Canteen Food

[vic mcclymont]

Many years whilst working as an electrician for an Electrical Contractor working for the Greenock Dockyard, the ship was moved to Elderslie Dockyard.
The move was in preparation for trials, bumb painting and poppet removal.
The nearest place for a meal at lunchtime was Yarows Canteen.
Arrival at said place met with a Commissionaire who held you back to said time of entry.
One shilling and sixpence was the cost of the meal.
Entering the canteen you were meet with rows and rows of trestle tables, ones with soup bowls, soup finished main course dispensed (no choice).
Man course finished reach under trestle for pudding.
Oh what joyful days.
Vc

[happy daze john in oz]

For a time I was employed by a company of contract caterers who worked out of Richmond near London.

We had a contract for the company working on the cofferdams for the Thames barriers.
A canteen had to be stablished on the banks of the river so the workers would have some where for smoko and lunch.
The work was supposed to be 24/7 but there were very few there outside of 7 to 4 Monday to Friday.

We were all set up and ready to go, it was a two year contract to begin with the option to renew.

One small problem on the first day, the food we had prepared was fine, usual canteen food, fish and chips, roast beef, sausages and mash etc.
But the company we were catering for had forgotten to inform us that the majority of the workers they were employing were from Pakistan.

We soon learned how to produce curry etc in very large quantities.

I left the company not long after that to take on our first pub.
The barriers were completed, often wonder how long it took and how many from other countries worked on it.