Chef Tom Kerridge Reveals One Food He Would Never Serve in His Michelin-Starred Kitchens

Step inside The Hand and Flowers, the acclaimed two-Michelin-starred pub in Marlow helmed by Tom Kerridge, and you’ll quickly notice the careful curation of its menu. While classic British dishes like pies and traditional puddings feature prominently, the menu consciously avoids more unusual or exotic ingredients rarely seen in British cooking.

During a recent TikTok Q&A, the 53-year-old chef was asked: “What is the one ingredient that will never enter your kitchen?” Kerridge’s response was clear-cut. He said, “There’s quite a lot of exotic-style meats, such as ostrich or crocodile – it’s just nothing that would ever, ever, ever make an appearance on our menus.”

This stance aligns with Kerridge’s well-known commitment to celebrating local produce and British ingredients. Beyond simply serving British food, he actively supports the farmers and fishermen who supply it. In his ITV series and accompanying cookbook, Tom Kerridge Cooks Britain, he travelled across the UK in a 1950s food truck to spotlight the hard work of regional producers.

His dedication to British culinary heritage also shone through on the BBC’s Great British Menu, where he made history by winning the main course category twice, elevating humble regional ingredients like Aylesbury duck to fine-dining levels. He has since returned to the show as a judge, continuing to champion the country’s farming traditions.

While exotic meats sometimes appear in restaurants as novelty items, Kerridge’s cooking philosophy focuses on elevating traditional, familiar ingredients-such as perfectly cooked pork belly or his signature slow-cooked duck-rather than relying on unusual proteins to impress diners.

Moreover, Kerridge advocates for seasonal eating, which means consuming produce when it naturally thrives in your region without relying on energy-intensive greenhouses or air freight. Eating seasonally not only improves the quality of meals but also reduces environmental impact.

You don’t need to change your diet dramatically overnight. Simple steps like subscribing to local vegetable boxes, shopping at farmers’ markets, and checking produce labels can help you eat more seasonally. To extend these benefits through the winter months, consider preserving fresh produce by freezing or storing it during harvest time. Not only is this rewarding, but it also contributes positively to environmental sustainability.