FORGET your pan-seared red snapper and pommes frites -- chips are still top of the pops on the hospital wards.

Chefs at Queen's Park Hospital and Blackburn Royal Infirmary have scoured the globe to find tempting dishes with international flavours -- but to no avail.

Patients regularly turn their noses up at continental cuisine in favour of British dishes.

They can also choose from an Asian menu of curries and daals, but catering manager Terry Wilson said the old-fashioned hot meal wins every single time.

He said: "People like to choose things that they recognise. Chips are more popular than mash. The hot sweet is always the most popular pudding choice, followed by ice cream and fresh fruit." But although the patients may be traditionalists, the staff are more adventurous.

They regularly tuck into food from China, India, Italy and America -- but it's still the old-fashioned favourite that comes out on top.

Terry said: "We do cheese and onion pie every other Tuesday, and it practically walks out of the cupboards. Some people bring their own food the rest of the time and just come to the staff restaurant on that day."

Dietician Margaret Bradwell, who helps devise the menus, said the patients' top ten might not class as healthy eating but it was important to tempt sick people to eat.

She said: "We need to make sure they get enough calories.

"Sometimes we are criticised for putting chips on the menu, but what's the point of giving them salad if they are just going to pick at it? It's much better for them to have a bowl of sponge and custard and eat it all."

A recent survey by a patient watchdog body found patients gave the thumbs-up to the hospital menus, which include at least three main course choices for lunch and dinner, with a vegetarian choice and a salad or sandwich.

TOP TEN PATIENT MEALS

Battered cod

Plate meat pie

Chicken Chasseur

Roast pork and apple sauce

Steak pudding

Lancashire hot pot

Steak and kidney pie

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding

Braised steak and onions

Turkey in wine sauce

TOP TEN STAFF MEALS

Cheese and onion pie

Cajun chicken

Turkey stir fry

Hot roast beef teacake

Braised steak and onions

Beef curry

Potato pie

Battered cod

Chicken tikka masala

Vegetable pasta

Picture: Phyllis Smalley, of Darwen, chooses chips, despite being tempted with more adventurous alternatives by Michael Smith, food production manager at Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn