CELEBRITY chef Tom Kerridge has sparked fury over a "cooking charge" for steals at his gastropub.

       The telly cook has defended the pricing claiming the steaks are an "absolute bargain".

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       The celebrity chef is charging a ￡12.50 cooking fee for steaks at his gastropub Credit: Tom Kerridge Twitter 2

       Kerridge released a video to announce the new menu

       The new menu, which includes the ￡12.50 fee for putting the steaks on a grill, will feature at Kerridge's gastropub The Butchers Tap and Grill in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

       Kerridge announced the fee to his 600k followers on Instagram with a video of a steak being grilled.

       "STEAKS!!! Opening Friday! @thebutcherstapandgrill," the post reads.

       "And before any pea brained donut asks…… it’s not ￡87….

       "You choose your meat at the counter at butchers prices and then get charged a ￡12.50 cook charge per person…. Absolute bargain!!"

       But social media users hit back at the chef for the cooking fee.

       "12.50 to throw on a bbq griddle? That’s where I’m struggling pal…," one wrote.

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       Kerridge replied by saying: "We also serve it and wash up…… if you don’t think that’s worth ￡12.50 pal……"

       It comes just three weeks after the 48-year-old chef was slammed for his pub's eye-watering ￡87 sirloin steak.

       The war of words broke out over prices charged at one of Kerridge's boozers, The Hand and Flowers.

       At this pub, he charges ￡87 for a sirloin steak with vegetables like a side of cabbage costing ￡7.50 extra.

       The lamb main is ￡69 and a spiced venison loin is ￡60.

       But a smoked salmon dish priced at ￡42.50 is the most expensive starter and all the desserts are ￡26.50.

       As a result, some diners are accusing Kerridge of beefing up his prices, including wine expert Guy Woodward.

       Referring to the Marlow, Bucks, pub he tweeted: “Website of The Hand and Flowers by Tom Kerridge.

       “‘Unpretentious’, ‘proper pub’, ‘for everyone to enjoy’ ‘relaxed and accessible’.”

       But he added: “Steak and chips ￡87, side of cabbage, ￡7.50, creme br？lée: ￡26.50.

       “And people complain about wine list mark-ups.”

       Last December, Kerridge faced criticism for selling takeaway Christmas dinners for ￡95-a-head - that customers had to cook themselves.

       Then two months later he was also blasted for doing similar ones for Valentine's Day costing ￡185.

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