Packed lunch is sad

[Ribrabrob]

I went to a theme park with a friend recently, fully prepared to buy lunch when I was there however arrived to pick her up and there she was with a bag full of homemade sandwiches and packet of crips each I was grateful, of course, for the time effort and money on her part but I couldn't help feeling a little dissapointed - what's the harm in buying food out?

Its always been the case that I can't help but feel a little sad when I see families on a day out at a theme park, zoo for example, sat on a bench eating (warm?) sandwhcihes wrapped in foil with a fruit shoot.

I had the type of childhood where this was common place - packed lunch for every occasion, no need to eat out becaus there was 'food at home' or it was 'too expensive' (despite no money worries) etc so I suppose it's kind of stuck with me and I don't want that kind of life.

Aibu to think that if you can afford a day at the zoo etc, then spending a little bit extra on some food is no big deal? Aibu to think that life is too short to spend time making a sand which/salad to take on a day out, when really you can just spend a bit of extra money and have the hassle taken away? It just seems so strange to me and as though people try and suck all enjoyment out of life.

Except Waitrose sandwiches actually - they're generally really good.

Coffee chain store definitely worst for food. Costa in particular can get to shite.

We can't afford the entry fee and and extra 20/30 quid for lunch. Fwiw I hate lugging a cool bag around with me and would rather buy lunch just for the convenience but you can't have it all. We aren't all made of money. And actually, often the food at attractions is pretty meh, and overpriced for what it is.

Costa’s food is dire.

Costa’s food is dire.

It sure is! There are Pret. Tasteless and over-priced.

This thread is surreal - never have I come across such angst around food!

In the red corner we have the 'floppy sandwich with meat paste and warm juice brigade'

In the blue corner we have the 'falafel, olives, caviar clan'

Whereby in the real world - most of us enjoy a greasy burger now and again and our picnics consist of a crusty baguette, nice cheese, homemade pickle and a huge slab of shop bought lemon drizzle cake!

Come on! If you’re going to do home made pickle, you’re going to bake your own lemon drizzle cake.

I imagine the type of food these places sell would be burgers and fries etc ? Gross and far too sickly imo and from what PP have said overpriced too so YABU Id much rather have a nice packed lunch with a few sandwiches salads and nibbles much healthier for you and your bank balance

YANBU, I do see where you're coming from. Packed lunches do seem to suck all the joy out of life although I don't know exactly why

Waitrose sandwiches are rubbish

On the occasions I actually can be arsed to make a packed lunch I really look forward to it and think about it all day

Ha! Me too! I think it takes me back to packed lunches on school trips, when I was a kid.
And kids are still the same. When I took my classes on school trips, they were obsessed with knowing when they could eat their packed lunches!

I like Pret ones the best but they aren't cheap

Wow! We take a picnic because, primarily, my boys LOVE picnics!!!

In addition, they r not too keen on the food often available in these places, plus the food in theme parks is usually extremely expensive!!! Plus, my boys eat mountains! Even though we bring a full picnic, bottles of water and squash etc... We still often need to top up with an ice cream or some chips between us, or a few extra drinks! If we didn't bring the picnic at all we'd be paying through the roof for the amount they can consume!!!

Beechview Sun 23-Jun-19 22:59:44
Come on! If you’re going to do home made pickle, you’re going to bake your own lemon drizzle cake

You haven't tasted my home made pickle - trust me you would take the Tesco lemon drizzle every time

Waitrose sandwiches are rubbish

Have you had any recently? The quality seems to have jumped in recent years. Nicer variety too, like the vegan curry one.

Agree on Pret, especially the breakfast ones!

But for me its worth a little extra and I rather cut back on something else during the rest of that week

Bless you, poppet. What do you cut back on? Fuel bills? School lunches? Maybe your kids could go to that birthday party and not take a present? I mean, it's only thirty quid, right - just a little extra!

DS won’t eat anything you can buy in a restaurant or fast food place except fries so we normally do sandwiches. Also saves you trekking to the food place and standing in a long line - you get to eat it at a random bench somewhere in the zoo while looking at animals instead. YABU.

twicemummy1 Sun 23-Jun-19 23:04:22
YANBU, I do see where you're coming from. Packed lunches do seem to suck all the joy out of life although I don't know exactly why

You see I find this absolutely bizarre - I'm the first to admit that I blummin love a maccie's sausage and egg mcmuffin now and again but I can't relate to those who claim a picnic/packed lunch is sad!

An example for me would be - home made tomato and broccoli quiche , 'naice' bread as in expensive grained, bread, cheese, homemade pickle, cheese scones from M&S - topped off with a huge slab of iceland fudge brownie!

It's a bit embarrassing the food snobbery/poverty on this thread

I’ve spent the last 2 days at Alton Towers. We spent £640 on fast track passes but bloody wish I’d packed a cheese sandwich vs the £15 shit burger meals on offer:

Most of the theme park/zoo/other attraction catering seems to be burgers and chips. It makes more sense to take our own than to be forced to eat the grim offerings at most of these places. I find it quite sad that anyone thinks eating substandard, overpriced crap is 'having fun'.

You're strange, OP, and a bit judgemental.

It's usually crap food that you get at theme parks and the like,plus you sometimes have to wait in long queues to buy the crap food, and you generally get ripped off price wise too. I love home done picnic food, the list of food you can take is endless.

I agree with you OP.

I don’t mind making or taking a packed lunch under certain circumstances but my own experience is that it’s cumbersome to lug around, gets warm (and yes I have freezer packs etc) or I spend just as much buying the stuff for the packed lunch as I would on lunch there (depending on the place obviously).

I too grew up taking food and flasks of tea with us at every outing. If we did buy something out it was something to share. That was even worse!

I think in most cases if people don't like picnics they're doing them wrong! Our kids get excited about having a picnic! They like choosing what to put in and helping. I remember being the same as a kid. We don't make fancy ones or anything either!

It's a bit embarrassing the food snobbery/poverty on this thread I agree the snobbery is embarrassing but why would anyone think poverty is embarrassing?!

I love these food threads, they're always full of wannabe Masterchef contestants falling over themselves to denounce anything not made by their own fair hands as "disgusting", while wondering why we all don't just bake our own sourdough, cure our own meat, churn our own butter, whilst the cherubs juice the homegrown lemons for the "lashings" of lemonade. No sugar, naturally.

I'm surprised that so many people are bringing up dirty tables/queuing for food vs lovely picnic places - ime bringing a packed lunch means sitting on a bench or possibly a wall outside rather than going into the designated eating area, along with all the wasps and possibly light rain.

I do like a full on hamper picnic (which is not the same thing as bringing along a sandwich in your bag) but tbh my personal scarred-in-childhood crusade isn't buying food at attractions but paying for parking. :-)

Totally agree with you LagunaB