Feeding over 15,000 athletes is no small challenge, and it seems that the primary restaurant in the Olympic Village in Paris might not be in line for any accolades.
Athletes, including members of Team GB, who were promised Michelin-star dining, have voiced concerns about both the quality and quantity of the food after catering staff had to ration breakfast eggs on Wednesday morning.
Sodexo Live!, the official catering partner for the Olympic Village, acknowledged to the French sports publication L’Équipe that there had been “a very high demand” for specific items, such as grilled meats and eggs, and assured that the “volumes will be increased” to meet the athletes’ needs.
A representative from Carrefour, responsible for supplying fresh goods to the Olympic Village, stated that adjustments to the initially planned quantities were requested, and that the group is capable of fulfilling those needs.
The main restaurant in the Olympic Village, which has been at the center of these complaints, can serve up to 3,300 diners. Its menus incorporate suggestions from Michelin-starred chefs Amandine Chaignot, Alexandre Mazzia, and Akrame Benallal.
Reports suggest that Team GB has brought in their own chefs and hired an entire catering college in Clichy to prepare meals for their athletes following incidents of raw meat being served in the Olympic Village.
A strict quality standard is in place for all food served to athletes at the Paris Games. One quarter of all ingredients will be sourced from within a 250km radius of Paris, with 20% being certified organic. All meat, dairy, and eggs will be sourced from France, and a third of the offerings will be plant-based.
Almost two-thirds of the menu options—numbering 500 dishes—are vegetarian, including choices like beefless bourguignon and “not-dogs,” made with onions and pickled cabbage topped with honey-mustard sauce.
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Throughout the two 15-day periods of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, over 13 million meals will be provided at the various dining venues within the complex. Organizers have committed to redistributing any excess food to those in need and repurposing used coffee grounds for fertilization.
