Oliver annoyed by battery egg blunder

Chef Jamie Oliver has been embarrassed after one of his restaurants served eggs from battery-reared hens.

The TV star, who is currently promoting a campaign to stop the British public buying battery-reared chickens and eggs, was reportedly "pissed off" by the news.

Oliver's Fifteen Cornwall eatery accidentally served battery eggs to a group of farmers last Friday, who discovered the mistake after they questioned the eggs' origins.

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

"[The customers] saw two eggs in a tray, remarked they were battery eggs, and a young chef gave them one. We were pretty open about it; it was a mistake."

Meneer claimed their usual egg suppliers Clarence Court had run out over New Year, so someone had ordered battery eggs by mistake.

However, reports that Oliver wants people to lose jobs over the blunder are not true, according to the chief executive.

He added: "I've read the riot act to a couple of people here. We are running a very successful restaurant - there are 100 people in for lunch today - which is run by a cracking team.

"I could go firing a couple of people, but would I finish up with a better restaurant? Would that guarantee that this never happens again? Not in my experience, and I'm not minded to do that."