Celeb chef Tom Kerridge flogs fat-filled M&S pub grub after penning weight loss book

The celebrity chef, who released a ‘Lose Weight & Get Fit’ book, now has a new range of M&S meals bursting with saturates

He's known as a healthy eating guru, telling us how to lose weight and get fit.

But we can reveal Tom Kerridge’s new range of M&S gastro pub grub could send waistlines bulging – as it is bursting with fat. The celebrity chef’s £7 British beef pie for one carries an astonishing 120% of an adult’s recommended daily saturates and a huge 68% of the fat.

And Kerridge’s £7 chicken curry pie, serving one, isn’t much better – making up 116% of daily recommended saturates and 64% of fat. The meals are a far cry from the book released by the chef – who once shed an impressive 12 stone – entitled: “Lose Weight & Get Fit”. The 2019 book is billed on his website as “Combining nutritious recipes with tips and plans for keeping fit”, with the added boast that it “is perfect if you are looking to overhaul your lifestyle, shed the pounds and stay on track”.

By contrast, half a pack of his £12 British Beef Cheeks oven meal for two accounts for 78% of daily recommended saturates, 44% of fat and 43% of salt. Even the healthy-sounding Lentil cottage pie, serving two, has 52% of daily recommended saturates and 32% of fat per half pack. Meanwhile, those opting for his £6.50 pork pate starter for two will be consuming 29% of their recommended daily saturates for half a pack.

Another to add to his list of meal options includes the £12 spiced lamb, serving two, which carries 35% of daily recommended saturates per half pack. Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: "I am truly amazed that such a respected chef should have designed pies that play fast and loose with the official guidelines for ingredients. I concede that there is still much controversy over whether the rules properly take account of the different nutritional needs of men, women and children but they are the best we have for the time being and should be followed even by my Michelin rated cooks."

Kerridge’s healthy eating book was also accompanied by a BBC TV series. The 51-year-old has said: “When I first set out to lose weight, I concentrated mainly on what I was eating, but now I know that it's to do with fitness as well: the two working together is the winning formula for getting maximum results and maintaining those results long term. And the number one rule when it comes to eating well on a diet is to keep food interesting!'”

A spokesperson for Kerridge said: "Lose Weight and Get Fit was a book and accompanying TV series focused on helping those that wanted to lose weight released five years ago. The new Gastropub range that Tom developed with M&S, like Tom’s pubs, is all about balance. Tom doesn’t recommend eating in his pub every single day for lunch and dinner, however there is no harm in eating there, or eating anything in the Gastropub range, as part of a balanced diet." M&S was approached for comment.