Virtual Train Picnic Game

[Suelle]

I agree that a picnic isn't a picnic without egg and cress sandwiches, but so many people find the smell of cooked eggs offensive these days, so perhaps not for a train journey!

[herbidacious]

Different people bringing different things to a pic-nic explains the eclectic buffet-like (in the sense of wedding buffet rather than train dining car) bit of the Venn diagram of picnics.

I am definitely more of a sit down meal at a table sort of person. Vegetarianism comes into this. Help yourself to a selection of different foods usually ends in disappointment unless everything is vegetarian. The work party was a buffet. There were 5 meat/fish mains, and one very vegetably, i.e. protein light vegan one which everyone ate. This happens all the time.

[Uschi]

I agree that a picnic isn't a picnic without egg and cress sandwiches, but so many people find the smell of cooked eggs offensive these days, so perhaps not for a train journey!

Boiled eggs were a staple for car journeys in my youth. We all complained about the smell for a second and then attacked the eggs with relish!

[Earthmaiden]

They are considered anti-social in an office, let alone a train!

I don't buy sandwiches very often but am never as fond of M&S ones as some other shops. I like prawn mayo and if Sainsburys, smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Interesting about the history of the picnic. Makes perfect sense.

[scullion]

Help yourself to a selection of different foods usually ends in disappointment unless everything is vegetarian. The work party was a buffet. There were 5 meat/fish mains, and one very vegetably, i.e. protein light vegan one which everyone ate. This happens all the time.

so true.
we've been to many a wedding/funeral/party etc when all we have had to eat is the garnish if we haven't raced to the front of the queue to get the obligatory egg sandwiches before the meat eaters take them first.
it's happened less lately, maybe the increase in plant based eating even for meat-eaters has raised peoples game.
there's still a lack in 'ordinary' restaurants, which is a shame - especially if they're struggling or have spare cover space, to not exploit possible 'veg' customers, with more options.

[herbidacious]

To be fair to the office party, they didn't run out of food and the vegan main was very tasty and there were salads intended for all too which didn't run out either.

Eating elsewhere and in a non-buffet fashion it's wall to wall vegan burgers But this is as much symptomatic of the junkification of food as anything. Many places will only do one or 2 non-carnivorous alternatives. I think GF people suffer too.

[Earthmaiden]

It must be so hard. In recent months I have attended a buffet where everyone (including meat eaters) fell on the vegetarian options first. Organised a pot luck lunch reminding people there were vegetarians in the small group (why not just bring food suitable for them and everyone else to enjoy? Why bring meat?) and tried to find pubs over a wide emi-rural radius for a group which includes vegetarians to eat together. Each pub has one unimaginative vegan option and a veggie option if you're lucky. Things are so different in cities but outside, nothing has changed for years.

[Stokey Sue]

I haven’t done a buffet for a while but when I did as well as actual vegetarians I had to cope with a couple of non-pork eaters and occasionally one non-beef eater.

My solution was mainly veg, some fish, and only one or two meat things, obviously chicken or lamb.

[WWordsworth]

I agree, go heavy on the stuff everyone can eat and add a bit of meat and / or fish for those who prefer it.

I did lunch for 6 on Saturday
2 x Omni
1 x occasional vegan *
1 x doesn't eat meat very often
1 x vegetarian
1 x vegan

I did everything vegan, even the chocolate mousse.
(Probably not to be repeated unless absolutely necessary)

* Claimed to be vegan but I walked in on him eating a chicken sandwich.

[northleedsbhoy]

EM
‘ Each pub has one unimaginative vegan option and a veggie option if you're lucky. Things are so different in cities but outside, nothing has changed for years’

Living in Leeds for 30 years I saw the change happening and a lot of the pub/restaurants started putting on more and more options and in some places it became difficult for non vegan/vegetarians to have a choice.

Now that I live in a village it’s completely different but the pubs try to accommodate both as being on a major canal there are boats and walkers galore. However it’s not really possible to have such an extensive menu as would be found in a city or town and as they can only really provide what is most likely to be sold. The cost of food and energy has really hit them and they can’t take the risk of buying ingredients that could go to waste.

Cheers
NLB

[Stokey Sue]

Having lived in Stokey - where you’d think it would be sorted - for 40 years I’ve seen a great increase in vegetarianism and veganism.

There are restaurants that are totally veg, notably Rasa South Indian which has been there 30 years and everyone goes veg or not - taking anti veg parents there to have their eyes opened is a thing - because it’s simply the best Indian food on the street. Turkish restaurants are also good, there is no concept of vegetarianism in Turkish culture, but they make so many dishes that are veg as part of a meze it’s easy to put together a good vegetarian meal, and they are usually happy to mix and match dishes within a set.

More conventional N European or British restaurants and particularly gastropubs are still hit and miss even here, though I notice a tendency to put more veg dishes on the main menu without quarantining them in a corner - really noticeable in tapas places that now put more veg into the choice, traditional but they used to think we wouldn’t be interested here in rustic veg

[Ameew]

I don’t have butter /spread in sandwiches, so I don’t “do” shop bought sandwiches and I find a lot of wraps really stodgy and bland . If I was allowed , I’d grab an Italian chicken salad or toasted meatball wrap from pret.

If we’re going exclusively M&S, a veggie samosa or their prawn cocktail pot . They do small packets of amazing chocolate buttons with almonds and pistachios in and probably one of their smoothies . Maybe a small bag of salted popcorn