ParmesanGate! Doesn't turn out the way you think...

Yet another blog project started, this time inspired by my Higher Education Academy conference attendance at East Midlands Conference Centre on the 5th and 6th July 2011. Now please don't think that because I'm starting out with a moan that this is going to be a series of posts about the pains and protestations of vegetarians, it is also my intention to give praise, when it is of course earned.
So what is the pain that I am sharing with this post?

Parmesan Cheese: Most self respecting vegetarians will tell you that parmesan isn't veggie. Why? Because it contains calf rennet, how and why they use it can be found in the Wikipedia article I linked to. Let's just say that your run of the mill off the shelf parmesan (or any expensive alternatives that wouldn't be found in a mass catering unit of a university)  won't be suitable for consumption by veggies. 

So, what happened on the 6th July 2011, during what we shall forevermore think of as 'ParmesanGate'. 

I was queuing for lunch, it was day 2 of the conference, the dinner the night before was standard conference fayre, a mostly harmless mushroom lasagne. I just caught sight of the menu, propped proudly on the counter, there was a meat dish, fish dish and "roasted vegetable Gnocci, topped with parmesan". Where's the veggie dish I thought to myself. 

"Excuse me, is there a vegetarian option" I said this, knowing full well the answer.
"it's the Gnocci" was the bright and cheerful reply.
"ah, Parmesan isn't vegetarian"
"it's cheese"
"it contains an extract from the stomach of a calf"

A whispered conversation between person serving and a supervisor. 

The supervisor comes toward me with a big smile and nodding "it's cheese" 

I explain the issue. 

"I'll go and check with the chef" 

Five minutes later he was back, carrying a big catering pack of grated cheese (cheddar), "he just puts this on it!" and on the side, in bold letters, Suitable for Vegetarians. 
"that's great, thank you for checking, I appreciate your help"

So in the end I was very happy, and as a gnocchi 'bake' it was the best meal of the conference. But I'm not so sure that the organisers would be that pleased that the expensive sounding meal was reduced to gnocchi with generic cheap cheddar topping.