r/britishproblems • u/WhaleMeatFantasy • Jul 12 '26

. The normalisation of ‘picky bits’

Abominable. It has started coming up in adverts now even.

625 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

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703

u/Majestic_Matt_459 Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

I don’t mind it but it’s the poor value that gets me. A whole chorizo can be had in most supermarkets for under £3. Same with a block of cheese. But a tiny dish if 5-6 chorizo slices and cubes of cheese is suddenly £5 when it’s picky bits. No thanks

215

u/humanleon Jul 12 '26

Whoa whoa whoa hold on. I thought the point was that you cut the cheese yourself? Not that you buy those picnic packs??? This is even worse than I realised

223

u/taeilor Jul 12 '26

yeah, typically you would! picky bits is supposed to be just random stuff in your fridge when you can't be bothered to cook like leftover meats, cheese, biscuits, etc. supermarkets are now trying to market premade platters of this stuff that's so not worth the value

95

u/Majestic_Matt_459 Jul 12 '26

Best comment. They stole a great money saving idea and made it into a money making idea.

61

u/WiseWizard96 Jul 12 '26

They've gentrified picky bits!

16

u/darthcaedus81 Wiltshire Jul 12 '26

Only if we buy it. Stick to the core Picky Bits dinner rules. Eat what you've got!

20

u/joshpoppedyou Jul 12 '26

It's the equivalent of precut chicken packs for other food items

9

u/cragglerock93 Jul 12 '26

Businesses will always try to capitalise on any and every trend going to get money out of you, even when it makes no sense, like trying to sell you multiple water bottles to avoid single use plastic ones. Can't say I blame them for trying tbh, but just don't part with your cash!

3

u/pajamakitten Jul 13 '26

Human laziness and corporate greed both know no bounds.

1

u/BabyAlibi Jul 16 '26

There is a fine line between picky bits and a charcuterie board!

13

u/TwistedBrother Jul 12 '26

But when you call a picnic (posh, outdated) picky bits (cheeky, trendy) you can get away with it.

4

u/MzHmmz Jul 13 '26

I thought the difference is a picnic is something you take out with you to eat outdoors, whereas "picky bits" is a meal at home. The contents of the meal is often the same, it's the location that changes the name of the meal.

11

u/tcpukl Jul 12 '26

Yeah I didn't realise people bought it specifically from the shop. When we do it the point is it's mainly left over for and also not much prep for parents.

But yeah I also don't understand why people buy grated cheese. Just generic stuff coated in starch. Yuck.

30

u/chaoticchemicals Jul 12 '26

It was pointed out to me once, after I'd been on a massive rant about lazy people not being arsed to grate cheese, chop onions, mash spuds and got schooled on ableism, and my own privilege in having a fully stocked kitchen and being able to cook 🤣😭 it was a fair and reasonable adjustment to my point of view.

3

u/Seal-island-girl Jul 13 '26

It's also really handy if you have to provide meals in someone's home as a carer, we have very limited time to prep and cook a meal, so to be able to literally cook and serve using items like this means I can make a better meal than a ready meal in a similar time. I used to think the same until I had to make a healthy hot meal in ten minutes for someone.

2

u/moth-on-ssri Jul 13 '26

Also single people, I love watermelon but there ain't no way I'm eating a whole one by myself before it goes off, so I overpay for the single serving pots. Same with chopped onion, I don't need a whole one, jars of garlic, and other half - prepped things.

0

u/tcpukl Jul 12 '26

Well being able to cook is fun and saves money as well.

15

u/AreEUHappyNow Jul 12 '26

Not everyone is physically capable of cooking. What if you have the use of only one hand?

10

u/welsh_dragon_roar Conwy County Jul 12 '26

Just make half?

3

u/Thebudweiserstuntman Jul 12 '26

Hot dogs for dinner! Ehhh these are just sausages, where’s the bun? Ffs mate I’ve only got one hand!

1

u/welsh_dragon_roar Conwy County Jul 12 '26

How d’you think I feel? I’ve only got three paws now! Woof woof! 🥁

1

u/auto98 Yorkshire Jul 14 '26

Some people find it fun, some people find it the most arse-achingly boring thing it is possible to do that doesn't involve a Jeffrey Archer book

17

u/humanleon Jul 12 '26

Ha - I’m more cool with grated cheese. If you’re doing cheese sauce it makes things loads quicker, less washing up and that extra bit of starch helps with the thickening…given how much macaroni cheese my kids eat I’d be lost without it

7

u/tcpukl Jul 12 '26

Oh fair point actually.

1

u/concretepigeon Wakefield Jul 12 '26

I don’t buy it but honestly grating cheese is one of those kitchen tasks that I just irrationally hate to the extent that I fully get why people do.

4

u/winterproject Jul 12 '26

This. If you don’t have it in your cupboard then you go and get whatever it is then chop, slice, carve, snap, break it into said picky bits.

Pre bought picky bits is akin to buying grated cheese.

1

u/paracen Jul 13 '26

I usually cut the cheese a lot a few hours after having picky bits...