Police say they found two cannabis plants, around two metres tall, at his home, as well as half a kilogram of Indian hemp.

Cannabis-flavoured wine, olives, coffee and tuna were also allegedly recovered from the Sicilian chef’s home at the foot of Mount Etna, TheLocal.it reports.

Carmelo Chiaramonte, 50, said he was “researching new flavours” for his work as an “agro-food consultant for third millennium cuisine”.

He has been released pending trial.