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Iot Cranwell food

Hello All

could anyone give me examples of food that they serve at initial officer training at RAF Cranwell? I'm sure it is healthy, but I have heard that at the candidates mess they serve a full English type breakfast which isn't really the healthiest in the world. Any info would help thanks

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Reply 1
Original post by x_rae_g
Hello All

could anyone give me examples of food that they serve at initial officer training at RAF Cranwell? I'm sure it is healthy, but I have heard that at the candidates mess they serve a full English type breakfast which isn't really the healthiest in the world. Any info would help thanks


It gets put in front of you.

You're exhausted.

You eat it.


Scratch that, you devour it. You're working it all off every day, thinking about healthy or not is slightly redundant, you will be in the best shape of your life.
You have choices. You can have a full breakfast, or you can have cereal or toast or whatever is on offer.

Being on IOT is different. You're tired for a start. Breakfast is the most important meal you have and you'll be more active than you have been, so don't think you can have a cup of coffee and a slice of toast.

Let's put it this way. Cereal and cooked breakfast in the morning. 2 course lunch. 3 course dinner. Still lost weight.

It's fuel and you need quite a lot at the time.
Original post by x_rae_g
Hello All

could anyone give me examples of food that they serve at initial officer training at RAF Cranwell? I'm sure it is healthy, but I have heard that at the candidates mess they serve a full English type breakfast which isn't really the healthiest in the world. Any info would help thanks


I'm here now and the food consists of carbs and meat pretty much but you really need it, from the time you get out of bed to the time you finish lectures/training it's been over 12 hours and you're knackered. Most of the meat is halal as we have international students but there is always a non-halal pork option or you can order a tuna or egg salad or sandwich for lunch.

I've been here two weeks and my waistline is already reducing, I was thin when I got here and eat loads but you're worked very hard.


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Original post by x_rae_g
Hello All

could anyone give me examples of food that they serve at initial officer training at RAF Cranwell? I'm sure it is healthy, but I have heard that at the candidates mess they serve a full English type breakfast which isn't really the healthiest in the world. Any info would help thanks


If you're mainly worrying about the quality of the food on offer, then you can set your mind at rest. In your position there are far more important things to worry about. It's pretty good across Cranwell at all the messes - afterall it's all provided by the same company.

"Back in my day" they used to serve a lovely banoffee pie in CHOM. That was a decade ago though!

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Reply 5
Original post by Fritz Bollinger
If you're mainly worrying about the quality of the food on offer, then you can set your mind at rest. In your position there are far more important things to worry about. It's pretty good across Cranwell at all the messes - afterall it's all provided by the same company.

"Back in my day" they used to serve a lovely banoffee pie in CHOM. That was a decade ago though!


Can confirm the banoffee pie was still lovely in '09/'10 :thumbsup:
(edited 9 years ago)
The full English breakfast, a pot of tea, and 10 ciggies is one of the finest inventions in the civilised world and is one of the greatest benefits and joys of service in the armed forces. An empire was built on such fare.
Original post by x_rae_g
Hello All

could anyone give me examples of food that they serve at initial officer training at RAF Cranwell? I'm sure it is healthy, but I have heard that at the candidates mess they serve a full English type breakfast which isn't really the healthiest in the world. Any info would help thanks


Don't even bother trying with the dieting/ healthy eating bull whilst in training. Eat the meat, eat the veg, eat the carbs, lick the plate. Always have a full English, even if it does make you fart all day. Unless you wish to fail, you need the calories. (In my exp anyway, but I am not RAF)
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 8
Original post by the mezzil
Don't even bother trying with the dieting/ healthy eating bull whilst in training. Eat the meat, eat the veg, eat the carbs, lick the plate. Always have a full English, even if it does make you fart all day. Unless you wish to fail, you need the calories. (In my exp anyway, but I am not RAF)


Couldn't agree more. I tried the fresh fruit, toast and cereal option one morning, was starving by 9.30, with no food in sight till gone 12. Straight back to bacon, sausage, mushroom, fried bread, et al the next day.
Original post by Drewski
Couldn't agree more. I tried the fresh fruit, toast and cereal option one morning, was starving by 9.30, with no food in sight till gone 12. Straight back to bacon, sausage, mushroom, fried bread, et al the next day.


I always used to wonder why they called it "scoff" when I joined the TA/ reserves. Now I know :wink: I always used to sneak a banana out and put it in my daysack when I was doing my consolidated reservist training, I did consider smuggling one of those small boxes of cornflakes out as well at one point, but never went through with it. Might do when I go back and do it all again when I am regular.
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Drewski
Couldn't agree more. I tried the fresh fruit, toast and cereal option one morning, was starving by 9.30, with no food in sight till gone 12. Straight back to bacon, sausage, mushroom, fried bread, et al the next day.


