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.

This is in the Sun now...😆

Just bog standard boring lunch/buffet/picnic fodder.

Whilst I'm in the picnic camp I kind of agree with you but the cafes aren't a hive of imaginative dishes either! They are usually the same boring menus.

When the kids were little it was best to make a picnic of foods they liked such as egg sandwiches, baby bel and a bag of quavers or something similar.

I'm just happy I don't have to go to zoos or theme parks anymore but I do often take a picnic out if I'm out for the day. I dont find it boring as I'm catering for my own tastes.
My favourite butty is always going to be seeded bread, soft cheese and dates. Mine wouldnt eat that until they were about 12!
I usually take baba ganush with bread sticks, or giant couscous cous with roast veg or a tub of curry tempeh salad. Zat'ar manoush with lebnah and tomatoes are quite good on a picnic. Often it's usually a quickly made salad but I dont like lettuce or cucumber so its always spinach or rocket, pomegranate seeds and walnuts as a base then what ever is in, mango, spring onion, celery, rice, sesame seeds, anything really
Ok, maybe not the worlds most exciting picnic but I prefer it if the cafe or tea room isn't great.
That said, a great tea room and my picnic can be quickly abandoned for a great fat scone with jam and cream ( or is it cream then jam!!)

We almost always take packed lunches if we go to the beach, theme park etc. sometimes we may call off on the way home and have proper food. but the thought of putting the utter shite served in kiosks any where near my mouth makes me want to gag. Absolute garbage, over priced crap as far as I'm concerned. besides there's nothing I despise more than lining some fuckers pocket.
No Ta

I noticed it had made the papers! Lol
Mumsnet love a food thread.

I much prefer to take my own rather than eat the overpriced rubbish they serve in theme parks and zoos. Many people are able to afford a day trip to a theme park because they do take picnics with them. I normally make sandwiches, take a frittata or pasta salad of some sort, plenty of fruit and soft drinks which costs me a fraction of what it would cost otherwise.

Different people have different priorities. For me, buying lunches and coffees is an occasional treat. I prefer to eat my own food most of the time because if not it's easy to spend an extra £100 a month on bought stuff and I'd much rather spend that money on other things.

I think it's very sweet of your friend to make you lunch but I can also understand why you felt disappointed.

Oh my goodness 35 pages!

Thing is a picnic can be boring and sad or as good as you like. Don’t get me wrong the picnics my grandma gave me on days out when a child weren’t great (I.e warm sandwich, carton of juice that wasn’t cold either) but from granny’s generation I think it was hard to spend out on food when out.

I can afford to buy food out but wouldn’t at most attractions as the queues are too long, most only have the option for junk food now I don’t mind a burger and chips sometimes but most times it’s not even nice at these attractions. So me and dh take a picnic for us and the dc made with nice bread and good fillings (no meat paste or sad plastic ham here) crisps, chunks of cheese, some cake, fruit, sparkling water or juice in a cool bag with ice packs and it’s good for hours. Then we buy the dc an ice cream for example for dessert.

I enjoy preparing food to bring with us. Its much easier as each of us have our issues with fast food. Nothing to do with money, we can afford to eat out we just prefer not to...

I know, it's a bit mad that there's over 800 posts about a theme park cafe and it's made several newspapers, but weirdly they all have seemed to miss that the majority of us like to take a picnic because while we can technically afford the food sold at attractions but don't want to pay that much for that sort of food.

It's all just overpriced rubbish and unhealthy too.

Oooh I love a packed lunch on a day out! Picnic style, mini sausages, cold dhal and marmite sandwiches. Beats anything you would get from double cost pizza hut / burger King!

All this talk of a 'crack of black pepper' and 'a dollop of mayo' is no where near the warm squash and curled ends of boring sandwiches that haunts those like me. Just some suggesting a picnic brings up bad memories however good it might be in reality.

It’s more convenient to buy food when your there imo. I have 6 children and 2 stepchildren and even though it costs a few quid to eat out I’d rather do that than carry food and drink around all day.

@ahwimbahwey

Yeah I've had nice picnics, romantic picnics etc so it's not that. But Going out with the kids is chaos and they're so wrapped up in the moment , they don't want to sit down and eat naice bread. I agree with the OP that a packed lunch is a bit killjoy

Darn it @Lanaa I'm hungry now 🤤😂

We take picnics to amusement parks and wet ourselves laughing at you mugs paying £30 for tepid burgers that you queue up for an hour to get, meanwhile we eat in the queues for rides and get to go on more than you 😁

I haven’t read the full thread.

But has anyone mentioned hoose rice?

We call my Aunt “Hoose Rice” (not to her face) because she will order a curry and stick a bag of microwaveable rice on. It’s mortifying.

We do both but are now more often than not taking a picnic with us. Take going to zoo for our daughters birthday. It cost us 45 to go. We have been before and brought food. Queued for ages. For a mingy jacket spud with no butter and a dollop of tuna mayo on, with a shrivelled up side salad. Tigers is all would be around another £50-60 as there is 5 of us. So instead we took fresh cut baguette with butter, cold meats, cheeses, boiled eggs, salad, fresh fruit, crisps, cakes etc. Cost US no more than 15-20. Kids absolutely loved it so now we will do that more often than not.

Oh and sometimes we save so hard to be able to pay for entrance fees and petrol etc to do days out. We just don't have the money for buying meals out too.

I think eating there is usually the option if didnt get ourselves organised enough to make a nice picnic, with the picnic being the far better option!!

"We take picnics to amusement parks and wet ourselves laughing at you mugs paying £30 for tepid burgers that you queue up for an hour to get, meanwhile we eat in the queues for rides and get to go on more than you"

You're easily amused.

You're easily amused

They’re also need to see someone about their weak bladders.

Eating stale sandwiches whilst standing in a queue wearing piss soaked pants is not everyone's idea of "fun".....

Why would you take stale sandwiches?

And why are your pants piss soaked?

Least it's no piss soaked sandwiches and stale pants I suppose.

Call me old fashioned but I like to sit down to eat.