Wednesday 11 February 2009

Rita isn't 4 4Lunch

In town for a meeting this afternoon, Rita had cause to dash into 4Lunch to grab a quick bite to eat en route. Imagine my horror, on perusing the sandwich bar in the Collins St store, to find, amongst the sushi and assorted goodies, a section entitled ‘Nana Packs’ and priced at $4. Presumably the sandwiches contained therein were not the usual Pan fried fairy floss topped with haloumi and whale sperm and served on wholemeal freshly grated gluten-free rye, on which the rest of society seem to exist!

On behalf of Nana’s everywhere I need to protest here! Rename them please!

But you know the worst thing – they actually looked pretty damned appetizing to Rita! Oh my god! That’s why I didn’t/couldn’t buy them, and why I left without buying anything. I silently went lunch-less in protest.

Posted on by Rita
32 comments

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rita! really!
4 Lunch thoughtfully design a sandwich pack to appeal especially to a "Nanna" like yourself and you fast in protest. How ungrateful!

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm . . . I saw those and thought they were banana sambos.

ps No hate mail about racial vilification please

Anonymous said...

I assume they contained sandwiches with the crusts cut off, designed for the dentally disadvantaged...

Anonymous said...

Future Mercury headline;

"ANGER OVER NANNA SANGER"

Only in Hobart, could this happen.

Anonymous said...

So - what was in them, Rita? Had the worst sandwiches for lunch the other day. No salt, pepper or zing and every thing was so super-chilled it tasted like ice! Or airport.
Kzee

Rita said...

You first 4 Anons are way harsh! Just because I'm a nanna doesn't mean I don't like a decent sanga!
I haven't a clue what was in them - which might have been part of the reason why I didn't buy a packet. That was all they were labelled with, giving me absolutely NO clue at all as to what kind of sangas they were....and if you think I'm going to make an absolute idiot of myself by asking what was in the Nanna sangas, you've got another think coming!
Sometimes Kzee, when I'm hungry airport is OK!

Anonymous said...

If you were flying British Airways and hungry, Rita, would that make in a BA-NANNA sanger?
Groan......

Anonymous said...

No flavour in them, thats an understatment. I think they have definatley passed their use by date as a lunch choice for me-Pan cucine or Breadd are much better.

Anonymous said...

I seem to remember that we have discussed in the past portion sizes. I know from my own personal experiences that the more mature diner would prefer a smaller but more flavour packed serving.

Its difficult to please all patrons, balance is quite literally a tightrope in this business. But I get the feeling without having seen the product, that 4 lunch have tried to target the problem. OK maybe the wording has not hit the mark, but then how would you get the message out without potentially offending the odd person? Be interesting to see what others suggest. Anyone?

Cartouche

Rita said...

Yep Sir G - groan...
Cartouche - The main thing about the Nana packs was the size of the sangers in it. They were cut into 1/4 's not the usual 1/2's. What does that say? It says to me that we prefer our sangers smaller, but surely kids would as well? It doesn't need to be a targeted 'nana' thing, does it? 4Lunch could just have some of their sangers cut smaller than the the usual 1/2'ed sangers. Why target oldies by pointing out that they've been cut specially for Nanas who OBVIOUSLY can't physically cope with a larger sized sanger?
Personally I prefer them smaller so I can keep eating while I'm at my desk working. With the 1/2 sangers, I find the filling drops everywhere, all over my paperwork, and things get really messy at the workstation! They're a portable sandwich lunch not a "look at moi, look at moi" 3 star gourmet meal!
(Please don't point out that I'm meant to leave my desk for lunch! I work best eating and thinking, besides, I usually lunch at 10.30 or 11 am)

Anonymous said...

Have you gys seen the state of their grubby & kcocked around vans on the streets? Surely this is part of making a good impression.

Anonymous said...

I must say, Rita, sandwiches for lunch (or dinner) bore me shitless.
The exception is a bacon sarnie on well-buttered bread.
But commercial sandwiches and rolls leave me cold. It's a result of years of the buggering things eaten at the office. No more if possible.
A toasted sandwich can be okay at the pub in the UK.
And you should eat your meals without working at the same time Rita.
Enjoy your meal breaks..but I know we sometimes don't have that option.

Anonymous said...

hey try their catering-A new low! never again if I'm in charge

Anonymous said...

point taken Rita. But there is a problem. What do you call these?

I will try to elaborate.

If something is a half size portion, do you call it half size? 'Coz if you do then psychologically people expect it to be half price. They do not factor in that the ingredients may be less but the labour involved would be the same.
If you call this a ladies portion, does this offend men with a
small appetite?

Seem to remember a review from peppermint bay (way back) when it was recommended that you choose from the child's portion size to avoid the overly large serving.

Its a difficult question, and one that raises its head often. Good luck to those who give it a go. I think that 4 lunch have tried to appease their customers needs which may show that they are listening to their consumers.
For the record, Nana pack does not do it for me as it associates people with something that they usually do not wish to identify with, namely being a senior. But to be true to my own preachings I'm going to shut up as I don't have the answer.

Cartouche.

Anonymous said...

Grow old(er) disgracefully, Cartouche, and be proud of it! I'm sick and tired of this youth obsessed culture. Remember that there are increasingly more of us than of them for the time being!
Also, sir grumpy, don't dismiss the home made sandwich. With good bread and top notch fillings, it can be a great thing to eat!

