To tell newly vegan guest to bring their own dish on Christmas Day?

[GunpowderGelatine]

I'm hosting Christmas day at my house this year, not something I've done in ages. There's ten of us, including the kids, which is a great number - my plan, like every year I cook, is to order M&S food and pick it up on Christmas Eve then just bung it all in the oven and make some homemade gravy. I usually get a pork joint as I'm not a turkey fan, but will also be getting a turkey joint for my guests. I'm not usually the type to stress about Christmas dinner (it's only a roast after all!) but I also want it to be as simple as possible. One of my guests has declared they are now vegan. Which is a bit of a PITA for dinner if I'm honest as I'll have to sort a vegan main, gravy, dessert etc. I also have a nut allergy sufferer in the group which excludes quite a lot of vegan options as mains.

WIBU to ask the newly vegan guest to bring their own dish on the day or is that really rude? I've kind of planned the food around the size of my oven/hob and could do without the added stuff having to go in it (don't mind warming something up though)?

Yes as Emerald says . Vegitarian can eat all the veggies buy a vegan ready meal and instant vegan gravy. So it's just case of putting the oven meal in the oven for 30/40 mins and adding boiling water to granules.

YABU
Agreeing to host a group of people means hosting all of them, not just the ones whose dietery requirements you personally agree with.
Making someone feel like a burden is really unkind.
If you're buying pre-made food anyway, there's no reason not to get a vegan friendly item for the vegan in your life.

YABU
M&S has a huuuuuge vegan range. If you're ordering everything from there anyway then why can't you just order some vegan bits?

I have a weird diet (keto) and if I was going to a big hosted dinner I would have no problem with bringing some of my own food.

I don't think it's rude but the guest may do.. you know your guest.

To be frank. As the host, it is extremely rude to not cater for them. How would you feel? Just fess up and do the right thing.

It’s not unreasonable but it’s not hard to get an extra dish to add in , just make sure you have vegan sides . Definitely speak to this guest before hand they may be happy to bring a dish to share ( that happened to me when I got faced with a vegan at Christmas) but explain about the nut allergy .
Also check how they feel having a dish cooked in an oven with meat .
There are actually a lot of accidental vegan foods you can get that most people won’t notice and the vegan will feel welcome .

Good luck

I'm vegan and I wouldn't mind if someone asked me to bring my own dish. In fact I'd probably prefer it because then I can choose it myself. Someone above mentioned Quorn - Quorn isn't usually vegan, it has egg in it unless they've since created a vegan range I'm not aware of.

Last year I made a really nice nut roast with vegan gravy but it is quite a bit of work for a non vegan to make if they're also making a big roast. You can buy nut roasts in the supermarkets, you just have to check they don't contain egg or milk for vegans. I think M&S do a vegan pie thing too if I remember correctly.

If you can't find anything suitable, I wouldn't feel bad asking your guest to bring something. You could phrase it in a way where it's about sharing food, so other people can try the vegan dish too if they want to (if there's enough!)

You can get vegan mince pies which taste really nice so you could just get a pack of those alongside other mince pies as a token gesture if you wanted to do that.

I wouldn't invite someone to dinner then ask them to bring their own food. hmm

Since you don't have a microwave, you'd still need to heat their food in the oven whether they buy it or you do, so I don't see how not having room in the oven makes a difference to who buys the food.

It sounds more like you're punishing the guest for making a choice that you find annoying or unnecessary. Since you're buying M&S prepared food anyway, I can't see why it's so hard to find a vegan portion of something.

Veganism is really not that 'out there' nowadays and good hosts cater for their guest's dietary needs. But if you don't like the guest or want to make a point, then crack on.

@LonginesPrime has it spot on above!

Oh sorry, just realised you said someone else has a nut allergy, that rules out nut roasts

I am vegan and would be happy to bring my own food.

Love it how most of the vegans on the thread have said that they are happy to bring their own food, yet others are offended on their behalf.

Of course veganism is self-improvement. It's healthier, more mindful, better for animals, better for the environment. I cannot think of anything I have done in my life that has improved my wellbeing more than becoming vegan. Sorry, if you don't like that. It's not a criticism of your lifestyle choices, don't take it personally.

You would be incredibly rude & hurtful to do that

YABU

Of course veganism is self-improvement. It's healthier, more mindful, better for animals, better for the environment.

I’m vegan too but I’m not sure I agree. It’s easy to be an unhealthy vegan by just eating vegan junk instead of meaty junk food. You can easily become definitely in vitamins and minerals. I put on a stone when I first went vegan. I’ve lost it all now but there’s a real issue with vegan products have a “health halo”.

Veganism is really not that 'out there' nowadays and good hosts cater for their guest's dietary needs. But if you don't like the guest or want to make a point, then crack on.

This. Catering for someone who is vegan is not difficult in the slightest. Cannot believe you would ask a guest to bring their own food.

YABU. Pick a suitable m and s vegan ready meal, tell them that's what you're planning for them and stick it in the freezer now so you don't have to worry about it nearer the time.

PurpleDaises - yes, anyone can make any diet unhealthy. But I have noticed big improvements in my health, without trying too hard. I still eat some 'unhealthy' foods, but I eat a lot more of the good stuff than I did before. And when everyone is stuffing themselves with biscuits at work I eat a piece of fruit.

Yes YABU. They are your guest. They will eat all the vegetables. Can’t you just buy a ready made nut roast or vegan sausages? It’s not difficult. Come on, it’s not the dark ages anymore. Vegan food is readily available. Make your guest feel welcome instead of excluded.

YABU, you have plenty of notice and there are loads of Vegan dishes to choose from, ask what she would like.

If it were 1973 and a week's notice then yes, get them to bring their own.

So what’s wrong with getting a ready made vegan lasagne? roasted veggie pot? stuffed peppers? Not everything vegan has to be a blooming nut roast!

I would. And tell them it will have to be nut free too if you are dealing with a serious nut allergy, because for some people just breathing in the nut fragments on the air can cause a reaction.

So what’s wrong with getting a ready made vegan lasagne? roasted veggie pot? stuffed peppers?

Those options aren’t exactly Christmassy.

And a vegan lasagne means vegan cheese. Most are grim.

But I will add that I have little sympathy for people who dramatically change their eating habits overnight for non-medical reasons. As far as I am concerned, they can eat what they want at home, but when they are eating out they should not impose their preferences on the person doing the catering.

But I will add that I have little sympathy for people who dramatically change their eating habits overnight for non-medical reasons.

Why?