That a grazing table will end up looking a bit shit?

[Lollypollydolly]

Looking for catering for a party, will be children and adults and all I keep being offered are grazing tables/platters. Having not experienced one first hand I'm worried that though it will start looking beautiful once the guests start digging in it will look a mess and maybe bit unsanitary?

YABU - they look fab and stay looking fabulous (if a little disheveled by the end of the party)

YANBU - Wasteful fad crawling with germs, find an old style caterer.

[quote CatJumperTwat]@Wroxie the weirdos you know are not representative of "British people"[/quote]
But it's always acceptable to take pot shots at British people, or that ghastly word Brits, but one is not allowed to make any negative comment naming other nationalities for fear of being labelled you-know- what! The reality is that having travelled extensively I think there are some horrible people in all nationaliies.

I had to google a grazing table. Sounds like something for cows or sheep with bad necks (like raised dog bowls). Just that alone would make me never have one. I think it's all pretty grim. I don't even like a buffet though. Being on the other side of buffets years ago and watching people touch the food and cough on it put me off forever. And even more so now with covid.

Cissyandflora
A trough is another way of doing it.

Or nose bags. I’m always tempted to provide nose bags at my dos and then no one has to lose eye contact or leave to get more food in the middle of conversations.

can't stop laughing at this

Only good for a 'before' instagram picture I'd imagine.

Whose cockamamie idea was one of those?

I'm thinking the film Platform but with less surgery

They look pretty for about 1 minute then it’s carnage.

The different foods all squished together. 🤢

Tasteful cheese or charcuterie boards however are very nice and welcomed!

Very much a style rather than a culinary choice IMO.

@fromdownwest

How about a spread of delicious food, on some pretty plates, with serving tongs and some nice annotations of what we are eating.

I know it is left field, but thats how i roll

The voice of sanity.

@starrynight87

I know its very trendy, but not for me.

Surely with Covid and Winter germs its a bad idea!?

Is it like one of those kids parties where they all go to get chickenpox? Sounds like a great way to spread colds, flu, norovirus as well as our dear friend c19.

As a person with the syndrome formerly known as Asperger’s and friend to vegans, the grazing table is unwholesome and inappropriate. Put things on platters with labeled tongs. The grazing cones are even worse.
Americans can and do show civilized behavior at buffets, at least in New England. In some parts of the US, anything goes.

I've never seen anything like this without little tongs to pick up the food.

Probably quicker just to put down plastic sheets and chuck it all on the floor.

@steff13

I've never seen anything like this without little tongs to pick up the food.

That’s not the point though. The point is you don’t just chuck a load of foods of various types at a board/tray/table/box and smoosh it all together. It’s wrong on several levels! Never mind what implement you might use to pick it up, it’s all wrong from the off...

They are gross.

Off the top of my head issues are...
1)Veggie/vegan food touching meat
2)muslims/Jews not being able to eat anything touching pork
3)people with celiac/nut allergies and cross contamination
4)the general disgusting thought of ham touching the biscuits all day or fruit smooshed into the cheese etc
5)do you know how many people don't wash their hands after going to the toilet?
Men rarely wash their hands after a piss ime, children are gross at the best of times and I have one!

Just ewwww

And I fucking love a cheeseboard.
But the cheese is spread out, the bread is separate, the fruit easy to get to, olives in separate bowls etc etc

I actually think a few of you need to chill. When I did the one pictured, it is literally a huge charcuterie board, on baking paper, there are bowls, tongs and knives out of shot with the plates. Nothing sweet. No vegans/veggies attended, I checked. I don't love the idea but it was purely for nibbles and was very well received.

I agree they look shit after about half an hour.

I really don’t understand the issue it’s no different to any other buffet finger food. Which also touches and people use their hands, be it a bowl of bread on.

Grazing tables make me think someone has just done their 'Big Shop' at the supermarket, removed all the packaging at the till, transported it home in plastic bags and tipped it onto the table. Wouldn't be surprised to find some loo roll, bin liners and toothpaste hiding in the food mounds.

As a gf vegan this looks like my idea of dining hell. Hard pass!

There was one at a recent function I was at. It was lovely. Not unsanitary at all. Unless you're in the habit of licking things and replacing them...?!

I've also just googled. So many have meat touching biscuits/fruit etc. Or half a grapefruit nestled next to a bun.

They look gross to me! Who wants a meat biscuit or grapefruit bun?!

@Catflapkitkat

I'm thinking the film Platform but with less surgery

Yes I was thinking of platform too.

The ones I see always have savoury and sweet mixed together which seems grim.

Love buffets. Hate grazing tables.

I mean, my personal favorite part is how they’re so popular because “caterers” have figured out it’s so cheap and easy to do this. They don’t have to cook a single thing, they don’t need a single skill, they don’t have to provide utensils, plates, or serving people, and they can make a whole lot less food look like a whole lot more spread over one of these tables. No fucking wonder every single caterer wants to do this. They can assemble it in about an hour and then they charge $$$$. Shite; you could just assemble one yourself with stuff from the market since that’s all they do. Bake a fucking Brie if you want to get fancy.

To some people they look nice but I just can't imagine anyone actually wanting to eat the food.