Celebrity chef James Martin has called for a kitchen cupboard staple to be ‘banned’ as he slammed the growing popularity of ‘packet food’ in Britain.
Shunning a butter substitute that many people use every day as “horrendous”, the former Saturday Kitchen host said that margarine was “two elements away from plastic”.
Calling for British consumers to replace their margarine with full-fat butter, Martin said many don’t know about the “hidden” ingredients in margarine.
Speaking to the Sunday Post, the chef said: “Margarine should be banned. It’s dreadful, dreadful stuff, it’s two elements away from plastic, it’s horrendous stuff.
“It’s the ready-made food, it’s the packet food, the hidden salt, hidden fat. That’s the problem in this country.”
He added that as a “farmer’s kid”, he preferred real butter, full-fat milk and cream, revealing that there was no semi-skimmed milk in his house growing up.
“That’s the problem in this country. It’s not the butter in a butter block or butter you put on your toast,” he said.
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The chef, who has a restaurant in Manchester’s 253 Casino, s well known and loved for his cookery shows on the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.
After a decade spent fronting BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, he then moved across to ITV in 2017 to host his own show: James Martin’s Saturday Morning.
His love of butter is well known, with Martin even releasing a book in 2021 called Butter: Comforting, Delicious, Versatile featuring over 130 recipes celebrating the ingredient.
The Yorkshireman puts butter on everything, including his roast potatoes, and as a child would make his own buttery lunchbox sandwiches with slathers of the good stuff, alongside mashed banana and a Cadbury flake.
He has previously described butter as the “world’s greatest ingredient”, saying that we often “take [butter] for granted”.
Featured image – James Martin
Food & Drink
Drinks prices revealed as Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub opens inside T2
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Manchester Airport’s first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub has officially opened its doors inside Terminal 2.
The 300-seater pub – which welcomed its first customers earlier this week – is named The Belle Vue after Manchester’s historic showground.
Throughout the pub, you’ll spot design features that nod to the city’s sporting heritage – including vintage event posters and memorabilia, a ‘locker wall’ hosting trophies and other sporting exhibits, and a cricket-themed design in the carpets and bar panels.
Creating around 150 jobs in the process, The Belle Vue is the final planned new eatery to open in the airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2, marking one of the final steps in the super-terminal’s decade-long, £1.5bn transformation.
Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub has opened inside Terminal 2 / Credit: Supplied
According to the MEN, pints are priced from £6.20 for Carling and Coors lager, £6.45 for Budweiser, £6.60 for Guinness, and £6.70 for Poretti and 1664 Biere.
Prosecco is £9.20 for 175ml glass and £37.10 for the full bottle, while spirts and mixers are £6.80 for singles and £10.20 for doubles.
There’s also the classic Wetherspoons tea and coffee machines, where you can refill as many times as you like for just £3.60.
“It’s a proud moment to see the final new retail unit opening in our new-look Terminal 2,” commented Richard Jackson, who is the Retail Director at Manchester Airport.
“To be rounding off this 10-year programme by adding such an iconic name as Wetherspoon to the terminal is particularly special and we know that it will prove extremely popular with passengers. We think they’ll love the nods to Manchester’s heritage in the décor and design – and of course the name.”
The Belle Vue will be open from the first flight to the final flight each day, and food will be served from opening until 10pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
Food & Drink
The Manchester restaurant serving bottomless curry for just £20 during National Curry Week
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s leading curry houses is bringing back its bottomless curry offering very soon.
For just £20, diners can tuck into unlimited curry, rice and naan at Zouk Tea Bar & Grill, stuffing yourself silly on authentic dishes from from all over the Indian subcontinent.
There’s nothing quite like getting the gang together for a proper curry, and Zouk is making it even easier to do exactly that this October.
They’ll be bringing back the £20 Bottomless Curry deal for National Curry Week 2026, running for five nights only, from Monday 5 October to Friday 9 October, with tables available between 5pm and 10pm each evening.
Guests can choose one curry from a daily selection of four, with meat, vegetarian and vegan options available throughout the week.
Once you’ve picked your curry, you can then order as many portions as you fancy during your 90-minute booking.
Rice and naan are unlimited too, so there’s no shortage of carbs to mop up the curry with.
The dishes on the menu include some of Zouk’s favourites, such as Chicken Karahi, Lamb Rogan Josh, Chicken Tikka Masala, Dall Makhani, Chicken Handi and Gobi Manchurian.
The exact four-dish selection varies by day, giving curry fans a reason to head back more than once during the five-day promotion.
And yes, you can go back for another helping.
Zouk owner Tayub Amjad said: “National Curry Week is always a great excuse to celebrate the food we love.
“Bottomless Curry has become a real favourite with our customers, so we’re excited to bring it back for five nights. It’s relaxed, great value and perfect for getting friends together for a proper curry night.”
Advance booking is recommended – you can book your table for the Zouk Bottomless Curry nights HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
19th April 2023 
