Feeding 10,500 athletes and millions of fans during the Olympics may be a mammoth task but London 2012 is hoping to seize the opportunity to also improve the reputation of British cuisine.

Fish and chips, pie and mash or a full English breakfast are hardly top of the list for an athlete looking to make it to the finish line, let alone win a medal.

However, the London Games organisers are not planning to turn their backs on the national cuisine during their moment in the spotlight.

Indeed, they are convinced there is something in the British recipe book to please even the fussiest of eaters.

Diverse international cuisine is part of the landscape of modern London. The six host London boroughs are home to communities from 195 of the 204 countries taking part in the Olympics, which start on Friday.

Therefore, alongside porridge and jacket potatoes, roast pork, South Asian curries, Chinese noodles, Italian pasta and pizzas, not forgetting salads, are all on the menu for spectators and athletes alike.

“British food is getting better and better all the time,” said Jan Matthews, head of catering for the London Games organisers.

“We have food from every corner of the British Isles.

“We went out to make sure it was really a celebration of British food,” she told BBC radio.

—continue on next page—