Prime Minister David Cameron has praised the work of Chipping Norton’s new soup kitchen citing it as a model for emergency food provision across the UK.
Following recent criticism for not meeting food bank users Mr Cameron also met two customers at the Chipping Norton village hall, Lord and Lady Bartholomew Synge-Smythe, who have recently been forced to move into the smaller west wing of Chattersworth Hall. “He was delightful,” said Lady Synge-Smythe, “however, our youngest son Bertie remembered him from Oxford's Bullingdon club so warned us against inviting him for a sample of soup for fear of the room being trashed.”
In a statement to the media, Mr Cameron said, “The sterling work being undertaken by volunteers at the Chipping Norton soup kitchen is a marvellous example of the Big Society at work. They have proved that austerity should be no barrier in the provision of high quality food, not only to hard up Cotswold families, but to users of soup kitchens throughout the UK.”
With the grateful support of Waitrose and Fortnum and Mason, unfortunate Cotswold families caught up in the latest round of government cuts will now have a choice of a wide range of soups to suit a more refined palette. Kitchen manager, Felicity Forbes-Travis said “We try hard to deliver a wholesome range of soups. Today’s menu includes a delicious lobster bisque; stilton and watercress soup and pumpkin soup with shavings of black truffle as well as broccoli and stilton with a dash of white port.”
On the back of Chipping Norton’s success Government officials have now promised a full investigation into the quality of soup on offer at other UK soup kitchens.
“There is no excuse for kitchens to be serving bog standard tomato, chicken and oxtail soup,” said the newly appointed Minister for Soup, Owen Paterson. “Serving soup in polystyrene cups is a definite ‘no no’ so where possible, Emma Bridgewater or Villeroy Boch bowls should be used. The absence of croutons will also see providers marked down.“
The official launch of the Chipping Norton Soup Kitchen will take place next Saturday with regular customer, Rebekah Brooks performing the official ribbon cutting ceremony.
