A HOUSE OF COMMOANS
Spoilt MPsslam cut-price food
HERE’S the family snap that’s causing a sensation – and major confusion – across the globe. Incredibly, it shows a mother with her two daughters, but can you work out which one is mum?
Natalie Wardell, 45, is twice the age of Jazmyne, 21, and Tamika, 19, but says they are more like best mates.
Mrs Wardell, from Central Coast, Australia, said: “People ask if we’re sisters all the time and some even think Jazmyne is my mum because she’s so tall and I’m so short.” No kidding. PAMPERED MPs and aides have been giving catering staff a right mouthful over the quality of food served in Parliament.
They moaned about “icy” hash browns, over-cooked eggs, soggy fish, too many curries and porridge with lumps “the size of ping-pong balls”. And that was just for starters. Waiting times, hot serving spoons, small portions and noisy washing-up also came under fire at restaurants heavily subsidised by taxpayers.
The complaints were revealed under Freedom of Information laws.
One whinger was horrified by mustard in his croque-monsieur – a posh ham and cheese toastie.
The diner groaned: “I really don’t like mustard and wouldn’t have ordered it had I known. “Had to throw it away.” Another complained at waiting over 15 minutes for the French snack, adding: “Finally, a cold soggy one was produced. I get to my desk to find it’s barely cooked and the cheese hasn’t even melted. A farce!”
One lamb dish was slaughtered by a critic as “cold, hard and chewy”.
A visitor to the Portcullis Cafeteria complained about a breakfast with “just two forks of scrambled egg”.
And one at the Terrace Cafeteria said: “Porridge has raw lumps the size of ping-pong balls. Please stir.” The Debate eaterie also got a tonguelashing. Staff were told: “Eggs cold, hash browns very cold (icy), plates cold, tomatoes room temperature, mushrooms warm (not all).”
Food at a Commons’ Persian Week was labelled “nothing like it should be” while fish and chips costing just £4.55 also took a battering.
A customer said: “Batter was completely soggy and the chips dry and hard. I know we are charged a fair price but this should not be the reason to compromise on quality.”
And back at the Portcullis, one user said: “Is it possible to have something done about the very loud, intrusive and irritating noise that comes out of the dish washing area?”
Taxpayers spent £ 3.7million subsidising catering in Parliament in 2015-16. Some of that was offset by profits from venue hire, afternoon tour teas and public dining events. The Commons has said it is seeking to cut costs and increase incomes.