Nigella Lawson has carved out a lucrative career for herself through her sophisticated culinary skills, writing cookbooks and hosting her own cooking shows, but the TV chef clearly hasn’t lost sight of the fact that sometimes a pack of Hula Hoops is all you need.
The celebrity chef, bracing for a night in which she would watch election results unfold from exit poll predictions to Keir Starmer’s official ascension to Downing Street at 5am, pulled out her now-famous “kettle of chips” to feed herself.
The big metal bucket, this time packed with Frazzles, Mini Cheddars, Monster Munch and Skips, comes out on important occasions that require some stamina, including England football matches.
The daughter of Nigel Lawson, Conservative MP for Blaby for 18 years, shared a photo of the cauldron with her 2.7 million followers on X, writing: ‘The crispy cauldron has been restocked.
‘More supplies stashed away in case they need to be replenished overnight of course #generalelection.’
The crispy cauldron comes out for major national events, and TV chef Nigella shared a snap of it, fully packed, with her 2.7million followers on X last night.
The snack bucket sparked many responses, inspiring others to grab crisps to get through a night when Labour scored a landslide victory over the Conservatives.
A parody account of Downing Street resident Larry the Cat asked the celebrity chef: “I should have known your crispy beef would be tough; was there room for a cat on your sofa?”
Nigella, who said she would wash down the chips with a Campari and soda, replied: “Anything for you. You’ve suffered enough already.”
The TV star has previously said her children used to hide in the ‘cauldron’ when they were little, but it is now reserved for eating on big occasions.
Clearly in good spirits as the results began to come in, Nigella responded to a fan who said they were relieved to see Hula Hoops in the cauldron, saying: “Who do you take me for?”
Another fan asked what time Nigella…‘Raid the fridge and eat dessert straight from a glass bowl with a ladle?’, to which the TV chef suggested that 4am was the time to do it.
She also dismissed the idea that she is a Conservative supporter simply because her father was a Tory MP, agreeing with one supporter who said:The assumption that a woman would automatically support her father’s party is archaic.
The last time the 64-year-old London-based TV chef produced a giant tub of chips was during the last European Championship, when England played Italy in the final of the tournament, describing it as a “half-time snack”.
She then gave fans a little insight into the cauldron, saying it’s “60cm in diameter and 40cm deep. My kids used to like hiding in it when they were little (and it didn’t even have chips in it then!).”
She added that she likes all types of crisps, “not just the fancy ones,” and that Monster Munch and Twiglets are among her favorites.
Back in 2021: Previous outings of the cauldron, which has a diameter of 60 cm, include the last European Championship
When England played Italy in the final of the last European Championship, the snack bar also made an appearance.
For conservatives at least, it was a very long night, with A record number of front-line MPs lost their seats as Labour secured a historic landslide victory.
The morning after? Rishi Sunak has bid farewell to Downing Street after leading the Conservatives to their worst ever election result, with Keir Starmer waiting in the wings to take over.
Accompanied by his clearly emotional wife Akshata, the Prime Minister delivered his farewell statement as he prepares to head to Buckingham Palace where he will formally tender his resignation to the King.
He said he was “repentant” and had “heard the anger” of the country and the “clear message” of the elections.
“I’ve given everything I have to this job, but you’ve sent a clear message and your judgment is the only one that matters,” he said.
“It is a difficult day, but I leave this job honored to have been Prime Minister of the best country in the world.”
Sunak said he would step down as leader of the Conservative Party once a replacement had been chosen. He also paid tribute to Sir Keir as a public servant and wished him and his family well in their new roles.