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?

Bits and pieces tea

Monkeys tea

Picky tea or party tea depending on the contents

We call it every man for himself and the food is placed on the kitchen counters or dinner table and you help yourself.

Bits and bobs, or bits and pieces... sometimes shortened to ‘bits’.

Picky bits! Love picky bits for dinner, we quite often have tapas too.

My posh aunt would have called it a "cold collation". If there were warm elements then "potluck" and if other people had come and brought random things to the table as well, then a "jacob's join"

Ifits.. my grandad used to say if it's in the cupboard you can eat it!

Picky tea, party food, nibbles. It depends on the content.

It's a picky tea, I'm northern

The word picky is horrible. Makes me think of scabs.

Smorgasbord!

It's a bit of everything. I like picky tea though!

It kind of depends what it entails, might be picnic tea, platter, mezze, smorgasbord, leftovers. Very much dislike picky bits or picky tea though. We ate like this a lot at my grandparents, porridge for breakfast, 1 biscuit at 11, main meal at lunch time and they just called it "tea" about 4.30 which was potato salad, coleslaw, ham, cheese, boiled eggs, celery, salad, whatever else could be eaten cold with bread and butter, also with tinned fruit and evap after. Then we were allowed supper before bed, weetabix or a banana.
I didn't know it was so unusual.

Bits on a plate!!! My mum called it that back in the 80's and I still call it that now :D

Bits and pieces .

Picky bits/ tea is fucking disgusting.

Though I'm not sure what I would call it specifically because I don't think I've ever eaten a meal like the ones described as shudder picky bits.

We call it a pick n mix tea, or help yourself. We're in the Midlands.

My mum always called it a cold collation, but that seemed too fancy for what is essentially bits from the fridge that need using up.

Haven't used picky bits as a term.

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

Me either.

We called it "pick n mix" in my house growing up (in the south) and my dp called it "a spread" (in the Midlands).

We call it picky mix.

I would say we call it a buffet but the conversation normally goes something like

'Shall we just have a (waves hand about) you know a sort of (waves some more) buffet thing? With (waves) bits and pieces?'

If it is planned food along with a cup of tea it's " high tea" otherwise if it's just a randomness of food and drink it's eating up the leftovers

Yes, smorgasbord was the 80s version of the 70s buffet.
More cold cuts and pickles than quiche and scotch eggs.