FOOD AND DRINK

What food and drink is available on site?
How expensive is it?
What food should I take?
Where can I buy food and drink off site?
Is it worth taking my car and doing a big food shop?


IS IT TRUE THAT IF I KEEP MY WRISTBAND ON FROM LAST YEAR I GET A FREE CRATE OF CARLING?

No. The rumour goes round every year, and it is a big load of arse monkey bollocks.

What food and drink is available on site?

Everything and anything. There's the usual burger van stuff and you can easily get chips, burgers, sausages, kebabs, jacket potatoes, sandwiches, ice cream, doughnuts. There's also a 24-hour-breakfast tent so if you want a greasy fry up at 4am, that's where to go. There's also Curry in a Hurry (which does what it says on the tin), and a marketplace which runs from the entrance along the side of Green Camp D, all the way down to the arena entrance, and there's a general 'store' which sells fresh fruit, biscuits, tins of beans, milk and other basics. There are loads of drink stalls, selling bottles of coke, fanta, sprite, water etc etc. There's also an array of onsite bars - over 18s only.

YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BRING GLASS ONSITE. EITHER HIDE YOUR GLASS BOTTLES WELL, OR BUY PLASTIC BOTTLES TO DECANT STUFF INTO.

IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE, YOU CAN BUY ALCOHOL IN THE NEARBY OFF LICENCES. IF ONE DOESN'T SERVE YOU, GO TO ANOTHER ONE. THERE ARE LORRIES ON RICHFIELD AVE. SELLING CRATES OF BEER WHO WILL ALSO SERVE YOU. YES YOU CAN BRING CANS ON SITE. YES YOU CAN DRINK THEM IN THE CAMPSITE. YES EVEN IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE.

NO YOU CANNOT TAKE ANY CANS OR BOTTLES INTO THE ARENA.

More wise words from Echonarc.....

There is a small chance that if you look underage, you will be ID'd. I got ID'd at Extreme 2001 because I had my young looking mates with me. I was 21 at the time. Here's a little tip and its coming from a barman who loves nothing more than ID'ing young looking people. Get the oldest person in your group of friends to buy the drinks for you. If you are that old looking person, don't have your young looking mates hanging around, this will make the person serving you suspicious about your age even if you are old enough. If you can't get served at one bar, go to another, it sounds simple and it is. There are loads of bars at Reading, just because one won't serve you doesn't mean that another one won't.

How expensive is it?

Everything is hideously overpriced. Chips are about £2, burgers, sausages kebabs are about £3+, pizzas are sold as individual slices (£2-ish) or as whole pizzas (£6-ish depending on toppings), cans of drink are £1 and bottles of drink are about £2. However silly this sounds, YOU CANNOT TAKE BOTTLES INTO THE ARENA, so don't buy them before you go in. There is more food and drink inside the arena, so you will have to buy it in there. Pints of milk are £1 but they are ice cold - full fat and semi skimmed available.

What food should I take?

Don't take any with you from home (except maybe a few small bits) because its only additional weight to carry, and anything that needs to be kept cold will go warm, crisps will get squashed etc etc. You can buy it when you get there. Get to the site, pitch your tent(s), get your wristband, and go food/drink shopping.

Where can I buy food and drink off site?

Caversham town centre is a 5 min walk from the site, but its generally busy and there's not much choice - shop keepers often operate a one-in-one-out policy on their shops so that you can't shoplift. Reading town centre is about 20 mins away (head back towards the station) and has bigger shops, more of them and so more choice, it's also generally cheaper. There are a few off-licenses along Caversham Road, so you can buy alcohol and other drink there. There is also a big lorry selling 24 packs of beers (not just Carling) and they're chilled. Think its about £25.

Is it worth taking my car and doing a big food shop?

NO! once your car is in the site, leave it there. Otherwise you'll drive off, get your food, and when you come back, your space will be gone and you'll have to park somewhere else, miles from your tent, and possibly even miles from the site, and will spend every waking moment worrying about your car. And then you'll have to carry all that shopping even further!