Jamie Oliver: Chef says he ‘has never been anti-sugar’ after sugar tax joy sees people sharing his sweet recipes

Oliver's recipes are being shared after his overjoyed reaction to the sugar tax

A spokesperson for Jamie Oliver has insisted he has never been anti-sugar after his overjoyed reaction to George Osborne’s sugar tax.

The celebrity chef and food campaigner was filmed dancing by the BBC after the Chancellor announced plans to introduce a levy on sugary drinks such as Coca-Cola and Iron-Bru, which Oliver praised as “a profound move” towards tackling childhood obesity.

Oliver campaigned for months ahead of the Budget for the introduction of a sugar tax in what he claimed could be “the single most important” change in the food and drink industry. He investigated the health impact of high sugar diets for a Channel 4 documentary and also launched a petition urging the Government to tax sugary drinks, which was signed over 150,000 times.

“Sugary sweetened drinks are the single largest source of sugar in our children’s diets, and child health must come first,” he said in a statement welcoming Mr Osborne's announcement.

But a number of people reacted to Oliver’s jubilant response by sharing some of his recipes they claim are high in sugar.

A spokesperson for Oliver told The Independent the chef has never been anti-sugar and instead advocates moderation. He also pointed to a passage from the healthy living section on Oliver’s website, which reads: “Indulgent food should be enjoyed and savoured, but only occasionally”.

Oliver also insisted he had not been made aware of the sugar tax in advance of the Budget and said he was walking past Westminster shortly after the news was announced.