Deliciously Ella - Ella Mills Woodward and Plants By DE

[stardust21]

You know, at the same time, the girl does what she can, and I can't see why having an expensive bracelet automatically makes her environment and sustainability-related arguments any less valid. At the same time, the whole notion of individuals being responsible for climate change is just a way to distract the world from the real causes of it, like gas or oil production/sourcing (ekhem...recent fires in the Gulf of Mexico). So at the same time, she still tries to educate others and stress on the importance of being eco-friendly (opting for reusable lunch boxes, using deodorants in creams rather than sprays, or just getting stuff from the farmers market and buying local in general). You can say what you want, but I feel like sometimes people make these comments out of spite and try to use her 'preaching about the environment and sustainability', suggesting that her arguments are irrelevant because she's got an expensive bracelet, just to vent their insecurities (I felt the same about her at some point. In fact, I really love her Van Cleef bracelet, but although I can't afford it, I love it on her). If you want to look for the real causes of climate change, don't look at Deliciously Ella and her expensive bracelets, just look here climate-change-global-warming-faq.html ). Actually, it got me thinking - is it better to buy a new plastic bracelet every year (since they material is not durable), or have one that her daughters may even inherit from her? I'm not saying that it will happen for sure, and I am exagerrating here, but still. Happy to discuss.

Literally DGAS what jewellery she wears. However, she goes on multiple holidays a year, her restaurant isn’t seasonal, it doesn’t sell locally grown veg. Her products contain things like dates, which last time I checked can’t be grown in the UK. Many of her recipes contain ingredients that you can’t easily buy, and again need to be shipped around the world (coconut sugar, coconut flour etc).

If you want to preach, you need to practice it. Ella jumps on bandwagons and says what’s the popular thing to say at the time. There was even a time she said she ate fish because being vegan was getting a bad wrap.

And all of this completely disregards that it’s nearly 50% more expensive based on calories in food to eat a plant based diet over one high in processed foods, so there are many people who simply cannot afford to eat this way. As well as, like a poster said above, the idea that it is up to individuals is a clever marketing ploy from large, major companies who actually produce this stuff and are the ones who have the power and money to make a change and positively alter the environment.

 

[PineappleQueen19]

That she could be a trust fund baby who does nothing but has chosen not to go down that path, and should somehow be respected for that, shows exactly how much slack we (as a society) give to privileged people with vast inherited wealth. The bar is low.

It’s facile to chalk up resentment of the privileged to jealousy or a case of tall poppy syndrome and I’m sure sometimes it is that but it’s not what I see by and large in this thread - for reasons well articulated by @Chocolate2008 and @stardust21.

 

[bubbletea123]

She's full of shit.

Pretending she accidentally found fame through a blog when it was carefully (and expensively) orchestrated.

The disease she claims to have cured herself from by eating dates and cashews is totally unprovable according to a lecturer I know that works in the area.

She helped popularise lots of recipes that existed a long time before her and take the credit for them. Money attracts money and it's all about who you know.

I (against my will) went to one of her delis ages ago that's behind Selfridge's and the food was basic but very overpriced. Didn't have a cake as they were all uncovered and fly's were buzzing on top of them - the rude staff didn't care though.

She's married to Tessa Jowells investment banker son. I don't even think she cares much about the food, it's just a niche to use and make money.

Yes, I remember rolling my eyes so hard when she mentioned she cured her illness through her vegan diet. I hate people that peddle that bullshit

Why do all the successful insta bloggers seem to come from glamorous or well connected backgrounds.
Their “brand” (or Instagram grid) just means they can sell ready meals or snack at triple the price of their counterparts.

The same way Kendall Jenner is a model. No real talent but has a famous name or family.

 

[Misbehaving]

All of this “we work every hour we can” and “it has to be early in this house” oh fuck off would you. It’s so damaging to say these things, ellas audience are likely quite vulnerable and overwhelmingly female. If they see that she’s getting “success” whilst working every hour they will compare themselves to her, and even if they’re working incredibly hard they likely won’t be at a comparable level.

