Jamie Oliver says his ‘jerk rice’ is so in demand that he’s sold out, and has to produce more “We’ve sold out, and we actually have to get capacity up”

TV chef Jamie Oliver said his controversial ‘jerk rice’ is so popular that he has to produce more.

Last month the restaurant owner was accused of cultural appropriation over the product by many people, including MP Dawn Butler.

The MP for Brent Central said: “I’m just wondering, do you know what Jamaican jerk actually is? It’s not just a word you put before stuff to sell products. Levi Roots should do a masterclass. Your jerk rice is not OK. This appropriation from Jamaica needs to stop.”

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‘Your jerk rice is not OK’

When asked by Metro UK if he plans on changing the name of his products after the backlash, he said no.

He continued: “We’ve sold out, and we actually have to get capacity up”.

‘We’ve sold out’

In a statement he released during the backlash, he defended his product, and said: “I’ve worked with flavours and spices from all over the world my whole career, learning and drawing inspiration from different countries and cultures to give a fresh twist to the food we eat every day.

“When I named the rice my intention was only to show where my inspiration came from.”

‘It’s shepherd’s pie mix’

But reaction has continued to be distinctly mixed – a woman from Brixton spat out the ‘jerk’ rice when offered it on ITV news.

Other critics weren’t overly thrilled by the “punchy” rice. One said: “it’s missing the jerk”, another added: “it’s like shepherd’s pie mix”.