Gordon Ramsay is to shatter the last taboo of English cuisine by urging the public to eat horse meat.

The controversial chef claims horse meat is tasty and nutritious and should be part of the British diet.

 

But his call for horses, long revered as farm and racing animals, to be turned into dinner has sparked revulsion among horse lovers, animal welfare campaigners and vegetarians. Even hardened meat eaters and fellow chefs said it was a dish too far.

 

The celebrity cook found support from some chefs, who said the meat-eating British were too sentimental about horses and hypocritical because they were happy to eat cows, sheep and pigs. But even they doubted whether horse would become popular.

Ramsay reveals his horse meat stance in a new series of The F-word, which starts on Tuesday on Channel 4. The Scottish-born chef admits: "I've eaten horse", and says that it is healthy, with lots of iron and half the fat of beef and far more Omega 3 essential fatty acids. He describes horse meat as "slightly gamey" and "packed with protein".

 

For the programme, Ramsay, sends the presenter Janet Street-Porter to France to look at a horse farm and then to Cheltenham racecourse to cook horse on a barbecue and persuade punters to taste it.

 

She said: "In a world of mad cows, we should be opening our eyes to new types of red meat. Horse meat is a really good source of protein and one we should take seriously."

 

It is not illegal to eat horse meat in Britain and it was, in fact, consumed in some regions until the Thirties.

But Ramsay's one-time protégé Marcus Wareing, the chef patron at Petrus in London, said that he was appalled by the idea of serving horse meat.

 

"I would never eat horse and I certainly wouldn't serve it in my restaurants," he said. "It's not part of our food culture. It's absolutely unthinkable."

 

A spokesman for the Vegetarian Society said: "Most people will find eating horse abhorrent."

Clarissa Dickson Wright, one of television's Two Fat Ladies, was sympathetic but said horse meat simply wasn't tasty enough to catch on with the public.

 

"I have no objection to eating horse meat," she said. "But if it was good eating there would be more people eating it."

Jo White, the head of campaigns for the International League for the Protection of Horses, which was consulted by the programme makers, said: "It is irresponsible to promote horse meat consumption while failing to inform viewers about the appalling abuses of animals in the industry."

VILE idea Ramsay can f**k right off, certain animals like horses, cats, dogs etc should never be served on dinner tables in this country

horse no different to cow IMO - have eaten and it was quite nice

 

coming from hearty farming stock I don't get this squeamishness about eating meat :unsure:

horse no different to cow IMO - have eaten and it was quite nice

 

coming from hearty farming stock I don't get this squeamishness about eating meat :unsure:

 

Certain animals are just not meant to be eaten on the grounds that they are cute, I want to imagine horses as running free in a field mane glistening in the sun I don't want to imagine it on a dinner table same goes for cats and dogs and that is why we don't eat elephants and tigers and so on.

 

I simply could not eat horse meat there is not the same emotional attachment with pigs and cows and sheep

Certain animals are just not meant to be eaten on the grounds that they are cute, I want to imagine horses as running free in a field mane glistening in the sun I don't want to imagine it on a dinner table same goes for cats and dogs and that is why we don't eat elephants and tigers and so on.

 

I simply could not eat horse meat there is not the same emotional attachment with pigs and cows and sheep

 

 

lambs frolicking in the fields is not cute??

 

Is ok to be eaten if you are ugly??

 

interesting ;)

LOL but yeah lambs and sheep are only on this earth to be eaten they are not pets etc would be long since extinct but for their role in the food chain, horses have been on this earth to fight in wars and plough fields and pull funeral carriages and be raced around race tracks etc a horse has a long standing history as man's faithful servant so to me is non eatable :)

What sort of sauce do you put on it horseraddish :lol:

Certain animals are just not meant to be eaten on the grounds that they are cute, I want to imagine horses as running free in a field mane glistening in the sun I don't want to imagine it on a dinner table same goes for cats and dogs and that is why we don't eat elephants and tigers and so on.