Anonymous said...

Anon 2 has a point, they already outnumber us & if you beleive the stats, will all ripen at the same time on the vine, placing unprecedented pressure on aged care facilities.
We will soon face a gigantic harvest of the drooling, demented & incontinent aged in the very near future so nana packs & pureed evrything will be the norm. Chilling.

Anonymous said...

Nothing to do with 4 Lunch at all, but my 2 sons & I go to Lansdowne Cafe a lot, and have done since it opened. The last 2 times recently have shown us that they have got too complacent. The foccacias were burnt, the glasses were dirty, the place itself looks grotty and the staff were rude and offhand, where before they used to be really nice. I don't know if they've changed hands or if it's just they're complacent but they need to look at that before people stop going there.

Anonymous said...

Last anon you could still be talking about 4 lunch

Anonymous said...

re Landsdown Cres Cafe
Dont forget you have competition in
West Hobart now.
Try The Pidgeon Hole in Goulburn St
to see how it should be done.

Anonymous said...

Yes Anon2, a good sandwich can hit the spot but the commercial variety are usually awful and I just don't buy them now.
Home-made bacon sarnies, steak sarnies or just ham and tamata on good bread are the go. Never been to 4Lunch. Didn't Gobbler have a connection there for a while?

Anonymous said...

he did Sir G, so did Scott Butler, Luke from Pecora, Jarrod whatsisname from Vanidols & countlesc others. Personally it was a mystery why Gobbler went there at all?

Anonymous said...

Had to go and look at these Nana packs! Just for the record they are indeed cut into 4's rather than 2's. However they do retain the crust so maybe Rita will have to soak that part in her tea or maybe gin before they get past her dentures!

They were clearly a mix of ingredients, 4 different sangers so that's perhaps why they aren't labelled 'ham & cheese ' or whatever.

While I was there I bought a chicken sanger which was fabulous, heaps of large chunks of chicken and a wonderful caeser (where is the spellcheck) sauce.

The only other thing I have eaten there lately was a chilli beef soup. Again fabulous.

Incidentally their premium sangers cut into two rectangles rather than diagonally look and taste a little ordinary these days.

Catering, well I don't get to taste that so can't really comment. The boxes do look good as they pass through the shop and they do seem to have upgraded to a flash new office on the streetfront so maybe the complaints are all sour grapes!

End of review.

P

Anonymous said...

Maybe not sour grapes just an opinion thats different to yours.
I found that the sandwiches have been very up & down & the soups on the ho hum side. Just my opinion.

Rita said...

Hey P - lay off Rita's dentures, and gin addiction!
Cartouche - you're right about the 'seniors' inference. That was the whole point of my post. As you know, I find myself fast approaching that horrible age (60) which I'm fighting all the way, but must admit to. I don't need anyone reminding me about this ghastly fact via the sangers I might select for lunch!

Anonymous said...

Fair enough anon.

As I said, I reckon the flagship rectangular sambos are certainly looking tired.

It would be good though if all the anon bloggers could somehow seperate themselves from each other as its pretty hard to work out what is going on!

Rita, as you slide through the 60's I'm sure you will not describe your gin habit as an addiction but more of a comfort!

P

Rita said...

P - let me assure you I won't be 'sliding' through my 60's, I'll be storming through them! I don't intend to go quietly!

Anonymous said...

We'll just have to gin and bear it Rita.
I used to be partial to a drop of gin meself.
Me mate drank pernod and we washed it down with pints.
Oooh the memories of those hangovers!

Anonymous said...

Ive tried to keep to topic and pretty well I think I have. So here we go.

My only idea of this 60's period is from Billy Connolly
I think his advice goes like this

#1 Never trust a fart.
#2 Never go past a toilet without using it.
#3 Never waste an erection, even when you are on your own!

Now I know Billy is male and these comments may be more relevant to Sir G than you, but there must be a female equivalent?

Any ideas anybody?

P

Anonymous said...

Billy Connolly is a has been and no longer funny P.
He's a name-dropping git and half the stuff he comes away with nowadays is banal.
His wife's shrink program is excrutiatingly embarrassing and ingratiating,
One of The Chaser team did a lovely send-up of Connolly a couple of years ago which I still treasure.
Danny Bhoy is the new funny Jock and I saw him at the Theatre Royal.
Neither ate at 4Lunch, like sandwiches or gin to my knowledge.

Anonymous said...

But what about the rest of his advice?

P

Anonymous said...

I love Billy. He only has to sit there and I'm laughing.
I know my Mum sticks to Rule 2 without fail. I hate going shopping with her. Mind you I'm starting to get a bit the same myself and I've still got 18 years to go.
Was that too much infomation?
As for Rule 3 I think that applies to blokes of any age!

Rita said...

Christina, I'm with you re Billy, although I must admit to having dozed off while watching him perform at Wrest Point many years ago on my one night off work! (Due to exhaustion from restaurant work, not boredom!) My sister has adhered to Rule 2 all her life, since she was a toddler, so I don't necessarily think that can be restricted to oldies. She's a pain to shop with too!
And, yes, Rule 3 - enough said.
PS I hear you were buying more at Hotel & Club yesterday! That Steven sure has persuasive powers eh?