Diners have food intolerances like a fashion item says chef Raymond Blanc

But the Michelin-starred chef - who runs Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons at Great Milton, one of the country's best restaurants - does not think his customers are faking allergies.

He believes this is a result of eating food that has been intensively farmed and containing chemicals.

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For too long, he told Country Life magazine, British consumers have not cared about the methods used to produce their food.

He added: "A food intolerance has become almost like a fashion item, but these are true allergies, provoked by what we eat and the environment in which we live.

"Our environment and health are becoming a priority again, as the consumer becomes more and more aware. Ignorance is slowly being replaced by knowledge and knowledge is empowering."

The 70-year-old is also calling for Britain to produce much more of its own food, questioning why we import seventy per cent of what we eat from other countries.

"By growing and creating what we need here, you prevent all that pollution and its effects," he said.

The chef revealed: "We have been self-destructing, but we're starting to appreciate the cost. We're thinking about those chemicals and putting them together with our ill health.

'You should see the board in my kitchen when we take orders - no milk, no flour, no lemon - it's more like a hospital."

The hotel reopened on July 14 with rigorous measures in place to ensure guests stay safe.