When we go to Nando’s, we tend to imbibe one of the bottomless fizzy drinks to get our money's worth, or maybe just load up on tap water to help antidote the feiry burn in our mouths we get every time we get cocky (sorry) and opt for a sauce one notch too spicy for our tastebuds.
But we’re not David Cameron, who decided to go for a glass of red wine to accompany his half chicken, chips and coleslaw meal. Maybe the Prime Minister was just trying to offset the yoof cred he was getting for eating at a place favoured by everyone from Beyoncé to Ed Sheeran. Dining in the Bristol Park Street outpost of the chain restaurant, he happily posed for selfies with students and appeared relaxed, according to The Telegraph.
This is a bit more of-the-people than George Osborne’s efforts to show a rough-and-ready approach to eating. Last year the Chancellor of the Exchequer was widely mocked for tweeting a photo of himself tucking into a Byron burger and chips ahead of the spending review. The problem, you see, is that, unless you live in London, where Byrons are easier to spot than angry cab drivers and waddling tourists with unironic cagoules on no matter the weather, Byrons just don’t exist. Also, the cheapest burger on their menu costs about four times the price of McDonald’s cheapest offerings. Which doesn't look very frugal ahead of a spending review in a time of deficit.
This latest Tory snack will prove a bit better, publicity-wise, as it comes just as Nando’s comes under fire for serving halal meat. In the past week, certain newspapers have stirred up an anti-halal frenzy by implying that to serve halal meat is to deceive customers. But when asked if the PM knew Nando's serves halal meat, Cameron's spokesperson said: ‘The Prime Minister is comfortable with the meat he eats and buys.’ She added: ‘I don't think it's unusual for someone at the end of the working day to want to go and have a meal.’ It seems as if, when it comes to people bothered that some of Britain’s meat supply is made suitable for Muslims to eat, Cameron couldn’t give a cluck.
No word yet on whether he gets a Black Card from Nando's though. But then again, if the guy who tattooed the Nando’s logo to his bum couldn’t get free chicken for life, how could David Cameron manage it?
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.