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Original poster

British version of an American "Pot Luck lunch"

109 replies

Thudercatsrule · 20/11/2023 21:25

Evening wise mumsnetters,

I'm trying to organise a Christmas lunch in work where everyone brings a dish or snacks etc, but i dont know how to phrase it! They call it Pot Luck is the US.

I'm going to book a meeting room, some decorations and then just want everyone to chat and mingle and hopefully get secret santa going as well.

I need to do a poster/email invite.....but am totally stuck on what to say.

So......any ideas please?

OP posts:
StiffyByngsDogBartholomew · 20/11/2023 22:28

In a previous, miles-better-at-doing-these-things, team the lady that always "oversaw" the crimbo buffet wrote out a list of items required and pinned it up on the board. You wrote your name for what you were bringing in the other column. Worked well as everyone really enjoyed preparing their offerings and would also bring extra delights and were not tight bastards like my current team

Toomanycaketins · 20/11/2023 22:29

We did one once and there were 5 bowls of sausages in slightly different forms, a bowl of olives and one pumpkin pie. Definitely better to allocate dishes

trialanderrordarling · 20/11/2023 22:30

Im in London and it's shared lunch or a bring and share. Im from the North originally but I've never heard of a Jacob's Join or a fuddle!

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StiffyByngsDogBartholomew · 20/11/2023 22:31

I'm from Sussex and have never heard of either a fuddle or a Jacobs thingy.
it's a bring and share for me

wideawakeinthemiddleofthenightagain · 20/11/2023 22:36

For a brownie end of term party, the leader suggested a mix of savoury items like cocktail sausages and sweet items like chocolate fingers. Cue a table groaning with the aforementioned items and very little else.
Whatever you call it, do find out who is bringing what

sadeyedladyofthelowlandsea · 20/11/2023 22:37

StiffyByngsDogBartholomew · 20/11/2023 22:28

In a previous, miles-better-at-doing-these-things, team the lady that always "oversaw" the crimbo buffet wrote out a list of items required and pinned it up on the board. You wrote your name for what you were bringing in the other column. Worked well as everyone really enjoyed preparing their offerings and would also bring extra delights and were not tight bastards like my current team

Definitely do this! If there are 15 people contributing, then make a list of 30 things for people to sign up for, or you'll end up with 10 bags of crisps, a plate of crap sandwiches, 3 packets of biscuits, and a lovingly homemade quiche. <bitter voice of experience>
Just call it a Christmas buffet - 'fuddle', 'Jacob's join' etc. would have me booking the day off...

gotomomo · 20/11/2023 22:39

Bring and share is normally what they are called in my experience, I've lived in multiple cities (mids, se, sw)

LoveTheDarts · 20/11/2023 22:42

Fellowship supper here in SW

cakeorwine · 20/11/2023 22:46

A fuddle.

GrandpaFlumpAndHisFlumpet · 21/11/2023 01:58

wideawakeinthemiddleofthenightagain · 20/11/2023 22:36

For a brownie end of term party, the leader suggested a mix of savoury items like cocktail sausages and sweet items like chocolate fingers. Cue a table groaning with the aforementioned items and very little else.
Whatever you call it, do find out who is bringing what

I take things pretty literally but this is extreme and takes the (chocolate finger) biscuit!

YireosDodeAver · 21/11/2023 02:08

We would call it a bring&share.

When we do it at work we do something like e.g. putting the names of countries into a hat and we each draw a country and bring a dish inspired by the cuisine of that nation. That helps make sure there isn't too much duplication.

garlictwist · 21/11/2023 05:46

BlackLambAndGreyFalcon · 20/11/2023 21:40

Apparently according to Google - Jacob's Join is used in Lancashire and Cumbria and Fuddle is used in Yorkshire, which explains why I'd never heard of either before! If you are based in one of those areas I'd use the relevant word, otherwise I'd stick to bring and share or pot luck.

I'm in Yorkshire and it's a fuddle here.

CesareBorgia · 21/11/2023 07:32

Why not just call it a 'Pot Luck' lunch and briefly explain what people need to do?

CesareBorgia · 21/11/2023 07:34

When we've done this at work, we had a list where people wrote down what they were going to bring, to avoid duplication.

ShoesoftheWorld · 21/11/2023 07:38

Loving Jacob's join and fuddle! Had never heard of either (actually, JJ does ring a faint bell, but definitely not fuddle). I love dialect expressions.

I'd have said pot luck or bring and share - I should think most Brits would understand pot luck?

Patchworksack · 21/11/2023 07:42

I’m from Yorkshire and never heard of a Fuddle. Bring and Share easiest to understand, often heard it called Jacob’s Join (maybe more in church circles?)

therealcookiemonster · 21/11/2023 07:45

we just call it bring a dish where I work ....

me thinks you need to crack open a spreadsheet to make this viable.

MyCircumference · 21/11/2023 07:45

i only know bring and share
although dd went to a pot luck recently and i had to ask her what it was

NeverTrustAPoliceman · 21/11/2023 07:50

Bring and Share.

If your surname starts with A to M bring savory, if it starts with N to Z bring sweet. Swapping can be done by mutual arrangement.

You will get people who make elaborate dishes and people who bring a bag of Tesco Value crisps but generally it evens out.

ZenNudist · 21/11/2023 07:51

JanglyBeads · 20/11/2023 21:25

Called a Bring and Share Lunch here

This

Itha · 21/11/2023 07:58

In Londond and the South east, it’s caused a bring and share lunch

I’ve never heard of a fuddle or a jacob’s join.

CesareBorgia · 21/11/2023 08:06

"Fuddle" where I am in Yorkshire but I'd never heard it before I moved up here.

CesareBorgia · 21/11/2023 08:07

NeverTrustAPoliceman · 21/11/2023 07:50

Bring and Share.

If your surname starts with A to M bring savory, if it starts with N to Z bring sweet. Swapping can be done by mutual arrangement.

You will get people who make elaborate dishes and people who bring a bag of Tesco Value crisps but generally it evens out.

Check that the alphabetical split of surnames is reasonably equal before going down this route!

CurlewKate · 21/11/2023 08:15

We call it pot luck too and we're British. I know this is probably irrational, but bring and shares are church things to me.

mumda · 21/11/2023 08:15

I've heard it as Jacob's table too.

It's a Lancashire thing according to a guardian article.