Bbq etiquette

OR everyone bringing the same thing

Imagine having to wait for the person who brought burgers to turn up to have a burger 😳

You should probably provide the food if you are inviting people round for a bbq..... It is normal for people to bring a bottle but not cater the whole thing and you buy rolls and salad.

How can something be served on arrival when the Guest has to bring the food to cook and how can it be served at 1 as again it depends who turns up when, how many, what needs cooking and what space is on the bbq.

Why don't you text to ask?
Having said that BYO as in steaks and whatever else is pushing the limits of CF in my view. Bringing your own bottle though to be expected.

BYO meat sounds like it’s being run by Australians. Sounds normal to me.

What is the etiquette? You only eat what you bring, what if you want extra, or don't eat everything?
What if people bring different quality of produce, do you have to keep your eye on your own stuff?
Am I over thinking this?

I wouldn’t expect to eat until around two, but with the bbq and drinks going on all afternoon and people helping themselves. I don’t think bringing a bottle and some meat is rude. Usually the host has drinks, bbq food, sides etc, then anything else is an added extra?

Bringing stuff is normal especially when it's stated with invite!
My friend was once asked for a £5 contribution before starting to eat at a bbq!! That is beyond rude!! 😲

I'd expect people will eat from 1pm onwards

@CakeyCakeyCakeCake 👍😀

Perfectly normal for guests to bring something to a BBQ. Probably not meat but often sides are divided up or nibbles or dessert.

Id expect nibbles on arrival and then food from one pm ish…. Then more food at three as children are scavengers!

Served on arrival ... bless his optimism 😂

It sounds like an ongoing cook up, so I'd say it would depend on when he can get in the queue to cook his food/have it barbecued & help yourself to sides

We are also abroad and this is the norm for our group of friends! We love it! Most weekends are spent like this, everyone pitches in, kids disappear or swim in the pool, adults sit drinking and chatting until late. Everyone brings something and we share food. Also (shock horror!!!!) we all help tidy the host’s kitchen before we leave so no major mess is left for the host to clean up. Dishwasher gets stacked and kids put away all the toys that are strewn around. afternoons are long and generally go into the evening if people are keen.
I would happily host you SergiL 😀

I personally wouldn’t write such snide nasty things about a ‘friend’. That’s just me…….

Honestly I wouldn’t expect to eat until 2pm
or so. There’d be drinks and nibbles before then.

the kids can play - being a bottle and something to throw on the bbq

I love this typo 😁

I'd expect there to be a few nibblies on arrival and to eat the main bbq around an hour later.

To everyone being so snobby about BYO, why is it so difficult to fathom that some people and cultures have different ways of doing things. I love BYO as then I can take something I definitely like. Also, some of my friends wouldn't be able to afford to ever host and some of my family end up hosting 90% of the family parties due to space issues. BYO makes everything a bit fairer and simpler and ensures no one feels guilty about not taking their turn hosting.

Should your friend have bought a cheaper house for her own family so she can pay for dinners for friends instead instead?

Don't be silly. My friend is as tight as a ducks arse, god love her. I personally wouldn't ask other people to fund a party that's held in my garden, while telling everyone how I bought a house with a big garden for the purpose of hostessing, but that's just me.

If I couldn't afford to cater a party, then I wouldn't have one.

Another who thinks it is perfectly normal to have bring and share events.
I do find the attitude (I have only ever come across on MN) that you should only be able to invite people to anything if you are wealthy enough to provide everything really strange.

But, back to the OP, I would expect this to be a sort of ongoing, casual affair during the afternoon. It says "Arrive any time from 12" so not many will get there at 12, then there are general greetings before handing over the food/ sorting it out etc.
I wouldn't expect to be eating by 1pm necessarily but nor would I expect a time when everyone eats.

Bring a bottle is fine but why do they have to bring their own meat!? That’s very strange

I'd guess food being served between 1 and 2

If I issued an invite like this, one friend would turn up at midday and the rest more like 1.30pm. Everyone would pile in, and scatter food and drink all over the kitchen that I had been cleaning all morning, and then go and chat. I would have opened a bottle at midday so hopefully would have already prepped sides as would probably already be tipsy. The mains would probably get going about 3pm and would be ongoing for the next couple of hours. Everyone would stay til mid to late evening depending on how het up they are about kids bedtimes, by which time I will be happily sozzled and eating cold bits of unidentifiable meat.

But I take it from this thread that this is not normal!

I'd have a sandwich or something before I arrived at about 13:30. Wouldn't expect to eat anything there but bring a bottle or whatever. Leave after a couple of hours.
Sitting around in someone's garden whilst a man (inevitably) burns a load of cheap processed meat would stretch my patience.

I would expect lots of booze to be provided and for food to start around 3. Would be the case with my friends.

You're have no a laugh! Got be by 4pm!

Please never invite me! We crack on until
Late!