Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Offended by friend’s comments about party food

807 replies

LinsMum22 · 28/04/2025 20:45

We hosted my friend, her husband and three kids yesterday afternoon. Our sons are in the same football team and we said we’d put some food on at ours after and watch the Liverpool match who they both support. My friend agreed to party style food being the best option as everyone could pick at it as and when.

Amongst other things, there was - Indian selection, tempura prawns, sausage rolls, mini pizza’s, mini sausages, chips, breaded chicken. So a good mix all from Iceland where we’ve had positive comments on the food before.

I could tell my friends’ youngest looked unimpressed when they tried one of the items, and pulled a face to my friend. She made no
attempt to get them to try another item and basically said ‘I know’. I noticed five minutes later she had barely ate anything herself either.

15/20 minutes later, the youngest moaned again and this time my friend said ‘don’t worry, we will stop at McDonald’s on the way back as I’m hungry too.’

I text her after they left to say sorry if they didn’t enjoy the food. She replied to say they didn’t realise it would be that sort of food and that they’d have got something else before coming round if they realised!!

AIBU to find this really snobby and ungrateful? The fact she then took the kids to get a McDonald’s makes no sense!!

OP posts:
nomas · 28/04/2025 23:35

I bet she was expecting M&S party food, the CF twat.

And all that food must have cost you loads.

Maybe next time just make a vat of cheesy pasta.

Kardamyli2 · 28/04/2025 23:35

JackieDaytonaLuckyBrews · 28/04/2025 23:10

That's absolutely fine...but clearly as the "friend" was off to McDonald's afterwards, it wasn't that much of an issue for her!

I haven't eaten McDonald's for about 25 years but I'd still rather have a Big Mac than Iceland party food.

WhatterySquash · 28/04/2025 23:35

Wow they were rude OP. And I am a cook-from-scratch kind of person and I’ve never been to Iceland in my life. But I would have eaten it, prob enjoyed it and and been appreciative - it sounds like fine telly-watching food and stuff most kids like. Tbh honest if you’d gone the other direction and cooked some gourmet fancy pants stuff, they’d probably have pulled faces then too.

and yes going to McDonald’s is the icing on the cake! Numpties.

Ladamesansmerci · 28/04/2025 23:34

HellDorado · 28/04/2025 23:30

Crudités and dips 😆😆

Who has crudités and dips as party food? 😭 It's not a mum's wine brunch.

And sorry but if I'm having buffet party food, there's no way on earth I'm picking fruit or salad. Give me my cheap sausage rolls and spring rolls!

Ladamesansmerci · 28/04/2025 23:32

It's rude AF.

Some people are just stuck up. Nothing wrong with a day of frozen party food, or that it's from Iceland.

BankHolidayBonanza · 28/04/2025 23:32

it's also not universal "party food" as demonstrated by this thread anyway.

If people cannot imagine eating anything else that what THEY would serve, I am guessing they stay home and never accept an invitation?

Hummus, salads, that's what you have for a quick lunch on a normal working day anyway.

HellDorado · 28/04/2025 23:30

Ddakji · 28/04/2025 21:05

That does sound like a whole load of stodge.

No sandwiches, or crudités and dips, no crisps, no fruit.

Your friend was rude, no doubt, but I’d rethink your party food.

Crudités and dips 😆😆

Dangermoo · 28/04/2025 23:29

It was rude, ignorant and spiteful.

MakeYourOwnMusicStartYourOwnDance · 28/04/2025 23:29

Nominative · 28/04/2025 23:27

Cheese and pineapple? I haven't seen that as party food since the 1970s.

Cheese and pineapple 🍍 hedgehogs! 😍

Nominative · 28/04/2025 23:27

IMustDoMoreExercise · 28/04/2025 20:52

I wouldn't like that sort of food either.

If someone said party food to me I would expect sandwiches and cheese and pineapple and things like that not stuff from Iceland.

But then I also haven't been to McDonald's for over 30 years so I'm surprised that she was going there if she turned her nose up at your food.

Cheese and pineapple? I haven't seen that as party food since the 1970s.

Blondeshavemorefun · 28/04/2025 23:27

AngieBlack · 28/04/2025 22:57

What I think of as party food is Parma ham and melon, a few salads, cheese board with chutnies and grapes, hams, hummus, tapenade, coleslaw, baguette, breadsticks, olives…a baked camebert…

I’m sorry 😔 I wouldn’t eat Iceland party food, but I would just fake that I wasn’t hungry and my kids certainly know not to be impolite.

but so very odd that she would go to McDobald’s afterwards… so I think she is a rude cow and don’t invite her back.

That’s party food for adults

not kids watching football

thaegumathteth · 28/04/2025 23:26

I am cringing at so many of these replies. ‘Shine as a hostess’ ‘listing the fruit tour kid eats’ ‘deliberate misunderstandings’

You are what my teenager would call ‘pick mes’

BankHolidayBonanza · 28/04/2025 23:26

Loving the posters pretending to be so precious and delicate they could not possibly tolerate one bite of an Iceland mini-pizza. It's priceless.

I am not really into junk food, and I consider sandwiches to be junk food frankly- not ultra-processed junk food, but absolutely not a proper meal. But people need to unclench. First It's polite to eat a little bit even if you don't like it, you won't be damaged by eating a bit of Iceland food.

