3 October 2005
The best canteen lunch ever.
You might wonder why I'm blogging this.
I kind of wonder why I'm blogging this.
But actually, for the last three years, the food served in our cafe and restaurant has been uniformly shite, particularly of late. In the last six weeks I've almost had food poisoning on several occasions because of butter or other perishables being rancid from not being kept properly, had burnt toast, solid potatoes, food that had absolutely no flavour and the consistency of baby vomit, no food at all when they couldn't be arsed providing it, and generally, it's been a disaster.
So I arrived into work this morning, with last night's leftovers in my bag to be reminded that today was our new catering company's first day, and frankly, I wasn't holding my breath.
But.
They managed to make me two slices of white toast with peanut butter without burning it or having to throw it away several times over because they put marmite on it/dropped it on the floor.
... and for the first time ever, when I got down to the restaurant to see what they had on offer for lunch, I was actually conflicted - it all looked and smelled fabulous.
I finally settled on the lamb hotpot with rosemary dumplings and quite honestly, I was astonished. It was flavourfull, it was properly cooked, it had texture and aroma and frankly, I'm going to email them and say so.
Cos really, it was the best canteen lunch I've ever had.
Oh, and the leftovers? They'll be going home with me for dinner.
Sounds like you've done very well.
I have not had a canteen in my workplace since 1990 and the food was absolutely vile - we would happily pay the nearby Sloane Square/Victoria prices rather than the "subsidised" staff prices, in order to get something decent to eat.
The only contact I've had since then with work "canteens" is those in the offices of national charity clients. You probably know the one at Vauxhall Cross which has a passable shop/cafe and a national old people's charity not a million miles away from where you work has a reasonable cafe too.
Luckily (ish) we have a great hot food place on Wapping Lane about five mins from the office. Which does really tasty roasts, casseroles, spag bol, pies, puddings etc for £3.30 - pricey really but very, very filling and tasty. I usually eat that and then just have a snack or cereal when I get home.
Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper/dinner like a pauper so they say, anyway.
I like our canteen because, well, it's intriguing. For example, if you buy an egg mayonnaise baguette with extra ham, it will cost you a princely sum of 2.80. However, if you buy a ham baguette with extra egg mayo, it will be 3.10.
It's the sort of thinking that typifies work canteens and the cheaper breed of take aways.
Oh dear. You've been talking to the Americans for too long.
I mean, "flavourfull". Despite the fact that you've Britished the spelling, it's still a horrible Americanism for "tasty".
All I can say is, lucky leftovers for going home with you :(
Seriously, our canteen is good. Stopped doing full meals a few years ago, now does jackets, soup, sarnies, salads, rolls, baguettes, home made coleslaw, very tasty.
BTW, SiW what is Britished? shouldn't that be Anglicised?
Mmm... you're making me hungry!
Mike - I'd never suggest that pix has become more English ;)
lamb hotpot? sounds real good that it's hard to imagined it cooked unproperly.
one of the canteens we boycotted at the college made a good change too. they are serving deep-fried abalone mushrooms, a la tempura! =)
I miss having food at work.. our staff restaurant at my old place was generally superb.. and all organic and fair trade. We have a very dodgy little shop at my ne wplace which sells disgusting vegetable noodles, dodgy looking chicken curry and, bizarrely, onion bahji bagettes!
I take my own now!
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