This is due to the fact she was born into immeasurable money and business advice. That’s what’s got her where she is, not the fact that they’re wasting their youths and time with young children on this damaging folly.

No one else can do that.

It’s bad for mental health to see this on social media. For all that she claims to be trying to improve physical health this is awful for young women’s mental well-being and someone should have a word.

Unless, cynically, she’s doing this on purpose so that when people message saying they feel down she can direct them to her app, ergo more sales.

One hundred per cent this!
There is something cynical and exploitative underneath the wholesome twee image she tries (and fails) to portray.
This holier than thou holistic seeming sanctimonious preachy bs is exactly that!
A hypocritical con designed to fleece the insecure and vulnerable by giving them aspirations and snidely guilt tripping people into feeling both bad about themselves and yet hopeful that redemption is on hand by learning of the error of their ways and converting to clean eating and living!
It's just another variation on the I will purify you of your sins (gluttony making bad choices not being informed enough)!
Hey though don't despair Ella is on hand to show you the error of your ways!
For a price of course!
It's just marketed cognitive dissonance and Ella herself is hardly a very good advert for her lifestyle brand!
So for me despite some of her recipes being quite good (the cookbook) it's hardly worth getting gaslit for or that gnawing feeling of dissatisfaction or tapping into previously dormant neurosis!
Really she should be more mindful of what she puts out and the potential impact but then maybe being considerate would mean coming back down to earth and off her pedestal!
The supposed guilt she feels to me just comes across as someone greedy who is disappointed with themselves because they are accustomed to having things easy and now shock horror find out that they actually have to do some work!

 

[Becclo44]

Anyone else shocked she has flown to Italy while pregnant?

Like most people I can’t imagine stepping foot on a plane for a while, and I’m happy to stay in the UK as long as I need to to avoid COVID and keep other countries safe too. I know foreign economics rely on tourism but pregnant people were advised to shield. I know that is over now but seriously! Flying seems like the riskiest thing right now somehow...

But how else would she be able to post smug as fuck selfies as she sunbathes and frolics by a stream and talks about how busy her and her husband are because they are the only working parents in the world?

 

[Bagpuss7]

Wow yes I’m sure having a nanny staying home with your girls while you pop into work must be so hard that is not what balancing motherhood is.

I was puzzled by this post too especially as she has been very open about the fact they have a full time nanny and have done since Skye was born! Kinda makes the poor me tired face all a bit attention seeking!

 

[Clover123]

Does anyone else find it weird she never has sound on her stories?

Probably so you can't hear the nanny in the background

 

[queenamber]

Wasn't one of Matt's "four months" of "intense work" spent in a villa on Mustique?

 

[Yel]

This documentary is also quite interesting https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07r1hnj/clean-eatings-dirty-secrets

Pretty poor show of the BBC to not use the way back machine to pull ella up on her dishonestly about now deleted blog posts. But that's the quality of their documentaries you'd sadly expect these days.

Ella's stuff is pretty confusing. You've got things that are actually healthy that are very poor imitations of the real thing (brownies low in sugar and unhealthy fats just won't ever compare to the real thing.) Then you have the supermarket stuff that's loaded with cheap unhealthy coconut oil and coconut sugar - so very marginal health benefits if anything compared to normal butter and sugar. It's almost like she stands for nothing other than making money

 

[notthefullshilling]

She most definitely doesn't do 'what she can'! She's a raging capitalist! It's in her blood. Her revenue is her bottom line.

Otherwise she wouldn't be flying long haul, would address packaging/affordability issues of a plant based diet and her products and consider the ethical and environmental impacts of plant based eating in a nuanced and considered way, as well as use her power and influence to campaign and advocate at a high level rather than flog thin white people fancy food. Ethics wise the only way she vaguely references world events and suffering is in relation to herself and how lucky she is, and how she thinks her work is 'changing the world' (her words). It's really quite gross and shameful.

