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  1. Politics
10 May 2012

Ed Balls reveals: I was at Granita

Shadow chancellor tells the NS: "I was there for the starter."

By George Eaton

As part of this week’s NS food special, Mehdi has interviewed Labour’s noted culinary talent, Ed Balls. Observing that “meals often play a part in political intrigue”, he asked Balls to name the most politically intriguing dinner he’d attended. In response, the shadow chancellor revealed that he was at the famous Granita dinner between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown:

Well, I was there for the Granita starter but felt like a bit of a lemon, so I scarpered.

Elsewhere, asked what he would cook if George Osborne came to dinner, Balls replied: 

I have said before that he is welcome to try my pulled pork dish. But maybe now I’d have to bake him a pasty, since he doesn’t remember when he last ate one.

And the recipe? “Pork shoulder, rubbed in brown sugar and spices, cooked indirectly in hickory-infused smoke, served in a white bun with a vinegar-based pouring sauce and home-made coleslaw, sweet beans and watermelon on the side.”

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That should have everyone, friend or foe, queuing up for dinner chez Balls.

 

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Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
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