Taliban insurgents have blown up a lorry packed with Christmas turkeys bound for British troops in Afghanistan. The frozen turkey roll breasts were destroyed in an explosion on the route from Pakistan to Camp Bastion.
The consignment, weighing 325kg, was intended for troops in Helmand Province, where up to 3,000 soldiers will spend the festive season. But the Christmas dinner will go ahead as planned after the Ministry of Defence flew out replacement birds, ensuring soldiers will not miss out on their special meal.
Regimental Catering Warrant Officer Nick Townley, who is in charge of organising Christmas dinner for British troops in Afghanistan, said: "Unfortunately one of our Christmas wagons got taken out so a lot of turkeys had to be flown in especially."
On Christmas Day soldiers will be able to tuck into the replacement turkey rolls as well as 135kg of roast pork, 424kg of gammon and 67.5kg of beef, topped with 200 jars of cranberry sauce. Brussels sprouts will not be left off the menu - chefs will prepare 62 boxes, weighing a total of 148.8kg. There will also be 300kg of roast potatoes and 120kg of carrots.
And there will be 222 Christmas puddings, 37 Christmas cakes, and one mince pie and one After Eight mint each. The total cost of feeding the troops in Bastion's four dining rooms is £10,265, or just £3.42 each. But there will be no brandy for the Christmas sauce, with Camp Bastion a dry area. "It wouldn't have made it in there anyway," Townley joked.
As is traditional in the army, senior officers will serve the junior ranks first to show their appreciation. The 35 chefs at Bastion, who never have a day off, will prepare most of the food on Christmas Eve so they are not rushed off their feet on the day. "The plan is for the guys not to slog their guts out on Christmas Day," Townley said. "If guys get days off it means the others have to work even harder."
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