Jamie Oliver's restaurant found to be serving battery eggs

Jamie Oliver was left with egg on his face last night when it emerged that one of the restaurants he backs served customers eggs from battery hens.

The mix-up at Fifteen Cornwall, which usually buys only organic eggs, occurred while Jamie's Fowl Dinners - Oliver's plea for the country to rethink its attitude to poultry - was aired on Channel 4.

The incident came to light after a party of farmers and battery egg producers asked to see what they were eating during a visit to the restaurant last Friday.

They realised they had been served eggs from battery hens after a chef brought them a tray to inspect from the kitchen.

"It was a cock-up; we pride ourselves on knowing where everything comes from," said Dave Meneer, the restaurant's chief executive.

Oliver is a trustee of the Fifteen Foundation charity, which runs four restaurants, including the Cornish restaurant in Watergate Bay, to train disadvantaged youngsters to become chefs.

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By Daniel Thomas

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