Don’t donate Frey bentos pies to food banks

[isitworthit124]

They need a special can opener to get into them

Eh?

And they're shit.

last time I looked at them, they required a standard type of tin opener.

Googling tells me it is actually an issue:

Boomers like me, brought up on tins before the era of the ring pull, and owning a proper can opener might be OK.

They are much requested and highly prized at our food bank, so I think that most people can work it out.

Our food bank have them on the list of donations.

What? You can open them with a standard can opener.

No they don't. What would be the point of selling something that most people can't eat because they don't have that special kind of can opener? and a can opener's a can opener. I can believe that some people might be a bit baffled if they don't have a ring pull, though.

What? A “special” can opener? Not just a normal can opener? 😂

Oh, I just heaved remembering the soggy, raw dough on top of brown sludge. Was there a special way to cook them to get cooked pastry under the top layer?

My rule of thumb is to never donate something to a food bank of a quality that I/my kids wouldn’t want to eat. Canned pies are one of those things!

I loved that soggy pastry underneath. It never cooked however long it was in the oven.

Amazed they're still being produced.

I've been on the bones of my arse and a canned pie was gratefully received. It doesn't cost electric to keep them and they can be opened with a cheap can opener and feel like a proper meal.

And when I was that poor, I couldn't afford tins with ring pulls so a can opener was a necessity.

*Edit to say it does cost to heat them, but they are free to store and have a long (eternal?) shelf life

By special can opener do you mean the bog standard metal butterfly ones because that's what I always used to easily open one.

I used to love a frey bentos soggy pastry sandwich in my youth as a hangover comfort .

I quite like the cheese and onion ones! I would donate those as with instant mash and beans it's a decent meal and no meat to worry about

DHs once a year treat 😀 he was dragged up though, I’ve never had one in my life.

IMO the only openers that open them are the old fashioned butterfly type quid ones. My fancy expensive one just goes round and round without cutting the lid.

If Piers Morgan can manage it then I think 99% of the population will cope.

It's a normal tin opener you need? I'd imagine the main issue would be affording the energy to cook it. I used to love them as a kid. Steak and kidney. I think they'd be welcome in most foodbanks. Unless most people were non meat eaters or Muslim (doubt they are halal?)

If people are willing to spend their own money to buy things for other people we should ever tell them not to.

Some people who use food banks will be perfectly capable of opening and cooking the Fray Bentos pies other people will not be. The same way some people living in emergency accomodation may not have access to any cooking equipment other than a kettle and possibly a microwave. That's why the food bank workers spend time matching the right food for the recipient. I.e no meat for vegetarians etc.

This chap seems to manage with a normal (non-butterfly) opener.

DP's definition of comfort food and most definitively openable with a standard tin opener

I agree, I had some dealings with a food bank and they always wanted to know details, ages, religious requirements, dislikes etc. For every person who hates a Fray Bentos, there will be another who loves them. Like everything in life really.

Do people really think a tin opener is something unusual and special now??

No they don’t.

What made you think that?