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Original poster

Have you ever had a subsidised canteen at work?

112 replies

Turquoisetamborine · 13/05/2019 21:07

Was/is it nice? How cheap was it?
I’ve worked in the public sector most of my working life but when I was a teenager I worked at my stepdad’s company for a few months which was a massive chemical plant with loads of factory and office workers. I remember almost everyone going to the canteen for lunch everyday and it was almost unheard of to bring food from home.

My husband works for a big international company and they have a subsidised canteen. It’s almost not worth him bringing his own lunch as he can buy homemade soup and a bread bun for 75p.

Indulge a public servant who would love a subsidised canteen!

OP posts:
Bayleyf · 13/05/2019 21:30

Yes, for about 20 minutes in 2008. Then the recession happened and it disappeared overnight 😡

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 13/05/2019 21:31

Recently been on many job interviews- many of the companies seemingly provide all food in the canteen free- free breakfast/ lunch and snacks....probably eat my wage x2

Yubaba · 13/05/2019 21:34

I work for Tesco, they’ve just got rid of our subsidised canteen. It used to be £1.80 ish for a main meal and dessert.
Now we just have vending machines, we do get free tea and coffee though.

derekthe1adyhamster · 13/05/2019 21:34

I work in a private school so get a 3 course meal everyday I work.

GarthFunkel · 13/05/2019 21:34

Yup. Waitrose and various pharma companies. That varied though, one site used to label things as tasty! so "tasty chicken pie!" "tasty pasta bake!" - because without knowing it was tasty from the name you really wouldn't have known. They'd start a huge bowl of fruit salad at the beginning of the week and just add more fruit as the week went on.

A friend used to work somewhere with a drinks trolley. It was full of tea, coffee, cakes and biscuits until 4.30pm when it changed for alcohol and crisps. All free. Constantly going round.

ivykaty44 · 13/05/2019 21:34

I used to work as a temp at a subsidised canteen, it was for an oil company and everything was made on sight. I coulda eaten off the floor it was so clean and the food was amazing. It was free for catering staff - so got breakfast and lunch

DropZoneOne · 13/05/2019 21:35

My old company did, was amazing. Hot lunch for £1.50, proper coffee for 20p. I got such a shock leaving there and paying normal prices. Went from £10 lasting a week, to barely covering 2 days!

As a student i temped in a hotel as back office admin. Still got to use the staff canteen though - free cooked lunch every day!

ToTheLetter · 13/05/2019 21:39

My sister worked in our local ikea for a while and they had a subsidised canteen. She used to spend hardly anything and would get loads.

HermioneWeasley · 13/05/2019 21:41

Yes! It was brilliant - full English breakfast for about a quid and a hot lunch for less than £2.

Reader, I gained weight Grin

foodiefil · 13/05/2019 21:42

Yes it was great! When I started working in the public sector I couldn't believe the prices in the work canteen 😂

Could get a full hot meal for £2-3 mmm

lastqueenofscotland · 13/05/2019 21:42

Yeh. You can get a jacket potato with a filling for £1.50 or so. Soup is about a quid with 20p for a roll.

I’m vegan so the options end up being a bit beige so I bring food from home normally

Redshoeblueshoe · 13/05/2019 21:45

When I worked for the council we had a great subsided canteen, but it was a very long time ago

WrongKindOfFace · 13/05/2019 21:49

The nearest I’ve got was working in hospitality and getting a free meal on shift. Sadly not the same food they served to the customers.

I remember visiting a factory on a school trip and being hugely impressed by the super cheap canteen - it was something like 5p for a cuppa. And bathrooms with actual baths (it was a very old factory). I was disappointed when starting work to find we had neither a cheap canteen nor baths.

babysharkah · 13/05/2019 21:49

Yes when I was a student working in the Mayfair hotel in London. It was bloody amazing and gained me a stone.

palindromeam · 13/05/2019 21:55

I used to work in a foundry.

The most amazingly lovely lady would do buttered toast which she would put on our desks or seat in the canteen (from which you were never allowed to stray) ready for the siren sounding for break along with your hot drink of choice. She knew how burned or not everyone liked their toast. We then got a free lunch.

In the summer they closed the factory for the Epsom derby when it was run in the week. Hired a bus, made us all a picnic, supplied booze and gave us £20 cash for bets. This was 25 years ago. I hated the job at the time- but looking back there was a great sense of belonging generated by this ethic.

PhalangeReginaPhalange · 13/05/2019 21:56

Another marks and Spencer’s one! It was great

cricketmum84 · 13/05/2019 21:57

I worked for a medium sized national manufacturing company and we had a subsidised canteen and an excellent chef. He followed ww and used cook most things healthily. He also used to do the most amazing white onion soup, never tasted anything like it since, and he did button mushrooms for the breakfast bar perfectly. Oh and the cheese on toast special on a Friday morning!! Am hungry just thinking about it!

romany4 · 13/05/2019 21:58

Yes.
When Morrisons was Safeway in the 80s
Think it was £1.50 for a roast dinner

TheNavigator · 13/05/2019 22:02

Many years ago I temped for a big insurance company that had a subsidised canteen. Friday was ice cream day - lots of different flavours of ice cream, toppings and sprinkles. Twas wondrous. Moved to a career in higher education and left such private sector largess behind.

Wondermoomin · 13/05/2019 22:03

Yes, most places I've worked have had a subsidised canteen. They vary enormously.

Oil companies, healthcare/insurance: very heavily subsidised, fantastic quality and range

Big bank: pretty mediocre having experienced the above

City trading co: heavily subsidised bar but no canteen

Charity: nice but barely subsidised at all and limited selection

Letsnotargue · 13/05/2019 22:04

Manufacturing company in the Midlands - we have a great canteen staffed by the most wonderful people. Full roast dinners on Wednesdays for £3, soup and a roll for £1.10, full plate salads made in front of you for £2.50. They even remember who likes which salads and who has ketchup etc with almost 300 employees.

And people still complain about it. They’d miss it if it was gone.

megletthesecond · 13/05/2019 22:05

Yes. A few years ago in the public sector.
Cheesey pasta bake every Friday.

Loved that canteen.

youngestisapsycho · 13/05/2019 22:05

Wparked for huge company with large subsidised canteen.. then worked for a Korean company where lunch was free every day.... hot cooked meal 😁

Letsnotargue · 13/05/2019 22:06

And they make pancakes on pancake day, get in magnums etc if it’s hot, and make cakes for people leaving etc. We are so well looked after.

Dollywilde · 13/05/2019 22:06

Ooh, wondering if this is a thread about what I put on the weekly shop thread!

Both of us do. Me, law firm, DH large media company (not Virgin media or BT so the other one!)

His is amazing - a pack of sushi that would cost £10 in itsu is £2.50. Needs to be though, they work in the arse end of nowhere.

Mines not great as it focuses on proper meals and I’m a sandwich or salad girl at lunch. But it’s still cheaper than going out in EC1 London for lunch!