Gino D'Acampo slams English Christmas tradition

Gino D'Acampo has declared war on a favoured Christmas tradition as he criticised Britons for eating 'the worst meal in the world' on December 25th. 

The celebrity chef, 48, claimed that English people pick 'the best day of the year to eat the worst meal in the world' by choosing turkey at Christmas.

Gino doesn't believe that anyone really likes the traditional festive bird because they don't eat it the rest of the year.

The chef has pork, beef and fish for his Christmas meal instead, and doesn't understand why English people decide to eat turkey.

Gino made the revelations while speaking on the Parenting Hell podcast, when vegetarian host Josh Widdicombe revealed that his children eat turkey while he eats vegetable lasagne at Christmas.

Gino said: 'The children having turkey? Even worse, who the f*** eats turkey at Christmas? Why do you want to do turkey at Christmas?'

Revealing what he chooses for the festive day, Gino said he opts for 'pork, beef and fish.'

He added: 'One thing I don't understand about turkey is that nobody really likes turkey, right?

'Nobody f****ing eats turkey during the year, do they? And yet they choose the best day of the year to f***ing eat the worst meal in the world, the turkey. Why? Why do English people do that?'

Eating turkey for Christmas is a tradition that originated in Britain and became popularized by King Edward VII and by the late 17th century, turkey was more widely eaten.

Before that, the traditional Christmas meal included goose, boar's head, and peacocks and it was also more cost-effective for farmers as they could use their chickens and cows for milk and eggs. 

It has been estimated that between nine and ten million turkeys are purchased each Christmas in the UK. 

It's not the first time Gino took aim at a British staple, when in 2022 he turned down an invite to tea with the now late Queen Elizabeth II because he's 'not keen on cucumber sandwiches'.

The Italian-born TV chef described cucumber sandwiches as his 'worst nightmare' and added that he also didn't want to dress smartly for the occasion.

Speaking to The Daily Mail's Richard Eden, the Family Fortunes host, said bluntly: 'I'm not very keen on tea or cucumber sandwiches.'

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He added: 'I was invited to the Palace for tea just before Covid, but a cucumber sandwich is my worst nightmare.

'I don't like tea either, so I phoned my agent and said: "I'd love to meet her, but I don't like tea and cucumber sandwiches, and I can't do either of those things."

'I'm also going to have to wear a tie, and the last time I did that was when I got married. I can't do that. But if I can have a plate of pasta and a cup of coffee, I'm in.''

Gino grew up in Naples, before moving to the UK and opening his first restaurant age 21. His eponymous eatery now has venues in Birmingham, Manchester, Harrogate, Leeds, Liverpool and Hull.