If you invite someone for a bit of dinner at 5pm, what time would you be cooking to sit and watch?

[Thesofathatwas]

Not a formal dinner party btw.
This has happened a few times.
Invited for tea, told to come for 5. Great! Thrilled!
Arrived at 4.50.
Didnt start cooking till 6.30. Ate at 7.45..
Could have eaten my own arm. Starving.

Happened again at a BBQ. Over 2.5 hours until food served.

Would this bother you or would you be meh?

I usually say food will be ready for, say 6.30pm - come any time after 5. Some may turn up at 5, others at 6.15 - personally if that was me I'd aim for 5.30-5.45 ish..

EXMIL was awful for this.. it was always a wine fuelled affair (which in principle I don't have a problem with) but I think the latest we ate was 11pm..

Different timings but when we do Sunday dinner invites we say come over for 1pm. Dinner will be ready for 2pm.

in-laws say, come over for 2pm and dinner ready within half an hour.
I couldn’t wait as long as you do!