Leader: Fool’s gold hard to swallow

OLDEN turkey – for or against? That is the debate set to divide households this Christmas.

The surprise best-seller at Harvey Nichols in the run-up to the festive season is a spray for coating turkeys and other delicacies with an edible gold paint. The late Sir Jimmy Savile would have loved it. As for Posh and Becks, not even the sprouts would be safe. At £24.95 for a diminutive 100ml can, many Scots may choose to pass on this gimmick during a recession-clouded Christmas; for the more unassuming home chefs, silver is also available. Style gurus and social analysts will have a field day pronouncing on the significance of this phenomenon.

Is it a reflection of rampant materialism? Is it, on the contrary, a defiant pretence of affluence during an economic downturn. Or is it in very poor taste, an unacceptable extension of the culture of bling? One Scottish turkey farmer who opposes this innovation makes a valid point: a good turkey, properly cooked, should naturally have a rich golden tone, so why try to improve on nature? The risk undoubtedly run by hosts setting gilded turkeys on the table is that their guests will be put off by the appearance of what should be simple, succulent, natural meat and find the centrepiece of the meal unappetising. Surely the average Christmas Day has enough potential perils – drunk uncles, missing batteries for toys, simmering family feuds – without this to worry about as well?