I recently bought me a UK ration pack.
Interesting to see the size comparison with US and French rations.
Any comments about the taste of the UK ration?
Interesting to see the size comparison with US and French rations.
Any comments about the taste of the UK ration?
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Here is an American tasting one.
British Army 8-Hour Single Meal Ration | MRE Taste Test
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Sadly unwatchable - all I got was endless adverts!
Brit rations have come a long way, but almost too far since they’ve started pandering to the vegetarian and the devoutly religious. Surely there’s an overwhelming equation that a fighting man needs x amount of calories in order to do his job? But then, the British Army has, for some time (IMHO) lost its way big time.
Anyway, back to rations…
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Because British cooking is superior?
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Just out of curiosity…
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I never got to trade for a Brit ration, but it sure looks like you get a lot of good stuff in one. As to the quality of that stuff, you’ll have to try it and tell us. Me, I’m one of those rare Americans who never met an MRE I didn’t like. I thought they all were great, except for the dehydrated pork patty, which has since been deleted. I could live on MRE’s the whole time. I loved the chicken a la king.
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I have not eaten a US MRE in a few decades. Did not realize they are only 1200 calories. Based on what I am reading, most people still hate the things. That seems strange because there is so much good backpack food available these days. Crazy. Also, the entire western world has lost its way.
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Even the Omelet with Ham? 
I did trade once with British 8th Army??/Royal Marines that trained at 29 Palms circa June 1996. I had the Butterscotch Porkchops cause it sounded good….spoiler alert it was not. Not even sure if I liked the biscuit at the time. I just recall feeling I got the short end of the deal.
I recall liking the Pork Chow Mein and Franks meal.
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I tasted some of the pouches and must say that I am NOT disappointed-. Interestingly some pouches are marked Made in China. So much for British food. 
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Everythings tastes GOOD if the eater is sufficiently hungry,
if the eater complains it is a sign that he/she needs to starve some more.
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The current American MREs have come a long way from the old Brown Bag MRE and even the C-Rats.
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The new Rat packs are pretty good. Same with most things, guys will prefer different menus to others based on the main meal, but on the whole, they are decent. A good mix of what you need in a high tempo war fighting environment, highly calorific but with a decent taste.
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Sorry Ryan … our packs dont come with crayons to munch on 
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It’s always good to try other nations rations IMO as it makes you appreciate your own. I went for a week or so in 2003 in Baghdad eating MRE’s which are ok but everything seemed very sweet. Also ate Danish rations in Bosnia when I was attached to the Nordic Battalion in Doboj in 1998, they were very good but very heavy as they were in peel off lid foil containers.
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If it’s crayons you’re after I’m your man (Chief Clerk equals stationery equals crayons)!
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@BootsDMS You can still get the required calories etc from vegetarian and other styles of diet.
As an aside, my lad (not vege nor religious 
) who’s in the British Army says they are ok, some taste better than others!
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Well, that may well be so but it sort of makes a nonsense of the escape and evasion drills such as snaring, killing and eating game (or on my course, some poor hapless sheep).
Are they going to modify that so one ends up a quasi botanist - looking for edible plants whilst being pursued by the hunter force?? These days - probably “Yes”!
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I was a 1Gen MRE eater. Pre heater packs, brown bags. I was a growing teenager doing Army training; I could’ve eaten a boiled boot - and we had some Viet Nam vets who carried kits that could’ve made that boot delicious. Only the dehydrated beef and pork patties were bad, but those two came with the best sides. The dehydrated strawberries were delicious. Someday I need to get a modern MRE to try.
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Tracking down, stalking, ambushing and finally killing a 
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Canadian IMP have come a long way as well. Whomever thought gelatinous ham and scrambled eggs in a pouch were a good idea never had to eat rations for very long.
I had a few MREs that were pretty good. The Tabasco sauce was a brilliant move, eventually we had a “hot pepper sauce” added to IMPs which made it more edible.
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