I hate the food on holiday

[pandarific]

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 (), 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?

How much longer are you there for? Will PIL feel insulted if you go out for a meal? I expect if it’s a catered villa that may be because of a lack of restaurants close by. If it was me I would just enjoy the sun and rest, regardless. Many congrats on your pregnancy.

Omg just GO OUT! Greece has shops and restaurants. You’re not in prison.

On the bright side, you're in a beautiful country, with a personal chef, being waited on, the weather is gorgeous, your pregnancy is going well... I mean come on now this is a bit silly!

I think you need to handle this quite carefully to be honest. Your in laws have very very kindly paid to take you on holiday and you are going to stock up at a supermarket - if they find out how do you think that will make them feel?

Either offer to take everyone out for a meal or say you fancy a trip to the supermarket and does anyone want anything?

Don't be sneaky it is never a good look.

Ignore snotty PP - there's always someone who has to be an arsehole for no good reason!

It sounds very dull, not at all surprised you're bored to tears of it! I would take DH up on his supermarket suggestion and lay in some excellent nibbles / cheese / desserts etc!

Or just blame pregnancy cravings ;)

I don't think YABU! Food is one of the most important parts of a holiday for me, and there are so many fun things you can't do when pregnant that nice food is one of the remaining pleasures! Sure you'll laugh about it one day tho

Ps that's a cook not a chef

Do you have a drink problem? You sound desperate (beyond normal) for a drink.

I'd be a right grumpy cow if I was on holiday and I couldn't have a single cold glass of prosecco, or beer! And I barely drink.

Ooh now baklava - yum

Yanbu, OP.

All that food sounds lovely (apart from the plain meat). I'd demolish a spinach and feta filo pie in seconds right now. But every night? No.

OP could have a glass of wine or a beer.

@Herbalteahippie we will! Public hol today and Sunday yesterday so bit limited with things being open.

Can you safely eat feta when pg?

Mmmm retsina. Vile in any other context, nice in Greece!

I agree part of being holidays is the different food. I wonder if the English woman told the chef to keep it plain because there were fussy English eaters in if PIL took fish off the menu. I LOVE Greek food, some of the best ever meals we had were in Greece. Mousakka, Stiffato, taramasalata, tziki with fresh pitta, grilled fish and souvlaki! Yum. Could you have a word with the chef or woman in charge and ask could they add in some of those meals to change things up. And in fairness continental breakfast is well...continental. What you are getting is pretty standard, the cornflakes are probably added as the "english" requirement for PIL. You could ask if there are some cheese or cured meats but it might not be in the budget if the chef/food costs X amount of money it could be there are different price points so I would get DH and yourself and head to the stores and maybe have some nice lunches out. It is all rather first world problems, if you dont like what is on offer go pay for your meal elsewhere.

Yes, but not every woman likes to drink even a little bit whilst pregnant. I didn't.

And that's without the stigma.

I would also be gutted. One day - nice. Second day - a bit disappointing but they aren't wasting stuff. Third day - WTF.

I've never been to Greece but I do have a Greek cookery book and the food is lovely, and there are lovely salads, all sorts of cheeses I can't get and wish I could, sauces which are a doddle with grilled meats and fish.

I'd be suspicious they are doing Greek food for Brits. Spanakopitas, feta cheese, yoghurt, Greek salad and you are done.

Have a word - see if the chef can do anything else.

Download a translation app onto your phone. Type in what you would like to eat and show it to the cook.
She probably thinks English people like plain food.

Let me get this straight, you're on a free holiday and all you can do is b*h about the food your personal chef has cooked (which all sounds fine to me). Yes please give your head a wobble, you sound like an entitled nightmare

@mrscampbellblackreturns you’re totally right. PIL love taramasalata and things like that, we’ll make sure we take orders for grazing style things like that.

I think I have sufficiently contained my grump so they shouldn’t be aware.

I’m very food focused and would be exactly the same!

^This. Sounds like a massive disappointment.

Thats what happens when you go away with family and they pick the holiday. We always go self catering and eat out for all meals trying a different restaurant everynight. It is a bit more expensive but we like to eat local food. Your holiday is my wirse nightmare.

I get the pregnancy grumps especially when not drinking ;)

How much are you paying the cook per person OP?

We’ve got a house abroad that we rent out, if our cook came up with this kind of stuff our clients would hit the roof. We send the menus beforehand so they can see exactly what is on offer.

I would 1) tell the owner it’s not an acceptable standard and can she please find another cook - there should be more around if it’s a tourist area and b) get a refund for the rest of the stay and eat out instead.

I sympathise, as a vegetarian who stayed in a hotel for two weeks. Feta bread and salad is lovely, so is spinach pie but it gets boring after two days, by day 5 of this plus omelette I cried! Everyone else got almost the same but with chicken. And we all love Greek food, go for meze, so it was even worse as we knew what we were missing!!!!
You have to get food from elsewhere even if it’s a few pots of dips!!!