The duo, who were filming for a new series of Jamie’s and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast, shocked Admiral Taverns’ licensee Paul Cooper when they turned up for lunch with their film crew.
Cooper, who has been running the food-led village local for four years, said: “We were so shocked when we realised Jamie and Jimmy were part of the booking. Jamie has, for years, been an inspiration to my son, Howard, who is the pub’s head chef.”
Grew up in a pub
Oliver, who grew up in a pub, was told to visit the Crown by the pub’s vegetable supplier Shoreham’s Watts Farm, which is where the celebrity chef was filming beforehand.
Cooper added: “It was fantastic to get a recommendation from Watts Farm. We have been sourcing our produce from them for years, as supporting local suppliers is very important to us – it’s something our customers truly appreciate.”
Meanwhile, French Chef Raymond Blanc urged others to do more to source British produce as part of British Food Fortnight, which came to an end yesterday (4 October) after running for two weeks.
Buying local was priority
Recent government research showed that about 80% of people believed buying local produce was a top priority.
Vegetables (51%) and meat (40%) topped the list of products that people would like to buy local, according to the research.
Environment secretary Elizabeth Truss said: “Food and drink is at the heart of British life – from top-quality seafood from the Yorkshire coast, to traditional cheeses from Cornwall and delicious gin distilled in the heart of London.”