Chef Jamie Oliver MBE has been awarded the RSPCA Richard Martin Gold Award as part of the charity’s Honours in recognition of his significant contribution to improving the welfare of farm animals and championing higher welfare food products.
The RSPCA Gold, Silver and Bronze Honours – named after Richard Martin, Lord Erskine and Arthur Broome – are the RSPCA’s highest awards, and are given to recognise and reward individuals and organisations for their outstanding contribution to animal welfare.
The Honours Award Committee were blown away by the extensive efforts that Jamie Oliver has made over the years in both researching into, campaigning for and working to make a significant change in the way animals are farmed for meat in the UK and overseas.
Jamie Oliver said: “Thank you to everyone at the brilliant RSPCA for this incredible award. It truly means a lot, and it’s a great pat on the back for everything me and my team are trying to achieve. Over the years, we’ve been fighting alongside you to make a meaningful difference to animal welfare – from my TV show Jamie’s Fowl Dinners in 2008, to the ‘food fight’ campaigns we run on Friday Night Feast, to making sure we only ever serve higher-welfare meat in Jamie’s Italian restaurants across the world.”
He added: “If we all keep fighting, we can make a real difference. There’s a lot still to be done but this award is a massive boost. So thank you.”