Good Food Blog

Theme park food

Posted at 11:26AM, 04 July 2008 by Graham Holliday - blogger

Well, there's a surprise. Head to Alton Towers for the weekend and shock, horror, you'll be hard pressed to find decent nosh. And it's not just the original British theme park, but at 220 of Britain's other theme parks, wildlife parks, museums, sports centres and heritage sites a report this month says it's the same story.

The Local Government Association tell us that the food in these places is stacked with lard. Not just stacked, but oozing, dripping and coagulating with 7000% more grease - yes, you read that right, seven thousand percent more grease - than government guidelines recommend. Apparently, the owners of Alton Towers and Legoland were 'astonished' at the findings. In a statement, Gary Henderson, Head of Commercial Development said that their "primary responsibility is to provide a fun and enjoyable day out, and as such to allow our guests to take nutritional responsibility for their own food choices.

Open quotationThe food in these places is stacked with lard. Not just stacked, but oozing, dripping and coagulating with 7000 per cent more grease... Close quotation

Hmmm... but if the only nutrition available in public places is a danger to your health, shouldn't the food providers be held to account somewhat more than they already are? It's not as if we're talking about spreading the butter a bit too thickly here. 7000 per cent more fat is more than an extra dollop of cream or a smidgen of butter, this is some serious, serious, mindbogglingly lardiness.

But the bit the grates me most, beyond the 7000 per cent, is the section in the report calling for "healthy option meals". This is such a loaded, overused and often meaningless 21st century phrase. It implies unhealthy is the norm and that healthy is an option if you're a wee bit awkward and if you really, really, must insist on eating something that won't fur the pipes and if you don't mind carrying the "healthily" branded packaged product to the counter.

Shouldn't all meals in the public sphere be healthy? Should unhealthy even be an option? Maybe we can live with 100 per cent more grease in our diet here and there, but 7000 per cent is edging beyond bonkers and into absurd.

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Comments

  • Binder photo Lucy
    9 July, 1:45PM

    Lucy

    Open QuoteThe way I see it is theme parks are normally so tiring that you work off a lot of the food walking around all day

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  • Binder photo Indra
    10 July, 3:15PM

    Indra

    Open QuoteThat really is a very very meager retort...

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  • Binder photo Justine
    10 July, 10:20PM

    Justine

    Open QuoteI don't know about anyone else but we only go to Theme Parks once or twice a year. I don't think two McDonalds a year is going to kill me, and there is always the option to take your own.

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  • Binder photo shez
    13 July, 8:31PM

    shez

    Open QuoteWent to Alton Towers a few years ago with veggie friends and there was no veggie food available. Staff offered chips!

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  • Binder photo Emma
    19 August, 11:53AM

    Emma

    Open QuoteI used to work in a leisure centre cafeteria when I was younger. There was quite a lot on offer; jacket potatoes, quiche and salad, soup of the day, pasta dishes, all home made as well as sandwhiches made fresh every day. We also used to serve chips which could be added to fish fingers, chicken nuggets or sausuages which were all frozen and pretty awful. Lots of the posh mums would complain that all there was to buy was chips with something, and wasn't it terrible in a leisure centre, but it simply wasn't true. Actually the truth was that these mum's weren't able to say no to their little darlings and let them have what they wanted - which was chips! Pass on the blame! Don't get me started on how rude these mums can be!! I still see it now when I'm out with my own children - it's no wonder some of these children don't have any resepct for people in the service industry when they have such role models.

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