Re : taking own food onboard - I once took a falafel wrap onboard QF BNE-SIN. Purchased it just before boarding, so I think I remember it was fresh off the press, so hot to touch. I always order falafel with garlic & chili sauce, so I'm sure it would have been pungent ... but I think it didn't "smell" as much. I ate it right after the seat belt sign was turned off.
I was flying J on that trip, but why did I purchase my own food - now, that's a whole different story!
4 friends, 4 bottles of Ballentines, up "working" until 5 AM, rushed to airport to take the 7:30 (or so, can't remember) service from SYD to BNE. Had to run across the airport, with a QF ground staff taking one of my carry on bags ... why? because, to my embarrassment, forgot my pant belts. So used one of my hands to hold my pants as I ran across the terminal. Slept through the SYD-BNE flight. Woke up on the landing approach, told the FA that I was "working" late and forgot to pre-order my meals and I'm a vego. SYD-BNE flight staff were kind enough to make a snack box for me so that I can eat in my next leg. But I was still in the "working" phase, I forgot that I was given a snack box, so I purchased a falafel in BNE before boarding.
Not a pretty story, but something that is so memorable. Why ? because that was the last time the 4 of us friends had a drink together, in a long time and it's been a long time ... Hopeful that borders open up very soon!