Buffet etiquette

[savethecat]

Scenario:
There is a queue at a buffet of about 12 dishes. You are about 5th or 6th in the queue for the buffet and just want one item which is the very last dish on the buffet. The queue is slowly moving down with each person stopping at each dish.

There is no-one at all at the buffet from dish 4 down as the latest person on the buffet is taking their time, having a chat, having a good look etc.

Is it acceptable to go past people, grab your one item at the end of the buffet and leave?

OR

Should you just follow the queue past each dish with your empty plate until you get to the last dish?

YABU - queue and wait until you reach your choice
YANBU- just go past the queue to your choice

@ChestnutSmoothie ...I dont even ask...just announce!

Bad buffet etiquette is putting the buffet up against a wall....I always have our table pulled out so folks can flow around...you then get two goes at anything as our table is not that long and none of this stupid queuing

Buffets are supposed to be a bit of a free for all
oooh pass me some bread
'scuse fingers
what's that up there?
can I pass anyone some salad while I am here?
WHO has the butter knife??
who got beetroot juice in the crisps??

:o :o

You should wait to be polite but if it's people you know well you could just ask if you can nip past to the veggie one.

I wouldn't mind a all, just saw to do you mind if I jump ahead to the veggie option.

I think one queue buffets are tedious! If I do a buffet I make sure it is set up so that the table can be accessed from both sides, and if there’s lots of people then divide all the dishes in at least 2 servings , so that you can then have 4 queues! One long, slow, trailing queue is like being back at school.

I don't agree with queuing at buffets generally.

why, taking turn to get what you want instead of pushing and shoving each other out of the way to get to your chosen dish?

I should mention this was a hotel buffet....

LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow

the only crime is the moron using the same serving cutlery for several dishes. They should be kicked out immediately!

I was in poundstretchers a few weeks ago. There must have been about 10 in the que. a lady was getting served, next min a cheeky feck of a women. Skipped the whole que with a trolley ( every one else had bits and bobs in a basket or carrying). She was a friend of the girl already getting served. She just waltzed into the front, the whole que stood gobsmaked. not like me not to say anything but I didn’t want to cause a scene with the kids there.

It depends on the people queuing in front of me.
If they are close family / friends then I know they would think it is ridiculous to wait in line from item at the very end.
Anyone else and I would just wait.

I agree with a op, I much prefer being able to just nip up and get what ?I fancy, especially at a house because a line always gets in the way of people going to the loo or bar or In fact anyway.

savethecat

I should mention this was a hotel buffet....

I did wonder.

It's a bugger then because, as a PP said, you don't know if one of the strangers in front of you just wants the same thing as you.
Or, indeed, all of them.

Have you considered the bludgeoning option? Or, at least, you could fantasise about it while waiting which might help your blood pressure.

Oh if it’s at a hotel then it’s different.
Especially if the person at the front is looking and chatting etc.
I would definitely nip in and get one item.

I had this at a family members birthday in a hotel, I wanted seconds of the veggie option but still just queued. Couldn’t face getting the death stare from people I didn’t know so had to wait what felt like hours while people topped back up 😩

The idea of doubling up and having an open table is much better. Feels like you’re in Oliver or something queuing single file and feeling grateful when you have a quick, buffet pro person in front of you!

It depends.

Work buffet/wanting to make a good impression I would queue.

People I know well, sod it I’m pushing in to get the last dish.

Meh, I always jump in. Queuing really Does make some Brits so uptight.. Just nip in, say excuse me, and move on. No biggie.

But you don’t know what the people in front of you want, what if the 2nd, 3rd or 4th person also wanted that dish...

Then they too should skip the dawdler.

As a fellow vegetarian I tend to just nip round the meat eaters if I can fit in ....

Totally legit at a hotel buffet. I stayed at a hotel in the summer that had a lot of quite large groups who all came down for meals around the same time. Everyone just approached whichever bit of the buffet they wanted and served themselves, meals would have taken hours if they had queued.

I think what you did was ok.

I’d take my plate and start a new queue from the other end. I nearly always do this at a buffet

That’s really twattish behaviour

You on the other hand were quite right OP

Oh I don't know.
I don't like buffets because I always end up stuck at the back of the queue.
I so much prefer waiter service for numerous reasons.
I hate people mauling food, even with utensils some people seem unable to cut food and leave the rest in a mess, or they scrap the top off and leave all the bits they don't want.
I generally find buffets a much cheaper option for restaurants and avoid them.

@LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow
You are obviously one of my friends, see you New Year's Eve

You just go round them. Other people will follow you.

The dawdler at the buffet is evil. Nowt worse. I'd forgive any queue jumper over a dawdler.

A buffet is a casual affair with people coming and going as they please . Not a timed event . The only time to queue imo is for example the ‘toaster’ thing in hotel breakfast buffets , or items cooked to order etc .