Office reopening but... no canteen, no kitchen...!!!!

[Sarah510]

Is this unreasonable....!!!

Cant help thinking it's a conspiracy theory to force us to go back to the Costas and Starbucks...

Lucky I have a couple of flasks!!! After wfh I realise how much money I was totally wasting on my coffees every day ;)

My DH had to go back to the office, & he's found it quite easy to take lunches which don't need refrigeration. Luckily, there's a kitchen with a kettle & microwave. He used to get coffee & food from the canteen but that hasn't reopened. However, he now has no plans to go back to using it when it does reopen.

Take your own food or buy on your way in. Why is that a problem?

For goodness' sake. What a fuss.

Agree, think people are jealous other workplaces actually have facilities for their staff

Yes, you got me, I have wasted so many hours of my live envying those who have a microwave in their workplace, not!

No actual real person thinks like that do they?

Agree, think people are jealous other workplaces actually have facilities for their staff.

Why do people always assume such a stupid thing? Not at all jealous, just haven't had access to such for a long time, just the nature of my job so have worked around it. Many, many jobs don't have access to facilities by their very nature. So what? You bring a lunch, flasks, Aero Press for fresh coffee, travel kettle, hot plate, etc.

While it’s a massive pita to bring in food and drink in, the amount of money saved is jaw dropping (to me at least).

And no, a packed lunch doesn’t need refrigeration for a few hours, how ridiculous.

@cherrybakewells3

I've never had a canteen anywhere I've worked, always took my own lunch. A cooling bag works fine no need for a fridge.

Same here. Most I've ever had is a kettle.

I'm a community nurse, we often don't have the beat facilities. I take a bottle of water, huge flask of tea and a packed lunched everyday. We do have a kitchen in our base but finding time to get there is another matter. The toilet is often the biggest issue.

skipped the middle pages. This is supposed to be a parenting site - many parents freeze a drink, which keeps their child's lunch cool without a fridge and will defrost in hot weather by lunchtime. If it's not that hot take the drink out of the freezer as soon as you get up.

And remember liquids expand at 4C so the bottle shouldnt be totally full.

I'm public sector and the idea of a canteen is laughable!

It will be the same for me when I go back to work in September in school. No kitchen/workroom access.

I have a lunch bag and some ice packs. Thermos food flask if desired and a water bottle. Should be ok with that.

I suppose like anything, we will get used to it.

I always start the academic year with good intentions not to visit the sandwich shop near my school and to bring my own lunch instead. I usually always end up caving in but if I am in the habit then I probably won't.

Why can't you take a packed lunch? I don't see why it's a big deal.

Back in the day when Powerade didn't have that awful artificial sweetener in it, on hot days I'd open a bottle and swig off a bit, then freeze the rest. Use it as a cool pack and have a slushy Powerade at the end of the day. So refreshing!

I do hope that one outcome from the pandemic is that people will realise how much they've been wasting buying coffees and lunch from shops. So often one hears moans about money from those spending £10ish a day unnecessarily.

Thermos brand flasks are v efficient for your hot drinks. It keeps it hot for about 20 hours, I've been v impressed.

They do the same but shorter and wider for food eg pasta.

StaffAssociation
Why are they telling you you're not allowed off school grounds at lunch time? I can understand that rule for the kids but unless you're on break duty or whatnot surely the time is yours to do as you please with?

Last term I had to do a job in the staffroom. Seeing the traffic through the fridge and microwave (which we had been told not to use), I was pleased I had my own flask, water bottle and cooler bag for my lunch. I tell you, that fridge handle is a super spreader.

Wow. People are being really mean.
It’s not the most important thing in the world, but tea and a decent lunch are fairly important to some of us.
I’m surely not the only person who tries to avoid eating bread every day, I hadn’t thought about no microwave at work to warm up leftovers.
The electric lunchbox sounds intriguing though..,
It would need to be PAT tested if it runs off mains tho?

So buy a travel kettle to use at your desk. All kinds of options.

@uniglowooljumper, no way work will ever agree to that. The kettle won’t be tested like all other electric appliances. Plus there is the risk of having the kettle on the table, next to people going past, next to a computer etc... and of course, everyone else will want to use it!

If work doesn’t provide a kettle, I’m afraid that mean no kettle at all and no access to hot water for a cup of tea.

Tbh @Sarah510, I would cope very well with having no microwave and kitchen etc...

But no kettle seems mean.

ds is in the same boat

ds boss bought them all a flask

Lots of people working in small companies but there are also masses of companies with canteens, hence the reason why the company Compass Group UK exists. You know, the British multinational who provide catering facilities in offices, factories, football clubs etc.

If the OP has always worked in large organisations I can see why they are used to works canteens. Obviously the company they work for are closing the canteen to discourage people from failing to social-distance.

OP, look at buying containers for your lunch and drinks as helping the economy.

I do hope that one outcome from the pandemic is that people will realise how much they've been wasting buying coffees and lunch from shops
The flip side to that is buisness closing and unemployment for many.
Personally I dont see a problem with people having their latte and cake fix if they can afford it.
I think it is about getting the balance right between spending and saving.

Buy a lunch bag - they are insulated, mini cool pack. Or for mid winter you can buy wide lidded flasks for soup and stew. For drinks they should have access to a kettle or drinks machine, buy a water bottle that stays cool

the canteen closing where i am might explain so many people lolling about outside at lunch

what about in the rain, people need a break from work