I’ve always understood the appeal of the Garage Tea. A quick Google reveals I mentioned the Garage Tea in one of my first ever blog posts way back in January 2010, about 47 internet years ago. It’s proof essentially that I invented the whole concept of the meal deal – letting your kids buy a random selection of snacks from the petrol station shop in lieu of a proper meal.
Back in 2010 a Garage Tea might have been considered the ultimate treat, but today’s kids are apparently a lot more demanding, not content anymore with a Dairylea Dunker, let alone, GOD FORBID, a homemade sandwich. In fact, new findings by holiday platform selfcatering.co.uk have found that children aged between 9-14 years are flatly refusing home-made sandwiches or wraps when travelling by car on a UK getaway.
What do they want instead though? According to the research, they are insisting on a Greggs, McDonalds or Pret while on the move.
A PRET??
A Pret to me is the sort of food I used to eat if I happened to be in London for work and felt justified in spending £4 on a yogurt. A Pret is definitely NOT the sort of food you feed your kids on a car journey. Questioning more than 2,100 parents on its platform, though, selfcatering.co.uk found most (76%) said that sandwiches are often left uneaten, with just over half (52%) of parents giving in to demands for shop and cafe-bought fixes just so their children would eat and not get hangry on their travels.
Nutritional Therapist Elizabeth Wall CNM, DipAIT, said: “It’s worrying that children are snubbing home made food for other options. It is crucially important for children (specifically school-age children) to receive adequate nutrition and to meet the recommended intake levels of all essential vitamins and minerals.
“Turn back the clock 15 years ago and I’m sure it would be a very different scenario, where children would eat and appreciate the snack packs prepared for them on a long journey. In today’s society, children are increasingly exposed to social media platforms and advertisements which can all influence poor food choices.
YOU ARE RIGHT ELIZABETH. Turn back the clock exactly 15 years to January 2010 and my kids had likely never even heard of Pret and they were certainly more than happy with their car sandwiches, or, if they were lucky, their Garage Tea. Expectations were low back then, kids easier to please. Ah, the good old days.
This February, 1,700 families questioned in the survey are planning on getting away in the UK and admitted to needing to tighten their financial belts where possible in a bid to cut down on costs. How on earth are they meant to do that with kids in the back demanding things like hummus and avocado wraps?
According to the research though, the car journey to and from their holiday destination, however, is not among the line up of things they’re prepared to cut back on, with many stating that a harmonious journey is among the top priority of things to get their holiday off on the right track.
Richard Young, CEO of selfcatering.co.uk said: “Food and holidays go hand in hand and our research certainly reveals how much parents are now relying on bought food for the start of a happy holiday.”
Bring back 2010 I say.
The survey was conducted via the Selfcatering online portal between 17-January – 5th February, 2025.