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)?

So basically the meat eaters refuse to compromise in any way with what they eat and won't even try a vegan version of anything. And somehow it's the vegan being awkward 🧐

@BigChocFrenzy - I eat meat, have never added butter, bacon, or goose fat to anything (British Rapeseed oil for me) and still managed to host delicious christmas dinners that work for veggies, vegans, allergy sufferers, and carnivores. and it’s not like OP is cooking anyway she’s buying in from M&S and so can just buy in vegan options. No point hosting if you aren’t going to be gracious about it.

You are being ridiculous and inhospitable. If you can't be bothered to cook somethng friend would eat, just buy something from M&S or Aldi. Plenty of choice.

Our DS's partner is a vegan; of course we give her food she will enjoy because we love her and we want her to have a good time when she is with us.

@havelotbetinari putting an extra tray in the oven when you have invited a vegan is hardly pushing the boat out!

If OP doesn't want the fuss then don't invite so many next time and say no to Vegans.

(And TBF, I think I agree with the OP that the response about cooking everything with a small baby is just showing off.)

@purplefig I'd find it a bit odd that you're hosting and cooking for everyone else, but unable to bung a nut roast in the oven

You mustn't have read my OP properly as I have a nut allergy sufferer.

Also want to find something that will feed just one person I detest food waste.

Would it be very cheeky to feed vegan a starter of tomato soup 😬 I'll get a naice one, rather than tinned Heinz. I'm not a complete heathen

BigChocFrenzy If using a bit of Flora on your veg and making your roasties with sunflower oil instead of goose fat = "Miserable Xmas lunch" then you're lucky you've nothing worse to worry about You sound like my grumpy old Dad.

I agree to no taste compromises. I had actually forgotten the vegetables would not be vegan.

I'm a bit baffled at everyone's definition of cooking on this thread. In my book, roasting meat and making gravy from it is cooking. Roasting potatoes in goose fat is cooking. Boiling / steaming vegetables is cooking. OP looks like she's going to be doing quite a bit of it.

Peeling the lid off a ready meal is NOT cooking but that doesn't seem to be what the OP is doing.

So I have no idea why people think the OP will be doing no cooking!

@GunpowderGelatine, why can't everyone have roast pork? Or some other roast meat you like? It'd free up some of your space.

Vegan cream cheese on a Bellini with a mini gherkin on the top instead of salmon, takes two minutes.

Bisto gravy,

And some vegan sausages as their main.

Ask them to bring a dessert.

I know it's a bit of a faff to do an extra main, and of course you can ask them to bring their own. But personally I think if you can cater for them with minimal effort, it would be nice of you, as otherwise you're making a meal for everyone else but not for them.
There are lots of vegan mains that have no nuts and are super easy to prepare, eg: Holland & Barratt do lots, eg a Celebration Roast by VBites, chicken pieces by This; Sainsburys have Quorn 'chicken pieces', Quorn vegan sausages, Linda McCartney pies etc. (Or how about a Greggs vegan sausage roll?)
I believe that Bisto gravy granules are vegan.
There are tons of vegan ice creams out there, for dessert? Or fruit?

There are loads of vegan options available now in supermarkets, I’m sure M&S have vegan food that doesn’t contain nuts? I would just add something vegan to your order, they can still eat vegetables and potatoes (unless your using goose fat to cook them in)?

My dd is vegetarian and it’s not hard to make her a meat free dinner.

I floated only pork as an option with some of the guests who almost went NC with me for the mere suggestion they've all requested turkey which I'm fine with as it will just be a joint

If you do cater for her, then fgs, don't spoil everyone else's food:

Potatoes in olive oil < sob > don't taste or smell the same as in goose fat
As for olive oil mash < vomit >
vegetables without butter < sad face >

This is a violently MN response 🤣 Woopee Doo for you wonder mum. When I had a baby I made alphabites and sat around in a tracksuit for 6 weeks. no one gives a shit love

Lmao.

christmasfood.marksandspencer.com/plant-kitchen-festive-roast-with-no-pork-cocktails-serves-4-/p/p60436681#

Nut free and comes with gravy, just needs heating up.

@purplefig

I'd find it a bit odd that you're hosting and cooking for everyone else, but unable to bung a nut roast in the oven. They're not exactly hard to come by these days and you're going to m&s anyway.

Since the OP has someone with a nut allergy coming for the meal, I wouldn't suggest this.

That being said, I personally feel that if I invite someone for a meal, I should cater to their needs. Getting an extra pre-made vegan, nut-free main isn't that difficult. They can have the veg / potato and just get vegan gravy and pudding for everyone.

YABU, I'd be reevaluating my association with you if you can't be arsed to cater for me at Christmas.

FYI if they're meatfree for health then they're plant based, not vegan:

Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose

I wouldn't want my nice nut roast / meat alternative cooking next to a lump of flesh, barf.

@GunpowderGelatine sorry - my mistake. Definitely don't do a nut roast in that case 😅!! Tomato soup as a starter is totally fine - honestly in my experience most vegans are just delighted to be catered too and aren't fussy.

Re: mains Linda McCartney does a good beef style roast (lindamccartneyfoods.co.uk/our-food/frozen-range/vegetarian-beef-roast-with-red-wine-shallot-glaze/) it's not a huge tray at all. Leftovers are great sliced up with mustard in a sandwich - get them to take home with them.

Ok, lockheart, she's doing bits of prep and bits of cooking (and she has only just mentioned some of those bits).

But she is already going to M&S to buy ready-made mains. What's the issue with buying another one, since she's already doing it? She just needs to find a way to get room in the oven.

Plus, if the vegan guest brings it, and the issue is that there's no oven space, are they meant to bring something cold? That seems a bit gloomy TBH.

I think a nice soup as a starter ready made is fine for the vegan.

I'd message to say you're putting in an m&s order, could they send a link for something they'd like, but it needs to be nut free.

Hopefully they'll do that or offer to bring something.

you can get Oatly custard too

How is it possible I did not know about this! Hurrah, I can have apple pie and custard again

For peace of mind the nut allergy sufferer is my sister, I grew up with her and know exactly what she can and can't eat and what to look out for on packages about traces of nuts etc