Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have my Sunday lunch at the hospital canteen?

119 replies

Vacmat · 28/09/2025 19:30

I don't work there, am not sick and wasn't visiting, but a friend works there and said they did a decent roast for £6.50. We'd had a busy morning and by late afternoon still needed lunch. Remembered conversation with friend and decided to try it.

It was fine. Nothing gourmet, but on a par with most chain pub roast lunches.

Is it odd to go to the hospital just for a cheap lunch?

OP posts:
RubyMentor · 29/09/2025 17:02

It's an unusual choice but I can see your point. The hospital that I used to work at (now sadly closed) used to serve decent food for a very low price, I often used it for lunch. Canteen staff would probably think that you are visiting someone.

Comedycook · 29/09/2025 16:56

When we want a cheap meal, we sometimes go to ikea! It's a bargain and the food is good.

Spidey66 · 29/09/2025 16:50

‘Catching something!!!!’

How do those of us working in hospitals manage I wonder?????

Member984815 · 29/09/2025 15:50

My parents do this occasionally , we've slagged them off so much for it but the food is good and a good price . Df is undergoing treatment now in the same hospital and its a place my dm can go and get something on the long days spent there.

Navigatinglife100 · 29/09/2025 15:46

Why not? They open to the public so that they make sufficient money to keep it subsidised for staff.

Ours is miles away but they do great breakfast 3 item rolls with a decent coffee for under £5. Id go there if it was convenient too. Their roast looked a bit bleugh tho, sadly. The salads were immense - guess it depends on their chef?

I did eat there quite a bit when Dad was in for a long stay and I did give up my queue place for staff. Apart from that, yeah go for it!

Anywherebuthere · 29/09/2025 15:43

It does seem odd to me. But you're not doing anything wrong.

Lanzarotelady · 29/09/2025 15:41

OriginalUsername2 · 29/09/2025 15:00

The great unwashed? 😩

Show quote history

You have clearly never worked in a hospital!
They do attract a certain person.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 29/09/2025 15:39

Couple of years ago DS had a hospital appt on the same day DM was having chemo. It also happened to be my birthday, and I ended up having a couple of meals there. I was pleasantly surprised, but it’s never crossed my mind to go if I wasn’t there for a patient. But why not?

purplecorkheart · 29/09/2025 15:04

I used to do it the very odd time when I was in University. There was a Hospital near my Uni house and on a Sunday there was nowhere really open for food other than the Canteen. I did ask the canteen manager was it ok and she had no issue at all with it. It was a Private Hospital though so I would imagine the canteen was for profit. It was handy if I had not been grocery shopping.

JohnTheRevelator · 29/09/2025 15:01

I'd do it,no problem!

OriginalUsername2 · 29/09/2025 15:00

TorroFerney · 29/09/2025 10:42

Depends on your local hospital, ours is a magnet for the great unwashed and people who treat a hospital appointment as a day out and bring all the family it’s utterly depressing and I can’t imagine spending a minute more in the place than I need to.

Show quote history

The great unwashed? 😩

secureyourbook · 29/09/2025 11:54

FrodoBiggins · 28/09/2025 20:34

Yes I think a hospital is more likely to have ill people in than a restaurant. Because it's a hospital

Show quote history

I’m not sure about that. Most people who are in hospital are in there for more serious things than a virus. In fact, as a visitor I would avoid visiting someone in hospital if I had a virus, so I’d imagine you’re less likely to catch something than a restaurant where people are only too happy to go and spread their germs.

Wingedharpy · 29/09/2025 11:51

We once had our works Christmas meal in the hospital canteen!
'twas a lovely 3 course Christmas dinner for half the price of other local places.
Excellent service. 🍷
Local pub after for drinks.
A good time was had by all without anyone bankrupting themselves.

Megifer · 29/09/2025 11:49

There's also an assisted living complex near me that offer their hairdressing and beauty services to the public and I go there and sit with the little biddies getting my nails done sometimes 🤣 their food is nice too.

SagittariusDwarf · 29/09/2025 11:48

If it's nice food and close by, I don't see why not at all! The fact that it's a hospital wouldn't bother me at all

Megifer · 29/09/2025 11:46

Not at all odd i work near a hospital and all of us go there for lunch very regularly as its really cheap and rather nice! 😃

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 29/09/2025 11:45

Boscoforever · 28/09/2025 19:34

They won't run out of food, it's always been done. I'm nursing 30 years and there are people who come for a sunday lunch.

I had no idea this was a thing. How bizarre!

Comedycook · 29/09/2025 11:44

I loathe hospitals... would only go to one if I had to. Sounds incredibly depressing to go and eat in a hospital canteen out of choice...I'd rather make myself beans on toast and eat at home.

BunnyLake · 29/09/2025 11:44

Gwenhwyfar · 28/09/2025 19:39

I could imagine doing this if I lived right next to the hospital. Not sure I'd be travelling there though because canteens don't usually have great atmospheres even if the food is nice.
I think pp have a point about catching an illness there.

I worked in a hospital canteen for a while. No one was catching illnesses. It’s mostly visitors and staff, it was very rare to see someone in their hospital robe and dressing gown there (in fact I don’t think I ever saw it).

BunnyLake · 29/09/2025 11:41

SparklyCardigan · 28/09/2025 19:32

Very weird IMO. If everybody did that they would run out of lunches for people who need them, i.e. visitors and staff.

But everyone doesn’t do that do they? Are you going to start doing it because of OP?

BunnyLake · 29/09/2025 11:39

Absolutely no one would know you’re not visiting anyone, you're just another customer. Personally I avoid hospitals if I don’t need to be in one, so I wouldn’t go to it in place of an outside eaterie, but you’re hardly depriving someone else of their dinner.

TulipTuesday · 29/09/2025 11:12

My mum and I often popped in to the ‘league of friends’ cafe at our hospital if we were in that part of town.

They did the best sandwiches and cakes at good prices. Better than overpriced coffee shops.

DiscoBob · 29/09/2025 11:07

My local hospital canteen is dreadful. And really expensive. Pretty certain they don't do roasts. They do 'fresh' fish and chips on Fridays which is just about tolerable but the chips are like cardboard. So you're lucky.

If it's decent and cheap then definitely! I guess the only concern would be being unnecessarily close to a bunch of sick people. But the really sick ones probably wouldn't be able to get out of bed to go to the canteen in the first place.

AhBiscuits · 29/09/2025 11:03

The parking would cost as much as the meal if we did this at our local hospital.

crappycrapcrap · 29/09/2025 11:02

I think that’s really strange.