To take fruit to a coffee shop

[JaceLancs]

The taking your own tea bag thread reminded me
Would you think I was a CF for taking my own food (usually fruit) to a Cafe or coffee shop
I always buy a drink and if it’s vaguely early enough porridge but I usually take a box of strawberries or raspberries, or something like plums or apricots
I’m on a diet and have lots of food allergies so am pretty limited to what I can eat anyway
Most cafes even if they sell fruit only have bananas apples or oranges which I’m not that fond of

helmetbymidnight No, I think the obesity crisis comment was aimed at the fact that coffee shops only sell cakes and pastries, very limited range of fruit

So just have a coffee, people!

Sorry, no it wasn't really meant to be rhetorical actually. As others had just said on the thread, yep if the cafe was generally really busy and you've got one person nursing a coffee with a big bag of fruit taking up a table then I'd imagine they could very politely say sorry, we have a lot of customers requiring a table for breakfast so if you are just buying a coffee we cannot guarantee a table - or something. But when you think of it that's problematic too. Most cafes charge more for sitting in rather than take away for this reason. I guess a busy cafe which has a problem with people only buying coffee could say seats for eating only. But a small cafe with little custom would presumably be happy to sell coffee to someone with a punnet of strawberries rather than see them go elsewhere.

My point was that OP if challenged could quite reasonably point out that there wasn't an option for eating that she could take, which might make the cafe think about being a bit more inventive.

Agree it's bad form

What is even worse are the parents who take a full picnic to the water stones kids area and let them run around with food on their hands and touching the books and toys for sale. Also bad in the library!!

The other thing is that the coffee shops who do offer 'better' fruit tend to be the Starbucks etc, and they do it at an eye-watering premium.

I would much rather buy my coffee from a little local coffee shop and take my own fruit than just give in and go to Starbucks and spend £££ more on a fancy TINY punnet of berries. Lose-lose, both for me and the local cafe owner.

You would be a total CF

I used to work in a coffee shop- most places don’t mind as long as you ask first, it’s polite.
The customer is always right x

It is only reasonable if it is for a young child or someone else unable to wait/ might be disruptive if not occupied.

My point was that OP if challenged could quite reasonably point out that there wasn't an option for eating that she could take, which might make the cafe think about being a bit more inventive

Totally agree, FizzyGreenWater. I try to avoid sandwiches and cake (post-menopause, keeping weight off is really tough) and coffee shops are absolutely useless in the main for non-carby/sugary snacks.

I agree with the majority that this is a bit rude. Glad you’ve decided to stop.

Also have to agree with @helmet re the obesity crisis comment. Cafes aren’t public services. They don’t usually stock fresh, soft fruit, like berries, because they’d go off quickly and be wasteful. If you don’t like their fruit options, make your own breakfast at home maybe? You can eat exactly what you like there.

What the fuck has the obesity crisis got to do with you wanting to eat fruit in a cafe?

If you're a regular in one cafe, you could try asking them to carry fruit that you like.

I wouldn't do it myself. If you have to, I'd be mindful of not hogging a table for longer than necessary. Tbh, most cafes these days (at least those local to me) seem to have signs saying only food and drink bought there can be consumed on the premises. Seems fair enough to me

I think the obesity crisis comment was aimed at the fact that coffee shops only sell cakes and pastries, very limited range of fruit

And? Just have a coffee if it bothers you, or just don't go to a coffee shop and have something at home. Coffee shops do well because the offer nice food - cakes, muffins, donuts, pastries and suchlike. I can't imagine anywhere succeeding if they sold plain coffee and plums!

Small cafe owners take note - try selling more healthy options
No wonder we have an obesity crisis

What?

I don't go to cafes to be healthy, I go to treat myself to a sit-down, a nice coffee and slice of cake, and a chat with whoever I'm with! I don't want to sit in a cafe and eat a banana - I can do that at home any day!

