Kill It, Cook It, Eat It

David Aaronovitch has written an interesting post about his experiences of Kill It, Cook It, Eat It, a new TV programme on BBC Three.

The premise of the show is that we are too disconnected from the food we eat and that needs to be rectified.  Those taking part, David is one of them, watch animals being slaughtered, discuss it, let the chefs work their magic and then eat the food.  From David's post, the programme does not slip into a facile, reality-TV trap and is instead rather thoughtful.

I haven't seen the programme yet myself and am intrigued to do so - this clip is not too illuminating.  However, I was both amused and disheartened to see that Richard Johnson is the presenter.  He was presenter on BBC2's TV food show, Full on Food where he was a study in disingenuity and a lack of interest in food.  He is also the face of Bird's Eye - a company that is the last word in processed food.  I wonder how that tallies with what he's doing on Kill It, Cook It, Eat It.

Johnson shouldn't be enough to put you off, watching what sounds like a decent show.  It begins on March 5 on BBC Three at 10.30pm.

Comments

[Trig]

Dad flagged my attention to this earlier on this evening - there was a bit about it on radio 5 including an interview, I think with David Aaronovitch, who sounded very confused and unclear about the programme for someone who is supposed to be a top journalist. I guess we'll watch it and see.

[gavin field]

Kill It, Cook It, Eat It has made me go veggie

[Ian]

This first of three programmes was Brilliant, it showed their fate and educated the consumer giving them the knowledge they need to go out and buy better food. Some animals meet with an end worse than death itself, death must come as a blessing considering the pain and humiliation they must go through.
Since watching this program and going on you tube I now believe the animals killed in this program are some of the luckiest animals produced for the meat industry, I realise I've probably never eaten meat of this quality but I hope to one day soon.

I hope to God I've never eaten something which has met its end like this> www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnmZcrHrMHM this you tube video shows a sickening practice, which I assume is from America; you may not want to watch this.

[Anna]

I've watched the first two shows and am looking forward to the last one tonight. I thought it might turn me veggie but it hasn't. It has however made me think whether all abattoir's are as good as this one and according to www.ciwf.org.uk they aren't. Its a shame this programme can't go one step further and show the full picture of how animals get to the supermarket shelves.

[vicki Smith]

I saw a clip of kill it, cook it, eat it last night and I was discusted, to show that filth on telvision is damn right out of order I dont care if they did this for cooking purposes, the way they showed that poor animal being killed, draining its blood while it was still alive, stunned, unconsious or not is sick. No wonder people turn into murders in this country!! why broadcast such things for people to take influence on? My 12 yr old brother and his friends all saw it. BBC THREE are giving people ideas and I dont see how you can call how that poor defenceless animal was killed, in any way humain. How would you like to have all your blood drained while your still alive, stunned or not, I dont care if you say we are human and at the top of the foodchain, its immoral. There suposed to be setting an example, I thought they were a good broadcasting channel, now im not so sure. It made me throw up when I saw it an spent most of the night crying and wondering when there gonna show the next victim, but oh look perhaps tonight. You can't wash the blood from those hands! Yes your probably going to say why watch it, and that you did say its got upseeting scenes but i was only flicking through my free view channels and saw a clip, children could see it.that image will be with me foreva now. Im sooo ANGRY! I hope they will take it off the air imediately as im sure there will be many upset viewers. Yes people want to know where there meet comes from and thats its healthy not how there killed in such horrific detail. I hope there happy with what there doing becuase I sure am not!! and I've sent this complaint too them

[Silverbrow]

Vicki - thanks for the comment. I think you're totally wrong and somewhat hysterical, assuming the comment was meant seriously and not a piss take.

As you yourself say, you don't need to watch it, you could turn off. However, more to the point how on earth can you say that it could make people go out and murder others? Animals have always been slaughtered and I don't believe there is any correlation between animal slaughter and human slaughter.

I'd be intrigued to know whether you're a vegetarian, if you're not you owe it to the animals you're eating to understand how they end up on your plate. Please comment more frequently on the site, I always enjoy a good laugh.

[TheProtestersuk]

this fucin show is so bad that i wanna kick the de shit out of them members ..on the show for watcin ...i hope the bbc3 start to feel
the worse cos we gonna stop the next show ....with force we are joing
up on the main road ...watcin them so called british meat i hope it as bird flu ...enjoy the meat

[Silverbrow]

Um, TheProtestorsUK, I've read more eloquent and coherent comments but I'm guessing you're saying you didn't like the programme.

