CELEBRITY food writer Sophie Grigson said Oxford shoppers were being let down by a shortage of quality food stores in the city - which she blamed on the influence of Oxford University.

The culinary expert and food writer, who lives in Cumnor, is a well-known supporter of local produce, but said more needed to be done to help shoppers find good Oxfordshire food.

Ms Grigson, a former student of Oxford High School, in Belbroughton Road, North Oxford, returned to the county just over five years ago.

She said: "Oxford, as much as I love it, is not a food conscious city."

Ms Grigson said it had a history of bad food, which she attributed to the influence of Oxford University.

She added: "The 'gown' part of the city eat in hall. And although the colleges have huge amounts of money, in the past, food has been beneath those at the intellectual heights.

"They eat college food and don't need to support local restaurants or shops. The tradition of supporting local producers has not been maintained."

Ms Grigson was speaking in Witney, where she was invited to open the town's new-look monthly Wednesday market.

She said there was a lack of quality food outlets in Oxford, other than the Covered Market and the occasional deli.

She added: "In an affluent city this close to London, you'd expect to find a little more in the city centre.

"I think it will get better and better, but it's a late starter."

Ms Grigson claimed food shoppers were let down by the dwindling number of food suppliers in the covered market, adding: "Oxford is familiar territory to me, having spent my misspent youth there. And the market had more food producers there when I was younger.

"Also, although I do shop there when I'm in town, you can't park or use a trolley."

And while she welcomed the growth of farmers' markets, she said they needed to become more regular.

She said: "I love farmers' markets. The downside is they are not accessible to everyone, as people are working. They need to be more like French markets.

"Oxford has a good farmers' market, but people still get muddled up about when it's on.

"I'd like to see them everywhere as places to stock up regularly, instead of just the occasional treat.

"These kind of markets are not just about food and local production. They are social occasions."

She added: "In terms of local producers, things have improved over the five years I've been here. People are working really hard to produce good food and are getting the acknowledgement they deserve."

An Oxford University spokesman said: "Our colleges have their own chefs and there is a certain amount of competitiveness.

"Lots of chefs take a huge amount of pride in what they do. Food in the colleges is important and is to a high standard, and members do enjoy their food."

She added: "The university's academics, students and staff together number about 25,000 people in Oxford during term time, and a lot of those who 'live out' make their own food anyway, and use local shops and restaurants."

She said some college chefs used local produce. evening, except supermarkets, which is a frustration."