providing lunch for builders?

[vguil]

we’ve got builders in for three weeks replacing a kitchen.
We’ve set them up with a kettle and coffee/sugar/tea bags/milk and biscuits. There are three or four of them.
They’ve just asked my husband for lunch/ sandwiches. Is this the done thing; the expected thing?

thanks everyone. I’m so glad that we’re not committing a major faux pas by not providing lunch! They’ve done other work around the house for us so we know they’re reliable (don’t think they’ve asked for sandwiches before!)

If it's a builder I use often and it was a small job 1 or 2 days if offer a bacon roll with a morning coffee or maybe a donut with a cup of afternoon tea. If for 3 weeks I'd offer tea and coffee and a few biscuits.

No I've never offered meals. Tea/coffee/squash/ water/biscuits always available to help themselves but that's it. I'll make the first round of teas if I'm in the kitchen doing my own but not after that. In fact when we had a bathroom fitter just after I'd had a baby he would make me a tea when he did his own as he could see I was nearly permanently breastfeeding or nap trapped!

When we were having our house renovated we sometimes had a team of builders in the house for weeks on end. It would have cost a fortune to lay on lunch every day. We just have dinner leftovers for lunch so it would have meant buying and preparing extra food.

Plus whilst they were working, so was I! I'd either be in the office (they had keys) so not available anyway. Or WFH which was pretty flat out, no extra breaks for catering services!

I'm really surprised they asked your husband! Fair enough if someone offers and they say yes please. I have to visit client offices for the day sonetimes. Occasionally I'm offered lunch but usually not. I either bring something or pop out to the shop like a normal person.

Agree with pp. Asking if there is somewhere nearby they can get a sandwich is normal. Asking you to provide sandwiches is not!

No. Drinks yes and with the heat I’ve been giving lots of iced water and ice creams but lunch? Absolutely not.

Are they English? I only ask as in some cultures its the norm to feed tradesmen, a proper cooked meal too.
Not normal here though. Drinks and biscuits are sufficient and I've never come across one in the UK ask.

No, what a cheek! Tea, coffee, biscuits - yes absolutely.

But nope, they should be getting their own lunch!

Oh they asked your DH? I’m wondering if he misunderstood.

I’ve always offered them lunch, they always say no.

Mine brought packed lunch and sat in their van. We made plenty of cups of tea for them too.

Tea/coffee yes, but I've never offered biscuits (as we don't have them in house). But I will next time as going from this thread it's the done thing!

We had builders in for around 2 years. Never offered lunch, but did offer tea / coffee / cold drinks / water, and very hot days, an ice cream out the freezer.

One of my lovely builders once bought me a bacon roll from the local shop when I was having a horrible time at work, and he knew I was stressed out. He gave me the roll, went back to work, and I cried over it as it was a such a lovely thing for him to do.

That is so lovely 😍!

What a nerve! Absolutely not. They must bring their own lunch. Offer the occasional tea or coffee, maybe a biscuit.

Just drinks here - and ice cream last week in the heat

No - that’s so cheeky! I used to flip properties and on occasion gave the guys donuts but lunch? Forget that! Half the guys I’ve used bring their own tea too as particular about brand!

Had our driveway done 3 guys. Teas coffees thats it. Sure where would it end!

They're replacing your kitchen, surely it was a joke?

I would assume it must be some sort of joke, depends on the exact wording. The fact that they’ve done other work and haven’t asked for lunch, and that they’re in the kitchen would make me question the seriousness. Had your DH just made a lunch for himself?

My DM always used to provide lunch for a single tradesman, not sure if she’d have stretched to a group of them. I occasionally buy them biscuits but no one ever eats the bloody things so don’t usually bother. Maybe when I’m 60+ something will happen and I will start wanting to provide lunches and they will start accepting food from me. Until then I won’t be offering and it’s very CF for them to ask!

Well it's not going to be all that easy to provide lunch when they're dismantling your kitchen, is it?

No, it is not usual to provide anything other than tea/coffee/water & biscuits.

Nope - absolutely not

I'm sure they appreciate anything offered but should not expect it

Cheeky beggars! I mean, my MIL does this, but she's not normal. 😄

We once had workmen in for a period of months making major alterations to our house. Providing them with lunch every day would have bankrupted us, plus there was a chippy and a small supermarket right across the road.

Yes, Op, I do. It’s normally - bacon sandwiches and tea for breakfast. A pastry or something like that for brunch, along with coffee. Then a cooked lunch of some sort plus dessert. In the afternoon, I make a nice substantial snack. Tea/coffee/cold available all day, either homemade or I can nip out to Costa or whatever they prefer. If they were to work late of course I would make them their dinner too. It’s the least i can do ☺️

I thought it was cheeky for some workman to ask for filter coffee! I made cup after cup for 4 men all day with a 3 month old non-sleeping baby. By day 2 I pointed to the kettle and a pot of instant and joked they should be making me coffee! Lunch/sandwiches? lol, absolutely not!

No and it is very presumptuous of them to even ask