One of the ironies
evident on visiting the Olympic Park during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games was
that sponsorship restrictions helped create an environment largely devoid of
branding. It was very refreshing to see such a brandless environment at a major
sporting event, both inside the venues and around the food areas (e.g., World
Square, Britannia Row, Orbit Circus).
The Locog catering
operation, headed by Jan Matthews, was said to have been the largest attempted
in the UK during peacetime. They succeeded in offering a dizzying range of
dishes to competitors and visitors.
Outside the obvious sponsor outlets, all
the food stores were labelled generically (and usually offered three simple
menu choices). This “calling-a-spade-a-spade” catering had a certain charm.
Among the outlets
were: Fish and Chips, Pies, Pasties, Cornish Pasties, Deli, Traditional Roast,
British Bakery, Gourmet Sausage, Hog Roast, Jacket Potatoes, Fresh Salad Bar,
Speciality Coffee, Bar, Ice Cream, and the Champagne and Seafood Pavilion.
World cuisine was
represented, for example, by Asian, a French-style Brasserie, Indian, Italian,
Mexican and much more besides.
The three Asian options, for
example, were Thai curries, Singapore noodles and Vegetarian stir fry. Our Thai
Curry was pretty good. Other things we sampled (e.g., bacon roll) were
basic. Most of the food we ate was from the Deli outlets, where
reasonably-priced sandwiches could be obtained with minimal queuing.
Some feared that it
would be branded burgers and fizzy drinks, and little else, for sale on site.
In reality, there was plenty of no-nonsense food and drink choices; even some healthy salads if
you sought them out!
Finally, what a great
atmosphere there was on the Olympic Park and I am sure everyone who visited
will remember the experience for a long time to come.
See also:
An Olympic Diet: Part Two
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/an-olympic-diet-part-two.html
An Olympic Diet: Part One
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/olympic-diet-part-one.html
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