i know this has probably been done to death, but ive fallen into the trap of just eating crap on the bank when fishing again. I fished friday night and dinner was a packet of custard creams and some chicken super noodles. Im after some ideas to eat a bit better. But there are a couple of conditions. My fishing is a mad dash round the M25 after work on a friday night and i pack up early on a sat morning, so it seems an over kill to be lugging a BBQ, charcoal and coolboxes etc like guys use for a full weekend. Also you dont really fish anywhere near your vehicle on any of my tickets, some are fifty acre lakes so weight is an issue. Im carrying a small frying pan, a ridgemonkey toaster and a kettle.

Any ideas on tinned/packet meals that are decent and quick to cook? I thought maybe about those tinned stew things but ive never tried them.

In reply to Post #1
Overnighters I normally just don't bother taking food. Make sure I have something half decent at lunchtime and a couple of bottles of water/whatever for when I'm fishing. Like you said, seems pointless taking all the food paraphernalia with you when you're only there for 12hrs and asleep for a chunk of that!

Just prepare a Tupperware of food the night before. Half the time I have last nights leftovers. In a small ridgemonkey heated up. Could even eat it cold if you really wanted to save taking anything. Pot of instant porridge for breakfast.

In reply to Post #1
Microwave meals are perfect, I take them on work day overnighters

This time of year do you need hot food? French stick with some meats/cheese/salad/red onion chutney is always my go too. Grab it in the shop. Muddle it together on the bank.

In reply to Post #5
I kept doing that - french stick, salami and Stilton, but decided it was probably less healthy than a takeaway 😂

Nice with a bottle of red tho.....

In reply to Post #1
When I used to be at it regular I used to have a dinner in the day at work and just take a sandwich, some fruit and a bottle of water for the evening. Pending what time you leave on Saturday you could just take some cereal in a tub and a pint of milk for your breakfast. The only thing you really miss is a brew, if so add stove and bits. Light and fast is the way for me, minimal messing about

Pre prepared meals in tupperware is the one. I make a batch of curry or chilli and rice and freeze them in separate tupperware tubs. Throw a rice and a curry in a pan and heat it all together on the bank. Super simple, quick and easy decent grub on the bank.

Have a look at the scottie grill,packs down flat in its own bag and can be run of charcoal or small screw top gas. I've just done a 2 day session using one and cooking microwave meals on it.

In reply to Post #9
Block of lard tin of corned beef couple of big spuds simple easy and no problem to cook

In reply to Post #10
That's the most up north meal I've ever heard. Grim

I done 2 nights last Thursday on my local canal took 2 sub way chicken burgers(rustlers) cooked roll and chicken in pan and had salad with them one for each night and also a bag of corn on the cobb as well,also a few nibbles but nothing heavy.

In reply to Post #12
A bag of corn on the cobb and two microwave chicken burgers? For 2 nights? Are you OK?

Rustlers?

If I'm only there an overnight I'll usually grab a Tesco side salad and a pack of grilled chicken. Bit of soy sauce, bit of hot sauce, no cooking and only a fork to clean up after. Not bad at all. Handful of dried fruit and nuts for pudding.

If you are doing an overnighter, surely some sandwiches, or something similar and a decent flask of tea or coffee will suffice. If im doing a week then i take a cooker and loads of food to be cooked on the bank.

In reply to Post #13
Tube of Pringles, big bags of nuts and a couple of bottles of red and I'm happy.

In reply to Post #13
Plus few nibbles that's all,nothing compared to what I'd take normally that involves the kitchen sink and a 1/4 of the co-ops stock😂😂

Usually take either a chilli & rice , meaty bolognese and fresh pasta or a stir fry.. Chilli already cooked and rice needs cooking..10 or so min.. bolognese is a re heat and the pasta 3-5 min. With the stir fry, the meat& chilli's are prepped at home & fit in a small clip top plastic tub. Noodles & sauce fit in a mess tin. Cook system either a Trangia 25 UL or army mess tins..both use gas.. doesn't take up much weight/room or time on the bank.

A jar of pickled onions.

Food and a drink all in one👍



Pickled Beetroot makes a nice alternative on the second night.

Overnight between work I'll grab a salad from the counter at Morrisons and a couple of beers/bottle of wine, I've got bottle of water in the back of my van.

24hrs+ ill take my portable BBQ and have a steak and salad, also adds as a heater at night near my brolly.

In reply to Post #1
Some of the Iceland slimming world meals are lovely. I like Korean beef best. I also get my Mrs to cook extra of meals that I like then vacuum pack them and freeze. Then just boil in the bag. Best bit is it's all frozen so ready to go when you are.

This time of year i take my Cadac and have BBQ food. I cook in bulk at home and stick loads in the freezer, lots of one pan stuff. Just take a couple of them and reheat in the Ridgemonkey sandwich toaster.

In reply to Post #1
The packets of microwave rice are good, heat up nicely in a ridgemonkey. I do similar sessions to you. I either take a tub of leftovers as others have said that just needs reheating. Or a packet of that rice and some marinated meat (steak, chicken breast, pork steak). Cook the meat in the ridgemonkey first, then while it rests cook the rice in the same pan. It soaks up some of the juices from the meat and is a decent quick to cook meal.

Also done omelettes in the ridgemonkey a few times. Take a tub with some chopped mushrooms and peppers in and some grated cheese. Couple of eggs and you're good to go. takes minutes to cook.

