High-Ranking Employee Repeatedly Ignores the Lunch-Ordering Rules and Rejects Every Chip Flavor Except Prawn Cocktail—So the Catering Staff Deliberately Uses Every Prawn Cocktail Bag Before She Arrives

There’s something infuriating about when a high-ranking employee consistently disregards the rules, especially when it comes to something as simple as lunch orders. In a company that prides itself on offering free meals, the catering team is tasked with preparing and serving food to everyone. However, this one particular employee had turned lunchtime into a source of stress for the staff, and it was becoming difficult to maintain a positive atmosphere.

This staff member was known for her persistent disregard for the lunch-ordering rules. While everyone else had the decency to place their orders in the morning, she would consistently waltz into the catering area at random times, expecting a hot meal or a bag of chips. The catering team was small and dedicated, trying their best to accommodate everyone, but her consistent late requests had become a source of frustration. The rules were in place for a reason—so that meals could be prepared efficiently and everyone could enjoy their lunch without the hassle of last-minute requests.

But it wasn’t just her lack of order that annoyed the catering staff; it was her particular taste in snacks. When she would ask for crisps, she would only accept one flavor: prawn cocktail. The staff would offer her a variety of options—salt and vinegar, cheese and onion, even barbecue—but her nose would crinkle in disgust. “No prawn cocktail?” she would huff, dismissing all other flavors with an air of superiority. It was as if she had never even tasted the other options. Each time, the catering team would be left scrambling for prawn cocktail crisps, which could be a challenge considering the pack sizes they received.

As the days turned into weeks, one member of the catering team, let’s call her Lisa, decided enough was enough. She wasn’t one to stir the pot or create unnecessary drama, but the relentless demands of the high-ranking employee had pushed her to her limits. After all, catering was about collaboration and meeting the needs of everyone. But in this scenario, it felt more like catering to one person’s whims. Luckily, Lisa had a plan, one she felt both justified in and happy about.

With a mischievous smile, Lisa started a little game of her own. Whenever the catering team received a new multipack of crisps, which contained an equal number of every flavor, she would take it upon herself to personally use up the prawn cocktail bags first. She knew that the high-ranking employee always showed up late and never actually ordered. So, in a delightful twist, she began packing lunches and handing out snacks, prioritizing the prawn cocktail for everyone else. By the time the high-ranking employee inevitably came around asking for her precious prawn cocktail, there would be none left.

“Sorry, we don’t have any prawn cocktail today,” Lisa would say, trying to suppress a grin. The first time it happened, the high-ranking employee was visibly flustered. “What do you mean you don’t have any? I always get prawn cocktail!” she exclaimed, her tone dripping with disbelief. Lisa just shrugged and handed her a random flavor, watching as the high-ranking employee reluctantly accepted it, her disappointment palpable.

Word began to spread among the catering team about Lisa’s little scheme. It became somewhat of a team-building exercise; they shared inside jokes and swapped stories about the high-ranking employee’s increasingly disgruntled expressions. “She’s going to come in today, isn’t she?” someone would ask, and they’d all chuckle, anticipating the moment when she would again face an empty bowl where prawn cocktail should be. It was petty, maybe, but it felt good to reclaim a bit of power in the otherwise rigid hierarchy. Besides, rules were meant to be followed, right?

As the weeks went on, the high-ranking employee began diversifying her snack choices. It was almost as if she was forced into culinary exploration, and for the first time, she actually tried the other flavors. Occasionally, she would find herself grumbling about not having prawn cocktail, but now she was forced to appreciate the offerings she had previously dismissed. It brought a sense of satisfaction to Lisa and her colleagues—an unintentional lesson in adaptability, perhaps, though no one really thought about it in those terms. They were just happy to see a semblance of justice being served.

At the end of the day, it wasn’t about teaching a lesson; it was about bringing some laughter and camaraderie to the team amidst the daily grind of catering. Even if just for a moment, they managed to turn a frustrating situation into something fun, all thanks to a single flavor of crisps.