George Osbourne's "austerity Burger"

[jake-the-peg]

Seems humble man-of-the people George Osbourne posted a picture of himself hard at work having a beef burger lunch

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23077801

Only thing is it turns out to have been a ten-quid burger!

I've not lived in London for 30 years but that seems steep to me

What did you last spend on a take-away burger?

Are we still all in it together George?

[chrisgel]

I've no time for him or for any of them in fact but this seems a bit petty to me.
Is he going to have to provide a detailed list of every meal he eats?

[ludwig]

So it's just the burger that's bothering you, not all the cuts he announced then?

[EDDIE51]

Where have you been hiding?
Even a McDonald's burger,side salad and fries is over £6
Small fish and chips from the chippy down the road £5.95 burger and chips is the same and that does not have salad.

[Gromit]

Does Downing Street not have a kitchen?

Why is he buying any burger, whether it is £1 or £10 ?

That photo op sort of backfired didn't it.

[McMouse]

I rarely eat a take-away burger because I'm never quite sure what's in it. Mrs McM makes superb burgers (patties) using prime ingredients so I can understand how a quality burger may cost £10 or more.

[ludwig]

// That photo op sort of backfired didn't it. //

Not really. Everyone's talking about a £10 burger instead of 11billion worth of cuts.

[chrisgel]

Ludwig - Lol :o)

[Gromit]

Byron's wesite appears to have crashed.

// Private equity firms will reveal their appetite for Byron this week when first-round bids are submitted for the fast-growing burger chain that is up for sale for £100m.

Byron has only 30 restaurants, which are primarily in London, but it is expanding rapidly and is on track to deliver underlying profits of more than £10m this financial year.

Byron nearly doubled its pre-tax profits to £2.2m, on turnover of £28.6m, over the year to July 2012, according to Companies House. //

[chrisgel]

Ah £10 must be mates rates then.

[Gromit]

Ludwig

I see your point, but that wasn't the intention when he posted the picture. And people are talking about an out of touch, wasteful Chancellor. It ain't doing him much good if it was intended to deflect away from the cuts.

[aelmpvw]

they probably removed the expensive bottle of chteau margaux for the sake of the photograph

[ichkeria]

I think jake has a point. We all know Jeffey's ruining the economy - that goes without saying - but let's just say he didn't get photographed by accident eating his £10 burger. He courted the publicity - he should expect it to be scrutinised. He's Mr Austerity after all.

[Octavius]

I bet he got it on expenses as well.

But avoiding the 99p variety, your everyday shopping centre gourmet burger kitchen selection ranges from £6 - £12. So in C.London its probably about avg.

[LazyGun]

I wonder if Osborne has any shares/interests in Byrons? One thing for sure - given the leap in their public profile this photo-op affords, this should certainly boost their price :)

He has unfortunate luck with burgers, does GO - first it was parking in a disable spot on a services on the M40 for a Maccy-D, now its trying to show he is just like any other working joe - only he gets a gourmet burger for luncheon :)

[AB Editor]

Byron do a good burger - and it could be that much, with sides and a milkshake.

[AB Editor]

"Pickles?" they ask over the phone

"No," says George, "it's for me."

[ludwig]

The cuts were going to be smaller but at the last minute he decided to go large.

[TheBaBas]

He's got no chance has he?

He eats a £10 burger, which isn't a great deal, and he's criticised. Would people have been happier if he'd lived up to his Bullingdon Club days and been photographed washing down Pate de Fois Gras with a Le Pin Pomerol? People could've really had a field day then.

Presumably, if he'd've been pictured chowing down on a Big Mac from McSh1te, people from some quarters would have been nasally whining that he is setting a bad example because we have an obesity problem in this country.

What could he have been pictured eating that wouldn't have caused people to be so absurd?

[WELSHYORKIE]

Salad!