Anyone who went through during the surge courses knows the pain of 10 minutes to eat during term 1 in number 1 mess at lunch time, as that's all the time you had after marching back from Whittle Hall, getting you're afternoon kit together and the grabbing a quick 10 minute nap before forming up 5 minutes before the 5 minutes before your course leader originally got given!

Are they still doing "snacks" as well for the evening?

Was interesting going from IOT to J's to truly see how much food matters in the training environment!

I digress. You can eat health on IOT but you'll need to eat a lot of health food in term1 and 2 if you want to have enough fuel to stay the course. Term 3 I lived on cereal for breakfast and a wrap and bit of fruit for lunch, 2 course dinner.

Never had an issue with food at Cranwell, especially when the senior term was graduating, rolo donuts are just the thing to help a pre term graduation hangover.
Reply 11
Original post by the mezzil
I always used to wonder why they called it "scoff" when I joined the TA/ reserves. Now I know :wink: I always used to sneak a banana out and put it in my daysack when I was doing my consolidated reservist training, I did consider smuggling one of those small boxes of cornflakes out as well at one point, but never went through with it. Might do when I go back and do it all again when I am regular.


There's no need. Lympstone has vending machines. Lots of them.
Original post by Clip
There's no need. Lympstone has vending machines. Lots of them.


I don't think they have them outside the buildings and in the woods/ fields. :wink: Which is what I meant.
Reply 13
Original post by the mezzil
I don't think they have them outside the buildings and in the woods/ fields. :wink: Which is what I meant.


Not sure why subterfuge should be involved. It used to be best practise to make up bags of sweets of things like chopped up Snickers and the like (making up de facto Celebrations) and keeping them in a pussers green bag in your pocket - certainly for 30 miler. Don't know if the British Dental Association has got involved or something.

Also - it's a bit jack for officers - but if you're a recruit - definitely buy cigarettes especially if you don't smoke. By third day of exercise, you will definetely be able to sell them individually for several times market value / some rubbish crow job.
Original post by Clip
Not sure why subterfuge should be involved. It used to be best practise to make up bags of sweets of things like chopped up Snickers and the like (making up de facto Celebrations) and keeping them in a pussers green bag in your pocket - certainly for 30 miler. Don't know if the British Dental Association has got involved or something.

Also - it's a bit jack for officers - but if you're a recruit - definitely buy cigarettes especially if you don't smoke. By third day of exercise, you will definetely be able to sell them individually for several times market value / some rubbish crow job.


Will mars bars do? I don't like snickers, and they are the next best thing! I thought they gave out bananas anyway on the 30 miler? I got told you get a 4* 5 minute break, but then again 5 minutes and a pasty/ banana won't really fill you up I suppose if you doing 7 hours on the 30 miler.

And I'll defiantly take you up on the advice, cheers!
(edited 9 years ago)
Reply 15
Original post by the mezzil
Will mars bars do? I don't like snickers, and they are the next best thing! I thought they gave out bananas anyway on the 30 miler? I got told you get a 5 minute break, but then again 5 minutes and a pasty/ banana won't really fill you up I suppose if you doing 7 hours on the 30 miler.

And I'll defiantly take you up on the advice, cheers!


That was just a recollection of what best practise was from the annals of history, and certainly before Camelbaks / Hydrastorms. Maybe they do it differently now - so I strongly recommend you do whatever is the vogue at the time. Also, all-arms always get told different stuff from royal, so stick to whatever DS tell you.
Original post by Clip
That was just a recollection of what best practise was from the annals of history, and certainly before Camelbaks / Hydrastorms. Maybe they do it differently now - so I strongly recommend you do whatever is the vogue at the time. Also, all-arms always get told different stuff from royal, so stick to whatever DS tell you.

Yeah, usually that pain is temporary so get up that ****ing hill.
In training I managed 5 shredded wheat followed by cooked breakfast, toast and jam every morning. All downed in 5 minutes as per. If I was really quick I could outwit the catering manager and queue for a second cooked breakfast. I have never been so hungry in my entire life since !
Original post by Old_Simon
In training I managed 5 shredded wheat followed by cooked breakfast, toast and jam every morning. All downed in 5 minutes as per. If I was really quick I could outwit the catering manager and queue for a second cooked breakfast. I have never been so hungry in my entire life since !


The only bad thing about it is that my appetite has broadly stayed the same since, despite not doing anything like the amount of exercise. It's one hell of a way to encourage you to keep active!
We still only get about 15 mins to eat most meal times and we still gets snacks in the evenings, a milkshake carton and a snickers/mars/cereal bar/squares etc choice.


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