Team GB has flown out its own chef after deeming the food offering in the Olympic village needs “dramatic improvement”.
Andy Anson, chief executive of the British Olympic Association, reported shortages of particular items as well as issues with the quality of meals served to athletes.
Athletes have consequently headed to Team GB’s base in Clichy in search of better food, picking up packed meals for dinner while having their lunches and forcing the swift addition of an extra chef.
Sodexo Live is in charge of catering in the village and a spokesman told L’Equipe it “takes very seriously” feedback from athletes and “is working to increase our supplies to the restaurants in the athletes’ village.”
The Olympic Village in Paris
Reuters
Anson told the Times: “There are not enough of certain foods: eggs, chicken, certain carbohydrates, and then there is the quality of the food, with raw meat being served to athletes. They have got to improve it over the next couple of days dramatically.
“Our athletes have decided they would rather go and eat in our performance lodge in Clichy, so we are having to get another chef to come over as the demand is far exceeding what we thought it would be.
“The athletes are not going there just to eat their lunch, they are packing meals for their dinner as they don’t want to go into the athlete restaurant to eat.
“So we are trying to make sure our athletes have an advantage by having more food. It is the biggest issue at the moment.”
LATEST FROM PARIS 2024
Team GB have rang in a chef
Reuters
A spokesman from Sodexo added that eggs and grilled meats are “particularly popular and volumes have therefore been increased to satisfy the needs of the athletes”.
As part of sustainability measures, organisers have insisted all ingredients be locally sourced, with a focus on minimal waste and plant-based foods.
The main restaurant in the Olympic Village which is at the centre to the complaints can accommodate 3,300 diners.
Menus have featured input from the Michelin-starred French chefs Amandine Chaignot, Alexandre Mazzia and Akrame Benallal.
General view of athletes in the Olympic village
Reuters
Nearly two-thirds of the 500 dishes on offer are vegetarian, including beefless bourguignon and “not-dogs”, containing onions and pickled cabbage with honey-mustard sauce.
Over 200 competing nations are taking part across 19 days of competition across 34 Olympic venues.