Jamie Cries Fowl Over Poultry Production

JAMIE Oliver has held a series of meetings with leading supermarkets in a bid to change poultry production.

One of his meetings with Sainsbury`s, who Jamie has an advertising contract with, has already been filmed for his new programme, Jamie`s Fowl Dinners, which will air as part of a Channel 4 food season.

According to Channel 4, Sainsbury`s has said it is "considering" changing its practices as a result of the discusssions.

Jamie is to be joined by fellow high-profile chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Gordon Ramsay to present three shows running as part of the food season in January.

Channel 4 has said that the two-week series of programmes is designed to "challenge the people of Britain to think before they eat".

Jamie`s Fowl Dinners will culminate in a live gala dinner in December attended by celebrities and members of the public.

At the event Oliver will reveal to his guests some of the "hideous" ways chicken dishes make their journey from the farm to the table through a series of "shocking demonstrations".

Andrew Mackenzie, head of factual entertainment at Channel 4, said: "Jamie`s simple message in an overt way is if you knew the process, how your eggs are produced and what you eat, you would probably buy free-range, organic chickens.

"Jamie`s an amazing guy. After Channel 4 had finished he put thousands of his money into campaigning for better school dinners."

Jamie`s Fowl Dinners will be aired in January, along with Hugh`s Chicken Run - in which Fearnley-Whittingstall challenges the leading supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainsbury`s and Morrisons to change their ways.

In an attempt to demonstrate what happens to chickens that are sold "for less than the price of a pint of beer", the River Cottage chef sets up his own intensive chicken farm near his home in Axminster, Devon.

In the three-part programme, he is shown breaking down in tears at the plight of unnaturally-large 39-day-old broiler chicks, crying, "I can`t kill another chicken".

Meanwhile, Gordon Ramsay will encourage the nation to join him in cooking up "the best home-cooked meal they`ve had in ages".

The hour-long live show, called Cook-a-Long-a-Gordon Live, allows viewers to join in making one of Ramsay`s meals at home.