Work trip restaurants have no vegetarian options and I hate fuss

[Clockinginat2pm]

Away abroad with work.
We have clients with us, there’s a few of us flown over.
Activities all organised by head office, lovely, it’s really well organised day & evening.
Restaurants booked for each evening… Smash burger place and steak & fish place x2. Checked out menus and there is zero, and I mean zero vegetarian option on any of the menus at all. Starters/mains ALL meat or fish pf some form. There’s not even any sides (which would usually be more go to)

I do not want to draw ANY attention to myself at all as I am excruciatingly dreading these events as I am introvert, socially extremely anxious and feeling very very out of my depth with it all.

Fade into the background is my main aim..

So, do I order something with meat/fish & just pretend to eat it and be hungry for a few days?

I don’t speak the language, the waiter from last night spoke no English so ringing them to order something else is not an option here at all. (I ended up with an appetiser of grilled asparagus which I couldn’t eat so pushed it around my plate for 40 minutes.

Ive used my emergency pack of biscuits as I was starving.
What would you do in my shoes???

There's plenty that fry said sides in dripping and don't have any vegetarian sides though. Some countries like to put strands of ham in their veg sides for example or fry the veg with meat.

I am not saying this is the case with the OP, but sometimes it isn't senior staff who are sent away with clients. I was often used for this in a very junior job, just because I was good at it, and all the more important people didn't want to or were needed elsewhere.

Yes, I'm in Germany and our canteen sometimes has 'vegetarian broccoli' so with no bacon bits!

Would you honestly, really, be satisfied with a lettuce and tomato salad for dinner?
I don't have a huge appetite by any stretch but I'd be starving if that's all I'd eaten. And if I had food anxiety I'd feel like a right idiot sitting there eating tomatoes while everyone gorged on their hearty meals.

even if OP is the most junior person in the world: she is an adult.

So she can choose: open her mouth now, or put up with it and whinge (but in private)

I once, as a private, told a General that he was standing on grass that was under no circumstances to be stood on by anyone apart from a member of the royal family whose visit was iminent. I nearly shit a brick with fear, but he said "oh, right ho, sorry" and moved.

Being daft and timid doesn't help anyone in the workplace.

Well no I wouldn't and neither should the OP, which is why she needs to speak to the organisers of the trip. No one knows she can't eat meat or fish, so as it stands so no one can fix the issue for her.

I have adhd & am extremely introverted, this type of trip would be my worst nightmare too. The thing is though, you are an adult in the workplace & need to grow up & address the situation yourself. Tell whoever is heading up the trip that you are vegetarian & struggling to find any options or, as others have suggested, use google translate to communicate with the waiter. If you can't even manage that then being an adult is not for you.

I agree with this OP. I’m sorry but if you find it difficult to tell people you are a vegetarian I would worry about your ability to do aspects of your actual job. What happens when you have a difficult client or stakeholder? Or receive a pissy email? Or need to highlight a poor working practice?

I think you are confusing being introverted with being anxious or shy.

DH is an introvert, but he isn't shy and would speak up if he had dietary requirements.

AS an aside, I once spent an evening in a restaurant on a work do, and one of the girls next to me spoiled the evening for everyone say near her by sulking because there was nothing on the menu that she fancied. She ended up drawing more attention to herself than if she had asked for something compelling an omelette.

Or you could speak to the hotel and ask for recommendations of vegetarian friendly restaurants. A hotel big enough to take a corporate booking with an agency will have reception staff who can speak English and will be able to help with local knowledge.

Does somebody at the hôtel - maybe on reception - speak enough English for you to explain the situation to and could ring ahead to ask for a vegetarian option in your place?

That might be quite discreet?

If the menus are some of those non descriptive ones that don't list the sides because you're supposed to just get what your given, or just name something rather imaginatively and you have to intuit what this vague sounding dish might entail there's probably more things suitable than you might guess.

There's ways round this, I'm sure. If you tell us which language it is, somebody on here will be able to give you some phrases to help you out.

Please try to remember that people who work in hospitality have come across most types of customers before. I certainly have and a vegetarian is not the most difficult by far.

In fact, a lot of kitchens would be delighted to only serve you half the dish or a plate of plain-ish pasta/salad, whilst charging for the full thing. Ker-ching!

"Look at the mark up on THAT!"

All the best and try not to let this ruin your trip.

I’m a vegetarian of 36 years and you have to get used to “making a fuss”.

What you think is ‘a fuss’ and incredibly embarrassing, no one else gives a flying shit about. In fact most people/restaurants are embarrassed at the oversight and bend over backwards to help.

To be fair I have ordered a vegetarian burger before and the included side salad that came with it had ham in it so I agree with posters that salad might not necessarily be safe.

Trust me a lot of people will think this fuss annoying and not be embarrassed or bending over backwards to accommodate

No, but it would be enough to keep the dinner going for me.

If it’s in France like speculated though again I’m surprised there isn’t gratin or a ratatouille.

@yonem we went to an area of France where the cuisine is very gizzard-heavy. I see your salad and raise you a gizzard omelette…

Im going to Tuscany on a work related thing. There will be lots of vegetarian food.
There will also be local delicacies including brains.

I find it hard to believe that a smash burger place doesn't have a veggie burger option or just ask for burger no meat. So you have the cheese, onions etc. and the chips

Use Google translate ana show it to the waiter you so seem quite determined to starve

You need the adult here and ask your boss what the vegetarian options are

People will be cruel on here and very blunt at times but you do, sadly, need to speak up and advocate for yourself.

Talk to the person who is the "lead" on the trip and explain the situation. Or if there is a native speaker in your group, ask them to call ahead to the restaurant for you. Or, as others have suggested, use google translate to ask.

Some countries have strange beliefs on vegetarianism and believe a bit of ham is a vegetable (looking at you some parts of rural Spain!) They're not trying to offend you, it's just something that isn't common.

If you share where you are as well, perhaps other MN-ers might know the names of local dishes which are "incidentally" vegetarian or at least translate for you or check your google translate.

If it is France, this is a phrase you could use (yes I checked it on google translate but dead chuffed it was right already.)

je ne mange jamais de viande. Avez vous quelque chose a manger sans viande?

Yes it seems fairly unbelievable to me as well. People are vegetarian overseas too!

Bread, cheese, salad, veg soup (though they can be made with meat stock), chips, other potato side, plain rice, pasta vegetables.

Even in a steak restaurant they must be able to do salad and chips. Even the place in London that only serves steak does a Caesar salad too! And what about pudding?

Smash burger will have a vegetarian option.

It isn’t helpful nobody knows which country she is in. If it is USA or Canada they will go out of their way to sort out eating preferences.

And be highly unlikely to not have veggie on the menu. Even in Texas. It is not a new thing anymore.

Most established burger places will not cook in beef dripping. Some in the UK are doing that. But global brand places are unlikely to be doing so.

Caesar salad should contain anchovies and parmesan so isn't vegetarian. @igelkott2026

How can you be so anxious and stressed and worried to say you are vegetarian but also have the confidence (and I assume skill set and ability) to be on a work trip? Your company have faith in you to represent them @Clockinginat2pm have the same faith in yourself.

Also intrigued to hear what part of the world you are in where all the restaurants booked have not a single veggie friendly option between them?

Nothing says delicious like a burger roll with lettuce cheese and fried onions!
I assume since an agency is involved dinner is expensive so it would be good to try and communicate with the restaurant somehow.