Celebrity chef Tom Kerridge has revealed what he considers the worst meal he has ever consumed: a burger at a waterpark in Portugal that he described as 'the most rotten thing' he has ever put in his mouth.
The 52-year-old chef, who has more than three decades of experience in the food and hospitality industry, shared the story on the Good Food Tasted podcast hosted by comedian Patrick Spicer. When asked about the most dreadful food he had ever sampled, Kerridge did not hesitate.
'It was a burger in a, it was 100 percent the worst thing I have ever eaten, in a waterpark somewhere in Portugal and it was beyond. It was the most rotten thing I've ever put in my mouth,' Kerridge said.
Comparing the Burger to Exotic Foods
Kerridge noted that he had tried many unusual foods over his career, including century egg, fermented fish, and shark fin, but none compared to the burger. 'It was just the worst because it was just like. It was so bad, without doubt. Now, I've eaten lots of daft, bad things, like century egg or...like fermented fish and I mean shark fin and all of that sort of stuff,' he said.
'This is something that you buy going 'Yeah, great, I'm going to have burger and fries at a water park somewhere in Portugal' and it was the worst the thing. It was so bad.'
Kerridge's Advocacy for Hospitality Sector
Beyond his culinary experiences, Kerridge has been a vocal advocate for the hospitality industry, which has faced significant economic challenges in recent years. He has consistently campaigned for greater support, particularly a reduction in VAT for hospitality businesses, a move that could save some firms millions of pounds.
Speaking to City AM about his latest proposal, Kerridge argued that businesses are more than just tax-paying entities and that smaller enterprises deserve greater support. 'No successful business has ever been built on the accountant,' he said. 'Businesses are not built on tax experts. Communities don't operate on tax experts. And that's not even a pleasant title, that shows you what that sort of person is.'
'Without allowing small businesses to grow, you're never going to get to that point. So yes, their profit margins will be bigger, but it isn't about them [...] it's about the survival of your local pub.'
Call for Long-Term Measures
While England's involvement in the World Cup provided a temporary boost, with trading hours extended into the early hours on certain occasions, the tournament is drawing to a close. Key figures in the hospitality sector, including Kerridge, have called for more enduring measures to be introduced to support the industry.
