Don’t donate Frey bentos pies to food banks

[isitworthit124]

They need a special can opener to get into them

I'm not sure the OP knows how MN works.

The cheap tins of beans and soup always need tin openers. The ones with ring pulls are more expensive. It's worth getting a cheap tin opener. Those fray bentos pies are lovely. You're very lucky if you got one from the food bank. If you don't like it, bring it back for someone else in need.

Weird, isn't it? They don't even do a guinea pig variety!

Did your eyebrows survive the blow torch?!

Reminds me of a brilliant Mitchell & Webb sketch, where David's character moves into a house on the high street that was very recently a shop.

He keeps the the sign, the large window (still full of stock) the bell and the "Come in, we're open!" sign - but then gets angrily perplexed at all of the 'crazy' people who keep intruding in his home!!

There are exceptions, though. Branston beans - the best beans ever (no debate) - aren't especially cheap, but you still need a tin opener to get at the lovely beany goodness inside.

Branston beans are nasty. They are too big and don't break down a bit after cooking.

We shall have to respectfully disagree!!

Of course.

I do think we should be able to buy tins of bean juice, without the beans though.

It's weird that you can't, isn't it?!

It is. There are loads of things I'd pour that all over.

That's not a nice piece of advice, apart from actually liking them ( and yes it is possible to cook the pastry nicely) I can make one of those feed 4 with some frozen veg and boiled potatoes added. That would be a rare real treat right now! They might be a little awkward to open sometime, but so is staring at empty cupboards and plates!

I'd better not ask

😂

I was thinking chip shop chips etc

I love Branston beans! You're right they are the best, even better than Heinz. But I buy the cheapest ones now due to budget.

I thought that was for after it was cooked. 😁

Thanks for this. I have just sorted with laughter and can't possibly explain myself to my DH and DD 🤣🤣🤣

Only 3 layers! You cheapskate.
I hope you're giving 'special' tin openers as wedding favours.

Many of out food bank clients really don’t have the money for a tin opener. After an appeal we did get some to give out, but once gone they are gone forever. At my food bank in East London most clients are in one room accommodations in hotels. The last thing they thought of packing when they fled their homeland was a tin opener.

Food boxes are packed before clients arrive so we do not know their living arrangements or what facilities they have. If you are donating , be guided by assuming that they have the minimum facilities. Our clients are appreciative of canned fish, canned meat, milk, breakfast cereal and soup. Using a night light candle to heat a tin a soup is quite common.

Those that have found themselves at a food bank may have had to sell possessions before they come to us. These ones may have an Air Fryer as suggested earlier but not many I suspect. As to last last question the answer is “no”

Yup, same here. If it would gross me out then I’m not buying it (apart from baked beans!) Everyone else loves them but I don’t so I just buy DS’s favourite brand 🤷‍♀️

This reminds me of a thread a few years ago from someone saying she thought it was “sad” that so many people donated own brand items to food banks, and that surely these poor people would like nice things sometimes?

I think it was borne out of cluelessness rather than malice, but it didn’t seem to occur to the OP that donating four 25p tins instead of one “nice” £1 could help someone eat at four mealtimes instead of one, or that four people could be helped. As an extension of that, there was no acknowledgment that many people who donate to food banks aren’t exactly dripping in diamonds themselves; that maybe the reason they donate own brands is because that’s all they can afford to buy themselves, or at least that it means they can afford to donate without negatively impacting their own food budget. Often people who aren’t that well off can be more generous donors, as the prospect of being in the same position is more real.

Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!

I’ve got nothing against own brands, my opinion is not down to snobbery or naivety. Unfortunately i have lived in poverty before. I simply just would never donate a ‘meat’ pie that hardly contains any actual meat or nutrients to a person in need. If I wouldn’t feed it to the dog I certainly wouldn’t give it to another human!

So no raisins or chocolate in the foodbank then.

Don’t act deliberately dense.