Antony Worrall Thompson criticises foreign workers for poor service levels

Chef Antony Worrall Thompson has criticised eastern Europeans and other foreign workers for adding to poor service levels in UK restaurants.

Many staff from overseas don't have the necessary command of English or skills to do the job well, according to the celebrity chef.

The BBC presenter suggests banishing the minimum wage in favour of tips to encourage better levels of service.

In an interview with restaurant and lifestyle magazine Square Meal, Worrall Thompson said that the UK had a bigger diversity of food cultures than anywhere else in the world, but added that "the service here, frankly, is s***!".

"We need to make our waiters more enthusiastic about their jobs," he added.

"One solution would be to get rid of the minimum wage, so waiters relied on their tips like the old days; it's amazing the great service you get from waiting staff who are out to earn tips."

The celebrity chef said he was "pessimistic" about the lack of cookery lessons in schools.

"With cookery no longer on the curriculum in schools, I'm not sure where the next generation of chefs is going to come from or even how people are going to learn how to cook at home," he said.

"Cooking really should be made compulsory in secondary schools again and it's scandalous that it's not."

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By Louise Barnett at PA News

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