The jewellery is just a manifestation of her attitude; sustainable, ethical, independent brands would play much better and show deeper integrity.

 

[PineappleQueen19]

Not everyone has had the chance to go to kindergarten! Jesus wept. Start a rave thread please.

As an aside I only recently learnt the Sainsbury family (worth billions) still hold a 15% stake in the supermarket. Did someone say upthread that it was the first supermarket to stock her items? Even if you don’t think there’s anything wrong with leveraging family connections, I don’t believe I hear Ella acknowledge these sorts of advantages? Plus goodness knows what else in terms of strings pulled, phone calls made etc for any number of queries eg supply chain management, shelf placement etc. Don’t they say the hardest part of that industry is getting your foot in the door. Once again not saying she hasn’t also worked hard and put the hours in (she makes that abundantly clear). Just that the context matters.

 

[stardust21]

I love it when someone who literally told a magazine they ate fish so they weren’t associated with preachy vegans, and who sold meat in their restaurants for the money starts preaching at me about the environment.

If you want to help the environment, stop serving things like avocado and going on multiple holidays abroad which Ella use to do before the pandemic.

This kind of thing stinks of “celebrity flies in on private jet to climate change summit”. All for people encouraging people to eat less meat, but if you’re going to do that, please stop selling non-seasonal veg in your restaurant

And I say all this as a vegetarian of 15 years for environmental reasons.

I really do think Ella is the type of person who would jump on any bandwagon for the instant gratification of having people replying and telling her what an amazing person she is for speaking out.

I think it’s time for me to unfollow Ella again…

 

[FreeSquirrels]

It’s a (racist) term for when someone has two children within a year. Used as lots of women had children v close together in Ireland as strict Catholics who didn’t use contraception.

 

[Bigsteps]

If she tells us one more time how amazing she is being a ‘mama, business owner, ultimate supreme juggler of all things life and work’ …. Every friggin day!! She should add multi-millionaire to that list. Variations on a theme of ‘having two tinies, running an empire’ what is she trying to prove. Her smugnesss makes me barf

 

[stardust21]

The reason I find the whole “we work ourselves into the ground” and “mum guilt” posts weird is that I feel they go against the brand.

The whole point of DE as a brand is apparently “wellness”, but it can’t really be claimed to be wellness if you’re working yourself into an early grave and not making time for the important things for you.

It would make alot more sense for Ella to say she does all these things (yoga, degree etc) as an act of self care and because she’s more than just a Mum, as that fits the brand a lot more. You’re welcome for the tip Ella if you do read here!

 

[Yel]

She's such an influencer and show pony so I wouldn't take her flexes about working so so hard for so so long too seriously.

Maybe she does work long hard some days, but being the boss can take any days off when she wants to. She's in complete control of how much she works and what she spends her time with.

It's so different having the choice to work or not, compared with the little people that don't have those options available.

Not that I begrudge that some people are free, but effectively the work is a hobby. So it's very disingenuous her posting about how much she loves work when her work is nowhere near comparable to the drudgery many experience with work.

 

[Meg78]

I’ve been thinking about this, and I’ve decided that Ella pre-Matt was fantastic, admittedly the pseudo-science needed to get canned but overall the approach she had was great, very heart felt and came across in a genuine manner. Now that Matt is on the scene the business has been transformed into a money making machine, the products being produced are junk food and she’s become a brand instead of a person, trampling on friends to climb to the top, no problem whatsoever encouraging followers to consume huge amounts of sugar, anything so long as she’s able to make a quick buck, which is a shame as I never got the impression that was her goal originally, right up until their wedding I thought of her as genuinely trying to help others, and his arrival has completely changed both her company and her mindset, and not in a way anyone should be proud of. The sweet girl we all adored at the start has gone, and whilst I don’t doubt that they love each other very much, allowing her husband to control her business has also allowed him to create a soulless monster in her name and image.

