An anonymous confession from a TIG food addict

So why did I choose this subject?

My first thought was to talk about my love of food. But as I thought about the subject more I realised I should focus less on my general love to feed, but more on my inability to say NO to food brought into the office.

I for one have nothing against eating at ones desk, I have breakfast every morning in the office before the day starts, then from around 11am I am continually clock watching, waiting for the big little hand to reach that splendid figure of 12.

Now, if I were at home that would be me done and dusted until tea time. I can sit quite comfortably knowing that there are biscuits, crisps, chocolates in the cupboard, or that my wife has made a rather delicious cake and not touch any of it. Or even think about it. It doesn’t cross my mind. There will be all sorts of delights in our fridge that I don’t begin to think about. A jar of sweets can sit on the worktop for weeks without me even blinking an eye. But if that was in the office, I would be all over it like a rash. Food at home does not seem to have that hold on me like it does in the working environment!

Why oh why, when at work, does my brain do a complete flip, rewire itself and tell me to eat everything in sight?!

Am I frustrated? Am I hungry? Am I stressed? Could it possibly just be breaking the day up? Maybe it’s a social thing – meet up where the cake is!! Who knows!? But as soon as food arrives for the office to tuck into, you bet your bottom dollar that I will be one of the first up there to sample the delights! Even if I tell myself that today I WILL NOT PARTAKE!

Whether it be cake (Karen does bake a rather mean carrot cake!), left over sandwiches from a meeting (I know the bread will bloat me out but that doesn’t stop me as I pile in) or obscure sweets from someone’s recent trip abroad (massive sugar rush coming on)… I just can’t say NO!

The worst have to be the bags of Haribo, Percy Pigs or Colin the Caterpillars which TIG seem to have an industrial supply of… sugar high, sugar crash ☹

Then there is the first Friday of every month when we have our TIG office drinks and infamous nibbles… good lord!! I just can’t get enough of those little chunks of cheese, cocktail sausages, slices of pork pie with chutney, frazzles, cornichon, scotch eggs, sometimes even cucumber sandwiches! Lord have mercy on me and my fragile waistline.

I look around the office and I honestly know I am not the only one who can’t say no. This company loves its food! This office is full of people that can’t control themselves around the left over remnants of a half-eaten sandwich platter.

As a company we are collective group of foodies. But each department have their own tastes and weaknesses!

Accounts – Sweets from M&S. Maybe the little pots of rocky roads and flapjacks if they are feeling a bit jazzy.

Design – Biscuits, a never diminishing tin of goodies.

Contracts – It’s all about the savouries! Bumper packets of sausage rolls and endless bags of crisps!

Pre Con – Bacon sandwiches from Bossini’s, Twirls and the occasional Nandos!

Sales – Literally anything they can get in their mouths!!!

So how do I conquer my inability to say NO!? Well to be honest I don’t think I can. The only way is to ban all food from the workplace and if that were the case, honestly, I’d be devastated. So it looks like I will just have to put up with those sugar highs and lows, bloating from the bread and racing up to that work bench to get the best treats! I guess I just need to come to terms with it. Just go with the flow!

LONG MAY IT CONTINUE!!!!

BRING ON THE FOOD!!!!!!