Burger giant McDonald's left with pie on its face
McDonald's is in the soup with Westcountry bakers after telling American tourists that a British "pastie" is a "meat pie".
The fast-foot giant defines "pastie" as "meat pie" in a McDonald's visitor guide to "useful" English words.
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Pasty makers in Devon and Cornwall say the definition takes the biscuit.
Mark Muncey, chairman of the Cornish Pasty Association, said defining a pasty as a "meat pie" was "incredible".
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"The two are distinctly different," he added.
"However, we are confident that many visitors to the Olympics will have enjoyed a real pasty during their visit and been able to make the distinction for themselves."
A manager at Ivor Dewdney Pasties, in Plymouth, said the description was comical. Director Phil Abbott said: "I'm sure people will find it very funny to hear a pasty described as a 'meat pie'.
"A pasty isn't a meat pie. A meat pie is a meat pie. A pasty is wrapped in pastry. A pie has crust. And a pasty contains a lot more than meat. McDonald's should know better – and they should know how to spell 'pasty'. It's like calling a Big Mac a beef sandwich."
He added: "If American tourists want a meat pie when they're in England, they should simply ask for a meat pie."
McDonald's, a sponsor of the Olympics, defines "pastie" in a list of "Useful Words for Visiting London" on the cover of its commemorative London 2012 reporter's notebook.
A McDonald's spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
Comments
by homerjay
Monday, September 10 2012, 12:47PM
“Yes, indeed.
Burger Giant, Olympic sponsor...http://tinyurl.com/294x78
ATOS Paralympic sponsors...http://tinyurl.com/62el43u”
by Phil_lip
Monday, September 10 2012, 10:17AM
“I wouldn't even call a bigmac a beef sandwich, check youtube for 2 year old cheeseburger and fries.
It was obviously done on purpose to get people eating their junk as they knew the pasty was the only competition they really have.
While they have the money behind them it is disgusting that the olympics and other sports events continually get the sponsorship from what has to be the unhealthiest product on the market.”
by Big_Ger
Monday, September 10 2012, 9:26AM
“What idiots. Mind you, anyone daft enough to eat the muck that McD's sell isn't going to be that discerning in any case...”