TL;DR Boo Hiss Matt is Dr Frankenstein

 

[whathastheworldcometo]

1) Someone mentioned that the bracelets might have been a gift, or something, which I agree with. Nevertheless, to me it's simple - the family is wealthy and it seems like the business is doing well (you can argue with me here, I'm not following them that much), so they buy things they can afford. Does the same argument also relate to Ella's yoga outfits she often gets from Sweaty Betty, which isn't a cheap brand? If so, I'm sure that if she got something cheaper, from H&M or some other high street brand, sooner or later an argument would come up that she supports brands that exploit people and make them work in very questionable conditions. My point is - Deliciously Ella is here to inspire, not to show you how you have to live. In my opinion it is rather funny to expect her not to buy, or to hide even, all the expensive things she has just to maintain the 'girl from the neighbourhood' sort of impression.

2) Again, as you rather sarcastically mentioned, I am aware of the fact that Cartier isn't sold at the farmers market (although, if it wasn't for you, I would probably look for one at the nearest market this Sunday! ), but I just don't understand the issue with a freaking bracelet. She buys her yoga pants from Sweaty Betty (a British brand), gets her skincare from Neal's Yard (if she still does that, I'm not sure), which is also a British brand, and does a whole lot of other things to support the local businesses (she also promotes lots of them in her podcast). But once she makessome extra money, gets herself a bracelet made of gold that, as you pointed out, isn't sourced in England, and there's a big deal. Where was your phone produced? When did you shop at a high street store last? If getting a bracelet makes Ella a hypocryte - we are all one then.

3) 'Using reusable lunch boxes etc is something I learned in kindergarten, it is hardly revolutionary.' - I will surprise you here: not everyone has had a chance to go to kindergarten, and not everyone has had a chance to get your education. Some people simply are too busy trying to make ends meet, that they don't realise such simple things. That's why I think it's good that she tries to remind others, give them ideas and inspire to take small steps towards sustainability.

Are her snacks wrapped in plastic? Last time I saw them all in paper packaging, but maybe I'm wrong. Still, even if she does use SOME plastic, she still TRIES. Would you like her to get a degree in science and invent a fully-biodegradable food packaginf just because she's an influencer and she simply has to?

'A banana and a few almonds in a small Tupperware container would be more sustainable and frankly: cheaper.' - I completely agree. I think the point of creating the snacks like nut butter balls, was simply to show others that vegan food doesn't have to be boring. Personally, I like trying new foods, and I'm happy that there are people who try to make vegan cuisine exciting.

I, for one, cannot afford buying at a farmers market. But I don't take her 'preaching' that personally.

4) I don't know what to tell you. She has a villa or whatever in the Caribbean, and she uses it. As simple as that. Maybe it's wrong, maybe it's right. But I feel like sometimes people get a bit petty with her. This doesn't mean that I think she's perfect and that I follow her lifestyle 1:1. I don't, actually. I don't buy her snacks, because they are expensive. I don't go to the farmers markets for the same reason. Maybe her recipes aren't even hers, as someone mentioned a few pages ago. She also comes from a minted family, which I didn't know at the beginning, which resulted in me believing that I was poor, and that her lifestyle was just 'normal'. Because of that, I also found myself buying stuff that I couldn't afford when I went vegan. Her IG stories don't look too genuine to me, and yes, her creepy stare made me unfollow he a few times. Plus she did at some point (early in her career) recommend using baobab something in one of her recipes, because it was 'so good for you' (although I'm guessing she didn't know exactly what it was good for). I also believe that she could use the reach she has for even more good things. But at the same time, she did start this vegan 'trend', she did make it look cool, and I'm sure she inspired many people to change their habits. Dissing her for not being genuine might not be the best idea, since nobody in social media is 100% themselves But yeah, she is a public person, so I'm guessing she has to be prepared for some criticism from time to time...



