What do you call this type of meal?

[tectonicplates]

I had never heard the term "picky tea" before joining MN.

I'm talking about the kind of meal where you have some slices of bread, a selection of vegetables and dips, cheese, and often some leftovers and things so it turns out a bit random. You put all the food in the middle of the table and everyone helps themselves.

What do you call this meal in your family?

Celery in a jug! Yes, why did my mum do this? It is an east end thing! With a pinch of salt.

I am in the Midlands but never heard the phrase ‘picky tea’ until I joined MN. I don’t really like it either-it’s a buffet.

Buffet or indoors picnic!

Buffet if the stuff is on the table to help self or snack plate if I plate up the bits

Picky bits / tapas / freezer tapas depending on what it includes 😂

Bits and pieces

Indoor Picnic.

Unless it’s got Mediterranean stuff like olives and falafels etc then it’s mezze.

We call it an assiette

We call it a Fridge Picnic

A cold collation.

We call it a famous five tea. But we don’t usually have lashings of ginger beer to go with it.

Salad

That’s pretty much every meal in this household now.

It’s fairly standard for lunch so if we ever had it for dinner the kids called it lunch dinner

But now it’s just ‘there’s food on the table .... eat it!’

Bits and pieces here too.
Silly really, it could be nuts and bolts or stuff from the drawer of doom.
Picky tea is better

Definitely a picky tea here.

Cold tea

We rarely have leftovers in this house. I don’t know if that’s because we’re greedy or just because I rarely buy or cook any more than needed.
My ideal picky tea would be some nice bread or rolls, cold chicken, crisps, sausage rolls and mini sausages, and maybe some of those thin, slightly seasoned potato slices. But I’d usually only do it at Christmas with a couple of relatives round, and then I’d add salad and quiche (I don’t like either of those so wouldn’t bother if relatives weren’t coming).
I think I call it a buffet tea at Christmas.
Hmm, an idea for next week!

Bits on a plate here. Still a favourite, and we're all grown up!

Picky tea. I'm northern. My 5yo calls it a snack plate

The children named it 'A Selection' when they were small and it stuck.

Call it what you want, it's made me REALLY want one!

Haha - like a PP we just call it food... as in "food's on the table"

Picky bits

And I’m from the South West and then bulk of childhood in South East

Buffet or picnic

Call it what you want, it's made me REALLY want one

And yet there's a couple of people on here who only have it at Christmas! They're missing out!