To have my Sunday lunch at the hospital canteen?

[Vacmat]

I don't work there, am not sick and wasn't visiting, but a friend works there and said they did a decent roast for £6.50. We'd had a busy morning and by late afternoon still needed lunch. Remembered conversation with friend and decided to try it.

It was fine. Nothing gourmet, but on a par with most chain pub roast lunches.

Is it odd to go to the hospital just for a cheap lunch?

The canteen is open to the public BTW, staff get an additional discount.

I think it’s odd, yes!

I mean...I guess it's an odd choice to gonto a hospital canteen for lunch but can't see who it's hurting really, unless you spent hours leisurely eating/taking up space.

Yeah it's really odd sorry 😂
Also a great place to get ill

Very weird IMO. If everybody did that they would run out of lunches for people who need them, i.e. visitors and staff.

Our local hospital does the best fajitas!

Bit strange choice for Sunday lunch but I don't see why you shouldn't if that's what you want.

Loads of people do it!
I'm a nurse.

We were well past lunchtime, so I don't know how busy it would usually be at mealtime but we were practically the only customers.

In that case I'd say its a bit quirky...but crack on!

They won't run out of food, it's always been done. I'm nursing 30 years and there are people who come for a sunday lunch.

More so than a busy restaurant? Most people in hospital aren't contagious?

It happened to be Sunday when we needed feeding and that's what they were serving.

I think it's brilliant!

I knew a chef who went from a hospital canteen to a top rated pub so think you get value for money.

besides, the NHS would be benefiting as you're paying for a meal.

I don’t think it’s odd at all. Our hospital canteen serves amazing food!

I love a canteen! I’d do it if I lived near enough. What a bargain.

It’s a little odd but at the prices of eating out if you find somewhere cheaper that’s decent use it.

I could imagine doing this if I lived right next to the hospital. Not sure I'd be travelling there though because canteens don't usually have great atmospheres even if the food is nice.
I think pp have a point about catching an illness there.

My very odd neighbour goes every weekend for his dinners . He appears to live on biscuits and sandwiches during the week. I looked after his plants whilst he was away. He doesn't have any kitchen appliances at all.

The food would probably just be wasted if you hadn’t popped in to eat it which is a cost to the NHS trust - I often pop into my local hospital to pick up lunch to go if passing , they do a fantastic quiche and salad box and loaded jacket spuds for just a few quid and a local cake company sell through there too once or twice a week

My friend's dad has his lunch in the hospital canteen most days. It's an easy walk for him and he likes the company.

Hospitals aren't somewhere I'd ever go by choice.
Depressing.
Surely a risk of catching something?

It didn't seem depressing while we were there. There weren't many people. A young man on some sort of drip laughing with his GF, a nurse chatting to her DC on facetime and some other staff scrolling their phones.

I don't think there'd be any more germs than in a busy weekend restaurant?

I like a glass of wine with my Sunday lunch so it's a no from me.

Haha I thought the other day how much I wanted my hospital cooked breakfast (that I had post birth). You're braver than me to go though it would have felt odd, sorry!

I spend a lot of time hanging out in hospital canteens atm as my father is seriously ill and has moved hospital a few times.

I find the food quite good on the whole. Occasionally a bit bland but generally quite good quality. The cakes are quite good.

In one of the hospitals, there was a gang of friends (older women and one lone man) who seemed to come for lunch or tea most days. I hope this is not outing but one of them was referred to by the others as "Bunty" 😂. Tbf, they seemed to have a semi-official role in that some of them "volunteered" (I never worked out doing what!) on the odd day and then the others would come to join for a natter in the canteen. I enjoyed listening in on their conversations, they livened the place up.