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Original poster

Ever been to an under catered party?

446 replies

Crunchymum · 14/10/2018 17:37

Just back home from a party with a generous doggy bag and I remarked how I'd never been to an under catered party as the host was divvying up the leftovers. Cue lots of stories of horrifically under catered parties and weddings?

Other than a few occasions where I've known there won't be food, I've never experienced it? I've never had to share a burger at a BBQ or nip out for a super market sandwich at a wedding.

Is it really that common? What's the worst under catered event you've been to?

OP posts:
Lauresbadhairday · 14/10/2018 18:45

Last year we were invited to our new neighbours for pre-Christmas drinks. As it started at 6.30 we assumed there would be some food even if only nibbles. But no. When they said drinks, that's what they meant. The oven was on when we arrived but this was to warm up the room not mince pies or other yummy Christmas fare!

aidelmaidel · 14/10/2018 18:47

My wedding: the food was mostly pretty good, but the special diet, oh dear; the caterer had assured me they'd be able to cope with non-dairy vegetarian, and what did the poor non-dairy vegetarians get? A plate of couscous with some bloody raisins on it. I was mortified. For the equivalent of about £25!

Bloomburger · 14/10/2018 18:47

A wedding where the evening buffet was just a Stilton. Runny stinking fucking blue cheese 🤢

DurhamDurham · 14/10/2018 18:48

I was at an evening wedding reception and the buffet ran out very quickly. I was v hungry so we popped out, got some fish and chips and then went back. We hadn't been missed and we really enjoyed the rest of the evening.

countrybunny · 14/10/2018 18:49

I don't think it matters how many people you cater for at a buffet, people are greedy and eat most of it. Never trust someone who's front of a queue at a buffet IMO.

Kezzie200 · 14/10/2018 18:49

My son once went to an undercatered event. However, I saw it when I dropped him off, and it looked plenty. I think the problem was underestimating what 10 teenage boys eat!

Bellabutterfly2016 · 14/10/2018 18:55

We went to a wedding night do and they'd asked a burger van to come and we could "pay" for a revolting burger!!!

We didn't bother, left early and went for an Indian on the way home with another disgruntled couple we were sat with.

Had got them a £25 voucher too but wrapped in separately and only folded envelope of card over so put a tenner in instead as didn't think a rubbish disco in a grotty room with a pay for yourself warranted a £25 John Lewis voucher!!

Iaimtomisbehave1 · 14/10/2018 18:59

I don't understand how this happens. I'm a foodie (even though I hate that word) so when I plan a parry, I'm all about the food. What will there be, how much of each. I call the catered on the day to triple check all of it. And there's always enough for people to take food home. For me, a party isn't good if the guests aren't fed and watered so it's always a huge deal. How do a bride and groom not know exactly what will he served?

Notaballetmum · 14/10/2018 19:00

We went for Sunday dinner once for a total of 8 adults and 2 children where the roast beef would have served my husband usually. It was a bit bizarre as the hosts were usually very generous with food and there were adequate portions of veg etc.
It was quite funny as we all took minuscule portions wondering what was going on.

bigsighall · 14/10/2018 19:00

A dinner party ... jar of chicken tonight and 2 chicken breasts as a main.... FOR 4 ADULTS!!! Oh and being female I got the smaller potion 😡😡. Went to maccie d’s on way home!

Notaballetmum · 14/10/2018 19:01

Should read me and my husband-it was small but not quite that small!

DownAndUnder · 14/10/2018 19:02

I work in a function hire hall. The worst I’ve seen is someone buying 50 donuts instead of a cake when they’d invited 150 people.

dingdongdigeridoo · 14/10/2018 19:03

Yep at a wedding. Really stingy, awful buffet, but free wine! The white and sparkling soon disappeared, so people were getting absolutely shitfaced on red wine on almost empty stomachs. Saw one bridesmaid having red wine puke in the car park. I had a pounding headache the next day.

