Businessman spends £10k eating at hospital canteens around the country

A man who fell in love with hospital canteen food while visiting a relative has spent £10,000 eating in different NHS cafes around the UK.

Omar Shafiq, 33, has devoured over 700 meals at British infirmaries and says the ‘price’ and ‘quality’ of the dishes cannot be beaten by high street restaurants.

His fondness for the grub in medical centres began in 2022 when he had to visit his dad at his local Royal Bolton Hospital after working late shifts.

But he found the £7 meal of a jacket potato, drink and chocolate bar irresistible - and said the canteen also satisfied his nostalgia for 90s school dinners.

Omar has since sampled NHS food at hospitals in London and Glasgow, which are both more than 200 miles from his home in Greater Manchester.

And he says eating at the cafeterias - where he pays between £5 and £10 for meals - is the ‘best way’ to support the health service.