Several top chefs are backing the Pigs Are Worth It campaign, including Phil Vickery, Lesley Walters, Aldo Zilli and Antony Worrall Thompson. The campaign exists to support pig farmers on the brink of extinction because of the surge in feed prices.

At the moment (August 2008), it costs pig farmers up to £26 more to raise a pig than they actually get paid for it. The campaign calls for pig farmers to receive a fair price from caterers and supermarkets – which would add no more than a few pence to the price that consumers pay for their pork, bacon and ham.

You can read more on their website, sign their e-petition, and download free promotional merchandise if you want to help promote the campaign.

Pigs Are Worth It campaign

Oops! Chef Antony Worrall Thompson accidentally recommended the use of a poisonous plant in a recent magazine interview. According to the BBC yesterday, AWT said that the weed henbane “was great in salads”.

An embarrassed AWT apologised, saying that henbane was toxic and should never be eaten. What he had meant to say was that the wild herb fat hen was good for eating.

Henbane is also known as stinking nightshade and historically was used in conjunction with other plants such as mandrake and deadly nightshade to create “magic brews”. The plant is known for its psychoactive properties, which include hallucinations and a sensation of flight.

Fat hen, on the other hand, is a species of plant with succulent and juicy leaves which are often used as a vegetable.

As always, it pays to remember to take care when foraging for free food. Otherwise it could be your last supper.