I am also guilty as I organised a work event at a lovely London venue, and the catering was absolutely shit. The company spent around £25 a head for a cold buffet that looked like something you’d get at a kids birthday party, portion size and all. People were sneaking off for a McDonald’s.

runsmidgeOMG · 14/10/2018 19:03

Mum loves telling the story of her uncles wedding, she was a teenager at the time. Apparently they ran out of food and had to run to m&s...

gothefcktosleep · 14/10/2018 19:07

Yes, still have the voice of my friends cousin shouting “i’m Off down the fooking pub” as she stormed out of a christening celebration echoing on my head 😆

BikeRunSki · 14/10/2018 19:07

Went to a morning wedding with an evening do. Bride was not very well, so had a family only lunch and sleep in the afternoon. Guests kicked around from about 1pm-7.30 pm. We were several hundred miles away from home. Got to evening do, expecting food. About half an hour later a tantalising tray of food came in - but was only for diabetic MoB. At 9 pm there was a mass exodus to the Chinese takeaway and chip shop down the road.

FintanStack · 14/10/2018 19:09

Went to an event where everyone had been told to expect a buffet for their evening meal. It turned out that there had been a misunderstanding between the organiser and venue... the buffet was just canapés, which everyone at the front of the queue loaded up on, so there was nothing left for the majority. Some people popped out and got takeaways, husband and I held on and grabbed a kebab on the way home at about 11pm. Think the venue gave everyone a free ticket to come back as way of an apology (it was a tourist attraction).

NotCitrus · 14/10/2018 19:10

The one I remember was a housewarming with about 50 people, where the food and drink was fine but they ran out of toilet paper, in the days before 24-hour shopping...

Puzzledandpissedoff · 14/10/2018 19:14

Surely it's hard to mess up buffet food?

You'd think so wouldn't you? But at a relative's wedding the hotel had sacked their previous manager and got in some kid to run it whose only real interest was in the trendy bar he hoped to open elsewhere

The result was a buffet featuring plastic cheese slice and brown sauce sandwiches, still partly frozen sausage rolls and similar rubbish and the evening buffet was even worse ... a huge tray of baked potato wedges and another of french fries Hmm

Puzzledandpissedoff · 14/10/2018 19:15

Apologies - bold fail on the header there Blush

Greenandcabbagelooking · 14/10/2018 19:17

A teacher training event for 65 people. Two small trays of sandwich triangles, two small bowls of crisps and 40 cartons of juice drink do not feed 65 people.

They'd also not asked about dietary needs so by the time I got to the front of the queue, the carnivores had eaten the only vegetarian sandwiches, and there was nothing for my gluten free friend.

We made the organiser extend the lunch break so we'd have time to go to Tesco for lunch!

Bluntness100 · 14/10/2018 19:19

Yeah I've been to one, where the host elected to pay for a buffet for fifty percent of thr guests coming, on the thought process there would be enough for all

There wasn't and it ran out after literally about five mins and folks nipped out to buy sandwiches etc.

wentmadinthecountry · 14/10/2018 19:25

Nearly had an issue with non vegetarians eating all the veggie food at my dad's 90th but thankfully a cousin noted the way it was going with starters so we handed out food before the free for all. Old people eat (and drink) A LOT!! I do always make sure I've got plenty of back up food though.

PatchworkElmer · 14/10/2018 19:26

Went to an under catered wedding in the middle of nowhere a few years ago (so couldn’t even walk to a shop).

Wedding was at 1- bride had talked about choosing canapés, so we were expecting them, but none appeared.

We waited for photos, speeches etc without even bread on the tables. Then had no starters. Mains were delicious but TINY (I have a small appetite and was absolutely starving). Dessert equally nice, but equally small.

Evening buffet- didn’t come out until almost 10pm. I have never seen people move so quickly for a wedding buffet- there was a queue within seconds. There was no vegetarian buffet food AT ALL, despite several close friends of the couple being veggie, and we’d all noted it as a ‘dietary requirement’. I was so hungry by this point that I almost cried.

We got home and I demolished a bowl of cereal. DH and my best friend were both up all night being sick, so we think that there was something wrong with the buffet meat 🤢

It was a naice wedding at a naice place, with lots of ‘experience’ extras, but every time it’s mentioned to DH, all he says is “remember how hungry we were?!”

Ali1cedowntherabbithole · 14/10/2018 19:28

Yes. 2 weddings organised by the same parents, so we should really have known by Wedding 2.

Awful, especially as the second was in the arse end of nowhere at a —working farm— “luxury barn” so there was no opportunity to run out. We did stop at a 24 hr Maccy D’s on the way home though.

Too little food, too late.