I have never been keen on lunch time meetings, so I have fitted in perfectly well to the French system as it is usually not possible to have a meeting in France between the hours of 12 and 2pm, due to the fact that it is the sacred lunch hour(s), but on some occasions it just can’t be helped.
In the UK, this would either be dealt with by everyone just hanging on in there until the meeting finished, or for very special occasions by a platter of sandwiches and crisps, and possibly a few grapes.
Things are just a little bit different here….
Yes, this is a regular, even for internal meetings occurrence, and gives the words “lunch box” a whole new meaning.
Not only do you get a 4 course meal, complete with starter, main course, dessert and cheese, but each tray comes with individual mini bottles of olive oil & balsamic vinegar, and miniature metal knives and forks. All of which gets thrown away afterwards, except when some people, like me, scavenge round and collect up the knives and forks, wash them up and save them. For what I’m not quite sure, but to throw them away is scandalous…
This is not just our company, but hospitality stretches much further here. A great example is the difference between large multi-national company who we work with in both countries. In the UK, the most I have ever been offered was a cup of coffee and once, a free trial of their new yoghurt product. Woo hoo. In France, my colleagues were given a 3 course lunch with wine in the staff cafeteria.
Even at a meeting with another agency, suddenly a large cake box was produced which had large, individual chocolate cakes, which were possibly the most buttery, calorific and most gorgeous things I have ever tasted. If the plan was to render the whole of our team completely speechless and unable to write anything down due to trying to eat these large, oozing cakes then it certainly worked, not to mention I will do anything they ask as long as they promise a) more cakes or b) to show me where the bakery is…
In the UK, this would either be dealt with by everyone just hanging on in there until the meeting finished, or for very special occasions by a platter of sandwiches and crisps, and possibly a few grapes.
Things are just a little bit different here….
Yes, this is a regular, even for internal meetings occurrence, and gives the words “lunch box” a whole new meaning.
Not only do you get a 4 course meal, complete with starter, main course, dessert and cheese, but each tray comes with individual mini bottles of olive oil & balsamic vinegar, and miniature metal knives and forks. All of which gets thrown away afterwards, except when some people, like me, scavenge round and collect up the knives and forks, wash them up and save them. For what I’m not quite sure, but to throw them away is scandalous…
This is not just our company, but hospitality stretches much further here. A great example is the difference between large multi-national company who we work with in both countries. In the UK, the most I have ever been offered was a cup of coffee and once, a free trial of their new yoghurt product. Woo hoo. In France, my colleagues were given a 3 course lunch with wine in the staff cafeteria.
Even at a meeting with another agency, suddenly a large cake box was produced which had large, individual chocolate cakes, which were possibly the most buttery, calorific and most gorgeous things I have ever tasted. If the plan was to render the whole of our team completely speechless and unable to write anything down due to trying to eat these large, oozing cakes then it certainly worked, not to mention I will do anything they ask as long as they promise a) more cakes or b) to show me where the bakery is…
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