He’s known for enjoying a ‘buttery biscuit base’ and being fond of ‘good meat cookery’ – but do former Master Chef judge Gregg Wallace‘s own meals stand up to the test?
The culinary celeb, 60, is currently under investigation over a string of allegations of inappropriate behaviour – including from Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark – and stepped down from hosting the hit BBC cooking show in November.
But he recently unveiled a new range of ‘healthy’ frozen microwave meals in a new career move, as he continues to work after being replaced by Grace Dent on TV.
While the renowned cook may be more used to dishing out feedback than receiving it, MailOnline’s Elmira Tanatarova and Jack Pusey sampled a selection of offerings from his GreggWallace.health range, which are priced at £8 each.
Despite promises of flavours which ‘taste so good you might not believe they’re healthy’, our reporters were left divided over a lot of the selections.
One was deemed ‘slop’ while another dish – an attempt at a zesty North American relish – left people less than impressed.
However, not all were misses. Our reporters enjoyed the sauce on Gregg’s Bang Bang chicken dish – and enjoyed the Pad Thai as well.
Wallace announced the new move via his health and fitness firm, revealing he’d been taking advantage of having ‘some time at home’.
He said of the venture: ‘I have been working for quite a while now on frozen ready meals from the GreggWallace.health range of recipes.
‘Let’s see how we get on. I have managed to have some time at home and did some cooking. It’s a habit I want to get back in to – cooking for the family once a week is something that I really enjoy.’
He added: ‘All our meals are frozen and shipped via DPD AM Delivery Service. They will arrive frozen or within the correct temperatures to transfer straight into your freezer unless otherwise stated in product descriptions.’
Single meals are £8 or buyers can purchase eight for £60. The website claims you get a ‘complete meal in a pack’, which is ‘healthy, filling and tasty’ and ‘cheaper than a takeaway’.
While the premise is certainly an interesting one – recipes delivered by one of the most famous chefs in the world, which promise to be both tasty and healthy – the meals have caused some mixed opinions in our taste test.
Gregg’s firm had a great opportunity to introduce healthier alternatives in a space where many are trying to cut back on ultra-processed additives.
It’s certainly an admirable goal, but perhaps the team needs more time in the test kitchen.
While the recipes appear creative – and certainly pay homage to classic take away meals sure to appeal to the British public – they often made no attempt to replicate the flavour.
Perhaps the biggest downfall here is that the largely bland meals portray ‘healthy’ meals as a boring and unrewarding endeavour, which it doesn’t have to be.
And we weren’t entirely convinced that Gregg’s treats were worth the price – for the same £8 on Tesco Club Card, shoppers can enjoy three ready meals which are tastier and more faithful in their delivery of what is expected.
Here are our firm verdicts on five of Gregg’s dishes…
PULLED PORK & DAHL
Elmira’s rating: 0/5
Jack’s rating: 1/5
The website invites diners to bask in ‘the creaminess of Dahl with the indulgence of pulled pork’ with this meal – but unfortunately, it offered neither of the above.
The texture was entirely too watery and sloppy, and the pulled pork was too tender, and got (quite literally) lost in the sauce.
Unfortunately, the spices in this one – which are what elevate and really make Dahl, a classic Indian dish, what it is – didn’t come through and you’re just left with the distinct saltiness one may compare to a vegetable stock cube.
While the recipe is certainly a creative combination, it sadly wasn’t executed well – and left one of our reporters barely able to hold down their bite.
MORROCCAN CHERMOULA
Elmira’s rating: 0/5
Jack’s rating: 1/5
A chermoula – spiced with the likes of garlic, cumin, coriander, oil, lemon juice, and salt – is known across North Africa for flavouring and elevating dishes.
While our team was expecting a subtler, ‘British’ version of the dish to cater to regional taste palettes, we certainly didn’t expect such an underwhelming selection of grains in a bright yellow sauce (which looks nothing like the promised creamy, saucy result on the packaging).
The biggest offender in this dish however were the huge chunks of broccoli which were, simply put, inedible – one of our samplers couldn’t hold them down – while the rest of the elements sadly fell equally flat.
