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???

but you can pick the anchovies out or ask for it not to have them in the first place

I suppose the cheese shavings are a pain to get out if you are vegan and don't want the cheese

I don't like caesar salad but in extremis I would have one and pick the bits out I didn't want and then load up with bread

Another suggestion OP. When I'm on work trips I often end up eating alone just because of the work I do and sometimes I just grab some ready to eat food from a supermarket. You don't always fancy restaurant food. Do you have a supermarket nearby to get some provisions to snack on?

Or is it an option not to eat with the group? Although I'd only do this if you'd already explained the issue and tried to resolve it with the rest of them.

It would really help to know what country you're in.

Both are meant to be part of the dressing. So not really. It would then be Romaine Lettuce and some croutons.

OP- Feel your pain as a veggie too. In your shoes I would have found restaurants details and emailed in advance. In this day and age when 1 in 5, and in some parts of the world 1 in 4- are not eating meat it is beyond frustrating when stupid restaurants (with chefs who are so uncreative/unadaptable) still live in the dark ages and refuse to actually cater for non-meat eaters. They have no idea how many potential customers they are loosing. I would also leave a review highlighting this and how poor their menu is. And gently have a word with whoever arranged these restaurants for future reference.

I have travelled all over the world on business and there has always been something they can make for me. If they dont speak English use Google translate on your phone. You dont even have to talk to them just show them the screen if you are really that shy.

@MyFellowScroller

because they don’t want to eat dead animals? Surely that’s not that hard to understand?

Even some english chains (five guys?) don't have a veggie burger option!

Oilofeveningprimrose if its France then no, I have also had very similar experiences when I have been. They seem to detest non-meat eaters. Even just asking for a plate of vegetables in restaurants and trying to explain the concept of being vegetarian is met with such distain (and sorry- who wants to just eat a small plate of vegetables for their main meal?) it's just not good enough.

If your company is paying an agency to organise this shambles, find out who the agency contact is and get then to organise a vegetarian dish for you for each meal. Honestly, compared to many, vegetarian is not that complex, but you’re either going to have to find your voice and tell the waiter when you arrive or tell the agency or just put up with it.

I am also aghast at people saying that the OP should be okay with tomato salad.
Wouldn't you be starving if all you had for dinner was a plate of tomatoes? They're 95% water FFS!
Gosh, you sound very angry. I think people are just saying that even a tomato salad would be better than nothing/emergency biscuits/dry bread, which seem to be her other options so far.

If you are in Spain you might get lucky with tomatoes topped with a fried egg.

I apologise, I am not angry at all, I should've put an emoticon or something there!

I guess with my having historically been very anxious about things to do with food (I had a very angry, shouty, violent father who was worse at the dinner table than anywhere else, plus latterly I was a fat child who was bullied and took to eating in secret), the thought of having to sit at a 'banquet' with everyone else gorging on gourmet food while I was nibbling on tomatoes with everyone commenting and feeling sorry for me and making my food the whole topic of conversation sounds like an actual nightmare. Even talking about food would make me anxious, which would be exacerbated if also a situation that is quite anxiety-provoking anyway (ie speaking to someone who doesn't understand me and me them, who may or maynot find the rejection of their usual food hostile or rude, also may or may not try their best to accommodate me and still get it wrong, that's happened to me before)!

I am not sure what I would do in the OPs case. I think I would have to seek someone out at a given restaurant, do my best to explain, then eat or not eat but I would have to somehow (it might not be easy depending on location and transport options) get to a shop to find hotel-friendly meals for later.

I have been fed plates of tomatoes and cucumber, a pasta dish that was obviously cooked with meat as it smelt very strongly of it after I asked for pasta with just a basic tomato sauce, sauteed vegetables with bits of pork in them, a plate of roast green peppers, all while abroad. As well as being very hungry much of the time I would feel myself going as red as a beetroot while everyone made it the main subject, either with sympathy or ridicule. And then feeling the need to defend my diet with 'I don't USUALLY eat things like this!'.. It's just not a pleasant experience.

