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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I hate the food on holiday

326 replies

pandarific · 28/05/2018 18:46

Gutted. We’re at a villa in Greece with PIL, I’m pregnant. This villa (organised by PIL) comes with a ‘chef’, who you give money at the start of the week and they cook breakfast lunch and dinner.

It’s run by an English lady, who manages the chef - all we got asked was ‘are there any vegetarians?’ and one person has said they don’t like fish - ‘oh okay, good you said as we have fish three times this week.’

My problem is... The food is cooked fine, but it’s very, very plain and the same thing over and over. I can’t have a bloody drink, I LOVE food anyway so was really, really looking forward to nice food on holiday. Varied, interesting, with nice desserts, stuff I wouldnt have at home - holiday food, iyswim? I could honestly cry.

For lunch yesterday it was spinach and feta pie, plain tomato onion olive pepper and cucumber salad, a loaf of bread and a slab of feta. Fine - bit dull, but fine.

For dinner yesterday it was plain cooked chicken (no sauce of any kind) cooked potatoes and the same salad. A loaf of bread, a slab of feta cheese. An odd orange cake for after which was strangely wet inside and not very nice. ...again a bit dull, but fine.

For breakfast, it’s been eggs, a loaf of bread, Greek yoghurt, jam, cut up fruit. Oh or cornflakes. (Three large packets of cereal, all bloody cornflakes. WTF?)

For lunch today, it was the chicken from yesterday, the spinach pie from yesterday, a slab of feta, a loaf of bread, and salad.

We have just had dinner. I had a word with myself beforehand as I’m beginning to get severely grumpy and struggling to hide my rage, and everyone else, DH included, seems to be delighted with it. I was thinking I shouldn’t pre-judge it, I’m sure she’ll do something different, etc etc. Can you guess where I’m going with this?

Plain grilled chicken or plain grilled pork (Shock), no sauce of any kind, the same salad, a slab of feta, a loaf of bread, the spinach pie again. Nothing for after.

I am fucking gutted. I KNOW I am putting too much importance on this, but I can’t have anything to drink, I’m pretty bloody food focused anyway and now I’m pregnant I’m dying for nice, interesting food to relieve some of the massive fucking boredom of being pregnant, and I was SO looking forward to this. Idk if I was stupid to expect something better, I’ve never been on a holiday like this before, wasn’t . No shops open at the min as it’s a public holiday - I have privately moaned to DH and he’s said we can go to the supermarket .

If I see that fucking salad again I may scream. Please Mumsnet, I know IABU - hand me a grip someone?

OP posts:
pandarific · 29/05/2018 18:58

All is well today. Supermarket was located when we went out en masses for a drive, and I bought lots of mezze style things, interesting looking Greek sausages, plus nuts, little cakey things in boxes, ice cream, cherries and chocolate for after dinner - things like that.

Today's dinner was grilled white fish, The Famous Salad, toasted white bread, plus courgette fritters left over from lunch, no dessert. The non fish eater looked a bit disappointed at being given a pork chop (also served at today's lunch and yesterday's dinner) but ate up without complaint.

Out of curiosity I have checked description and lady is indeed a 'cook' rather than a 'chef' so possibly my initial expectations were U, (chef is how it was communicated to me). Anyway it's fine, I know what's likely to come up now so am over the initial disappointment re: obsession with plain grilled meat and can work around it. Thank you mn for directing me to the grip dept! Wink

OP posts:
MikeUniformMike · 29/05/2018 19:03

imam bayildi is middle eastern not greek.

danTDM · 29/05/2018 19:16

Glad you have a grip and you had fish, and that you provided mezze!
Yes, a cook. Not chef! courgette frtters... yum! I would honestly love this lunch!

Honestly OP you sound lovely but U. Really here (Med), we do have just grilled meats ,salads and bread and cheese! NO SAUCE!

Hope it was lovely going round the supermarkets, I love that in a foreign country.

expatinscotland · 29/05/2018 19:20

'I love the word dreich'

I love the word 'wine' even more Grin.

Glad it was better. Hope you can get to a restaurant, too.

I'll bet the ILs told her to go bland.

TatianaLarina · 29/05/2018 19:20

The med is not one country. Italy, Spain, S.France - sauces galore.

danTDM · 29/05/2018 19:25

I live in Spain! No sauce, just olive oil! Lemon juice.
In Rome and Italy and Paris the same.

Where do you/ have you lived?

NO sauces here!

AnnaMagnani · 29/05/2018 19:26

There are sauces in my Greek book, lots of them. The egg and lemon one mentioned by previous posters for starters.

I've made lots of them as they are an easy midweek thing to do with grilled meat and fish. Sorry OP, they are really tasty.

