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Takeaway pizza creating a lazy, irritable nation claims TV chef
Mark Prigg, Science Correspondent18 Feb 2009
A TOP chef has called on Britons to end their addiction to fast food and stop "comfort eating" their way through the recession.
Aldo Zilli spoke after fast food chains reported record profits this week, with pizza firm Domino's posting a 25 per cent profit increase last year and KFC announcing a £150million expansion programme.
Zilli said poor diet was creating "a nation of lazy, irritable people" and that he was "hugely disappointed" by the rise in junk food sales.
An Evening Standard investigation revealed an average large Domino's pizza contains almost all an adult's daily recommended fat, salt and calories.
Zilli said: "It's very depressing that despite all the work TV chefs have done, and the government campaigns, that this food is selling so well.
"People clearly aren't listening and are simply comfort eating because of the recession, and that is a huge shame."
He attacked fast-food chains for "ruining" the classic Italian pizza dish and called on people to make their own healthier version at home. "Pizza is incredibly simple to make at home, and with good, fresh ingredients it can be a healthy meal, and also something that's fun to make."
Zilli, who runs a chain of fish restaurants, tested some of the popular Domino's pizzas and said they were "basically stodge".
"This bears no resemblance to pizza you would be served in Italy, and it shows the name pizza has been really misused.
"The meat on these things looked like something out of space. I think that as far as takeaway pizza goes, they are fine. But this is not pizza as I know it. It's a shame these takeaway pizzas are ruining the name, and through a poor diet leading to a nation of lazy, irritable people."
Heather Caswell of the British Nutrition Foundation said: "As a nation we are eating far too much saturated fat. The key thing to remember is everything in moderation. Pizza is fine, but it has to be an occasional treat."
A spokeswoman for Domino's said: "Our research shows our customers order a pizza on average every 34 days, so it is very much a treat. We believe it can form part of a balanced lifestyle."
Reader views (26)
I just think people are becoming very lazy and need to start spending more time in their kitchen, instead of taking fast food as an advantage. You cant even know what goes in that stuff.
- Mirea, Hampshire, 15/01/2010 19:34
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When I started working life (not too long ago by the way) and had to look after the penny. I happily managed to live on easy to make veggie based dinners such as stir frys and stews. They are nice, didn't break the bank and I was able to save enough to go out every now and then as a treat to a nice restaurant.
Couldn't have afforded the overpriced pizza delivery chains and take aways... Always wondered, how do people on limited income do that??
- Iris, Kent, 15/01/2010 18:34
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I think the boxes taste nicer than the Dominoes Pizza, next time try it you might be surprised.
- Brian, Wiltshire, 15/01/2010 18:34
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This has nothing to do with laze and hours worked in my opinion. I think its because people are going out less and certainly less to restaurants. I haven't been to the pub this year, haven't been to a restaurant this year and yet I have sat at home on a Saturday night and ordered a pizza.
Thats £15 for some fun food without the associated expense of going out for the night. I have sky movies too as its cheaper than the cinema which I have also cut out now.
Do I now need to write in that I work 12 hour days etc etc etc? No I don't so get a grip people - nobody cares if you have a pants job.
- Richard Smith, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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We decided to try Dominos last night. I set up an account on line and a text order. Two medium pizzas came to £28, no "specials" appeared on offer and no discount for two given. I'll given them some credit, at least it arrived very quickly - mind you, it was Tuesday night. As to taste, it was a bit cardboardy but the one with more meat (i.e. liquid fat) tasted quite nice. Wish we'd gone up the Lauriston (Victoria Park) for their £8 pizzas instead, would have tasted much better.
- Rachelle, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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C'mon, Zilli is a PR default option. "Oh dear, a company is doing too well, what should the ES do? I know, let's get some celeb "TOP" ! chef passing off as an Italian to give an expert "let's put them in their place" opinion. Sorry ES. Seen it before. Boring. Once again you're out of touch, Italian pizzas (just one of the many pizza varieties) don't travel well. Try ordering from an Italian pizzaria - three hours later you're delighted to get a stone cold rocket and parma 'speziale'. Wafer thin just like Italian pizzas should be but.errrr.......cold as a frogs wotsits. Woo-hoo! £20! Gimme more, I'm lovin this!
Wanna great pizza in under 30 minutes? Who ya gonna call? (Not Aldino.....and has ES done an investigation on the calorie count of HIS menu?!!!!!). Credo que no way. Ciao!
- Paul K, Oxford, 15/01/2010 18:34
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The fast food sales have only increased probably because people are ordering a take out instead of going out for a meal like they might have done when they felt they had more money to burn. If they're irritable it's because they're not able to enjoy the restaurant experience so much!
