ITV’s James Martin Delivers Urgent Call to Support British Farmers on Cooking Show

During the opening moments of ITV’s James Martin’s Saturday Morning show on March 28, the celebrated chef made a heartfelt plea to viewers to support British farmers by purchasing locally grown produce.

Joined by guests including First Dates’ barman Merlin Griffiths, double Olympic champion James Cracknell, and culinary experts Meliz Berg and John Hooker, James kicked off the episode by preparing a deeply comforting Lamb Shank Tagine. The dish featured tender, slow-cooked lamb simmered for 12 hours with saffron, ras el hanout, apricots, preserved lemon, and fresh herbs—one of his favorite recipes from his early London days.

However, before diving into the cooking, James took a moment to address his audience directly. Emphasizing the quality and seasonality of British produce, he appealed, “Please, please as a nation can we just buy stuff from this country. We’ve got amazing produce here. Buy British, because this stuff is just the best in the world. The farmers need all the help they can get.”

He spoke passionately about the hard work and dedication of farmers, highlighting the iconic dry stone walls of the Lake District as an example of the effort invested in protecting livestock. “When you think about what they get for the end product, it’s such little money for the amount of work they put in. The very least we can do is buy it from this country,” James stressed.

After presenting the finished dish — which he affectionately called a “pot of pleasure” — he suggested home cooks might add almonds and pistachios for an extra touch of indulgence. Wrapping up the segment, he reiterated his support for local producers: “It’s one of the true, true delights and some of the most amazing produce we have in this country. When it’s in season, just buy it.”

James Martin’s Saturday Morning continues to air every Saturday at 9:30am on ITV1 and ITVX.