 

I simply could not eat horse meat there is not the same emotional attachment with pigs and cows and sheep

So in that case should a Lion eat you and not Brad Pitt because he's 'cute'? :unsure:

 

If it can be eaten and its healthy I see nothing wrong with it being eaten imo.

Gordon Ramsay would probably eat his pet dog. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

So in that case should a Lion eat you and not Brad Pitt because he's 'cute'? :unsure:

 

If it can be eaten and its healthy I see nothing wrong with it being eaten imo.

 

Its the way we have been conditioned Nicky

 

When we watch "I'm a Celeb get me out of here" and see contestants eating what are imagined to be vile tasting animals we all go "ewwwwwwwwww thats disgusting :puke2: " when we don't know whether it is or not as we have never tried it but our instincts tell us that it is vile and we could not eat it likewise eating cats, dogs, horses etc, we condition ourselves to believe that they are vile to eat

Certain animals are just not meant to be eaten on the grounds that they are cute, I want to imagine horses as running free in a field mane glistening in the sun I don't want to imagine it on a dinner table same goes for cats and dogs and that is why we don't eat elephants and tigers and so on.

 

I simply could not eat horse meat there is not the same emotional attachment with pigs and cows and sheep

 

Oh for god's sake, I am really getting sick and tired of this... SO, it's okay to eat the 'not cute' animals, but if you DARE to eat the 'cute' ones, well, that just makes you bloody Hitler dunnit....???? Bollocks... If I wanted to eat horse meat, I would, I dont have any ridiculous, romantic attachements to a bloody horse any more than I have a cow or a pig.... Horses are NOT like cats or dogs FFS... They are NOT 'pets'.... People might keep horses, ride them, etc, but it aint the same thing as petting a cat or dog curling up in front of the fire.... Horses serve a function to humans and always have done.. Tigers are a different story, they are on the verge of bloody extinction, anyone who ate a tiger I would happily kill myself.... <_<

 

I could eat a horse before I could eat a rabbit. I always had pet rabbits as a kid. Never in a million years could I eat a rabbit. :cry: I'd be thinking of Frisky, Snowey and Peter. :( :( :(

Oh for god's sake, I am really getting sick and tired of this... SO, it's okay to eat the 'not cute' animals, but if you DARE to eat the 'cute' ones, well, that just makes you bloody Hitler dunnit....???? Bollocks... If I wanted to eat horse meat, I would, I dont have any ridiculous, romantic attachements to a bloody horse any more than I have a cow or a pig.... Horses are NOT like cats or dogs FFS... They are NOT 'pets'.... People might keep horses, ride them, etc, but it aint the same thing as petting a cat or dog curling up in front of the fire.... Horses serve a function to humans and always have done.. Tigers are a different story, they are on the verge of bloody extinction, anyone who ate a tiger I would happily kill myself.... <_<

 

Horses are my favourite "domestic" animal Scott, if I was given a choice of being given a horse a dog or a cat it is absolutely no contest the horse would win any day of the week, I adore horses so yes I have a far bigger emotional attachment to a horse than I do a cow or a sheep or whatever

 

And like I said cows, pigs and sheep are only on this planet to be eaten they are not here for any other purpose whereas horses fulfill many purposes

I could eat a horse before I could eat a rabbit. I always had pet rabbits as a kid. Never in a million years could I eat a rabbit. :cry: I'd be thinking of Frisky, Snowey and Peter. :( :( :(

 

I could not eat a rabbit either :) couldn't do it would think of those fluffy ears and so on couldn't bring myself to eat a rabbit

Don't the french eat horsemeat regularly

Certain animals are just not meant to be eaten on the grounds that they are cute, I want to imagine horses as running free in a field mane glistening in the sun I don't want to imagine it on a dinner table same goes for cats and dogs and that is why we don't eat elephants and tigers and so on.

