To not do food for party

[ttctimeforme]

If you went to an party in the evening at a venue, around 7:30pm onwards.. would you expect food to be provided?

I think you'd better think it out again! Might be safer not to have the party at all rather than have it with minimal catering I'd say, and I know you said it was difficult to arrange catering.

Far better to have it in your house maybe, where guests arrive early and Celebration Person arrives for dinner and SURPRISE!. Just a thought, but no food is not an option, sorry.

Also the Celebration Person may not like surprise parties. Many hate them, and even the thought of them, so make sure you know Celebration Person well.

It's a nice thing to do, but you have to do it as best as you can.

@PaperFun I didn't say I can't did I? You're very strange keep making out I've said this and that when I haven't.

If you go back and read one of my replies specifically said I'd look into the platters from Morrisons 😂. Which I just have been but the website is still not letting me put in my location for collection

Please don't reply further unless you have any helpful suggestions instead of keep saying I've said this that and the other which I definitely have not said

I haven't said I WONT supply food, I've asked if others would expect it as I personally would not unless it was a children's party at lunch time as I'd rather eat a proper meal before going out and drinking alcohol. Majority have said they would so I will supply it im just working out the logistics now

Definitely you need to serve some proper adult food. Sweet stuff won't be right!

And cultures, yes.

Which is why it's probably best to open one's mind before typing.

I don't understand you. You have asked for advice and opinions about hosting a party - but it isn't a party, you're all just meeting in the pub. But you haven't told the guests this, you have told them that it's a party. What makes this plan different to meeting in a pub for drinks? You saying 'party' doesn't make it a party.

Your only suggestion was a few donuts, but you've turned your nose up at other poster's ideas and called them naff. But you're the one who has received a resounding answer from many, many posters that meeting in a pub, and eating a donut, is shit!

No sweet food and drinks doesn’t seem right to me, you need savoury with drinks surely.

Not sure you can even call it a party without food to be honest!

Pizza is definitely the way forward. Can hire a sourdough pizza van round where we live and it’s delicious. If that won’t work logistically I’d just phone for tons of takeaway- get fries, garlic bread, chicken goujons etc too, loads of dips.

I do like a bit of sweet- possibly mini muffins, baklava type stuff.

If I was throwing a do I’d also have to fund at least a drink for everyone or buy a load of beers/wine for people to help themselves to at the start and then buy their own afterwards.

I couldn’t cope with how cringe I’d feel if I supplied nothing in the way of drinks or savoury food at a party.

What town is it in? I’m sure someone could find someone to cater. Even if it is pie and peas

Drinks 6.30 to 8.30 as in the olden days when people went for dinner afterwards after 2/3 drinks. Even then there would have been canapés.

7.30 and it's drinks and food. Can you honestly not do a big chilli, salad and garlic bread for example. Or cottage pie and peas. Failing that good bread, pate and cheese with some excellent pickles, dips and crudités?

@blackbeardsballsack I haven't turned my nose up at anyones suggestions, if you filter it by my username you can see my responses

Yes of course there should be food. Otherwise it's like those parties I went to when we were all undergrads on budgets, and you put out a couple of boxes of wine & a bowl of crisps. Fine for students, not for adults.

The Morrisons Food to Order page is terrible for crashing. Refreshing the page usually corrects the issue.

Agree with the cheese board and charcuterie idea. Baguettes, olives, crisps etc.
All can be left at room temperature (and better for it).
If it’s close friends and family, they won’t mind helping you set it out last minute after the ta-da moment…..
You absolutely need to put some food out or your guests won’t hang around for long because they’ll be starving after a couple of drinks and will head out to get something to eat for themselves!

There is NO WAY that the op lives somewhere that doesn't have ANYWHERE that could supply food at this bar. No chip shops, no Indian food, no pizza places, no catering services, no food delivery services. But this place does have a bar, and 30-40 people who live within a 2 mile radius....

I appreciate you are framing it as a surprise gathering rather than a party but you are asking people to come along for an evening, chat and possibly have a dance or listen to music and be dressed up and you are neither going to feed them nor provide them with drinks.

I would be a bit put out tbh. People will definitely ‘talk’ and be wondering why they bothered or when the food is appearing.

The food is non negotiable. You have to have food available at that time in the evening when people will be there for a few hours. To be a good host I would also provide some bubbles or their first drink at the bar.
I would be so embarrassed as the surprised bday person to think people had come along and been shown no hospitality at all.

You will find a caterer who can deliver to you or a friend to transport it even if not the venue. Hot food is much nicer in an evening but ok to do the Morrisons idea and add extra crisps etc.
Are you having a birthday cake? That would do for dessert if it’s big enough.

Sorry, just read your posts. For my dad's 70th, we order a load of stuff from Morrisons. I know Morrisons sounds icky, but they were really good). They'll bowl you up salads, plates of sandwiches, etc. I think they even have a brochure now which they didn't then. I precooked sausage rolls, cheese and onion rolls, cheese and biscuits, etc. We then bought some good size puddings from a well known local supplier, like a coffee renoir. Each served about 12 to 16 people.
All we had to do was take the sellophane off. Which is about my level of cooking anyway!

If I was going to a bar I wouldn't expect food. Just make it clear for the invites for drinks and dancing or something. If it was at a village hall or suchlike I would then be expecting a buffet. If the venue don't offer it, it means everyone whos previously hired it out hasn't had food either so it's not unusual xx

Sainsburys do the sandwich platters and you can pick them up from the small Sainsburys locals.

@blackbeardsballsack did I say it doesn't have any take aways? I said i couldn't find any caterers

I think some of you need to learn to read personally

Thank you for the helpful replies those who have given them

Depends on what the invite said

If it said drinks party , or private view/ opening of gallery, or " 7.30 to 9"
I'd expect that everyone would have eaten before they arrived, and the host would only provide drink and titbits.

🤣🤣🤣
I think you need to learn how to plan a party.

I've never been invited to a party with no food. I don't eat donuts and sweet food. I think you need to get someone to help you make a proper buffet with slavery food. Scotch eggs cut in half, quiche cut into slices, sandwiches or filled rolls, cheese on a stick, crisps, pringles, turkey dippers, chicken nuggets, cocktail sausages on sticks, cheese straws, french bread and cold meat/cheese.

If you want to only provide snacks make the start time 8.30, you need to give people time to eat first. 7.30 yes people will expect a reasonable amount of food to be available at a party. If there’s no food or drinks I wouldn’t call it a party, hosting a party implies hospitality. I think you need to at least supply a welcome drink and a champagne toast

Sounds like a real fun party OP 🥳