Who cares if YOU would serve something else, that's the beauty of being invited by different people, you experience different food. The pearl-clutchers are beyond ridiculous.

HellDorado · 28/04/2025 23:24

DenholmElliot11 · 28/04/2025 20:57

Yes this. It's hardly special, certainly not what I'd use to host with as I'd want to shine as a hostess.

“Shine as a hostess”? 😆😆 It wasn’t a gourmet dinner party! It’s a few nibbles during the football, FFS.

LinsMum22 · 28/04/2025 23:23

I can confirm all food was thoroughly cooked!

OP posts:
MakeYourOwnMusicStartYourOwnDance · 28/04/2025 23:22

ShortnStout87 · 28/04/2025 20:53

They were incredibly rude, not like they were going for anything healthy afterwards. If someone says party food this is what the op offered would be one of the options I would have expected.

Agree, unbelievably rude!
Also saying "I know" to their kid?!
Not hard to see where they get their manners from, is it.
I'm interested what she thought party food was?!
Sounds like a typical party buffet to me (invite me next time, I bloody love bhajis, samosas and sausage rolls ❤️😁

BobbyBiscuits · 28/04/2025 23:21

Assuming the buffet food such as pizza, tempura, sausage rolls etc were hot/warm, I don't see why it wouldn't be appropriate and enjoyed by most people, including young kids?

I guess some people are fussy. You can't please everyone!

If it was served cold then I can see why it wouldn't be as nice. I'd probably just do sandwiches and crisps, sweets, bread sticks, crudités etc if I couldn't serve hot food. But they'd probably dislike that as well!

But either way I wouldn't let it bother you. Maybe just don't bother feed that particular family at all next time as they'll just turn their noses up?
Or just tell them to bring something they know their kid will eat.

SouthLondonMum22 · 28/04/2025 23:21

AngieBlack · 28/04/2025 23:15

You and I go to different milestone birthdays and weddings then. As what I’ve posted is low key nibbles with minimum effort, so you grab some hummus and olives and sit and watch the footie. Weddings and milestones birthdays would be a sit down meal.

Buffets for either are hardly unusual, sometimes with a wedding the buffet is in the evening.

I can't say I've ever grabbed some hummus and olives to watch footie, no. Especially with friends.

Notonthestairs · 28/04/2025 23:16

PyongyangKipperbang · 28/04/2025 23:06

So you would say "Yes I know darling, we will go to McDonalds later" loudly enough for the host hear when your child pulled a face?

Because this isnt about the food, its about the rudeness. Are you rude?

Exactly.

Posters preferred choice of food is irrelevant.
It’s the absence of good manners and the explicit put down.

AngieBlack · 28/04/2025 23:16

Iloveburgerswaymorethanishould · 28/04/2025 23:14

You should have taken the advice of a previous post last week and done pulled pork, salad and rolls 🙄. For what it’s worth it sounds like a perfect Saturday picky tea and my lot would love you forever!!! Love random days where we can just graze!!!

This is also low effort and what I’d do as a feed the masses with minimum effort.

AngieBlack · 28/04/2025 23:15

SouthLondonMum22 · 28/04/2025 23:11

A cheese board with chutneys and hummus etc to watch football?

It isn't a wedding or a milestone birthday, it's just a bit of footie.

Edited

You and I go to different milestone birthdays and weddings then. As what I’ve posted is low key nibbles with minimum effort, so you grab some hummus and olives and sit and watch the footie. Weddings and milestones birthdays would be a sit down meal.

Iloveburgerswaymorethanishould · 28/04/2025 23:14

You should have taken the advice of a previous post last week and done pulled pork, salad and rolls 🙄. For what it’s worth it sounds like a perfect Saturday picky tea and my lot would love you forever!!! Love random days where we can just graze!!!

SouthLondonMum22 · 28/04/2025 23:11

AngieBlack · 28/04/2025 22:57

What I think of as party food is Parma ham and melon, a few salads, cheese board with chutnies and grapes, hams, hummus, tapenade, coleslaw, baguette, breadsticks, olives…a baked camebert…

I’m sorry 😔 I wouldn’t eat Iceland party food, but I would just fake that I wasn’t hungry and my kids certainly know not to be impolite.

but so very odd that she would go to McDobald’s afterwards… so I think she is a rude cow and don’t invite her back.

A cheese board with chutneys and hummus etc to watch football?

It isn't a wedding or a milestone birthday, it's just a bit of footie.

JackieDaytonaLuckyBrews · 28/04/2025 23:10

Kardamyli2 · 28/04/2025 23:08

I'm afraid I'd have struggled with that kind of food and wouldn't have eaten it. I find that processed breaded/fried food often makes me feel queasy and some of it (to me) has a horrible smell which is really off-putting.

That's absolutely fine...but clearly as the "friend" was off to McDonald's afterwards, it wasn't that much of an issue for her!

zeibesaffron · 28/04/2025 23:09

Gemmawemma9 · 28/04/2025 20:55

Doesn’t matter whether anyone “wouldn’t like that food either”.
whether you like it or not, it’s really fucking rude to pull faces and comment on food that someone has kindly provided for you. She wants to teach her children some manners (and get some herself while she’s at it!).

This ⬆️

How ungrateful are some people. OP has gone to the effort of putting on food having told the visitors it would be party type food - for them to behave like that - how rude!!! It does not matter where the food came from - manners cost nothing!!