to expect FIL not to eat until everyone is at least sitting at the table??

[lovecamping]

so our xmas lunch which was about 1 hour late. we'd just put most of the things on the table, FIL was the only one sitting down, but he started filling his plate. then started eating it, whilst everyone else was getting little ones organised, making sure we had everything we needed at the table etc.

AIBU to think he should have waited and think this is rude and he no manners??

he was pretty gutted though when we remembered the mint sauce and he'd already finished his lamb

he does this all the time and i think its just the rudest thing.

Actually, according to Jilly Cooper, waiting till everyone else is served is irredeemably middle class . The upper classes eat as soon as the food appears, she says, because they are used to dining at huge great tables of 20 or more, and if you waited for everyone else to pass round the cranberry sauce or help themselves to potatoes then your dinner would be stone cold.

YANBU, my IL's have pretty bad table manners (why would MIL actually WAIT until she has mouthful of food in order to start a conversation?), drives me insane!

I just think it's how you've been brought up and I think it might be a middle/working class thing (as well as middle/upper class as per madamez).
I was really shocked when meeting my dh's family that they all just started eating as soon as they got their meal rather than waiting and even after 6 years I find it really rude. But it is what they have always done.

They also get their food served up on a plate (which I hate as you have to decide before hand how much you get!) whereas in my family food is in bowls on the table to help yourself.

My dh and I have always seen it as working class (him) vs middle class (me)!!

It is just another way of doing things - as another poster suggested simply wait till you want everyone to start before handing out plates.

This Christmas my brother spent ages faffing about before each meal so we started without him lest our food go cold. We all thought that was worse manners

Did you offer him any snacks whilst the food was late.

Ive been a peoples houses and the meal has been more than a hour late and the kids have been eating the table.