With the Christmas feasting over it's back to lunch of sarnies and cardboard-flavoured wraps for most of us. But some London office workers are enjoying top-class catering, themed days and Mongolians barbecues, all at subsidised prices. Time Out's Jenni Muir went to review three of the capital's best staff canteens. Just don't all hand in your notice at once
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| Pay as you go: the canteen at Orange HQ |
Orange
The future’s bright
The comms company is housed in a four-floor contemporary office
building at Paddington Basin. The spacious staff canteen is in the
basement, adjacent to the in-house branch of Costa Coffee, with a
sizeable informal seating area. Catering is contracted out to Avenance,
in turn part of a large multi-faceted catering operation called Elior
UK, which also owns Digby Trout (best known for supplying food services
to various museums and retailers).
What’s it like? It’s like sitting in an episode of ‘Space 1999’, all
white walls and – brand alert! – orange lighting. Flatscreen TVs set in
the walls show ‘BBC News 24’. There’s space for 300-400 and most staff
sit at the communal tables with bench seats à la Wagamama, but there
are a few smaller round tables with butterfly chairs, plus some high
stools. The hot food counter is supplemented by a chiller cabinet with
ready-to-go food, not unlike a mini-branch of Benjy’s.
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At 12.30pm the mood shifts from calm to commotion when a long queue of
chatty employees suddenly forms for the hot dishes. They regroup in
rambunctious gangs at the communal tables, but it’s a short rush and
within three-quarters of an hour things are returning to serenity.
Menu ‘It’s not stuffy city posh nosh,’ says canteen general manager
Ivan Ash, ‘more nosh with a twist and a kick, and this is the
environment for it.’ Each day there is a hot main course (£2.95), a hot
carvery sandwich (£2.75), deli sandwiches (£1.25-£2.55), jacket
potatoes with fillings such as beef bolognese, and salads, all made
from scratch by the three in-house chefs. In help-yourself Dualit urns
are hot soups (red pepper and tomato, or lentil and bacon, all 65p)
served with a choice of flavoured breads. Sweet treats include pots of
cheesecake, mixed nut and caramel brownies (both £1.20), and Müller
branded products (55p). 
Most popular dish The traditional gastropub-style recipes, but particularly beef casserole with mash.
The staff verdict Laurent, who is French and works in sales, eats there
every day and on our visit opted for the chicken korma with rice. ‘I
would not have the takeaway sandwiches,’ he says, ‘the bread’s not
good. I’d opt for the sandwich bar instead, which is much better.’
Jenni’s verdict After one of the hot carvery sandwiches – say lemon and
thyme roast pork with crackling, apple sauce, and green leaves –
dessert seems impossible, and a nap essential.
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