A top Greater Manchester chef put a Tory MP's claims that people could "make a meal for about 30p a day" to the test. Backbencher Lee Anderson sparked fury when he suggested in Commons that struggling Brits only use food banks because they "can't budget" and "can't cook a meal from scratch".
Gareth Mason, head chef of Absolute Bar and Bistro in Westhoughton, slammed Mr Anderson's comments as 'tone deaf' and 'insulting'. In response, Bolton-born Gareth set about trying to cook seven every day meals for 30p.
He managed to make meagre portions of seafood stick salad, beans on toast, and a 'spam fritter' made out of luncheon meat, but the 34-year-old raised concerns that an adult would struggle to get the recommended daily allowance of 2,000 calories per day from the meals. Gareth also said that most cheap ingredients are high in salt, fat or sugar.
