MPS’ pudding politely renamed ‘Spotted Richard’ to save blushes

SPOTTED DICK has long been a source of amusement for diners – but now seems to be so much so that waiters in the Houses of Parliament dare not say the name of the pudding out loud.

The Daily Telegraph has learnt that staff working in Strangers’ Dining Room, the 19th-century restaurant used by MPS to entertain guests, have resorted to using the name “Spotted Richard” in order to spare the clientele their blushes. Four staff waiting on tables in the restaurant confirmed the name change when approached last night. They were less forthcoming when asked for an explanation, stating only that “Richard” was less likely to cause a stir with guests.

However, the rebrand appears to have had the opposite of the desired effect, with Strangers’ regulars taking to social media yesterday to brand the change “very silly”.

Andrea Jenkyns, the Conservative MP for Morley and Outwood, was the first to notice the difference, revealing on Wednesday that her waiter had offered her a slice of “Spotted Richard” off the special desserts menu.

Ms Jenkyns told The Telegraph that she had “to bite on my lip to stop myself from laughing”.

“I had to ask twice, just to be sure,” she continued. “They have a traditional desserts section, which changes daily, so I asked what the dessert was and that’s when they said it. I still have no idea why.” While Ms Jenkyns has laughed off the issue, others have been less forgiving. Nigel Farage, the former leader of Ukip, branded it “PC Baloney”. Echoing his comments, Michael Fabricant, the Conservative MP for Lichfield, said the decision was rather puerile, adding: “Call a dick a dick, I say!”

A House of Commons spokesman had denied the rumours were true, stating that the dish remained one of “many traditional hot puddings” served up in Parliament’s various eateries. Later, they added: “We are not always able to control how staff may refer to dishes.”

It comes more than a decade after Tesco was mocked when it rebranded the dessert “Richard”, after a survey showed that female shoppers were embarrassed by the name.

In 2009, Flintshire council confirmed that it had been renamed on their menu following a string of “immature comments” from customers.