Jamie Oliver held a bowl of Eton mess outside Number 10 Downing Street on Friday to protest the Government’s U-turn on its child obesity strategy.
The celebrity chef, 46, called on the Prime Minister to “keep his promise to end junk food advertising to kids and put more promotions on essential foods”.
It follows the Government’s decision to scrap a ban on buy one, get one free deals for junk food products.
A ban on TV adverts for food and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar before the 9pm watershed has also been delayed by 12 months.
Eton mess is commonly believed to originate from Eton College, which Boris Johnson attended.
Mr Oliver praised supermarket Tesco for pledging to ban two-for-one deals on junk food from October 2022 – a policy the Government has postponed for a year – to cheers from around 100 supporters.
He told protesters: “This whole strategy was designed by the Government and has been researched by the Government proves that this particular mechanic (two for one deals on junk food) makes people spend more of their income and waste more.
“And actually if you look at what Tesco said today, they are going to continue on discounts (but on) healthier and sustainable (food).
“They’ve set the tone and I’m sure others will follow. We want to put child health first, the strategy was looking world class and now it doesn’t.”
Mr Oliver has long campaigned for healthy eating and for improved access to nutritious food for children.
Speaking to broadcasters on Friday on a visit to Wales, Mr Johnson said the Government was attempting to be “flexible” through the delay.
He acknowledged that while obesity costs the NHS “huge sums of money”, the measures were not impactful enough alone to tackle the issue and “can effect people’s weekly outgoings”.
Ministers have claimed the measures will be postponed to ease the cost of living crisis, despite widespread condemnation of the delay by health campaigners.
An impact assessment published by the Government in 2020 showed promotions on unhealthy foods resulted in £75 of additional spending per year for the average household.
Though this was offset by £61 in savings, the report noted that the “impact of multibuy promotions is an overall expenditure of £14”.
