Celebrity chef backs cooking safety campaign

Anthony Warrell Thompson, who owns the Windsor Grill, has teamed up with the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) to promote fire safety during February.
Mr Worrall Thompson said that a moment’s distraction could mean the difference between dinner and disaster saying: “As a chef, I know all too well how important it is to ‘keep looking when cooking’.
“Don’t take the risk – if you need to leave the kitchen, even just briefly to answer the door or the phone, always take pans off the heat and turn off the oven first.”
Last year there were 388 accidental house fires in Berkshire of which 221 started in the kitchen and a further 92 were caused through distraction.
With Febraury providing plenty of oppurtunities for culinary creations from Pancake Day, Valentines Day and national chip week, Febraury 18-24, RBFRS are advising would-be chefs to be vigilant.
Group Manager for Prevention at RBFRS, Paul Jacques, urged people to make sure they had a smoke alarm fitted and the batteries were tested every week.
Mr Jacques said: “We are delighted that Antony is supporting our campaign by helping us to spread the cooking safety message.
“Kitchen fires can cause terrible damage and even lead to loss of life but you can help keep yourself and your loved ones safe by following our simple safety tips.”

• Never leave cooking unattended, even for a minute.
• Don’t cook if you’ve been drinking alcohol or taking medication.
• Keep the oven and grill clean – a build up of fat can easily catch fire.
• Don’t fill a chip or hot oil pan more than one third full of oil
• If the oil starts to smoke, it’s too hot – turn off the heat and leave it to cool.
• Never throw water on a chip or hot oil pan.
• If fire breaks out, don’t tackle it yourself: get out, stay out and call 999.