Is Loyd the answer?

In August 2000, the Government announced a £10m-a-year plan to improve hospital meals, an initiative that materialised in November that year as the Better Hospital Food strategy.

So far, so good. The general concensus in the industry was that, while it was long overdue, it was a welcome move. However, when the details were announced it was a slightly different story. Eyebrows were raised when TV personality Loyd Grossman was appointed as the initiative's figurehead, naming a panel of top chefs who would tour the nation's hospitals in a bid to teach best practice and improve menus and service.

But hospital caterers expressed their misgivings. Stephen Morgan, operations director of the in-house catering team at Bedford Hospital, said it "doesn't smack of reality" as he couldn't believe there were no dieticians or NHS professionals on the panel.

The results of Grossman's labours will be revealed next month as the National Menu for NHS hospitals. In the face of all this criticism and hype, Grossman seems to have done what was initially required of him. But several of the chefs involved in the process have expressed their unhappiness that their input is being seen as a quick-fix solution and the long terms problems of supply, quality and consistency are not being addressed. "We all have a definite concern that this is turning into a publicity stunt," said Gidleigh Park head chef, Michael Caines.

Can Loyd Grossman solve a 50-year problem or is it all a purely cosmetic exercise designed to make good PR in the run-up to a general election? Tell us what you think by voting in our poll and then emailing your reasons and comments to Andrew.Davies@rbi.co.uk

Click here to read the latest on what Grossman really thinks of the task ahead of him and discover why his chef colleagues are not entirely happy.