AN influential website has been condemned for its “neanderthal” video guide to Glasgow and its food.
The Vice documentary – which has been viewed 160,000 times – shows a subtitled, Buckfast-swigging chef swearing as he makes recipes with the fortified wine and Irn Bru.
Munchies Guide to Scotland also shows a group of drunk youngsters talking about their love of “Buckie” – before one of them staggers off camera to be sick.
The film, presented by London-based correspondent Charlet Duboc, ends with the same group wolfing down a “munchie box” packed with chips, doner meat and onion rings.
Brian Hannan, the founder of the Scottish Chef Awards, accused Vice of using an “antiquated stereotype” in its portrayal of the city.
The 17-minute film opens with ‘The Mad Chef’, Danny McLaren from Bar Bloc.
The 32-year-old makes Buckfast ice cream and Irn-Bru pulled pork, swigging the tonic wine as he cooks and proclaims: “I f****** love Buckie so much man.”
He adds: “This has been probably one of the best things ever created as far as Glasgow is concerned.
“It’s an institution in Glasgow, Buckfast.”
The remainder of video documents a group of six inebriated youths in their friends flat drinking Buckfast and smoking.
They discuss their love for the drink and explain the definition of a ned before one of them stumbles off camera to throw up inciting hilarity amongst the group.
The documentary ends with a drunken trip to a late night tandoori take-out for a ‘munchie box’ which Duboc describes as a “heart attack in a box”.
One viewer complained: “Makes me embarrassed to be Scottish, bunch of neds talking s*** on camera not thinking about how it looks to outsiders.
Another wrote: “Did they purposely pick all the ugliest stupid people they can find? Videos like this make the rest of the world think Scotland is nothing but retarded, ugly people.”
Coen van Winkelhoff wrote: “Wow, what a terrible country. Such awful people. I never want to go to Scotland after seeing this!”
Brian Hannan, chief executive of the Glasgow Cookery School, complained: “It’s obviously a neanderthal approach to Glasgow.
“Someone has clearly set out to manufacture a controversial piece in order to get more views.
“It’s an antiquated stereotype and by no means representative of the city of Glasgow. It’s a shame because you don’t have to go far in Glasgow to find good food.
“Glasgow is one of the biggest cities now for street food and there are a lot of young people doing some really brilliant things.”
Glasgow Councillor for Hillhead, Martha Wardrop, said: “Glasgow’s not like that. There’s a lot of work done by many businesses in the west end to provide an abundance of healthy and locally sourced food.”
A spokesman for Buckfast said: “ We were approached by Vice before they shot the episode and they asked for some wine however we refused because it wouldn’t be responsible to handover alcohol to anyone but a wholesaler.
“We don’t agree with the parts of the video however I wasn’t at all surprised to see the chef cooking with Buckfast, we work with a number of chefs including a Michelin Star chef.”
Helen Hollyman, Munchies Editor-in Chief, said they had also made programmes about whisky tasting at the Bruichladdich distillery and producing Arbroath Smokies.
“As an international food channel, we look forward to our ongoing exploration of Scotland’s classic and burgeoning food culture through the lens of a youth perspective, often touching on more unconventional subjects.”
By Tony Connelly
