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?

Sounds like standard Greek meals. I love the fact that leftovers are used up.

Not a lot you can do. Just head out for a few lunches and tell the cook you won't be eating on those days.

You know you are being a bit "brit-princess"? The cook would be mortified to know you hate the food.

Are they mistakenly catering for a bland British palette? We don't have the best reputation internationally. DH and I raised eyebrows in Marrakech eating at a street market asking the seller for local delicacies and then truly enjoying the lamb brain I'm sure he gave us to test us. Similarly in Mexico when we asked for spicy they'd insist we tried it as it was 'very hot for English' . To be fair we saw lots of British and American tourists in both locations asking for McDonald's or asking for dishes 'plain' etc. Have a chat with chef and say you'd love to try her kleftiko , mutton lagoto etc.

I don't think the British 'palette' is bland at all. Thus our love affair with curry and all kinds of 'forrin' food.

*palate..

I do get its a total first world problem but actually its a justifiable one as id be really disappointed with that menu too

@fourfriedchickens clearly neither do I, i love all kinds of food and think we have a very diverse range of cuisines available in the UK, my point was this is not always the reputation we have internationally.

I love the fact that leftovers are used up

Why? Shouldn’t be happening with a pro chef. They’re paying for fresh meals not old eat ups.

If the chef provides x number of portions correctly there shouldn’t be too much left over. Normally that would just be left with the clients, not served up the next day.

People on MN are sometimes astoundingly rude to pregnant people. I'd be pissed off too, OP, pregnant or not.

People on MN are sometimes astoundingly rude to pregnant people.

Really? I find the 'all pregnant women are delicate flowers who must not be upset at any cost' attitude much more prevalent (and I am, for the record, 33 weeks pregnant).

People on MN are sometimes astoundingly rude, full stop!

its the bad repoutation we have people from other countries think all we like is fish and chips and roast dinner

@MargaretCavendish DH has said ‘there’s nothing actually WRONG with the food though’ - and to be fair, there isn’t. It’s fresh, seasonal, cooked okay etc. Just very (IMO) plain and repetitive. Like, I know for lunch tomorrrow she’ll dish up the (masses and masses of, way more than is appropriate for our numbers) chicken and pork she cooked today for dinner, with salad, bread and a slab of feta cheese.

@DanTDM Hoping you’re right, maybe it will change. It’s the fact it’s the same food over and over again that’s wrecking my head tbh - it’s fine, to the shops I go tomorrow!

Re: ‘just use olive oil’ - I have prettymuch exhausted my limited interest in olive oil, plain white bread and vinegar. Or did you mean on the grilled meat? That really wouldn’t appeal to me tbh.

Yes, really. There's been plenty of implications on this thread.

Hmm, that's tricky because to me that sounds like a 'please don't rock the boat' - and I think I'd listen to that if my DP was saying it about his parents and a situation that was acceptable, if not ideal. I would definitely try and have some meals out and get some nice snacks in - I think your supermarket plan is the most tactful way to go!

I'd honestly go out. Just tell them you're having a date lunch.

If the chef provides x number of portions correctly there shouldn’t be too much left over.

Depending on who's eating it, what their preference to food and dishes on offer is or whether or not they're PG and grumpy........
sorry OP I've been there lol

I'd be disappointed that she was serving up yesterday"s leftovers for lunch each day.

She's not even doing anything creative with them, why not egg and lemon soup with chicken stock, risotto with left over chicken, stuffed vegetables etc etc?

Id be happy with that for a day but not three days on repeat. Sounds completely boring. Although the breakfast would be fine. Can you not just call the person serving over and say quietly, do you have any sauce I can put on the chicken?

I love eating lots of new varied food abroad and that just sounds boring. My sister in law is green and my step brorher and her go over each summer to have an extended holiday. That isnt what they are eating on repeat going by all their pics each year.

OMG, Ada.
Egg and lemon soup? Is that a thing? I've never heard of it before. Maybe the cook at the villa hasn't either lol.

Of course you're grateful to be on a paid holiday (i would be too!) but for some of us foodies- the food options matter then pay for your own holiday!

OP surely you'll be paying for a meal out or something for everyone to thank them for their generosity of a free holiday? So you can have something then?

Er no, a chef should actually know how to cook. It doesn't sound like this one does.

And it sounds as dull as ditchwater; not what Greek food should be like at all.

I love your sense of humour about it, OP, and I hope things improve.

Like, I know for lunch tomorrrow she’ll dish up the (masses and masses of, way more than is appropriate for our numbers) chicken and pork she cooked today for dinner

That shows how inexperienced she is. She’s not really a pro caterer.

Depending on who's eating it, what their preference to food and dishes on offer is or whether or not they're PG and grumpy........

Like I said you’d expect a menu, people to choose their preference, if someone doesn’t eat their portion, it won’t be a huge amount, certainly shouldn’t be enough to serve up the next day. It shouldn’t be served again anyway.

Sorry to be po-faced but this ‘chef’ and the owner are taking the piss.

I'd be astonished if a Greek chef had never heard of egg and lemon soup. It's a classic.

www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-greek-egg-and-lemon-soup-avgolemono-242659

Yes, it's Avgolemono, Cady a famous Greek soup, chicken stock, egg, lemon and a little rice, you serve it hot or (my favourite) chilled ~ delicious!

@RedForFilth We’ll certainly try, though FIL never accepts! PIL are lovely, I wouldn’t upset them - they are excited about first gc so pushed for the hol as a treat.

All will be well, I will just make sure I get snacks bits in that everyone will like.