 

I simply could not eat horse meat there is not the same emotional attachment with pigs and cows and sheep

 

oh per-leeze!

 

you sound like a little girl.... horse meat is a food that can be eaten. i dont see any reason why not. anyway i much prefer cows to horses any day!

LOL but yeah lambs and sheep are only on this earth to be eaten they are not pets etc would be long since extinct but for their role in the food chain, horses have been on this earth to fight in wars and plough fields and pull funeral carriages and be raced around race tracks etc a horse has a long standing history as man's faithful servant so to me is non eatable :)

 

seeing as the horses role in fighting wars, pulling carriages etc is now defunct i presume that if horses were bred for food and nothing else youd eat it!

oh per-leeze!

 

you sound like a little girl.... horse meat is a food that can be eaten. i dont see any reason why not. anyway i much prefer cows to horses any day!

 

So is dog meat it is very popular in China and Korea etc, as is cat meat

 

Be honest Rob would you eat dog meat if offered or cat meat ? if not why not, presumably for the same reasons as me and horses ;)

 

seeing as the horses role in fighting wars, pulling carriages etc is now defunct i presume that if horses were bred for food and nothing else youd eat it!

 

I stand by my point that pigs, sheep, cows etc are purely on this planet for no other purpose other than to be eaten or provide materials for clothing, were they not an integral part of the food chain they simply would not exist we would be talking about them in the same way we do the dodo and duck billed platypus. a horse is not on earth for the purpose of being eaten it fulfills many logistical purposes as well as sporting ones and so on, a horse will never be on this earth for the specific purpose of being part of the food chain unlike sheep, cattle, pigs etc

I had horsemeat once in France while on a school trip - we were eating it before we were told what it was!! What can I say - it was tasty! Everyone was fine, eating away, thinking it was beef - but when we were a few forkfuls in we were told and most people's attitudes were complete abhorence! And I was frowned on for finishing mine!!

I've also eaten rabbit. Quite a few times actually, and it's lovely.

And what about chinese crispy duck? It's delicious wrapped in little pancakes with spring onions and hoisin sauce!!!

 

Just cos an animal's 'cute' doesn't make it unacceptable to eat! In fact the opposite should be true seeing as we all take such offence at witchety grubs and cockroaches on I'm A Celebrity!! :puke2:

 

I guess I see horsemeat as a similar meat to venison - the animal is of the same stature and build after all, both are majestic, powerful beasts. I can understand some people being squeamish about it as it's not a regular everyday occurence, but really it's just another farm animal! OK, it's not actually 'farmed', it's a working animal - but it could be.

Venison is a low-fat, highly nutritious meat so I can see why horsemeat would be too. And it would undoubtedly be cheaper to farm and produce - so why not?

 

There was a regional program on here the other night about farming and the farmers painted a truly bleak picture - between supermarket pressure and government red-tape and taxes it's becoming increasingly difficult for farmers to make much money on livestock. They showed calves of a dairy herd being killed because they were worthless - because of their breed they weren't suitable to raise for meat. Hardly fair on the innocent calves! They showed the tough and gorey side of farming life that 'townies' (as they called them on the program) don't see, or don't want to see! Like how to get the skin off a cow - the farmer spent a little time getting the skin around the head loosened, tied it with a rope and tied the other end to the tow-bar of his LandRover, then drove off - voila! - one skin removed!! A lot of footage could've put people off meat for life - but as they kept stating, it's part of life, part of the foodchain and it's about time people saw food for what it is. It's not just a slab of meat set in a polystyrene tray and wrapped with clingfilm, yes, they are often cute animals but they are there to serve a purpose - sustaining human life. In years gone-by (God, I sound like my granny!!! LOL) if a farm animal died the meat was put to good use - why so different now when it comes to considering different meats? Like I've just said, it's because people don't like to think about the gorey side of things - and not just in farming. Everything has to be pristine and pretty and wrapped in cotton wool.

Edited May 7, 200718 yr by SharonB