You have plenty of options:

• eat your fruit at home beforehand.
• eat your fruit afterwards.
• have a takeaway coffee.
• have your normal coffee and no fruit.
• have your normal coffee with something else that you bought in the cafe.
• don't go to the cafe.

Coffee shops don't generally sell fruit, but neither do they sell sushi. Or bangers and mash. It is not acceptable to eat any food not purchased in the establishment, whatever it is.

adaline

Completely agree with everything you’ve said.

I'm also on a diet and don't eat cake, I w ill either buy a piece of fruit in the cafe (I love apples and bananas so usually they have those) or I just have my coffee and wait until I've left to eat my fruit (or if I'm very hungry I eat it before I go into the cafe)
It's a cafe not a picnic area - if you are just going because you are hungry - there are usually plenty of places you can find to sit and eat.
if I want to sit down and relax for fifteen mins, I just buy a coffee.
Not eating cake is not a major problem really. (my DD can't eat alot of food for medical reasons - cake being one of them - she goes without and just has a drink)

I can't imagine anywhere succeeding if they sold plain coffee and plums!

But it might be equally successful if they tried selling coffee, cake, and a bit of fruit. No-one's suggested opening The Hair Shirt Denial Cafe.

Seriously, I'm not overly invested in this debate, but I find it odd that so many people are outraged at OP's suggestion (which was a casual throw away in a thread that actually discussed eating your own food in a cafe) that there's a connection between the food on offer at outlets and obesity. It's definitely not the only factor, and personal inability to moderate is obviously higher up the list. But I don't find it unreasonable that the OP has made a connection between lack of availability of healthy options in a place designed for eating and only for eating, and obesity.

Right, I'm off to try to do 10,000 steps to keep my post-menopausal weight at 8st9lb. Shall avoid cake en route.

But it might be equally successful if they tried selling coffee, cake, and a bit of fruit.

But the cafe DOES sell fruit, just not the kind of fruit OP likes to eat. At the end of the day, cafes are businesses and they're not going to stock products that don't sell, especially items with a short shelf-life like fresh fruit. Presumably apples, bananas and oranges are sold because they're much cheaper than things like strawberries or apricots.

I have to say though I've never understood people blaming their weight on restaurants and cafes selling cake or creamy sauces or burgers. Nobody is forcing you to go to those places and eat those things. Cafes are businesses and their job is to make money, not to make you have one of your five a day.

Instead, why not pass on the tips above which might make them more competitive? Cafes can be absolutely dire at fruit, or anything that isn't the usual carb-fest. If you don't want a pastry or bread item, then yes, usually it's a choice from the grim basket of brownish bananas or slightly wrinkly apples. Yum.

People will happily pay for a berry or grape pouch, and they understand that these cost more than apples/bananas.

They'd go out of business within three months.

Instead, why not pass on the tips above which might make them more competitive? Cafes can be absolutely dire at fruit, or anything that isn't the usual carb-fest. If you don't want a pastry or bread item, then yes, usually it's a choice from the grim basket of brownish bananas or slightly wrinkly apples. Yum.

People will happily pay for a berry or grape pouch, and they understand that these cost more than apples/bananas.

They'd go out of business within three months.

On account of stocking some blueberries? Okay.

People will happily pay for a berry or grape pouch, and they understand that these cost more than apples/bananas.

But if you want those things, why not just have them at home? I don't go to a cafe for a fruit pouch! I go to a cafe for a coffee and a slice of cake. I can have grapes at home for free!

What coffee shops don’t sell any fruit?

What a load of bollocks. I feel like I live on a different planet to some mumsnetters. No low carb options? No fruit? You go to shit cafes. Eat at home fgs.

I’m glad some people understood what I meant
I struggle to find healthy options for food as a snack or for lunch in general
Evening meals out are never a problem
I do think what is available on the average high st is contributing to the obesity crisis from Greggs to McDonalds and coffee shops that only sell cakes or toasted sandwiches