"Should shows only serve heathly food" Topic

Given that my body is a temple to the Gods (Bacchus the Romans knew him as) I reached my limit this weekend at Partizan as next to the canteen notices on healthy eating and lo-salt, 5-a-day etc was:

Chips
Fried stuff
Fat rolls
Sarnies with no salad etc. etc.

So my question is – should a healthy option be available:

1) Yes
2) No
3) Do not be stupid – no one but you would eat this
4) My five a day is chocolate, crisps, full fat milk on sugar coated cereals, pizza (no veg) and beer
5) It should be mandatory

The reason this came about was I was on my knees looking for books and figures at the show and despite being very dark at Partizan in spots it was not nice when I looked up…

Most shows serve overpriced crap that I would only eat if I was starving to death. What makes you think a 'healthy option' would be any better?

Eat before, or after, or take a packed lunch.

As long as a bacon roll with diet Irn Bru is available who cares what else they have.

x42

Doesn't help that your subject asks a different question to your post….

3

Get your Mum/wife to make you a pack lunch? heheh
Your right we should eat more healthy
Wargamers are getting bigger all the time like the population
1 Yes
2 Pass
3 Maybe
4 Your Right
5 Would the club cover the cost if it did not sale NOOOO
6 Have lots of fit females walking round the show and see how many tummy get sucked in as they pass
7 All back packs to be left in the car

I'd be satisfied with "edible".

I think a healthy option should be available, however, if your into eating fatty foods then providing a healthy option wont make much difference at a wargames show.

Personal choice really, i try to eat healthily, but on a day out to a show, you cant beat a nice bacon butty….

Steve.

If it bothers you then take a packed lunch which is what I always do. That way you can eat what you choose and enjoy it. Why spoil an enjoyable show by going hungry or having to eat something you don't like.
I doubt caterers could please everyone no matter what choices they provided.

One of the pleasures of Bovington is egg banjos available on the car park!!!

Tally Ho!

Actually a bit disappointed with Partizan this time, but the sausage bap was nice, though I admit unhealthy..

@Dom – lack of food befuddled brain!

Come to Cold Wars and enjoy the Hall Pig.

If we ever hold convnentions in New York, Nurse Bloomberg will make sure there is no trans fat to be found anywhere, and you will have to step out to New Jersey to smoke.

Do what I do, stop at McDonalds at Newark on the way in and the way out.

2

@John – Is 'Hall Pig' anything like 'Long Pig'?

They ought to sell what they think they can make the most money on. Seems that is the point of a business.

'Healthy Options' at a wargaming convention may or may not sell. Anything not sold is waste which raises the costs to the vendor. Stocking a 'healthy option' has opportunity cost in that the vendor can only prepare and stock so much.

If the vendors figure 'healthy option' will make them money, they'll offer it. If not, bring a bag of carrot sticks and an apple or two with you…

Jake

I am with JS, edible would be a start.

Forced health doesn't work.

The real problem with healthy food, is people generally picky about what they like. Where as sugar laden junk is a favorite to most.

And take for instance my kids will eat green beans. Unfortunately only if they were recently picked. Fresh Squash from the garden as well, so long as it hasnt been cooked.

They often have some healthy options available at the HMGS east shows. And if not Arby's is right down the street within easy walking distance.

Every time I've attended Partizan or TOP, the caterers did their best to reduce the amount of unheathly food served by running out of bacon early and only frying chips in tiny batches.

Allen

It is usually the venue which arranges the catering, not the show, certainly at Triples and Partizan.

I take a packed lunch.

I am with the "vendors should sell what they can make money on" crowd. Easy enough to pack fruit if that is your desire. I especially despise those that want to impose their views on what I should eat. THe HMGS cons tend to do very well with basic food, nothing verry good, nor anything truly awful.

This time at Pz, the hall opened what looked like the staff canteen. Which makes me wonder why we can't use their seating area -- instead everyone was trying to juggle chips, coffee and shopping in the lobby…

Which was messy. They'll probably ban food entirely for us next time…

I am not fussed on what it is, just would be nice for it to be pleasant for a change.

I take a packed lunch to Salute. Healthy or not, I don't have to queue or pay over the odds for it!

I learned in the Army. Take it with you. No lines, no outrageous prices, and stuff you want.

The shows I've been to in the US have multiple options in the venue and many restaurants within easy distance if you want to sit down at a more reasonable price.

@John – Is 'Hall Pig' anything like 'Long Pig'?

The anatomy looks wrong to be Long Pig…
But what do I know. I'm not a doctor.

The Lancaster Host also features Chinese food that's been sitting in the Sterno pans for hours.

We have had healthy options at Cangames for 4-5 years now and from what I see they are brisk sellers so they are likely good for business.

Maybe if con's started charging the overweight for two like Southwest Airlines…

The only thing that "should" be mandatory is that the food vendor make a profit.
If he thinks he can do that with "healthy" food, let him try. He's the only one to make that decision.