LENTIL & AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA
Elmira’s rating: 1/5
Jack’s rating: 2/5
A Parmigiana – you might expect – is made into a delicious dish thanks to the key ingredient of Parmesan cheese.
But unfortunately, this concoction, which was comprised of lentils, huge chunky aubergine cubes and a tomato sauce, offered none of the creaminess that make this an Italian classic.
In fact, the cheeses in this meal are towards the bottom of the ingredient list.
It’s an unfortunately bland plate to serve up a veggie eater trying to go for healthier options – and feels more like undercooked veg doused in pizza sauce.
CHIKCEN PAD THAI
Elmira’s rating: 2/5
Jack’s rating: 3/5
Gregg’s chicken dishes are definitely where his company shines – because while a touch on the clinical side with their cubed portions, they’re definitely not overly offensive.
While this Pad Thai didn’t taste much like the flavours associated with the iconic dish – neither peanut nor lemongrass aromatics came through – it’s hard to go wrong with veg, chicken and rice.
The dish wasn’t entirely flavourful and a touch on the boring side – but that is sometimes, expectedly, the trade off with ready meals.
BANG BANG CHICKEN NOODLES
Elmira’s rating: 2/5
Jack’s rating: 3/5
The Bang Bang Noodles we samples were definitely Gregg’s best work in the batch of flavours we attempted.
The spice wasn’t hot enough for the famously heated dish, but it was still there – and a creamy peanut sauce definitely made all the difference.
The noodles helped elevate the dish, as they maintained their integrity very well despite being part of the frozen meal process.
However, it could definitely have benefitted from less ‘school dinner’ aesthetic when it came to presentation. It was entirely edible – but unextraordinary.
What happened to Gregg Wallace?
Gregg Wallace is currently under investigation over a string of allegations of inappropriate behaviour – including from Newsnight presenter Kirsty Wark – and stepped down from hosting the hit BBC cooking show in November.
Wallace is currently under investigation by the BBC amid a raft of allegations about his misconduct.
He was initially bullish in the face of the allegations, taking to Instagram to say they mostly came from ‘middle class women of a certain age’.
He went on to ask: ‘Can you imagine how many women on MasterChef have made sexual remarks or sexual innuendo?’
Since then, several high-profile names – including TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson as well as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer – have condemned his remarks in public statements.
The former greengrocer later apologised for the controversial comments which caused a PR storm.
The under-fire presenter said of his middle class women slur: ‘I wasn’t in a good headspace when I posted it. I’ve been under a huge amount of stress, a lot of emotion.
Among those to come forward with allegations against Wallace is a woman called Lisa, not her real name, who worked on BBC show Eat Well for Less in 2015.
She told the BBC Wallace ‘touched her inappropriately’ when they were filming in a supermarket.
‘He brushed past me at the checkout, and touched my bum with his waist and penis and laughed and said ‘oooh you liked that didn’t you’,’ she alleged.
‘It was the way he reacted, other people would’ve said ‘oh I’m sorry can I squeeze by’ which would’ve been ok.’
Lisa also claims that she felt she had to continue working but was ‘not ok about it’, describing it as ‘slimy and disgusting’. She claims she raised it with a senior colleague but that nothing was ever done.
Banijay say they have no record of this incident being raised at RDF Television, which produced Eat Well For Less.
A second woman claims that she came across Wallace while working at an event in 2022.
The woman, known only as Sarah, claims that Wallace asked her to take him to the car park at the end of the event.
‘As we walked down, he started putting his arm around me, saying ‘go on, hold my hand, don’t you want to stand next to me’,’ she told the BBC.
Other claims include talking about his sex life on set, asking for women’s numbers and repeatedly questioning a gay woman about the ‘logistics’ of dating other women.
Gregg’s lawyers said ‘it is entirely false that he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature’.
Food critic Grace Dent, 51, is set to replace Wallace on MasterChef while the investigation into his behaviour takes place.
Dent will judge the upcoming 20th series of Celebrity MasterChef, having appeared regularly as a guest and then even a contestant on MasterChef: Battle Of The Critics in 2022.
