To think tuna is not vegetarian!

[TheTitOfTheIceberg]

A member of my team has been involved in arranging a small event at work, which was taking place today. I'm on leave but dropped her a quick text to see how it was going, and also asked her to let me know particularly what she thought of the lunch provided/any delegate feedback about it as it was the first time we've used these particular caterers. Company policy is now to order vegetarian options only as standard.

She has just replied "lunch was fine - samosas, spring rolls, quiches (leek & cheese, broccoli), dips with raw veg crudites, sandwiches/wraps (salad, cheese, tuna mayo, egg & tomato) and lots of fruit".

Tuna?? On a vegetarian platter? AIBU to think the catering company has dropped a bollock here?

It’s pescatarian (if you eat fish )

WTF is a flexitarian??

Vegetarians don't eat animals. That's it, isn't it?

think Tuna is vegetarian!? Am I mad? It's fish not meat. The veggies I know eat no meat but they do eat fish.

Then your friends aren’t vegetarians.
Vegetarians do not eat ‘anything with a face’
They’re pescatarians.

WeepingWillow do you mean the catering company made the mistake of providing a meat-free platter? I know we ordered 'vegetarian' from them because I placed the order myself and that's what it was called. The options were called something like 'Standard - Budget / Standard - Deluxe / Vegetarian - Basic / Vegetarian - Deluxe / Hot Buffet Standard - Budget...' etc etc you get the gist. There wasn't a meat-free/pescatarian option labelled as such per se.

Flexitarians are people who eat some meals with meat and some without.

Yes, like all non-vegetarians and vegans.

"I'm a flexitarian" is code for "I'm an utter bellend."

no, I just thought that whoever placed the order might have selected meat-free rather than veggie. Though it's possible the catering company interpreted veggie as meat-free, in which case I'd be having a very strong word!

Flexitarian is only eat meat twice a week or somesuch.

Vegetarians don’t eat meat or fish or poultry. Back in the olden days a resturant tried to convince me anchovies were vegetables.

I eat fish and not meat. I do not see myself as vegetarian as fish are animals! I call myself pescatarian. True vegetarians do not eat fish.

There are various different types of vegetarianism - with different names , none of them include eating fish though

It sounds like the company has confused the two, WeepingWillow. Just like a certain proportion of vegetarians, by the sound of it!

I am boggling at flexitarian. Why does that even need a word at all - isn't it just the standard Western diet?? Is it shorthand for "would like to be a vegetarian but enjoys bacon butties too much"?

I think a lot of people think that vegetarian means not eating meat.

Wouldn't expect a catering company to make tha mistake though!

"I'm a flexitarian" is code for "I'm an utter bellend."

This!

Basically they claim they're "different" to other omnivores as they eat slightly more vegetarian dishes/meals than others or are "mostly" vegetarian.

Attention seeking inaccurate bollocks!

My parents don't eat red meat for health reasons they have veggie dinners probably 2-3 times a week, they wouldn't dream of saying anything other than that they eat a normal diet without red meat. And then only if the subject were raised!

Flexitarians bang on about how they're "doing their bit" while actually committing to sod all! In any real way.

Please tell the catering company, to "educate" them, that fish is not part of a vegetarian diet. This is very important from a liability point of view as well as the obvious ethical problems for the veggie eaters--as some people are allergic to fish and thus could have a nasty reaction from food that they are expecting not to contain fish.

Eugh, that's ridiculous.

And I know I'm probably going to get some smart arse replies... But that platter would really suck if you were vegan or had a dairy and egg allergy. A lot of dips can't be trusted not to have cream in them, ghee may have been used in the samosas ... So raw veg, salad sandwich (non dairy butter? Mayo? Maybe not) and some fruit.

Is it shorthand for "would like to be a vegetarian but enjoys bacon butties too much"?

I'd say shorthand for

"Would like the kudos of being vegetarian without actually making the commitment or effort"

meat free does not mean vegetarian.

I would assume someone who asked for a "meat -free" platter, required something without meat - i.e. no chicken, bacon, beef, ham, etc etc.

A vegetarian platter would get egg/cheese/hoummas selection

A vegan platter would be vegetables and fruit and vegetable and hoummous wraps.

Fish is a type of meat, just the animal it comes from lives under water in lakes, rivers or the sea. Or that is how it should be. Therefore it is not vegetarian. That is hardly difficult to understand, but for some reason a lot of people really don't get it.

I like my fish and chips with DH and DD2 on Saturday night. It's a family tradition in this house.

The rest of the week I eat vegetarian meals with DD3, who has now turned vegan.

Posted too soon. I had meant to add that I know this makes me pescatarian.

The catering company sounds very dumb.

But then I've seen 'vegetarian menus' in restaurants where 90% of options were not veggie. Perhaps you could also let the company know that cheeses made with natural rennet are not vegetarian (so most premium cheeses) and neither are things with gelatine. Rant over :D

I don't mind flexitarian. I think it demonstrates exactly how much meat some households consume that having meat-free days is such a big change it needs a name!

Its pescatarian.

Was it obligatory to eat a bit of everything?

I'm a flexitarian" is code for "I'm an utter bellend."
I’m married to a vegetarian, every meal I cook is vegetarian. When we dine out, I eat meat and I love it. I consider myself flexitarian. You think I’m a bellend. We all have different views on the same things.

Honeysucklejasmine you're right, although in this situation we asked the delegates for any allergy/intolerance information beforehand and took that into account when ordering the lunch. If there had been any dairy issues or vegan delegates we would have either had requested more of those options from this firm or, if they were unable to accommodate that, used another company. As it was, this selection was fine - apart from the tuna!

some people do consider fish to be a part of a vegetarian diet some people do not

What? Really? Tuna is dead animal of course it's not veggie