Perhaps when you are back home and want to taste what you have missed:

www.amazon.co.uk/Flavours-Greece-Rosemary-Barron/dp/1906502609/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=rosemary+barron&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1527618348&sr=8-1

Scribblegirl · 29/05/2018 19:27

Horrah! Graze away OP. I think you’ve been unduly pasted, food is the best part of a holiday and Greek food is lush Smile

Mummadeeze · 29/05/2018 19:33

Just wanted to say I think you were being completely reasonable. The food sounded boring and I would have asked for more variety and nice dips like hummus and taramasalata, plus some different pastry type things. Holidays are all about food for most people. I know you have bought your own bits now and that was a good idea but I would have had a (non-confrontational) chat with the chef too to encourage them to branch out a bit more.

YearOfYouRemember · 29/05/2018 19:44

What did the cook/chef say when you came back with your own food?

TatianaLarina · 29/05/2018 19:45

I’ve had some fantastic sauces in Spain. I’ve lived in France and Italy and currently have a house in one, both are flush with sauces -

Bolognese, carbonara, Arrabbiata, Puttanesca, pesto, cacciatore, parmigiana, gremolata - béchamel, hollandaise, béarnaise, velouté, éspagnole, sauce verte, sauce vierge, beurre blanc, duck a l’orange, duck with cherries, chasseur sauce, tarragon sauce, lemon and herb sauce, tomato sauce with olives etc...

Jaxhog · 29/05/2018 19:46

I'd be disappointed too. You should be getting calamari, not yesterday's chicken. You should have freshly made hummus, not left over pie. Shouldn't there be warm pitta bread, moussaka, dolmades and baklava. Even feta cheese is better crumbled into a tomato and olive oil salad.

This is basic Greek food.

clarkl2 · 29/05/2018 20:20

Go find a restaurant....

alig99 · 29/05/2018 20:25

I’m in Greece you’re in Greece, Greek food by the sea is b**y boring. Interesting or different Greek food in a restaurant is hard to find and believe me we have tried and only found 3 places in the Ionian which are different sadly all miles apart. Food in very different inland in the mountain areas of Greece. Why don’t you ask the chef to cook something more to you taste...blame it on a pregnancy craving 😀.

Meowandthen · 29/05/2018 21:05

MikeUniformMike Imam Bayaldi is a Turkish dish. It translates as ‘the priest fainted’. There are similar dishes in Greek but best not to ask for a Turkish version.

People claims that you don’t get sauces in Med are hilarious by the way.

MikeUniformMike · 29/05/2018 21:14

It is. The name is Arabic.

Fairyhill · 29/05/2018 21:35

When I was preg if you d handed me that same plain food every night I d have likely chopped you up and cooked you myself!! I was very food focused - because I could do bugger all else !! But my idea of heaven - was kFC gravy and beef hoola hoops! ( for the first 4 months -) but after that I wanted gorgeous yummy food - puddings.. so other than we both sound like greedy mares — I know how you feel - just hold on there and think what you ll scoff when you get home and enjoy the holiday xx

MaggieWaggie41 · 29/05/2018 21:39

You sound like not very nice person. I'm not sure you are just nasty, or having psychological issues. Try seeking help

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 29/05/2018 21:41

You sound like not very nice person. I'm not sure you are just nasty, or having psychological issues. Try seeking help

Are you replying to the right thread? Confused

lardymclardy · 29/05/2018 21:54

Bolognese, carbonara, Arrabbiata, Puttanesca, pesto, cacciatore, parmigiana, gremolata - béchamel, hollandaise, béarnaise, velouté, éspagnole, sauce verte, sauce vierge, beurre blanc, duck a l’orange, duck with cherries, chasseur sauce, tarragon sauce, lemon and herb sauce, tomato sauce with olives etc...

Somebody could have flagged the food porn alert! Hungry now...

BiscayTrafalgarFitzroy · 29/05/2018 22:23

You sound like not very nice person. I'm not sure you are just nasty, or having psychological issues. Try seeking help

Yes - I'm sure most professionals will take you seriously when you rock up and demand help for your psychological issues of not wanting to eat the same food repeatedly whilst on holiday.

Strygil · 29/05/2018 22:25

Think of the millions of people who would kill to eat as well as you, and stop being such an over-entitled pillock.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 29/05/2018 22:31

Bolognese, carbonara, Arrabbiata, Puttanesca, pesto, cacciatore, parmigiana, gremolata - béchamel, hollandaise, béarnaise, velouté, éspagnole, sauce vierge, beurre blanc, duck a l’orange, duck with cherries, chasseur sauce, tarragon sauce, lemon and herb sauce, tomato sauce with olives etc...

These all sound delicious, but none is actually Greek.

midsomermurderess · 29/05/2018 22:34

You sound like not very nice person. I'm not sure you are just nasty, or having psychological issues. Try seeking help. Jesus Louisus, who the fuck are you?

Byllis · 29/05/2018 22:42

Imam bayildi is most definitely a Turkish name. Bayildi is past tense of the verb to faint (and should be spelt with Turkish characters I can’t type atm).

I’d have been disappointed with the food too, but it sounds like things are looking up!