[Bex Townsend]

You know I never really thought about where my meat came from until I watched this program. I am a person who has always ate meat, not a lot of meat just the basics sausages, chicken, beef I’ve never eaten baby animals as I’ve never had the chance or interest to.

Never have I really thought about where my meat has come from, you go to the supermarket and pick up a packet of something that never really resembles an animal and well eat it. So that’s the second half of the title ‘’cook it, eat it’’ but what about the first part the ‘’kill it’’ its something we all put to the back of minds and never really think about.

I was flicking through my free view box a few weeks ago and came across the program (seams how many people came across it) its something I wouldn’t of planned to have watched but when I came across it the title interest me and nothing else was on so I kept it on.

Now I missed the slaughter but saw the discussion and well they all seam so affected I wanted to see the kill so saw it was repeated and watched the kill of a baby goat. I’ve never tried baby goat but watching it die made me feel uncomfortable and upset I guess the program had now put a face to what I was eating and I just didn’t have the desire to eat meat anymore.

I am now a vegetarian and find it easy with the range of Quorn now available and to be honest I think Quorn is tastier, healthier and easier to cook. I guess its easier now I’ve moved to university as I am food shopping for myself so having to think about what I am buying rather then just grabbing something out of the freezer.

I don’t think the program is giving kids ideas for murder or that BBC3 should take it off the air I think that’s way over the top. The program needs to be shown so many of us eat meat but never think where it comes from, we should see it, its proven to me I don’t like the process and therefore have decided to stop eating meat, but If it wasn’t for this program I’d of carried on eating meat completely oblivious to its preparation and for that I’m glad I saw it.

Since then I have now caught the end of the veal one and cried when I saw the two claves being shot purely because they don t produce milk or enough meat to make profit, there carcases were disposed of and I hated the idea there lives had been wasted. Something I thought about when I thought how much meat supermarkets throw away due to it passing its sell by date.

If people feel that strongly against the show then don’t watch it, but if you are eating meat you should really watch it, or at least think about where your meat comes from and see if you’re still happy eating it.

[Silverbrow]

Bex, thanks for that. Your position seems very reasonable - you didn't like what you saw so you stopped eating meat. I agree with you that all meat eaters should know where their meat comes from and how it ended up on the plate.

One thing I would question though is your comment that Quorn is healthier than meat. I've not statistics to hand, but Quorn is a man-made synthetic product. Meat from animals - even those kept in poor conditions - is naturally occurring. My preference is always to eat something natural over something synthetic. As a consequence I make sure there's always at the least, a barge pole between me and the likes of Quorn.

[Karen]

I spent years crying about animals getting slaughtered. and heck, i lived in the middle east for a while and there I can assure you that they are mistreated before slaughter. Europe is humane. However, I spoke to a very experienced arab butcher who told me that once you cut that particular vein in the animal's neck, it no longer feels pain as there is a particular vein that transmits signals to the animal's brain.

Instead of being stunned, the animal is blindfolded (halal) and they take their time with each animal, unlike slaughterhouses where animals go through a machine (that could miss). and being stunned or not properly stunned could hurt too. it's like having a blow to your head. An animal being slaughtered by a responsible and experienced butcher is a lot less painful than a sheep in the wild being shredded alive by a wolf. Because compared to a wolf/tiger/lion etc. they are vulnerable and won't get far.

Either way, for all vegetarians out there, if all of a sudden everyone stopped eating meat, the animals would need to share our supply of grain and vegetation. I'll leave the rest to your imagination. You need a massive population of people not eating meat to see a change. Otherwise you are only contributing to meat being wasted. People produce more meat than is needed or overprice it.

[Bla Bla]

Karen, What utter sh**e you talk. Give your feeble-minded brain a rest and spare us from you ramblings & drivel. Siverbow, you talk utter bollocks too.

[Anthony Silverbrow]

@Bla Bla, you have a way with words. Nice of you to comment even though you clearly see no merit in wasting your time reading, let alone responding.

If you do come back and you do comment, stop being so stupidly coy. If you swear, swear. Spell out the whole world, don't use asterisks, they show you up as the retentive ignoramus you clearly are.