A decline within the variety of British Military cooks is being felt in mess halls the place troops are served uncooked rooster, ‘meat water’, and sloppy lasagna.
The eating expertise is so poor, one former commander fears it may ‘severely harm morale’. One troop says it’s the ‘worst I’ve seen within the 12 years I’ve been in’.
One meal served at Longmoor Camp in Hampshire final month ‘can solely be described as meat water and a potato’, one soldier mentioned in a put up on the Fillyourboots web page on Fb.
One other image shared by the account reveals a bowl containing a soggy mess of meat and pasta believed to be lasagna. In one other, a maggot is seen amongst pasta.
The web page has additionally posted photos of oily soup containing pink rooster, and a pale pizza base with a large crust round dried tomato sauce and meat. The latter is believed to be from MOD Worthy Down, Hampshire.
It is likely to be no shock for these watching the evaporation of military cooks in recent times.
From 2,547 in 2010, their numbers had fallen to simply 868 by 2024, Luke Pollard, the Parliamentary Beneath-Secretary for Defence, revealed in response to a written query from Derek Twigg MP in January.
Whereas the variety of common, full-time military personnel has decreased from 114,000 to 75,000 in that point, the remaining cooks have extra work on their plate.
Every chef had 45 individuals to cater for in 2010. Now they’ve 86.
Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin warned final month that the UK ‘have to be able to go to struggle with Russia’.
He was echoing Military chief Normal Sir Roland Walker who mentioned final summer time that an ‘more and more unstable’ world Britain have to be able to battle a struggle in three years.
This got here after a authorities report recommended the British Military could solely final a few months in a struggle in opposition to Russia.
Such warnings have gained urgency because the USA beneath Donald Trump isolates itself from NATO companions, who’re scrambling to help Ukraine with out the US.
Given ‘a military marches on its abdomen’, the standard of meals served to troops could show a trigger for concern.
Colonel Philip Ingram, a former army intelligence officer, informed the Mail: ‘An Military marches on its abdomen. On operations there have been 4 highlights to the day – breakfast, lunch, dinner and mattress, they usually had been highlights due to the usual of meals produced by Military cooks.
‘Comfortable troopers are way more operationally efficient than these with poor morale and that is the place the decline in Military cooks is having a disproportionate impact, not simply on morale and retention, however on the operational effectiveness of troops as they practice for battle.
‘I can’t imagine Military commanders are so short-sighted to let this occur.’
Catering at Longmoor and Worthy Down is supplied by Sodexo, a non-public contractor liable for feeding a 3rd of the British Military.
Its catering, cleansing and retail contract for garrisons throughout Aldershot and Salisbury Plain, held since 2006, was prolonged for an extra 17 years in 2023. The deal is price £730million over the primary 10 years.
Describing its catering providers for the Defence Forces, Sodexo’s web site says: ‘We all know that meals and eating are important, not only for the bodily growth of army workers, but additionally for his or her psychological wellbeing and social wants whereas they’re on base.
‘From nostalgic consolation meals to world bowls and plant-based plates that pack an actual style punch, Sodexo’s menu choices set the usual for contemporary, high-street fashion eating.’
Metro has contacted the Ministry of Defence and Sodexo for remark.
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