- Isabel, Woking, 15/01/2010 18:34
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I'm with Stuart and Jock. My wife and I work 12 hours a day and get home at about 8 to 8.30pm most nights. It takes less than half an hour to cook a great-tasting, inexpensive meal from scratch. A pizza would take 10 minutes. Most nights, a meal costs us less than a four quid for both of us. And it's a relaxing and satisfying thing to do. Get with the programme. If you're hit by the recession - and who isn't? - start cooking and stop moaning.
- Ken, Brighton, East Sussex, 15/01/2010 18:34
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Yeah we're all gonna be fat pigs if we carry on eating this rubbish.......
Ooops, too late!
- Peepsy, Fat England, 15/01/2010 18:34
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All very well to preach to others, when you are very wealthy.
Nothing worse than a preaching luvvie.
- P Staker, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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I'd like to see Mr Zilli work stressful 12 hour days in an office and come home with enough energy to create one of his recipes from scratch. We are a lazy irritable nation because we work all the hours just to keep our jobs, get no thanks for it and then get told off for daring to relax in the evenings!
- Kevin, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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I amazed that people find it too hard to buy a healthier, better tasting and far cheaper pizza from a supermarket and put it in the oven. Not exactly hard to cook.
Maybe they are too fat and lazy from their overindulgence in takeaways to waddle down to the supermarket.
- Tom, Watford (UK), 15/01/2010 18:34
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I HATE FOODIES!
- D Woodstock, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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Ooops, guess what I just had for lunch? Yep, pizza - albeit home made.
- Marianne, SW France, 15/01/2010 18:34
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Sometimes, like right now, living in London feels like a surreal nightmare. My business is struggling. My savings have been decimated by the collapse of banks. Yet everywhere on TV and in newspapers there are chefs or would-be chefs telling me how to cook? Is it some zombie-like invasion of the capital or have they all recently become ubiquitous, just prior to swathes of restaurants disappearing in the credit crunch, while we all start again to troop down to the chipper?
- Mike, london, 15/01/2010 18:34
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Stop press - Too many foul-mouthed obnoxious so-called chefs on television creating a lazy, irritable nation.
- Keith Price, Luton, England, 15/01/2010 18:34
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Kevin, you're exactly the type of person Aldo Zilli is talking about. Lazy.
It takes me all of 20-30 minutes to cook myself a proper dinner from scratch (and i work the same hours as you). Much better than having to wait an hour for a fat-sodden piece of dough topped with processed cheese, and other manufactured bits and bobs.
Cooking your own meal doesn't need to take hours, and the benefits far outweigh a takeaway pizza.
- Jock, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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Er Kevin, I work long hours, leave at 7am return at 7:30pm and I manage cook for myself. it is called caring for yourself and not defaulting the blame on to others
- Stuart, UK, 15/01/2010 18:34
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I have conducted my own survey that found TV chefs constantly yammering on about our eating habits, particularly those chefs with fat tongues or who wear combat trousers to appear trendy, are very dull and tiresome and should get back in the kitchen and shut up.
- Squiz, islington, 15/01/2010 18:34
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I feel very ill, anxious, and depressed but I eat healthily.
Could certain chefs be trying to promote the sales of their own brand products (which are probably equally unhealthy and 4 times more expensive) and encouraging eating out in restarants during this time of extreme recession perchance?
- Real, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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If people want to eat stodge then let them, isn't that what happens in a free society? What makes me irritable is people condemning everything and Mr.Zili's restaurant when you phone for a booking! Give it a go. You've never spent so much money to be condescended to.
- Mark, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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Ken has a good point. Question:- who feels like starting to cook after a 12 hour working day, 5 or 6 days a week?
- Cally, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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I am amazed at the pious nature of some people here. "I work for 23 hours of the day but I get home and cook a meal from scratch using stuff from my garden and my farm animals. Don't lecture me about what to eat. I will make my own decisions.
Every once in a while I order a vegetarian pizza to be delivered. I like it. It's not greasy, but I am under no illusion that it is not good for me. So what?
- Tyler Durden, Milan, 15/01/2010 18:34
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I work 16 - 18 hours a day. From 8am to at least midnight. So cooking is a no-go for me and Domino's every day is the answer. If some other place can offer decent food at the right price then I will also go for it.
- Ed, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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I leave home at 7:45am and get back in at 7:15pm, I then cook something like a spaghetti, arabiatta, stir fry, tacos, enchiladas, etc, all from scratch and all eaten by 8:00pm. Very occasionally I eat takeaway pizza but I won't order from the dross chains, I have a local one with a wood burning oven using fresh ingredients like parma ham and wild mushrooms but it's more likely I make my own pizza. However, due to the dough taking an hour to rise before I can even start to make it, so it's more of a weekend dish. Sounds like Mr Zilli is simply trying to get himself in the press to get some free advertising for his overrated restaurants.
- Bob, Cheam, 15/01/2010 18:34
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Zilli needs to wake and realise that people suffering in this crisis can no longer have the luxury of choice and pay his ridiculous prices!!
- Paolo, London, 15/01/2010 18:34
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