Graze tables - really???

[LEMtheoriginal]

They look like something from that progtam that used to shame people for unhealthy diets and when theyve been dipped into are going to look a bloody mess. Why?.

EIGHTY DOLLARS?!

Looks a mess, what about catering to different diets? It's bad enough when they put the meat sandwiches on the same platter as the veggie ones, coeliacs nightmare

It’s the kind of thing you do for toddlers - but on a huge scale? Yuck. No thanks. I’m no food prude, I am very relaxed by MN standards, but there’s just no way that’s appetising for more than 2 people.

I took it apart when starting. It's a pizza box so fruit was taken out and put on the lid, packaged crackers taken out, dips put on the table and we had side plates so we just picked our choice out and built on our own plates using knives to spread and forks to pick from the box.

It was a nice alternative to afternoon tea or a toastie and obviously included an afternoon lockdown cocktail or two.

@ThatIsMyPotato

JBaez the second one of those looks more like a buffet with biscuits as decoration so yeah looks nicer I think. There are plates involved and it's not all a jumble.

Both are graze tables apparently but the different levels/heights and the addition of a few bowls and fruit/veg/salad make them way more appealing!

I'm in the ME, & these were trying to be an iftar thing in Ramadan last month.

The pushback was robust - they were nicknamed 'scruffy buffet' & were basically social death.

Nice bought in sharing platters of cheese or meat or pastries are fine, obviously, but everything slobbed into a big pile to be picked at wasn't going down well.

There’s no cutlery or serving implements (ruins the aesthetic, I assume) so that’s what makes it grim.

I enjoy my food served on a plate with utensils because I have evolved.

@CorvusPurpureus

I'm in the ME, & these were trying to be an iftar thing in Ramadan last month.

The pushback was robust - they were nicknamed 'scruffy buffet' & were basically social death.

Nice bought in sharing platters of cheese or meat or pastries are fine, obviously, but everything slobbed into a big pile to be picked at wasn't going down well.

Scruffy buffet

Can you hit this trend by simply throwing a load of Bombay mix and birdseed all over s table and then dolloping burger sauce on it?

Looks OK to me, just finger/buffet food for people to pick at. I like 'picky' food at social events.

Is this the new trend?
It’s fucking vile

CanIBeACurlyGirl That looks so unappetising though. Kiwi with bits of Scotch egg crumb on it?

It’s like a giant version of baby led weaning. Like when I used to chuck everything loose on the high chair tray and let DS get on with it.

Even the "nicer" and more expensive ones look pretty grim. It IS a thing, but I hope they go out of fashion quickly.

@Sparklingbrook

It’s like a giant version of baby led weaning. Like when I used to chuck everything loose on the high chair tray and let DS get on with it.

That's exactly what it reminds me of! Thank you!

It’s a genius cheap idea for non-professional caterers, though. No investment in crockery etc just turn up with crackers, pork pies, grapes and mini donuts and you’re away.

My preteens/teens would love it. But not for me, thanking you kindly.

@HeyDemonsItsYaGirl

CanIBeACurlyGirl That looks so unappetising though. Kiwi with bits of Scotch egg crumb on it?

Possibly although I don't eat kewi so that was popped straight in the guinea pig food bin.

I don't see it as any different to a picnic lunch where you choose from a variety of items what you want to eat and put it on your plate.

Gross. Looks foul and probably not the best idea in current times. Why not just get a trough?

Hmmmmm just another faddish serving idea, I was once served a whole camembert on a flat wooden board with some rustic bread on the side.
The inevitable happened, molten cheese ran onto my lap as soon as I cut into it (no container just plonked right on the board) giving me 2nd degree burns.
I complained very loudly indeed.

The main issue for iftar was that it looks grim after the first half dozen people have had a peck at it.

Whereas normally you'd have exactly the same spread, but empty plates could be removed to keep things looking tidy, as the iftar progressed & more people turned up to eat. Imagine being faced with that an hour in if you'd just arrived - unlikely to be appetising.

Loads of people advertising these on SM. One person I know does them professionally; she runs a cafe and started doing these and afternoon teas delivered to you when she wasn’t able to open in lockdown. She and her staff have food hygiene certs, council inspected premises etc. People who just randomly post on FB something that they’ve knocked up in their kitchen? No thanks.

I love food, am not fussy, and go crazy at a buffet - but those grazing tables look disgusting.

It's the thought of all the..... rummaging

Looks like it would sweat after a while eugh!

Dear god.

It looks like there's been a terrible accident.