Olympians called the food in Paris a ‘disaster’ — and one team is flying in its own chef

Hungary’s defense minister, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, right, dining at the Olympic Village.

A culinary catastrophe was brewing at the Paris Olympics.

Teams including Great Britain and Germany have complained that the food at the Olympics isn’t up to par, despite France’s reputation as a foodie mecca.

Andy Anson, the CEO of the British Olympic Association, told The Times last Thursday that the UK team resorted to flying in another private chef to Paris because of a lack of protein and because of raw meat being served at the Olympic Village.

He said that the Paris Olympics were running low on chicken and egg options and that athletes were choosing to eat packed meals prepared at the UK performance lodge.

Dpa reported on Sunday that several members of Germany’s men’s hockey team also slammed the Paris 2024 cuisine, with one calling it “a disaster.”

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Norway’s chef de mission, Tore Ovrebo, said that while earlier quantity issues had improved, “there’s been a little bit to say about the quality.”

Athletes also posted on social media about their concerns. On TikTok, the track star Zahria Allers-Liburd gave her meal a resounding thumbs down. (The gymnast Suni Lee and the basketballer Promise Amukamara concurred in the comments.)

That said, in a report on Monday, Reuters described organizers as quickly reacting to the complaints.

Étienne Thobois, the CEO of the Paris 2024 Games, acknowledged at a press conference that organizers “had to make some adjustments,” including adding more animal protein, to the tune of “700 kilos of eggs and a ton of meat.”

The Reuters report said the Olympic Village served 40,000 meals a day to 15,000 athletes, with organizers initially promising more local produce and vegetarian options.

“Certain products, such as eggs and grilled meats, are particularly popular among athletes, so their quantities were increased, in agreement with Paris 2024,” a representative for the Olympics catering company Sodexo Live told B-17 in a statement. “Since then, the quantities offered for these products were adapted accordingly and have been sufficient to meet all needs.”

Reps for Paris 2024 did not immediately respond to a request for comment from B-17.