About people eating in meetings?

[MissHooliesCardigan]

I have recently started a new job. I'm a community nurse so am aware that, if people are very busy, they might not get a lunch break so I don't have an issue with people eating a sandwich or a kitkat during a meeting. However, in my new team, there is a culture of colleagues eating really elaborate stuff in the middle of meetings eg getting out a baguette, tub of butter, ham, cheese and mayo and sit there assembling it all. Or producing a Tupperware container of fruit, chopping a banana into it, then stirring in a pot of yoghurt and then garnishing it with honey. Last week, someone came to a meeting carrying what looked like a whole side of salmon.
I've never come across this anywhere else and find it really distracting and a bit odd.

[hannahwex]

Sorry I feel YABU I was previously a community nurse and rarely got a lunch break. People would regularly eat their lunch in team meetings as you can't when visiting patients. Obesity problems are a problem with NHS staff as they have to grab a choc bar or something while they can as you suggested. Have you had reps come to the meetings yet? They generally being nice food just as salads and fruit which people eat whilst the meeting is in progress

[herecomethepotatoes]

Making food seems a little funny.

I think a perk of having had a few promotions is catered meetings for anything over 90 minutes (don't worry, private sector).

There's normally a great spread if an important client's there.

[Winnetsthepoo]

Your post really made me laugh, OP. I can just imagine her getting a picnic blanket and a full set of chef's knives out at the start of the meeting. Perhaps she plans the night before- what can I assemble to make my colleagues envious of my superior lunching abilities. Mwahaha.


Seriously though, a sandwich is fine. Having said that last week I forgot I had a lunchtime meeting and had to eat my balti roll and cheese and onion crisps sat next to my line manager. Not looking forward to my annual staff review next week.

[Chloe1984]

The garnishing with honey bit made me really want some of the food being described!

[Overrunwithlego]

I was once in a meeting with some quite senior people - for example the CEO of a large London hospital. A colleague bought in KFC. She was pregnant, but still. I was a bit

[LittleLionMansMummy]

Haha that's made me laugh op, I agree it seems a bit odd. Like you, I have no problem with people eating in meetings but would find the whole picnic/ self assembly thing a bit distracting.

[minipie]

I wonder if there's some sort of elaborate lunch competition going on.

I want someone to come in with a portable oven and start cooking a roast rib of beef and yorkshire puddings

[WhataMistakeaToMakea]

Totally normal in social work! In fact our lovely boss often brings in pastries and jams if we have an early meeting and people assemble and munch their way through- usually our only chance to sit down and eat is a meeting. I imagine nursing is the same.

[cate16]

I guess it depends on the type of meeting.
I was once at a family core group meeting- very heavy content, very stressed parent. The community nursery nurse came in saying 'sorry she was running late would it be ok it she ate her lunch? ' She then went on to eat sandwich - fair enough - however she then went on to get a huge cream cake out making a big fuss over separating it from the paper bag and then getting herself in a mess eating it.
The parent complained to me about it afterwards which I felt was a fair comment. A quick sandwich one thing, but the cake was beyond a joke.