My disorderd eating is under control now, but it wasn't for many years so I do feel for the OP, and it isn't to do with being an anxious person generally. As I put in my post above, I have done many things that would make a lot of other people very anxious. Mine is just food-related, period.

Where are you where they don’t speak any English or offer some alternative. That’s very odd … ask the hotel reception to contact the restaurant for you and discuss … they must do something

That’s really not very inclusive. Definitely worth speaking to the boss or organiser.

I would use Google Translate to write it out and show it to a waiter so they can make you something g

I feel for you, I have very different food issues which can complicate work events.
I have been very hungry at events on a regular basis and managed to look like I am eating crisps and nibbles etc.

I would say let your boss know now that there are no vegetarian options available for you because it's possible the restaurants can make you a salad or pasta or something quite plain, with minimal fuss.

Also because the outside agency have made a mess of this and your company should be having words with them. They haven't done what they were supposed to do and it at least needs to be noted. How they respond here and now while you are in situ will give your company the insight to know if the agency can rectify their errors or if they just shrug their shoulders, in which case don't use them again (I wouldn't want to use them.again anyway but if justification were needed your company would have it).

There is ALWAYS an option on every menu that I can without any fuss at all whatsoever eat, always, even steak restaurants don’t bother me ever as there is always something. I don’t think I’ve e er had to make a fuss at all!

It’s Northern Spain with great pride in their meats and fish dishes. You can see the pride in their menus and descriptions.

I will be feeding back on my return but didn’t give it a second thought until I looked at the pre booking places. I got really excited at the thought of lovely new fresh Spanish foods!
ahh well, I have a plan, all will be well!

They do. They call it a sandwich though.

I will be feeding back on my return

So you're going to sit and not eat at all the meals with the clients during the whole trip and only let any know there is a problem upon your return?

That seems positively nonsensical.

That’s because it’s a sandwich and not a burger (there is no burger patty). I do actually really like it but find it strange that they don’t have a veggie burger option.
lots of countries typically offer lots of veggie options in burger places in the trendy parts of the big cities but as soon as you go outside that it can be a lot more limited/ non existent

Sounds really disappointing OP. I know it’s awkward but I would suggest just learning to say ‘no meat’ in Spanish and say it to the waiter. I.e. they could have easily just brought you the asparagus no Parma ham.

Hope the weather is nice at least!

I thought you were going to say your were in outer Mongolia!! Northen Spain will definitely understand 'Soy vegetariana' / 'sin carne por favor' (even if they think you are mad for not eating meat!). They should be able to grill some veggies or make a salad (you may have to pick the tuna off unless you specify no fish as well!)

Alternatively just say to the boss, I'm vegetarian so I ate before I came out as I didn't see anything veggie on the menu. I'll just nibble the bread and wait for desert!

Trust me, it's far more cringe when they discover you've been hungry and not said anything all trip and ask yoy why you didn't speak up!

You said the agency asked for clients’ allergies, do you know if they asked if they were vegetarian?
It would be very embarrassing for your company if one of the clients is veggie. I would definitely speak to someone senior and raise this possibility, whilst also telling them you are veggie.

Sure, but if one of the restaurants is a smash burger place, it's hardly haute cuisine and local meat and fish only. Anyway, that's irrelevant.

Vegetarian DH is currently in Madrid seeing a client who booked a spectacularly meaty formal restaurant. DH has asked staff as soon as he arrived to get him something simple he can eat, suggesting plain potato tortilla and green salad and pan con tomate or gazpacho. That is what the kitchen then provided. It is not exciting, but it means he has a basic vegetarian meal that will keep him going until he can find something better later on.

Not surprised that it's Spain. I travel A LOT and I've found Spain the hardest place to guarantee finding decent vegetarian food. I don't mind making a fuss, and I've still found it difficult. Hope you find something!