You may have heard that McDonalds are the major sponsor of food at the London Olympics. But did you know that even in the run up to the games, site workers could only eat McDonalds fries too. There have been so many complaints from staff that the "London 2012 Olympic chip embargo has cracked". Read on to find out more about the food that will be served at the Games & how chips can only be served with fish ....
Photo of chips from Nathan Outlaw by Monica Shaw
The Guardian reported "On Wednesday, the London Organising Committee responded to plaintive cries of caterers who had grown tired of receiving "grief" from chip-hungry staff working on the opening and closing ceremonies and allowed chips to be served outside branches of the fast food chain McDonald's".
Prior to Wednesday, McDonald's sponsorship deal included the exclusive right to sell chips in and around Olympic venues. Strangely some caterers had managed to negotiate special rights to serve serve chips with fish – but not chips on their own, or with anything else.
In signs at the lunch counter in the catering area for Olympic staff there were apologies for not being able to serve chips by themselves.
"Please understand this is not the decision of the staff who are serving up your meals who, given the choice, would gladly give it to you, however they are not allowed to," said the sign. "Please do not give the staff grief, this will only lead to us removing fish and chips completely."
However, a spokesman for Locog said . "It's sorted. We have spoken to McDonald's about it."
But the embargo will hold in public areas. This means no chips unless they are served with fish anywhere else in the park unless spectators eat at McDonald's.
LOCOG officials say they are trying to set up an international food festival. In addition to fast food, the committee plans to serve traditional British food like Cornish pasties, Yorkshire pudding, and bangers and mash, as well as more international items like sushi, salt beef and goat curry.
Fish & chips by Nathan Outlaw
"Out of the 205 nations sending athletes, 195 are represented in the six Olympic boroughs and that means British food is world food," said Jan Matthews, head of catering at LOCOG. "We are trying to make it feel like a food festival and we have walked round Borough market several times to try and get that feel. There will be fruit barrows and stalls where you can buy different types of olives."
We're not quite sure where the McDonalds french fries stand within all this. Surely the British chip is a league of its own and spectators should be able to try it and not be forced to buy fish with it too? What do you think? Is it fair that McDonalds have the monopoly on chips? Let us know over on Great British Chefs Facebook page.
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