THE process of making a parmo is not for the faint-hearted. A chicken cutlet is pounded flat,breaded, deep fried, and covered in béchamel sauce and a thick layer of cheddar cheese,then grilled. Served with chips it weighs in at 2600 calories, slightly over the recommended daily allowance for a grown man. It is a hearty snack that Teessiders are proud of inventing. exiguous wonder Ben Houchen campaigned for the parmo to be given protected status, and alongside champagne and feta cheese,during his push to become the region’s mayor.
It worked. A staunch defence of Teesside’s culinary heritage, coupled with a plan to nationalise the local airport and overhaul the police, and was enough for the Tory candidate to shock Labour and become the first mayor of the Tees Valley Combined Authority final spring.
Since then Mr Houchen has revelled in his municipal empire,which encompasses 700000 people and stretches from Darlington to Hartlepool. An avid Brexiteer, he has noisily campaigned for the local...
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Source: economist.com