Couples who fail to convince are given a bit of gammon as a consolation prize and must walk through the town behind an empty chair.

It said that alternative roasting joints had proven especially popular, with beef rib and gammon joints featuring as a centrepiece on more tables.

“Just because it's traditional to have turkey doesn't mean we have to. If you’re not bothered by it, get a cheaper cut of meat like a chicken or a gammon joint,” he says.

Until recently, Laira Green Primary School in Plymouth served local Cornish beef for its roast dinners every Thursday, but has now switched to gammon as a cheaper alternative.

He complained of being labelled a "red gammon head" and a "ruddy-faced buffoon".