Celebrity chef Ken Hom says that he hopes people take more interest in where their food comes from after the horsemeat scandal.

Romford Recorder: Celebrity chef Ken Hom is kicking off Chinese New Year celebrations at the Tesco Extra, in Hornchurch,Celebrity chef Ken Hom is kicking off Chinese New Year celebrations at the Tesco Extra, in Hornchurch, (Image: Archant)

He said: “When you cook your own food you know where it comes from, but the horsemeat scandal has taught us that people need to look at what they are buying more.

“We are quite lucky in that we can look on the package and find out the origin of our food, but most people do not bother to check.”

His comments come as he helped to kick start the Chinese New Year celebrations at Tesco in Hornchurch Road today (Monday February 10).

The vist saw Ken conducting in-store demonstrations and answering shoppers’ questions about the secret to Chinese cooking.

He said: “The secret is definitely not to panic and you have to be really relaxed.

“The best advise I would give anyone is to be well organised by having everything prepared in advance because once the wok is hot you have to move fast.”

Ken, whose love of good food and cooking started at a young age, also spoke about the popularity of Chinese food.

He said: “Chinese food is universal, it has something in it for everyone.

“Vegetarians can still eat it and you can also eat it whether or not you like spicey food.”

The chef first found fame in 1982 in his TV series Ken Hom’s Chinese Cookery. The TV series became a massive hit and the companion book sold more than 1.5 million copies.

Ken still appears in many TV shows including Saturday Kitchen last Saturday February 9. but he says that he still finds the time to speak to people.

He said: “I always like meeting people because they are the ones that have helped me in my career.

“Meeting the public is a good way to engage with what people like and don’t like and what things still interest them.”