking cows at home . Each cow gave birth once a year and on the law of averages you were doing well if you had 90 living calves and 97 cows at the end of the season.

[johnty greentoes]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Thought the show was ace. He really comes up with good ideas. The only bit that made me wince was the crumbs thrown to the 2for1 council tenants. A bit obvious. I'm sure there are plenty of far better off people buying the cheapest chicken going.

Still...all power to HughFW...doing his bit.

HFW's books are ace (including entrails on toast)...the new "Fish" one is so informative about the whole "industry" - and you can get it half price at Tesco at the mo (oops!).

[JennieAtkinson]

Missed it -do channel 4 do repeats?

Nice to see you back johnty!

[johnty greentoes]

Jennie

You should be able to get it again on...

4oD - Channel 4's TV and Film on Demand service

[phil the shed]

HFW then BBC3 kill it, cook it, eat it.

wow coming from a chef.
just watched kill it cook it eat it. about suckling pigs reared to 8 weeks and then killed. they showed the whole process from the rare breed farm there home. to the abbatoir where they showed the stun then the bleed out. to the butcher who prepared it on a spit to the chef who cooked it. not overly impressed by the spaniards killing there piglets at three weeks that seemed even a little barbaric for my standards. we had rare breed old spot pork on sunday local breeder and all veg still of the lottie no more than 25 food miles in total even HFW would have been impressed with that.

[phil the shed]

cheap book or cheep chicken!!!!!!!

sorry johnty welcome back.

you weren't buying chicken when yousaw the book advertised were you.

which was che(e)apest the book or the chicken.

[Two_Sheds]

JOHNTY IS BACK!
ALL WILL BE WELL.

nice to see you again. I saw Hugh's prog, I liked the big big council house lady saying "I wish I had the time to grow my own vegetables" ... she didn't look like she ate many. Good luck to them though for having a go.

PS. Our Somerfield has half price 'cheap chicken' - £1.50 for 3 or 4 breasts. And fags for what, a fiver a pack?
People willingly fork over top dollar for the weed, but not for good food. I'm not holier than though either, I enjoy a bargain as much as the next person. I think there's a case for banning unethical meat totally.

[piskieinboots]

good points TS - our Jamie (see Friday programme) says if people just gave up one can of Stella or a quarter of a packet of fags then they could afford free-range chucks. No brainer really

[kirsty b]

Jennie

You should be able to get it again on...

4oD - Channel 4's TV and Film on Demand service

Johnty, you genius.

Steve was moaning that he had to go to work and miss it. Wonder if I can download it to a disc for him? Sod the housework, must go and tinker now!

[yoanbob]

Welcome back green toes!
I thought it was a good programe, the large council estate lady said she couldnt afford to eat organic, wonder how much extra money shed have if she gave up choc cake?
I hope they all learn somthing from it.
the problem is we are all watching it, but we are allready converted, hope it converts new people too.

[Alison]

Watched it last night but as you say above, we already get the point he was making. OH was most disgusted by the volume of chicken on of the guys was eating, if he ate slightly less than a whole chicken per meal then maybe he'd be able to afford something decent. It's worth noting that OH had a viral infection a few years ago that killed most of his taste and smell sensors in his nose and therefore he finds subtle flavours difficult to detect. However, even he can tell the difference between a mass produced cheap bird and a more slowly produced free range one and would be disgusted if I bought the former on taste grounds as well as the obvious ethical grounds. Yes, I know we're fortunate that we can afford the difference in price but then again, we only eat chicken perhaps once a month and a whole bird will feed the two of us for several meals, an initial roast, cold the next day plus what ever pies, stir fries etc with the bits and then there is soup from the carcass - I reckon that a £10 organic bird can provide us with 8 to 10 meals plus soup. Not that bad in my oppinion, especially when compared with the price of a take away!

[johnty greentoes]

Thanks 2Sheds, Phil and the rest.

I thinks the "large council house lady" is probably large boned coupled with an underactive thyroid - you perfect specimens probably think differently.

Maybe the govt should tax food like it does tobacco - that would get her weight down ... sheesh...

I predict... some local residents won't want to eat their new found "pets", while others will. There will be a mysterious disappearance of a really plump roaster just before lunch one Sunday (I'm talking about the chickens not the Thyroid lady). HughFW will be pulling his lovely hair out. The people of Axminster will resist being told what to do with their money and the sales of chicken raised on **** and flown from Thailand in freezer planes will rocket. We will all wring our hands. HFW will learn, as did Jamie with his school dinners, that change happens infinitesimely slowly unless there is a real crisis... like a war or something... now there's an idea... a war on obesity...

I propose a fat trading scheme. Big boned people in the UK chould be sponsored to lose weight. Every pound lost becomes a £ used to develop fair trade with Africa. I'd shed a few for that cause. Fat for famine...