'Restaurant' star slams Delia Smith

Rex Features

The Restaurant star Raymond Blanc has criticised Delia Smith for "betraying" her home cookery values.

Blanc, who owns Oxfordshire's Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons, said Smith's new book How To Cheat At Cooking and BBC 2 show Delia was "damaging" the work of other TV chefs.

Smith's book features recipes including ingredients such as frozen mash potato and tinned mince.

The French chef told the Daily Express: "Suddenly the great lady who helped us all to connect with our food has published a book which undermines her credibility.

"Just at the point where people were beginning to connect with their food and become aware of the joys of seasonal food, she suddenly gives us the opposite message and that's sad."

Delia airs on BBC 2 at 8:30pm on March 10.