"SHOULD" is such a controlling word and smacks of government control run amock.

Wow, I think Andrew Beasley asked should a health OPTION be available. Last time I checked option meant choice, not you must eat healthy.

I think it would be great if there were options available, even if I didn't avail myself of them. Encourage the vendor to try it once and capture those who choose a healthy eating regime and keep them at the venue rather than losing them for hours at a time chasing after the vegan (or whatever else) alternative.

K.

"The only thing that "should" be mandatory is that the food vendor make a profit."

This.

When I worked as a Catering/Convention services manager the term "Cash Concessions" was the surest way to evoke scurrilous language from the Executive Chef and F&B Director because it's almost impossible to break even. The labor costs alone can be a back breaker. Once you add up the wages of the servers, the cook who has to stand by waiting just in case things should start to run out, and the stewards who have to transport product to and from the concession area from the kitchens much of your profit has evaporated.

Then, you have to consider food costs. Junk food is cheap, and much of it has a long shelf life and can be re-used. This is the primary reason why stuff like hot dogs, big pretzels, nachos, popcorn, candy bars, and bags of chips/crisps constitute much of the food offered at cash concession stands. You'll typically see things like bananas or apples offered as well, since these can be reclaimed and used for other purposes. Things like salads and sandwiches are perishable and require more labor to make, so you'll see much less of these items in most cases.

Finally, in order to make up for the labor and food costs incurred above you have to charge ridiculous prices that most convention attendees shy away from. Who wants to pay $1.50 USD for an apple that they can get for 40 cents elsewhere?

Add it all up, and it's far too easy for the host to lose their shirt offering cash concessions in the first place. I've managed literally hundreds of events, and out of all the convention floor functions that offered cash concessions we rarely broke even, and made money hand over fist only once. Eventually, we had to charge groups a $1,500.00 USD per day fee to offset the labor costs or we wouldn't run them at all.

Oh yeah, you can put me down for a "no".

2

DM

What's "healthy"? Spanish cucumbers…?

Whether healthy or not it should be of a reasonable quality. I avoid the food sold at some venues like the plague.

I pack my lunch for conventions. It's healthier, and much more importantly I take the money I save and buy minis with it.

Bunch of wilting lilies on this site.

Personally there should be more gamers with backpacks and with flagons/tankards clipped to their belts (OK not really)– I suspect to most hotel staff a convention of people into bondage looks less odd – its probably a sad comment on what our countries have become that between the reaction one would get for saying one plays with toy soldiers and that from laying out all the details of one's "love" life and erotic interests that society would consider the latter entirely a normal to do but the latter weird and possibly creepy – full marks to Rod Stewart btw for detailling in various interviews his interest in model trains.

Not entirely sure about the reaction to 'playing with toy soldiers' being regarded as weird and creepy, not by the male population ad hoc anyway, it just seems to be the vast majority of the female of the species that doesn't 'get it'.
Presumably if you are an ageing rock star with millions of pounds stashed in the Bank and millions of adoring fans worldwide you can do whatever you like and still be 'cool'.

I did say weird and 'possibly' creepy – certainly the colleagues i've explained it to give you a look that implies that real men spend their time getting drunk, chasing anything in a skirt and/or watching a ball being kicked around a pitch – I've always personally taken the view that wargaming precludes signifcant adultery as for most games if it was choice between buying that new must have 12pdr battery for your army or spending money on a working late at the office tryst at some romantic wine bar with that new lady in accounts who seems to like you then the artillery would win out every time. And to be frank – most gamers (except of course me and my friends) do look a bit weird – certainly when seen en masse at a show – as is often said too – "soap and deoderants are not that expensive, are they?"

What's "healthy"? Spanish cucumbers…?

Yep Doug, they're fine, just don't let some manky serf in a German restaurant handle them.

Bring my own in a cooler – bottled water, good beer, fruit, veg, bread, cheese – all organic – but not necessarily the beer -though there is a good organic oatmeal stout I like. All the fruit and veg washed and prepared by me – Otherwise Whole Paycheck (Foods) or my local Co-op have good pre-made sandwiches. Eat less when the food is nutrient dense too.
Subway in a pinch if above not handy.

egg banjos available on the car park!!!

Wouldn't they be better on a plate???????????????????????
I always took food to Long Weekend Cons.(3 or more days.)
For a one day show I would factor in a little extra for site food.

Rather a leading question.
No. No. No.
Each gamer/attendee should have the option to eat whatever the hell he/she wishes, allowing them the respect of recognizing that they are of legal age and able to make their own decisions.

Like Andrew's my body is a temple… one of those strange, foreign ones, where they do unspeakable things to animals and virgins.

Yes.

We're wargamers. We should be eating rancid salt pork, or freshly killed stringy bullock, and a flour ration to be mixed into dumplings with axle grease, all washed down with Spanish wine of dubious vintage, and a tot of rum.
(Vary according to period gamed)