Gordon Ramsay's call for laws to force restaurants to use seasonal fruit and vegetables has been derided by restaurant owners in Scotland as idealistic but impractical nonsense.

The top chef said yesterday he wanted to see legislation to ban restaurants from selling produce out of season, calling for possible financial penalties for offending restaurants.

"There should be stringent laws - licensing laws - to make sure produce is only used in season," he told Radio 5 Live.

"The quicker we get legislation pushed through the Houses of Parliament, the more unique this country will become in terms of its sourcing and level of inspiration."

However, Ian Fleming, the chairman of the Glasgow Restaurateurs Association, which represents dozens of establishments, said it was "nonsense". Other chefs said it was what good restaurants should aspire to but were not keen on legislation.

Campaigners for the developing world said it would hit hard-pressed farmers.

Mr Fleming, who owns Striped Bass in Princes Square, Glasgow, said there would not be enough food produced to satisfy all of the restaurants in Scotland. Martin Wishart, who has worked at top restaurants in Scotland and abroad, said it was idealistic. He said: "The pattern of my menu follows the seasons. However, it is not always practical."

Brian Maule, chef at Chardon d'Or in Glasgow, said it was more convenient for some restaurants to use out of season produce.

He said: "I haven't yet heard Gordon Ramsay's comments. However, I use fruit and veg in season and alter the menu accordingly throughout the year. I am not so sure about legislation.

"A difficulty is you can get pretty much anything in a supermarket at any time of the year. If you go to Tesco and buy asparagus in December then some people will expect it in a restaurant too and then it has to be imported."

Ramsay, famous for his foul-mouthed rants in his kitchen and television appearances, gained support from farmers in Scotland who, while also wary of new laws, hoped his comments could give the industry a boost.

Anna Davis of the National Farmers Union Scotland, said: "The promotion of local food is something we have been working on for some time now and it's great to see celebrity chefs backing that. Red tape and legislation aren't always the answer, but restaurants do need to be encouraged to use Scottish produce where possible."

Farmers abroad were less enthusiastic and suggested Ramsay should look at his own menu. Michelle Di Leo, director of FlyingMatters, a coalition of farmers in the developing world, business, trade unions, tourism bodies and the aviation industry, said: "Gordon Ramsay currently has bananas, pineapples and mango on the menus of his UK restaurants, none of which could have been grown in the UK but are all likely to have come from farmers in the developing world."

When to eat

Cabbage (red, white and green) January
Cabbage (red savoy) November
Leeks November-January
Asparagus May and June
Spinach January
Wild mushrooms September and October
English apples November- January
Rhubarb March and April
Strawberries June and July