Spring-vegetable casserole or beef stroganoff, sir? The menus often sound appetising, but what does hospital food really taste like? With budgets being slashed and kitchens closed, many hospitals nowadays have to buy in ready-prepared food from outside suppliers and heat it up on the premises. We asked former patients and nursing staff to tell us what meals are really like, and we recreated the food trays they described
Bad food
Who: Patient Poppy Lloyd, 26
Where:: TB isolation ward, teaching hospital, central London
Meal: Roast beef, green beans, carrots, roast potatoes; white roll, cheese, butter; tinned peaches in cream. Meals from an external supplier. Heated on premises.
What she said: 'The menu was on rotation so it was the same things over and over again. I was impressed by the descriptions of the dishes, but always disappointed by the taste. It was not proper food.'
Who: Patient Jamie Edwards, 25
Where:: Weston General Hospital, Weston-Super-Mare
Meal: Cottage pie, peas, carrots; apple crumble and custard. Meals supplied by Tillery Valley Foods. Heated on premises.
What he said: 'The vegetables were overcooked and tasteless. My parents had to bring in fresh fruit and snacks. It was typical school-dinner fare - very unimaginative. The meals were never big enough - I could have eaten portions 2 or 3 times the size.'
Who: Ward nurse (did not want to be named)
Where:: Whipps Cross University Hospital, east London
Meal: Cheese sandwich; crisps; chocolate bar; carton of juice ('if you're lucky you may also get a banana, dried fruit & cheese').
What she said: 'If patients miss a meal they get snack boxes, which are pretty gross. Also the main menus sound appealing (things like spring- vegetable casserole) but the actual food is always the same old slop.'
Who: Ward nurse (did not want to be named)
Where:: University College Hospital, central London
Meal: Soup; Irish stew, carrots, broccoli, boiled potatoes; yoghurt. Meals supplied by Tillery Valley Foods. Heated on premises.
What she said: 'We stress the importance of a nutritious diet but don't offer it ourselves. For example, the pears are always hard. It's more about what you're seen to offer than what you're giving out.'
Who: Patient Yvonne Fraser, 30
Where:: St Thomas' Hospital, central London
Meal: Shepherd's pie, carrots, green beans; strawberry mousse. Meals made on premises.
What she said: 'The food was hot when it arrived but the vegetables were wet and soggy. My pudding was bright pink - it looked like it would be full of E numbers. I ate it, but only because I was hungry. I was in hospital for five days and I was only offered fresh fruit twice.'
Who: Staff nurse (did not want to be named)
Where:: Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh,
Meal: Breaded cod, peas and chips; rice pudding; carton of orange juice. Meals supplied by Apetito. Heated on premises.
What she said: 'One man serves everything and carries it to the patients. This increases the risk of infection and the food gets cold. Most patients are complacent about the food. They expect it to taste bad so don't complain when it does.'
Who: Observer Food Monthly's Nicole Jackson
Where:: St George's, south London
Meal: Chicken pasta in mustard and coriander sauce, mixed vegetables; jelly. Meals supplied by Anglia Crown. Heated on premises.
What she said: 'The pasta was cooked to disintegration. Who knows what happened to the sauce? There was no hint of flavour. The vegetables were mushy. I doubt there was any goodness left in them The jelly tasted very artificial.'
Good food
Who: Observer Food Monthly's Nicole Jackson
Where:: Royal Brompton, London
Meal: Boiled egg; roll, butter, jam; grapefruit juice; cup of tea. Meal made on premises.
What she said: 'This is one of the few hospitals that offer more than just cereal and bread in the morning. They do a cooked breakfast every Sunday, which is very popular with the patients. You can also have a roll instead of toast. In most hospitals, the toast is pre-cooked so is cold and soggy by the time it gets to the ward.'
Who: Cardiology patient, Alan Walmsley
Where:: Royal Brompton
Meal: Celery and potato soup; bread roll, butter; chicken escalope, green beans, cauliflower, chips; fresh fruit salad. Almost everything is made by a team of cooks on the premises. There is also a pastry chef. At least 10 per cent of the food is made from organic produce.
What he said: 'I couldn't fault the catering. I've been here for five days and have found the meals excellent in variety and quality.'
Who: Observer Food Monthly's Nicole Jackson
Where:: Hammersmith Hospital, west London
Meal: Cumberland sausages with carrots, peas, mashed potato; lemon mousse. Meal supplied by Steamplicity. Steamed on premises.
What she said: 'Food was surprisingly tasty. Everything is steamed so not only does it retain its nutrition, but also its flavour and texture. Even the carrots were nice and crunchy. There was a wide choice of over 20 main courses and desserts.'
Who: Patient (did not want to be named)
Where:: Hammersmith Hospital
Meal: Tuna salad with iceberg lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, potato salad; rice pudding; orange juice. Meal supplied by Steamplicity. Hot food is steamed on premises.
What she said: 'I always have the salads - they are very generous and look really appetising. The lunches and dinners always look really appealing, so mealtimes have become something I actually look forward to.'
