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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

In wondering what people WANT from food on holidays?

124 replies

hoovercraft · 27/02/2011 16:31

Went on holiday and the food at the hotel was lovely. Huge array of salads and seafood and hot dishes. Really interesting food and salads - lovely one with avocado (my fave).
One night they had whole prawns on the buffet, another was a whole salmon. All fresh and lovely. Meat dishes were nice too. Also had a huge paella and local dishes.

But people complained about the food Shock.
One couple we met even went to the local greasy spoon for meals. We went there at lunch and it was horrible - chips, micro pizzas, froen prawns with no flavour in sandwiches.

Im amazed. What do people want from holiday food?

OP posts:
BusyMissIzzy · 27/02/2011 16:34

Some people seem to be scared of foreign food, or any food they're not used to. I think it's quite sad, food is a big part of foreign culture and personally I really enjoy trying new things on holiday. A lot of British tourists don't seem to feel the same way though.

Original poster
hoovercraft · 27/02/2011 16:34

There were loads of people who brought their own cereals.

OP posts:
ChaoticAngelofAnarchy · 27/02/2011 16:35

The same thing they eat at home probably Hmm

It never ceases to amaze me that some people go abroad and want/expect English food. My dd is a fussy eater but even she managed to try, and enjoy, some of the food, that wasn't 'British' provided by the hotel.

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 27/02/2011 16:35

People just like to have something, anything to whinge about!!

I love holiday food. Had dysentry when I was younger in a hotel but still couldnt fault the food! Grin

theyCallMeHer · 27/02/2011 16:35

My friends go to the same resort in Egypt every year just because it's got kfc/ haRD ROCK CAFE/ MCDonalds etc, I don't understand it at all.

Original poster
hoovercraft · 27/02/2011 16:37

I looked on trip advisor etc and some people have said "terrible food". Baffled.

OP posts:
exoticfruits · 27/02/2011 16:39

I looked on trip advisor and someone complained there was no brown sauce at breakfast!!!
(trip advisor can be a hoot-but I pity the hotels!)

DooinMeCleanin · 27/02/2011 16:39

My Dad has an aversion to 'forrin' food. Which is odd as he eats some truely vile things that he deems as English e.g Haggis, squid, black pudding....

He does not like pasta, rice, pizza, noodles, tortillas, spicy food. I feel sorry for him actually.

diddl · 27/02/2011 16:41

I guess salad & seafood isn´t for everyone-if that was the bulk of the buffet.

Sounds great to me but husband & children probably wouldn´t want it for the whole holiday.

Were the meat dishes served with mash & gravyGrin

Original poster
hoovercraft · 27/02/2011 16:42

It wasnt the bulk (just my faves). There were all sorts of meats and other things. No mash though Shock

OP posts:
TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 27/02/2011 16:42

YANBU - once saw a British car in Catalonia full of suitcases and boxes of Heinz baked beans. I wanted to shout 'they sell them here as well you know!' They also had tinned tomatoes...??? Bringing tomatoes to Spain Confused

Unless you're talking about Cuba. The food there is the pits. But on the bright side, the drink is superb and the diarrhoea means you'll lose loads of weight.

allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 27/02/2011 16:42

Hoover did you leave a good review for them? :)

Original poster
hoovercraft · 27/02/2011 16:42

i tried to but didnt log in properly. I will do it again.

OP posts:
allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 27/02/2011 16:43

Tonde , I was in Cuba... Confused

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 27/02/2011 16:44

Ah...is that where you got dyssentry? Sad Wink

I hope you were old enough to be treated to some medicinal Havana Club...

diddl · 27/02/2011 16:45

"He does not like pasta, rice, pizza, noodles, tortillas, spicy food."

Same as my ILs!

TondelayoSchwarzkopf · 27/02/2011 16:47

Just as an FYI, my DH's uncle is from Yorkshire and when he came to visit us in exotic north London we suggested taking him to one of our local restaurants - mostly Turkish or Middle-eastern owned "Italian" - and we received an edict from Doncaster that he would be bringing his own food thank you very much and would not require us to supply any

He turned up with Warburton's white sliced bread and a tin of salmon.

MCos · 27/02/2011 16:48

well for me, something that the kids will eat!
Buffet you described sounds lovely. Now if there is pasta/pizza for the kids to eat, I'd be happy.

rookiemater · 27/02/2011 16:49

I once stayed at a lovely 4 star hotel with delicious buffet, loads of seafood, great choice of dishes. I was shocked to see one family where the entire family sat with chips and chips only on each and every one of their plates, bizarre.

Of course DS is a ridiculously fussy eater so we are somewhat limited, but I'd rather eat somewhere nice and usually they will be happy to make pasta or something similar for DS, failing that he will eat bread and not starve.

adelaidegirl · 27/02/2011 16:55

I met a woman on a group trip in Vietnam and we sat next to each other at dinner. I was saying how easy I was finding it to find nice food despite being vegetarian. She looked horrified and said she could not find anything to eat that she liked and she was vegetarian too. It turned out she did not like: spicy food, white food (eg white rice or bread) or tofu. I did wonder how she thought she was going to manage in South East Asia!

Original poster
hoovercraft · 27/02/2011 16:56

Im lucky that ds will eat anything and try everything.

OP posts:
Ephiny · 27/02/2011 17:01

When I read the OP I thought 'some people might want vegetarian food'! That can be difficult when travelling sometimes, though for all we know there were nice veggie dishes there and people didn't want those either...

sarahpea · 27/02/2011 17:04

sounds lovely, where did you go?!!!

bupcakesandcunting · 27/02/2011 17:10

Oh God. Yes.

On holiday in Greece about eight years ago, was swimming in the sea with DH. Some other British holidaymakers were floating about nearby. One of the men is moaning about the effect that the Greek cuisine is having on his delicate gut and how he'd kill for a donner kebab Hmm Then, one of their number calls them from the shore "Oi! Guess what I've found?! Bobby's Bar, they sell chicken kiev and they do a sunday dinna an' awl!"

I shit you not, I've never seen six people leave a beach so quickly.

DaffadownDilly · 27/02/2011 17:20

Not to be poisoned is always a bonus.