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)?

Bisto gravy is vegan OP!

YABU

@caranconnor A lot of mince pies and Christmas pudding type desserts are ‘accidentally’ vegan anyway - I’m not sure it counts as ‘penalising your guests’ just to pick these instead of ones with dairy and eggs

Are you sure you want to do this? You don't sound very keen and I am beginning to feel sorry for your guests

righty-o

God some people should have a masters degree into Reading Into Stuff That Isn't There.

You're right though, poor loves, being fed tasty food and booze - it's the stuff of a hardy Dickens novel I tell ye!

Don't change your plans for them, tell them what you're serving and if they don't want it they can bring their own. Simple.

Is vegan guest in the know about nut allergy guests requirements or will you need to spell it all out?

I have one guest who is gluten free, two vegetarians, one that gags at the sight of vegetables, a father that brings his own sodding turkey because mine isn't good enough apparently, and a mother in law that only 'eats' liquid food in the shape of hard spirits.

It is christmas, your patience will be stretched beyond all recognition, your nerves will be jangling before you have even pierced a food tray. I suggest copious amounts of wine and carols in the kitchen. It is one day you can do this op!!!!

YANBU. They have suddenly decided to become vegan a few weeks before Christmas and being vegan is not the same as vegetarian. Vegetarians are relatively easy to cater for, M&S will no doubt do a veggie main you could add to your order but vegan probably not. Dessert will be the trickiest as well, I doubt M&S stock a vegan dessert... Onion gravy isn’t hard to come by though.

they've swiftly come back saying the plant kitchen meat-free sausages and packet gravy will do fine

Hurrah - job done

@Hiphopopotamus Yes some cheap mince pies may be vegan. Any decent ones use butter pastry.

For someone who’s asked for an opinion , you sure are being defensive .
What’s with all the “village elder” bollocks ?
You sound deranged

@justasking111 like I say i grew up with my sisters nut allergy an know how to adequately cater for it. Also I won't be having Christmas pudding as nobody likes it, and she doesn't like mince pies either (I know they can be a bit dodgy allergy-wise).

@Considermesometimes I'll have space on the hob so I will boil some new potatoes as well as roasting my goose fat ones

I'm veggie and have often said I'll bring something if I think it's putting someone to too much trouble. However, I've been very lucky and either the host has cooked something veggie, or as two years ago my lovely SIL bought two ready meals for me to choose from (I'd have been happy with one).

If you were cooking totally from scratch then I'd say it'd be perfectly reasonable to ask guest to bring something, but as you're buying from M&S who do lovely food, I'd buy a ready meal in. If you're not sure about making vegan gravy, ask guest if they could do that and everyone can have the same.

I'd just not invite the nut allergy person as they could end up eating something with nuts in by mistake.

Bloody hell. I don't even know where to start with this.

My veggie guests are very happy just to eat veg and potatoes, though I do try to do something special for them. However as yours is vegan for detox reasons I'd have no qualms asking them to bring their own!

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

What do you suggest as an alternative then?

@Whattodoabout eh? M&S have a whole vegan range...

@SoupDragon Probably thinks everyone should eat vegan "for just one meal"

Don't change your plans for them, tell them what you're serving and if they don't want it they can bring their own. Simple

Oh my how gracious of you!

Now that is really the spirit of christmas, a masterpiece in the making of how to make your invited guests feel really welcome this christmas!

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

Maybe because the OP has stated it has to be nut free?

OP M&S have got lots of vegan food to order this year, I'm sure you can find something. This one looks like it is nut free:christmasfood.marksandspencer.com/plant-kitchen-root-vegetable-tarte-tatin-serves-4-/p/p60429690

What’s with all the “village elder” bollocks ?You sound deranged

It was a joke. But I'm at being told "what the fine thing is" - to who? And why should I care? the "done thing" in my house is what I enjoy couldn't give a hoot what others do.

I am assuming she mean the "smart" thing now is not to cook roast potatoes in goose fat now everyone is doing it. Snobbery at its finest.

So why ask at all??

Veganism is really not that 'out there' nowadays and good hosts cater for their guest's dietary needs yes alongside a severe nut allergy. It's really not that easy to deal with fad diets. The nut allergy is serious, the being a vegan is a choice. I wouldn't expect a host to be doing about four different dishes, it's not a restaurant. If you want that, go to a restaurant. It's really hard to find nice veggie dishes, ever mind vegan, dishes that don't involve nuts in some way.

And it is really hard or ruins the taste. I don't bother with a starter but I'd have to do the potatoes in olive oil rather than goose fat and they're not nearly as nice. Boil carrots rather than roasting them in honey, so again not nearly as nice. Have to look for a (in the OP's case nut-free) Christmas pudding and also avoid custard/brandy sauce etc. And then you have to make two lots of gravy. How big are some of your kitchens and hobs?

I wouldn't want my nice nut roast / meat alternative cooking next to a lump of flesh And then you're not allowed to put things in the same oven? How many ovens do you have?

I think some of you need to go to a restaurant rather than someone's home.

And you thought I was entitled on the other thread for nicking the odd chip from my husband. Hmmmm.

Honestly op if they are detoxing - then a raw salad would be offered to them here. Made in the morning and sprinkled with a dressing at the last minute. No need to make potatoes and all the rest for them. They won't appreciate it anyway

This one looks like it is nut free

And also was declared to be "truly revolting" by another poster. Which is why it is impossible to choose something like this for someone else.