I hate it when they do these food challenges, where they pass food and drink from one mouth to another... It's gross, and so much of a food wastage



So a person who just decides not to pretend that they're sustainable is automatically allowed to make stupid decisions? I don't understand how one person tries to be ethical and sustainable as much as possible, and the fact that it generates her income, automatically makes her a hypocryte (because nobody is 100% ethical, or eco-friendly, let's be honest). But the ones who stay quiet about this whole sustainability thing don't have the responsability to care for the environment as much as others? Here, I'm refering to the food wastage in multiple challenges on Love Island.



Or how about just don't go there if you can't afford it I mean, nobody complains about steaks that can cost ££, but an actual healthy meal for £60 is a big deal. Have you been to Spanish tapas restaurants? They're not cheap either, but people go there anyways...

Also... 'Cartier. Globally, Cartier's annual gold consumption is only 10 tons, of which more than 90% is recycled. ... In a holistic sense, Cartier is establishing not only these ethical practices but also sustainable ones: the jewelry giant has been climate-neutral since 2009 and is always working on minimizing its CO2 footprint.'

Luxury watch brands that act in line with responsibility and fairness

In the jewelry industry, too, more and more brands are acting ethically and sustainably. We show which luxury watch brands act responsibly

www.hausvoneden.com

ARE YOU ELLA OR MATT???

OMG, what triggered you?

With regards to your points:

1)
I don't care what she wears, and frankly am not familiar with what brands she chooses.
I was responding to your question - "why do her bracelets matter?" and my response was "if she wants to influence her costumer group she would be best advised not to distance herself from them by wearing things out of their reach".
And it seems that many of her customers find her restaurant overpriced - so she didn't find the "sweet spot" with them.

You think she is here to inspire? This is what an influencer does - but influencers attract followers that want their life style (which includes Cartier apparently).

If she wants people to be healthy and sustainable she should remove distractions and focus on that.

2)
We are NOT al hypocrites as not all of us preach having to be sustainable!

Yes, this "do as I say, not as I do" does make her a hypocrite.

3)
I am not sure if she needs a degree for this, but yes: there are supermarkets without plastic and she could sell at them or find another solution, there are also consultants that advise businesses on these things.

Yes, I bought some of her "balls" and they were wrapped in plastic (I don't know the exact component of the wrapping, but it definitely wasn't all recycled paper).

One bite and one wrapper: definitely not sustainable.

ETA: I checked on her website, and her packaging is only partially recyclable, she does use quite a bit of plastic (especially given how small the portions are): https://deliciouslyella.com/sustainability/

4)
Yes, she likes to travel long-haul: not sustainable.

You don't need to tell me anything else.

Maybe she could simply say: I enjoy luxury travel and chose this over being sustainable.
Instead of: do this and don't do that because you must be sustainable to save the planet.

This has nothing to do with being 100% genuine on social media.



I am not sure why you want to have a go at me, given that you know nothing about my finances.
I was referencing reviews from her guests and yes, have been to tapas bars plenty of times.

But I will just say it:
I enjoy the vegan life style to some extend at home, but if it is spending 60 pounds at her restaurant or 100 pounds at Gaucho Grill I prefer the latter.
A steak, a side and a pudding there fill me up and I simply don't fancy spending half of this amount on a quarter of a vegetable.
So: shoot me

 

[tagliatelle]

Her eyes remind me of Elizabeth Holmes's eyes

If someone told me that Ella was actually Elon Musk’s attempt at a humanoid robot to control the mainstream media and peddle whatever Big industry conspiracy… I would have a hard time disbelieving it based on this picture. The staring eyes! And it can’t even be a genetic quirk because Matt is the same… unless they really are siblings?!

 

[emm]

All that money and he can’t afford an iron. Shame

she always looks weirdly dead behind the eyes, her expression always reminds me of a cult leader