about being fed food from Iceland?

[ethelb]

First a bit of background, my brother and his wife are very wealthy and pretty bling. Think £100K car, a boat and four (!) summer holidays abroad this year. This money is from them inheriting her family business.

I am very close to them and adore their children. We live 40 minutes apart, see each other fairly frequently and we often look after their dog and children when they go away for the weekend. This happens a couple of times a year. We also host them and the rest of the family for family gatherings on a fairly regular basis.

We went to go and visit them for dinner a few weeks ago, and I was quite surprised by their behavior. My sister-in-law went out to Iceland when we arrived to get some food. She came back with some horrible frozen little fish pies, which my husband couldn't eat anyway as he is allergic. They pulled a chicken breast from the freezer and gave him that instead. We were served it with a bag of salad and some wine.

AIBU to feel this was a bit odd, and slightly dismissive behavior? I get the impression they would not have done this to their rich friends.

This isn't the first time they have hosted us, but increasingly they just want to go out to very expensive restaurants. I had wanted to avoid an expensive meal this time. AIBU to want nicer food?

[Soubriquet]

Food is food

A chicken breast from Iceland is exactly the same from waitrose

[BaronessBomburst]

My guess is she just can't cook, and/or hates hosting.
I doubt it's a deliberate slight.

[Champagneformyrealfriends]

Maybe she can't cook.

[storminabuttercup]

I was looking in Iceland yesterday and they have some really nice looking ready meals

Although if they knew your DH is allergic they were off, it's not about where it was bought it's the suitability

[RunningLulu]

Sounds lazy. When I host family I usually make more of an effort (and vice versa). Maybe they feel that they don't need to bother with you.

[Ego147]

Maybe they spend all their money on holidays and fuel for the boat?

What did you want?

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

It's hard to say really. Either she doesn't care about food or she's deliberately served you something crap: but in the absence of other behaviour I don't know what you'd think this was the case?

[ThoraGruntwhistle]

Iceland is just another supermarket like Aldi or Sainsbury's or whatever else, and there's no point being snooty about it. However, serving fish to someone allergic to fish does look like they didn't really care that much about you as guests.

[ElsaAintAsColdAsMe]

Suggest a takeaway next time.

Nothing wrong with a bit of Iceland food for a family meal.

It doesn't sound like it was supposed to be a fancy dinner party.

[MuseumOfCurry]

I get the impression they would not have done this to their rich friends.

I think you need to explain this a bit more.

I'd taken aback to be invited to someone's house for dinner and served Iceland food, but my first assumption wouldn't be that it was a slight towards the guests. I'd sooner think they were terrifically unaccomplished hosts.

[AndShesGone]

If they ate they fish pies, the bag of salad and the wine too then there's nothing to complain about as that's what they eat when they're relaxing at home.

That's shit food, no wonder they go out all the time

[Butterpuff]

Maybe Iceland is closest, they don't cook, are not interested in food, Iceland have a huge ready meal selection and they feel they don't need to pull out all the stops for family.

I love to cook, but quite often the family get takeaway or a big batch chili when they come because its easy and they are happy with what they get. I'll do a proper meal on the posh plates for a dinner party, but not for a family get together.

[Minisoksmakehardwork]

I can't get worked up about where the food came from - I've had some lovely meals courtesy of Iceland. However, perhaps they were not expecting to feed you so had nothing in that was simple to cook. Maybe she's not a great cook herself and someone else usually does it. Perhaps they didn't realise your dh was allergic to something in the fish pie but bought them thinking they were pretty safe. It's not about how much money they or you have, but how nice they are to you as people. Is this the first something like this has happened? Perhaps you caught them on the hop and they just weren't prepared for that particular visit.

[MuseumOfCurry]

Iceland is just another supermarket like Aldi or Sainsbury's or whatever else, and there's no point being snooty about it.

Not really. As you surely know, Iceland specialises in.... frozen food. How is it normal to invite dinner guests and serve frozen food? Bizarre.

[Vixxfacee]

Iceland is crap. Yanbu

[Badders123]

It's not the fact it's from Iceland that's bothering me...
Fish pie and salad?
What an odd combo!
Maybe they eat out a lot because they don't/can't cook?

[shovetheholly]

I wonder if you have offended them by refusing to go out to the expensive restaurants, and they are serving you food from Iceland as the alternative to encourage you to agree to go out in future? They sound like they enjoy good food, but don't enjoy cooking.

I think the answer might be to find a restaurant that is cheap but good (check out Michelin Bib Gourmand) and go there.

I have friends who have a lot of money and they are always wanting to eat in expensive places. Sometimes I have to say "I can't afford that, let's go for street food instead!"

[ethelb]

They have known DH is allergic to fish for as long as they have known him, which is over a decade.

The dinner had been planned for a week or two

[JenLindleyShitMom]

My guess is she just can't cook

Maybe she can't cook.

either she doesn't care about food or she's deliberately served you something crap

That covers the wife, what's the husband's excuse?

[MackerelOfFact]

YABU. It sounds like you are the ones being snobbish, not them.

My two most local supermarkets are Whole Foods and Iceland - completely opposite ends of the supermarket spectrum, but both sell decent things. I buy all my fish and seafood from Iceland.

I don't really think I understand the issue?

[HunterHearstHelmsley]

Iceland is awesome. YABU.

[ethelb]

My brother can cook. He started off working in restaurants.

[ABloodyDifficultWoman]

Is this the first time you've been to dinner with them then? What did you get served on previous occasions?

[shovetheholly]

Then I think you're being sent a message about your refusal to eat out. Sorry.

[MuseumOfCurry]

I agree with shovetheholly.