RIAT 2024 - Catering Discussion

[red leader]

Does anyone know what the plans are for catering vans this year? I personally thought last year was worse than normal. They were serving up exotic spicey stuff instead of bog standard bacon buttys!! Apart from the weather that was my biggest problem with last year. I hope they can revert back to normal this year. I'm

[James Cutting]

I believe they are still the same. There was plenty of variety throughout the showground, yes lots of exotic foods, and a good amount of places to get bacon butties from.

[POL]

Heaven forbid, a variety of food for people from a variety of backgrounds. In 2024! Unbelievable. You should complain.

[bizfreeq]

[James Cutting]

also "other than the weather" like that's an actual problem, it's Britain!!

[Kurnass]

But the main question is, do they have vegan food?

[Alan425]

I'm afraid if you are vegetarian/vegan then airshows are something of a culinary desert! Always bring my own food (or go hungry).

Alan

[bizfreeq]

But the main question is, do they have vegan food?

There were a few last year offering a vegan only menu

[Supra]

At least they can survive if they take Squirrel-S**t bars & rabbit food 'til they get back to the plantation.
Also provides passing entertainment during quiet spells....playing 'Spot the Fat Vegan' I meant horizontally challenged!

[Kurnass]

It’s fun to see people eat vegan for the environment.
At the biggest airshow in the UK…

[Red-Eye-Knight]

It’s fun to see people eat vegan for the environment.
At the biggest airshow in the UK…

Biggest airshow in the world

[POL]

There were 3365 aircraft at Airventure last year. RIAT just about scraped 1/10th of that.

[Red-Eye-Knight]

Sorry I should have said worlds biggest military airshow.

[XR221]

Does anyone know what the plans are for catering vans this year? I personally thought last year was worse than normal. They were serving up exotic spicey stuff instead of bog standard bacon buttys!! Apart from the weather that was my biggest problem with last year. I hope they can revert back to normal this year. I'm

Minutes of the FRIAT forum give a clue that RAFCTE/RIAT are aware that last year the catering was not up to standard and improvements are intended. Here's what the minutes say - 'Head of Commercial Activities and Hospitality
- After onboarding a new catering company, ToGather (formerly Feast It), ....admits there are lessons to be learned from their performance at RIAT 2023, ahead of this year’s show. Elaborating further, he said catering offering will be increased to seven refuelling stations across the showground (vice three Service Stations previously) and after discussions with ToGather, an improvement is expected.
With two years of extreme weather, appreciates there is a need for more shelter and the amount of public shelter is being increased, primarily at these new refuelling stations.'

[Jaymer15]

Overpriced and poor quality. The catering is some of the worst outdoor event food I've come across when it comes to cost and quality. My local kebab van is better quality than the catering at RIAT. The cost of the food is one thing that makes really quiet angry. I wouldn't mind pay the high price's if it was a better standard.

[James Cutting]

The cost while yes extortionate is understandable. At least it’s been levelled across the field now, the prices.

Everything these days is extremely more expensive. Vans have to pay fees, source ingredients, run their cooking equipment pay their staff, and actually take a bit of profit out of it. Yet people still can’t fathom why they can’t have a £2 bacon roll…

Why pay if you don’t like it In 6 years of RIAT, I’ve never had awful food, and always gone to a van I know the food that they serve, I’ll enjoy.

[bizfreeq]

I have to say, in all the years I've been going, since the last Greenham Common show, I've only had really bad food twice. One about 10 years ago, a bacon roll, 5.50 for one piece of bacon and a stale bun. The second was last year, both of the meals I had during the day were disgusting (from different stalls)
However, I will still try again this year and see how it goes

[James Cutting]

I honestly didn't think the stalls we tried were that bad...mind you, I was in FRIAT but did have a couple of bits from other vans. Then again I've eaten from literal ration packs so swings and roundabouts

[Nighthawke]

James - I'm guessing more modern rat-packs with pouched meals (or at least they were when I left the ATC nearly 25 years ago). Back in the 1970s/80s they were boxes of tins and packets of "biscuits" and all designed to be eaten cold if neccesary. Any stall that bad should be shut down! Someone of my vintage or older will now say they were great and they loved them.

[James Cutting]

It would have been about 10 years ago now... Still had those oat biscuits that definitely blocked you up...