Going to a restaurant to order food then hardly eat any of it - why?

Because they really like dessert so deliberately left some of their main course so they wouldn’t be too full for it?

It isn’t obligatory for adults to clear their plate before being allowed pudding.

I can honestly say I've never noticed this, definitely not to the point I'd post on Mumsnet about it, and I can't even see myself getting this upset about it if I did

A lot of restaurants have had to increase portion sizes with cheap carbs to give the illusion of value because mains are so expensive now. My local pub doesnt have a main below £22. So people expect to go away stuffed. They can't afford to make the mains cheaper- so the portion sizes have grown accordingly.

They won't do a half portion because they can't afford to run a table of 4 with people only paying £15 a head.

I do it but ask to take the rest home with me in a box. I don’t live in the UK but it’s quite common here

What's more surprising to me is leaving drinks, especially alcohol. I was outside a bar the other day and a couple ordered snacks and two pints of lager. They wolfed down the snacks, had about 2 sips of the drink and left.

Yes we need to do this more often. It's very common in the US but Brits seem more reluctant.

All sorts of reasons then. The portion was bigger than they thought, they want the main component of the meal, but not all the bulk and carbs that come with it, they don't want to ruin the vibe for their companions by just ordering a starter, the food isn't to their taste.

Either way they've paid for it. From a business pov you are much better off with the mark up on mains with the wastage, rather than people just ordering a £8 starter because they aren't that hungry.

Are they female and trying to make a point about their teeny tiny appetite?

If it keeps a restaurant going then it’s surely a good thing? Lots of people can’t afford eating out so the restaurants need customers. Is it the sort of place where you can get a doggie bag?

Exactly.

And it's not going to make those who live in poverty any richer.

Nor will it make the starving any less hungry.

If people are so offended at what others do with their food due to poverty and hunger, they probably shouldn't be in a restaurant in the first place, supporting such a massively wasteful industry.

Restaurants should tart offering half porions imho or something. Some portions are ridiculous rbf. I loath food waste. Problem is that if restaurant make portions smaller people will moan like fuck.

People in buffets leaving near full plates give me absolute rage and should be charged extra.

Food waste is crass.

It's no more wasteful to throw away food than to eat food you don't need and won't enjoy. It's a bloody bizarre mindset some people have that's entirely illogical.

It's like criticising someone if the letter they wrote only fills half the page and demanding they make the letter longer so they don't "waste paper".

The food, like the paper, is wasted whether it's eaten or not.

It’s a shame more people can’t distinguish between themselves and a food waste bin. If you’re full up you’re allowed to stop eating.

The food is wasted if you leave it, also wasted if you force down food you don’t want. Either way, no one else can eat it.

I've got this weird aspect of my social anxiety which means I can be ravenous looking at a menu but by the time I've been served my stomach has completely locked up and I feel like I'm choking just trying to chew and swallow. When it happens I usually apologise to companion/s for not being as hungry as I thought I was, and I ask the waiter to box it up for me. It would probably exacerbate my anxiety yet further to imagine that people might be looking on and judging me or speculating on why I'm ordering food and not eating it!

It’s a shame more people can’t distinguish between themselves and a food waste bin. If you’re full up you’re allowed to stop eating.

The food is wasted if you leave it, also wasted if you force down food you don’t want. Either way, no one else can eat it.

Different taste

Id imagine food isn't v good, or portions too big, or its eg self service international buffet where people get carried away and take a bit of each dish

I always ask for a doggy bag/takeaway box if I can't finish my meal, most restaurants are happy to oblige.

I often have a starter and a bit of bread on the side as they are sometimes more interesting than the main courses and much more like the portions I'd serve myself with at home.

Tend to prefer places now that do "small plates" and "big plates" so people can eat according to their appetite.

Quite a few restaurants require you to order at the bar and pay on advance.

I think people leave food as prices have been put up, and restaurants overload the plate with chips or cheap foods to make it look worth the price.

Do you see this happening a lot? It’s not really anything I’ve ever noticed, but I don’t tend to really pay attention to what other people are doing in that scenario.

Portions are generally too large in most places these days, so I can understand leaving food if you can’t finish it. Presumably next time those people are in that restaurant they’ll order something else, now they know what the portion sizes are!

Do you mean paying with the booking? Or at point they order?

If they have had to pay a few days before they may not know how hungry they are going to be?

I've got a very small appetite.I always ask for a very small potion, although I'm happy to pay full price. If the staff ignore me, then food will be left.

I still enjoy going out with friends/family, and as I've paid for it, it's nothing to do with anyone else. 🤷‍♀️

I would expect to pay in advance at a cafe. Nandos i would class as fast food tbh