In reply to Post #11


I will have a sheep's head but leave it's back legs one

In reply to Post #16
Pmsl

In reply to Post #19
They get better

ridge monkey type toaster
a decent steak and trapped potatoes fast cook the steak to med rare while its resting on a plate cut the trapped potatoes in half and fry cook them in the ridge monkey
or a tin of curry or beef stew , etc and I dont eat rice much now prefer to eat trapped potatoes with my curries
after spending a couple of months in the Philippines where they have rice for breakfast lunch and dinner got sick of the sight of it

EDIT
Bob Mortimer TRAPPED POTATOES are tinned potatoes

Surely if you're only doing one overnighter a week it doesn't really matter if you're eating healthily or not?
I used to grab a kebab on the way to the lake and sit eating it and drinking a beer before even thinking of choosing a swim.
Back when I was doing two or three overnighters a week that probably wasn't a great idea, but now I'm only doing one night a week I can't see the point in worrying about taking a proper meal with me and faffing about with cooking kit.
Packets of microwave rice cooked in my little saucepan that I use as a kettle or a Potnoodle are as complicated as it needs to get for me if not picking up a takeaway.

In reply to Post #1
You can't beat a good old supermarket meal deal.

Lots of healthier options plus a snack and drink too for £3.50.

In reply to Post #29
+1, like you and scozza. just a overnighter meal deal, but as I got older I had to take the brew gear.
2 days meant a sachet or can of curry from Tesco's with some rounds of bread, maybe some bacon or sausage for a morning butty, a banana or 2 and maybe a treat like some Cheddars biscuits ...problem was it'd turn into the whole packet for me

I see all the guys with the double sided sandwich toasters and some of the stuff they knock out looks amazing. I don't mind cooking for others but I don't like eating food if I've prepared it myself (unless it's bread or something that takes time), just not relaxed enough at the end of the process to enjoy sitting down and eating it, never mind getting a run during the process.
If it can go in a pan and be left alone it stands a chance of coming with me

In reply to Post #1
Stir Fry ? ...the options are endless and loads of healthy veg and carbs - Jut buy the pre-packed prepared veg to keep things simple. Add whatever protein you want at the start and you can prep and marinate ahead of time. If you want to add more carbs add either pre-cooked noodles of your liking or one of those rice pouches. Takes minutes to cook on the bank too.

If you want to add some va-va-voom then throw in some chopped coriander and chilli at the end too - and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and/or cashew nuts etc

A cheap Tefal (or similar) wok with a lid is ideal for the bank - you can cook most things in one

I have to admit I'm one of those that likes to cook on the bank and have all manner of contraptions - but you cant beat a simple stir-fry. Checkout the Bankside chefs Facebook page for some more ideas if you're struggling.

When I did overnights I would eat like a pig all day up until 5 pm then go with a few snacks.

I never starved.

Get yourself a vacpac machine, £20 on Amazon.
Batch cook chilli, spag bog, curry etc at home, portion up, vac pac and stick it in the freezer. Grab whatever you fancy when you're going fishing and just throw the whole thing in a pan of water, boil in the bag style on the bank. Job done!

If you want rice with it either mix in the chilli\curry etc before freezing or the microwave rice pouches can go in the pan of water as well.

In reply to Post #33
I have the BonsenKitchen Vacuum Sealer model VS3802 and i use the FRESKO 20x30cm bag size, both available on Amzaon. Got loads of different curries, stews etc. in my freezer and i just take a couple with me to reheat in the Ridgemonkey.

In reply to Post #33
The old boil in the bags. God send for us anglers back in the day. No fuss with vey little to clear up afterwards.
Birds eye Prawn curry and rice was my favorite.

What a great idea that is by the way. Might have to give that a go.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to reply. Much appreciated. The home made boil in the bag is a brilliant idea. Takes me back to the 70s :-)

In reply to Post #36
If you are going to use vacuum bags, you can either reheat in boiling water or just use a Ridgemonkey like i do. Leave them out of the cool bag for a couple of hours to thaw out a little and you are good to go.

In reply to Post #37
Are you reheating with it still in the bag in the RidgeMonkey??

In reply to Post #38
No mate. If you leave it out for a couple of hours it is easy to slide out of the bag and straight into the ridgemonkey. If you do buy a vacuum packer, make sure you get one with a 'moist' option as well.

Nash cammo vacuum packer comming soon.

In reply to Post #40


Only £4 gazillion pounds. Then in six months they be a scope version that's just small enough to be completely useless

In reply to Post #38
Thank God! Was a bit worried you'd been eating some melted plastic spag bol concoction!!

Good thing about the boil in the bag method is there's less washing up, but the bit's you do need to wash you're heating the water for at the same time (or you could use the water for a brew)

In reply to Post #42
Only when I'm drunk 🥴

In reply to Post #35
Do you know, is it wrong of me to occasionally want the old bitb stew and dumplings....that smell, not had 1 for 30 years but that smell....hmmm. Another old fave, the Cod in butter or parsley sauce.....forgive me, I was young and that prawn curry, phwarr

In reply to Post #44
All day breakfast in a can and those vac pack breakfasts that Sainsburys used to sell were particularly vile.

In reply to Post #45
If you think the U.K all day breakies were bad......ww used to mod the French Cassolet when over there, and then someone bought the andouille sausage version.
I don't mind it tbh if not too coarse but the faces after eating it when I translated the ingredients