WHEN Delia Smith abandoned traditional home cooking and urged her readers to cheat by cooking her selection of meals made from ready-prepared branded ingredients, there were whispers that she had finally sold out.

During the launch of her latest book, How to Cheat at Cooking, Smith’s publishers and the BBC were at pains to emphasise that even though many products were given a coveted Delia Cheats logo, her recommendations were not influenced by the prospect of a fee.

The book is packed with recommendations - from the Kenwood mini chopper to Aunt Bessie’s mashed potato. While the Delia effect guarantees sales, the BBC and her publisher said that “in her 40-year cookery career Delia has never had a contract with or financial interest in any kitchenware or food product”.

Last week, however, some firms mentioned on her website, and also recommended in the book, revealed that they pay commissions if customers buy their products via the cook’s website.

One of the retailers recommended in the book and mentioned on Delia Online is Lakeland, a mail order firm for food and kitchenware. A spokeswoman said last week that it paid Delia Online undisclosed “contact fees” for new business from her website, although this excluded products specifically mentioned in the new book.

Another recommended producer is Lane Farm Country Foods in Suffolk. “We are a small family farm and are very pleased she has mentioned us,” said Ian Whitehead, who runs the business. Whitehead said a small commission was paid for each online order.

Kelly Turkeys, based in Essex, also pays a small fee for each order. It is not mentioned in the new book, but Christmas sales shot up from about 5,000 to 44,000 after Delia previously gave it her stamp of approval. “She gave us the confidence that we were doing something right,” said Paul Kelly, the owner.

The specialist food supplier Merchant Gourmet, which is also recommended, said it was paying a commission on orders that arrive from Delia’s website.

Smith said this weekend that the commercial arrangements helped to fund her loss-making website. She said she guarded her independence fiercely and did not believe that it was in any way compromised by the fees.

“What tiny little pittance we receive from them helps to pay the cost of running a website and helps to serve people who use my recipes. I am simply a cook who is trying to help people cook more easily for the times we live in,” she said.

“I have said I’m not making money out of mentioning products in How to Cheat at Cooking. My website has [some money] to help towards its running costs.

“I don’t get a million a year from a supermarket for advertising it. People trust me and when I say that something is quality they know I’m not saying it because somebody has been paying for me to say it.

“I don’t have my range of cookware and package sauces because what I’m about is helping ordinary people to cook.”

While Smith has earned her living from cooking for four decades, she has been overtaken in the wealth stakes by other celebrity chefs who have little hesitation in endorsing products for hefty fees. Gordon Ramsay is worth an estimated £62m and Jamie Oliver £25m, compared with Delia’s estimated fortune of £13m.

The disclosures will add to the debate around How to Cheat at Cooking, which has both infuriated and delighted Delia fans. For many, the shock of her recommending packet potatoes, tinned lamb and other convenience foods was too much to bear. But despite the misgivings sales of the book have rocketed, making it one of the fastest-selling recipe books so far.

Most are unlikely to begrudge Delia the small fees her website is generating from commercial deals. By contrast, other celebrity chefs have accepted advertising contracts worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Delia Online had a turnover of about £179,000 in 2006 and made a loss of about £53,000. Michael Wynn-Jones, Smith’s husband, who is responsible for the website, said the latest accounts would also show that it made a loss. He said the website had recently turned down advertising worth £80,000 because it was connected to products she had recently recommended.

Additional reporting: Christopher Thompson and Stuart MacDonald

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