At a previous workplace we took potlucks seriously. Folks would bring homemade mac and cheese, large salads, homemade or bakery cookies or pastries, mounds of chicken wings, various ethnic foods, etc.
And then there was “Sheila”. She would bring a single 2-liter bottle of soda with a large “79 cents” price tag as part of its label. Every single time.
mmm
I work for a Japanese company and have learned that many of their smacks are amazing, especially the numerous falvored Kit-Kat bars that are only available in Japan. Also have learned if you don’t know what it is you may want some brave soul on the team to try it first. Some of their fish flavored snacks are meant for their native Japanese associates and taste really strange or nasty to Americans. And they know this.
I like the unusual(fish, green tea, seaweed)-flavoured ones, and most of my fellow South African colleagues don’t. More for me.
Where I work, yes. Cookies, brownies, cakes, soups and stews, the variety of chili recipies that people bring in to share. Oh! And the corn bread and rice pudding and, and…now I’m hungry.
Lately the company has been providing green leafy salads and fruit platters for lunch as part of a program to encourage healthy eating (I think they get a break on health insurance costs for this)
I always grab some treats on the weekend and bring into work. I keep a bunch near my desk (things like a plastic barrel of pretzel rods, cheese and peanutbutter crackers, and small candy bars. Folks can just take what they want.
edit: bought a half dozen boxes of girl scout cookies and put in the break room near the coffee.
I have often worked in places where the hours are long and convenient alternatives only available for a fraction of work time. Bringing in food has often been appreciated, and is firmly part of the culture in many places. Only a few complain about it. They often phrase these complaints as concerns about health. But in practice they tend to be the ones who eat what is available but rarely or never bring in something themselves. This does not personally bother me. They may do what they wish. But it is an observation fairly consistent in different times and places.
We’ve had a couple ‘chili cookoffs’ at work where four or five different people bring in a slow-cooker filled with their homemade chili. One lady’s slow-cooker gets emptied first each time. Guess she’s got the winning recipe.
Sometimes the district will have something for us. I used to treat everyone with paczki on Fat Tuesdays before Lent because there was a bakery 2 blocks from School. I would order them ahead of time and pick them up at 6 am when I arrived at work. COVID killed the bakery, and my budding tradition died with it.
I am “baker dude” at work and people are constantly asking when I’m bringing stuff in next. Since we are semi-remote, people want to make sure they come in on the days that I bring in bread, cake or pastries. Last time I brought in financiers and madeleines we had 19 out of 20 people come in that day.
I bring in something about once a month, plus I do holiday baking gift bags.
I think someone else will bring in something once a month. The boss will bring in donuts (from Dunkin) about once a week.