Would you take food home from a buffet?

[FlossMeg]

I held a party for a family member’s birthday recently.

One of our family friends runs a catering company and I employed them to provide a buffet suitable for the number of attendees.

One of my DM’s friends turned up with a Tupperware set and said to my DM ‘oh I’ll just take some of the food home for Steve (her husband - not real name). She then proceeded to load three Tupperware cartons with food from the buffet.

Surely this is not normal? Do people really help themselves to food for their family who weren’t even invited?

I would have called the cheeky cow out!

Fair enough if it was left overs and it was boxed/bagged up and offered by the host at the end but to arrive knowingly with containers would really give me the rage and I would have HAD to say something.

She will only do it time and time again if people don't challenge her.

It's such cheeky fuckery.

2 women did this at my Nana's wake.

You don't do what she did. But the only buying lemonade sounds like a money issue and the taking of food could have been as well.

It still isn’t OK to take leftovers from a party host without asking. The leftovers belong to the host.

It’s not an office working lunch buffet or AI that you have paid for.

Honestly , I would have stopped her.

I would have done too. The fact she didn't even wait until others had had their food from the buffet was what turned rude to really rude.

Wow!! Like everyone said, if they were left overs and you had offered that is different, but no, that is beyond rude! I would have been fuming!!!

Very rude. I would have told her to please wait until everyone had finished eating and she was welcome to take some of what was left. I’m not always very assertive but I would have had no problem telling her.

Super mega rude to pre-plan taking food from a buffet by turning up to the party armed with tupperware and filling it during the party, cherry picking the best and freshest stuff.

Not rude if food is left at the end of the night and it'll just go to waste. But even in this case, I would still only take leftovers if the host offered as they may wish to take the leftovers themselves.

I'm cringing on behalf of your guest.

Omg lol MN and their problems. So many outraged by such petty shit 🤣

I can't believe neither you nor your mother said anything.

Why wouldn't you say, 'we've only catered for X number of people. You're welcome to take some left overs for Steve at the end. Ill pop those containers in the kitchen for you until then.'

What a cheeky cow.

Leftovers would be fine The way she did it is terrible.

But do you ask first?! The cake doesn't belong to you.

That's beyond rude. She firstly should have waited until everyone had eaten and finished. Then she should have asked you first (I still think it's cheeky tbh). Different if you said oh we got plenty left please take some home.

I'd have been fuming about it to be honest what if there wasn't enough to cover an extra 3 tubs worth of food! You also may have wanted to take some home but fact she was loading them up just as it was served! I wouldn't have wanted to cause a scene but would have loved it if someone had challenged her, what are you doing, no you can't do that!

This! ⬆️

I would have stopped her & pointed out that not everyone had been up to get their food yet. I would have said that, at the end of the party, IF there was any food left, then I'd decide who could take it home.

Is this common practice at these events? Has this woman got form??

It's just assumed people will take cake.

So they are usually bigger than necessary cakes.

I had a crowd here Christmas day. Half the dessert went with the visitors. I didn't turn a blind eye about it. That's why we cater extra.

As for taking a bit of alcohol along, that wouldn't bother me either. I'm quite perplexed by the 'it's outrageous' comments.

Where do you live that this is the norm?

What if everyone at the party would do the same.

Why did you not challenge her on it op?

How long have you known my SIL?

Very rude of her, at the end of the night I would say help yourselves to take home but not before all guests had eaten!

@TheOtherHotstepper
was Steve hungry?

At my evening wedding reception we had a buffet. FIL had taken it upon himself to invite his neighbours, a couple I had never even met. My mum and dad were paying for everything, in laws didn't contribute a thing, but we thought he must be close to them so didn't object. When the food was put out, it was covered in cling film and the waitress came to me and asked me to give her the nod when I wanted it to be served and she'd get the DJ to make an announcement. I had a few friends who were due to arrive any minute, so I wanted to wait for them first. Another guest then came over to me and asked who the two scruffy gits were, who had unwrapped all the food themselves and each had two plates which they were piling high with food. It was the in laws neighbours, who'd arrived, not even come over to say hello, just gone straight to the buffet table, helped themselves and also filled a plate each to take home with them.

@Eightiesgirl And noone said anything to them?

@Yulestorm I could hardly ask them to put the food back once they'd touched it, but the waitress told them it was only one plate each and they couldn't take plates home, as they were obviously intending to do, because they were wrapping their spare plates in clingfilm. My friend who'd alerted me, told them they should have waited. They didn't give a damn, I often find people who have the bare faced cheek to do something like that have no shame.

@Yulestorm of course FIL was red faced at this point, turns out he hardly knew them!

@Eightiesgirl you shouldn’t have had to say anything, but I’m glad the waitress did! Some people just have no shame whatsoever. Once I stayed in a hotel in Florida, and every morning an American family had their breakfast and then filled 3 big plastic bags with food. Like 2 entire loafs of bread, croissants and cakes. Noone ever said anything. I remember my kids just looking in disbelief.. 😂