Weeknote: S2, Ep16: Food edition — the power of snacks

Kit’s tweet about our self-catered meetings inspired me to write a blog about the power of snacks at work.

Food keeps together mind, body and soul

Eating sustains us. It keeps us alive. Currently 7.3 million adults in the UK are estimated to be food insecure. Worries over whether we can feed ourselves and our families can be all consuming. The impact of COVID and the cost of living crisis is increasing the use of food banks. In 2020–21 the Trussell Trust distributed 2.5 million three-day emergency food parcels, up 33% on the previous year.

Food also symbolises respect, generosity, friendship and empathy. We open our hearts and our minds when we share food. Food is a peacemaker, the healer of a broken heart, a way to explore our differences and to learn new things about each other. I struggle to think of a country I have visited or culture I have experienced that doesn’t put food at the centre of its hospitality.

The potency of food shows up in the way we speak and convey meaning. It shapes how we make sense of ourselves, making an appearance in many of our linguistic idioms.

Food is central to our physical and mental well being. So much so, that a difficult relationship with food can impact on a person’s sense of self worth and lead to illness. Over 1 million people in the UK have an eating disorder.

The power of snacks

Food at work is an untapped blessing. Snacks at a meeting or workshop can be a great informal ice breaker (show up with a plate of Jaffa Cakes and ask whether it’s a cake or a biscuit), represent a bit of common ground in a room of diverse views or provide a boost when energy is flagging.

Perhaps I am over-egging the cake, but food at work reminds us that we are human. Faces light up when a kind soul shows up with homemade baked goods and making someone a cup of tea can take the edge of a bad day. My colleague Karolina seems to have a sixth sense about knowing when you need a brew. Inherent in these micro acts of generosity is reciprocity — a thing that goes beyond the transactional acts we perform at work towards a relational culture. Food at work feels all the more important as hybrid working practices become more common. It can quicken the bonds between people when time together is squeezed.

A note about inclusiveness.

Choice is helpful, in fact it’s essential. Fruit alongside the packet of biscuits. Checking that food is halal or falls within other religious stipulations is important. Finding options for people with food allergies so they don’t have to opt out, and lastly giving people the space to say “No, thank you” without feeling self conscious.

A note about the patriarchy.

Providing food is a domestic chore and a form of emotional labour. My observation is that in many teams, the task of buying and organising food can fall unfavourably on women. Tapping into the blessing of food at work shouldn’t come at the cost of invisible work for women or support roles. If the role of a leader is to create the conditions in which people can thrive, perhaps snack buying should be delegated upwards?

A note about money.

Snack budgets aren’t a thing in the public sector. I’m not discussing the pros and cons of this, or making a case either way. There’s creative ways to do this, but not everyone is in a position to be able to contribute cash and it should never be an obligation or a form of social pressure.