Rees-Mogg tells MPs he will not eat chicken parmo due to ‘ghastly’ garlic sauce
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Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said he will stick to his deep-fried Mars bars after turning his nose up at the popular Teesside dish chicken parmo because of “ghastly” garlic sauce.
Conservative MP Jacob Young (Redcar) urged Mr Rees-Mogg to consider if the high-calorie chicken parmo could be exempted from advertising bans on junk food as it is a “local delight”.
Earlier this month, Mr Rees-Mogg told the Commons he once had a deep-fried Mars bar and thought it was “delicious”.
Conservative Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen later tweeted: “I don’t know about you, but I’m of the view that garlic sauce goes with everything.”
During business questions, Mr Young said: “The Leader of the House may not have heard of a Teesside delicacy known as the chicken parmo.
“He may ask what a chicken parmo is, well, I’ll tell him.
“Chicken parmo is a flattened chicken breast covered in breadcrumbs, deep-fried, covered in bechamel sauce, cheddar cheese, served with chips, garlic sauce and, of course, a salad.
“Surely the Leader will agree with me that such a local delight enjoyed by many of us across Redcar and Cleveland, including myself, should not fall victim to any proposed junk food ad bans.”
Responding for the Government, Mr Rees-Mogg told the Commons: “Until my honourable friend added the garlic sauce and the salad I thought it sounded really rather delicious.
“But I’m afraid I shall have to stick to my deep-fried Mars bar which is free of garlic which I always thought is very ghastly stuff.”
He added: “There is a balance to be achieved, we do need to reduce obesity in this country and we know from Covid how serious the obesity problem is.
“On the other hand, people have to be free to eat what they like.
“We’re not going to have wartime rationing telling people how much butter they can eat in a week or things like that.
“The Government is analysing the responses to a recent consultation and I’m sure many MPs will have contributed to this and of course nothing can be done without the decision being made in this House.”
