Tom Kerridge 'instantly pukes' whenever he eats one food – but still serves it in restaurants

Tom Kerridge has revealed he “instantly pukes” if he eats one food - but still serves it at his Michelin-starred restaurants.

On the Things People Do podcast with England rugby union star Joe Marler, the 51-year-old revealed he has a shellfish allergy. It came as a blow for Tom who admits he previously “loved” the likes of oysters and scallops.

However in recent years, he has found the number of shellfish he is allergic to has actually increased, with only crustacean - such as lobsters and crab - causing him to get ill initially. And while Tom has to stay away from shellfish, he says he trusts his chefs enough to still include them on the menu.

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On the Things People Do podcast, Tom said: “I’ve got a massive shellfish allergy. I can’t eat shellfish.”

He added: “We serve it. It goes back to trust elements, I’ve tasted them all, I’ve eaten them all, it’d just make me very, very instantly ill.

“No s******* but puking, almost passing out. Like the girl in the Exorcist.”

Speaking to Deliaonline , Tom previously explained his chefs at the two-star The Hand and Flowers in and one-star The Coach in Marlow, Buckinghamshire have worked with him for years. And while he is unable to eat their shellfish dishes, he believes their “standards won’t slip”.

He said: “We have people who’ve worked for us for well over 15 years and every head chef in the business has been with us for over 10 years so we’ve been working to our own personal and professional standards for a long time. Just because I can’t eat a lobster dish they are not going to let standards slip.”

Tom’s allergy has previously seen him opt against judging shellfish dishes on the Great British Menu, instead he has been presented with alternate fish-based meals. The chef has previously said he didn’t realise he had the allergy until he was well in his twenties.

Speaking to food industry network The Staff Canteen in 2014, Tom explained: “I didn’t realise I had a shellfish allergy until I was 24; I didn’t eat shellfish until then.

“My allergy started as crustaceans, but it’s progressed to shellfish as well now. When I first had shellfish I was violently sick, but I didn’t associate it with being an allergy initially.”