Tom Kerridge fish and chips: Chef faces criticism for £37 restaurant meal which 'looks like deep fried nappy'

Top TV chef Tom Kerridge has faced backlash from Instagram users after charging £37 for a plate of fish and chips at his restaurant.

The dish is currently for sale at Kerridge’s Fish and Chips eatery in Harrods, but it's been compared to a frozen dinner by social media critics. This comes three months after Kerridge upped the price of the dish from £35 to £37.

The Michelin-starred chef, who is going to be a judge on the upcoming series of The Great British Menu, is well aware of the controversy surrounding his expensive meal, and took to Instagram to defend it. But, he perhaps got more than he bargained for when someone also shared their thoughts of not only the price of the dish, but also the quality of it.

The 50-year-old told his Instagram followers: “'I know my fish and chips are always a hot topic. And in my opinion, you absolutely can't beat a good fish and chippy tea. “The fish and chips at Kerridge's Bar and Grill is a real crowd pleaser.” One responder to the post, Robbie McKye, said: “'Looks like something you'd get in the frozen aisle. Poor.”

In response the chef had a colourful use of language, which made his strong opinion known: “Robbie, sad post mate. Cheer up buddy, say something nice, don't be a d***. It's not a good look.”

Fellow social media users defended both Kerridge and McKye. One person said: "@cheftomkerridge you lose any argument when you resort to insults. You don’t like criticism do you?" Another mirrored Kerridge's choice of language when they said: "@cheftomkerridge I usually respect you but that's also a d*** reply. His opinion is valid whether you like it or not, it looks average, wasteful (coring a potato?) And overpriced for fish and chips."

One person showed their support of Kerridge simply by posting the clapping hands emoji, while another posted the laughing face. One person, called Phil Austin, said they disagreed with McKye's view, but added they thought the meal was too much money. "Nope, it looks like proper fish to me; I'm from Grimsby, do know my fish n chips. However, I think we can all agree it is vastly overpriced."

The backlash comes as Russian newspaper Izvestiya reported that the country's agriculture ministry has submitted draft legislation to ban the UK from the key fishing grounds famous for cod and haddock. As up to up to 40% of cod and haddock consumed in the UK comes from Russia and Russian territory, according to Sky News, this could mean there are issues with fish supplies in the UK in the future - and that could mean prices at restaurants across the country of the British classic could increase.

Kerridge's dish also divided opinion of other people further down the comments. One person said: "I’ve eaten @cheftomkerridge fish and chips and they was delicious." Another said: "Your fish & chips are epic". One more added: "I have never felt ripped off by @cheftomkerridge and his establishments. The food is amazing and worth every single penny!"

Other people were less complimentary. One said: "Looks like a deep fried nappy… unfortunately." Another added: "Make your food more visually appealing then if you're going to charge £37 for somthing that looks like cheap fast food."

Kerridge, who has previously had criticism levelled at him because of the prices of his other dishes, including for an £87 sirloin steak in his Buckinghamshire pub, said that he had learned to not let the backlash affect him after the pricing row.

He told the Radio Times in an interview: “I’m seen as a man of the people, so when I put fish and chips on for £35, they shout at me for it being expensive. But the people criticising me don’t understand how it’s priced. Fish and chips was always seen as cheap, fast food, and I get that because of where I grew up.”