Birthday weekend ready meals - OK or not?

[whiskyowl]

MIL has one of those birthdays coming up with a '0' on the end.

DH and BIL are paying for a weekend away for six of us to celebrate. This involves hire of a cottage, a special activity for a day (£200), and we are also paying all food and booze. We've made a huge cake, too.
Obviously, the costs here are quite high.

We will all help cook one meal on two of the evenings. However, this means cooking after the all-day activity, when we will all be pretty tired.

I suggested that instead of cooking from scratch on that night, we got some ready meals in from that posh frozen place, Cook. We could then just bung them in the oven and chill out.

This idea was met with horror from BIL and partner on the grounds that it 'sends the wrong message' and 'wouldn't be spoiling MIL'.

I've never really thought of high-end ready meals as inferior, and I'd never judge someone who served me one. (I'm generally just grateful to be served any food at all!) But I am very definitely not as posh as the rest of them.

Would you be offended at being served high-end ready meals in this situation?

[hippy1952]

No.

[sidewayswithatescotrolley]

Just call a takeaway fgs, what's with the angst?

[NoSquirrels]

Tell them you’ll cook from scratch at home but freeze it ready for cooking on the day.

But it all from Cook and decant into your usual ovenware.

[KJE2017]

If you and your DH are paying for half of everything then why not get some frozen meals. They should appreciate it and you all need to chill out cooking would be a faf on!

[Newtothis2017]

Not at all. Or you could make them at home, freeze them and bring them with you. Then you only need sides and to defrost and reheat

[walkingthroughdarkness]

What's a high end ready meal? Where from?

[TheWitchwithNoName]

Cook would be way posher and more expensive than a takeaway

[Ubercornsdiscoball]

Do any of you have a slow cooker? Put a curry, bolognase or chilli in at the start of the day - come back and it’s all cooked. Sorted!

[whiskyowl]

Nosquirrels - I like the way you think

I am making something in advance to take for the Friday night - it's the Saturday that's in question. It won't be a problem whatever happens - I was just wondering whether readymeals are a complete no-no in middle class life!

[PaperdollCartoon]

Cook is posh ready meals. I think this is fine. Get a bottle of champers to go with it. But depends on your MIL what she would like I guess.

[MiddleClassProblem]

No. We go to plenty of celebrations where you have shove in the oven party food too. Cook food is decent.

Having said that, if her son wants something homemade/ more special sand they are happy to help or cook it themselves then I wouldn’t argue. If you’re expected to cook it on your own then they have no right to complain either.

[PaperdollCartoon]

Cook only have shops in posh areas, it’s definitely middle class.

[mrsm43s]

I don't think there's anything wrong with Cook! tbh.

However, I'd probably make some homemade lasagnes at home, freeze them and take them there frozen. Leave them to defrost during the day, and then bung in the oven when you get home from the activity. Serve with a bag or two of bagged green salad. Easy peasy.

[CapnHaddock]

Stuff from Cook is basically like you make at home but frozen. If your BIL thinks that isn't good enough for his mother, he can cook :)

[whiskyowl]

It will be fine on labour - BIL and his partner are amazing at cooking and we all pitch in. There's no-one who shirks their share, which will make life easier.

Please don't worry about coming up with solutions - it will be fine! It's just that I am a bit confused about whether it's socially OK to serve posh readymeals or not! I hadn't considered before now that some people might see them as a real no-no.

[Oblomov18]

I've never eaten cook food. Is it good?

[unintentionalthreadkiller]

I really don't rate the stuff from cook.

M&S or Waitrose entertaining meals are oven ready and much better imo and I'd have no problem with that at all.

Or hire a chef to come in and cook, we did that recently and it wasn't crazy expensive and they did all the clearing up too.

[sidewayswithatescotrolley]

Am I the only one who doesn't give a shit if its dairylea triangles on toast as long as a)I don't have to make it and b) it comes with wine?

[MamaDuckling]

[whiskyowl]

sideways - that is absolutely how I feel. Which is why I was really blindsided by the idea that using readymeals showed a lack of effort/care. As long as the food is yummy, does it really matter if it's hand-prepared or not?

One of the reasons I'm asking is that it's our turn to host the Christmas celebration for DH's family this year, and I was planning on doing one Cook readymeal, but now I feel like this will be seen as a lack of effort/care and really poor hosting - it will be yet another sign of how "common" I am.

[CompleteAisling]

If they really think that about you, then fuck them anyway. If they are determined to find fault, they will, no matter what you do. So just do whatever suits you, let them have at it and tell yourself its not your problem, its theirs.
Anyone who complains about a meal bought and prepared for them is a total tool.

[bridgetreilly]

I admit, I would be a bit disappointed with a ready meal in that situation. I don't quite know why, though. Home cooking is what I want for a family celebration.

[candyloves]

Could you get some nice buffet type stuff from m+s instead ?

[BeanFobbedOff]

Could you do something that combines high and low, like fish and chips served at at a beautifully set table, with nice drinks and flowers?

I don't think Cook is common, but perhaps they are a family who show care by 'making an effort' at meals, and that would fall into the bracket (for them) of Not An Effort?

[CompleteAisling]

Home cooking is what I want for a family celebration

Really? How shallow. Family and celebration is what I want for a family celebration. OP already said it would be a home cooked meal the previous evening, and they would be busy all day the second day. When would you like her to do the home cooking for a group the second day?