To think it's selfish to eat from special dietary requirements when you have none?

[IndividualMini]

At a work conference, where a catered lunch is being offered. There are specific sections for dietary requirements with limited supplies eg vegan, gluten free, nut free, along with a larger section for ordinary non-vegetarian sandwiches with ordinary bread. The guy ahead of me takes something from every single section including the ordinary non-vegetarian section, so clearly is not a vegan with gluten allergies! Why do people do this? As someone with specific dietary requirements I've been left many times with very little to eat because others have eaten food without thinking about whether others might actually need it.

Oh, it's so annoying when this happens! It even happens to me at family events where everybody wants to 'try' my food and I'm left hungry!
My solution is to bring my own supplies (where possible, obviously!)

Yes, bad buffet lay out doesn’t help.

Pretty sure the labels are informing you of the ingredients not who can eat it. If you havent ordered it and been handed the plate, you havent got the manopoloy on it. If there is nothing left for you to eat, tell the catering. I'm a vegetarian with allergies and this is what I do.

If its a conference/work place issue, make it known to HR and they will make a new policey regarding buffet food and reservation. Sorry if my english makes sense.

You are confusing dietary requirements with dietary choices.
They should be able to take anything from the vegan or vegetarian options surely as that's a choice.
Proper dietary requirements mean there is a physical danger from eating something and that should be catered very differently.
I'd have an issue with the catering if they were lumping vegan, vegetarian food in with the proper dietary requirements food.

The op didn’t say they were a vegan. As a celiac who need a gluten free diet - this is selfish behaviour also could cause cross contamination issues for those of us that could get ill from crumbs of other food. Frankly thoughtless. Vegan is voluntary, gluten free / nut free / dairy free is mostly about medical need.

Best option would be to call forward the people with special dietary needs first, but also just because you are not vegetarian, does not mean you don't want to eat non meat sandwiches. When we are doing snack at out clubs we always call the people with dietary needs first then everyone else.

its a bit othering isn't it to draw attention to people by calling them forward first?

though as i am organising the work xmas event with food at lunchtime and evening, i shall ask them to make sure the 4 food platters for veggies/vegan are left aside for them (ie i order 35 platters plus 2 veggie, 2 vegan - so i need those 4 CLEARLY SOMEWHERE ELSE AND MARKED "for the 2 veggie people" /2 vegans)

though still, i need to manage

people who ordered burger platter - 1 burger
if you ordered pizza platter - you get X slices
if you ordered wrap platter - you get x wraps

having a lunch box each would be best! else you need to worry about mr greedy "2 burgers" in Marketing or seem like "Ms kill joy ruining the fun by being stingy"

Seated plated meals are far easier than managing a buffet (see ANY WEDDING THREAD)

@burnoutbabe I would much rather be ‘othered’ than go without dinner.

@burnoutbabe if it is a buffet you can’t dictate how many people take and need to cater for it rather then calling people greedy.

It sounds like very poor catering and management of catering. Free food brings out the ganets. Free buffet takes ganet levels to new highs IME. People love to "have a try" at a free buffet - try the vegan/ gf / halal as it's free and available. You can have a little portion and see if you like it.

The "special" stuff should be seperated and clearly marked as for certain people the same way allergy meals are if they are making limited portions. Placing the 'special' stuff among the buffet means people will think it is being replenished and they are likely to "have a try".

As PP have pointed out many people are omnivores and like a selection of food not just meat, a good caterer makes sure there is plenty of veggie food and nowadays plenty of vegan food as people like to have a mix. As a meat eater I might have a meat sandwich but I will probably also pick up and egg or cheese (even more so if I think the buffet has been sat out a bit long or I'm a bit worried about levels of food hygiene in the place).

On a smaller scale, I was helping out at a school concert with drinks and biscuits, I’d bought some free from biscuits because me, the music teacher and at least two kids required them. The other biscuits were boxes of Christmas selections We just asked for a donation, but couldn’t nip out to get more. One of the dads said “oo these look much nice than them” I pointed out they were free from (labelled in big red letters), but he fucking winked at me and took two! I was open mouthed, but when the greedy twat came back I said to the music teacher “oh there’s no biscuits left because people who aren’t gf have snaffled them.” I’d hidden them btw. He didn’t even look shamed faced, just grabbed the better choc biscuits from the muggle plate.

The hotel I waitress at does quite a lot of functions. We would normally have staff serving the food and give a completely separate table for meat free (there's a big sign we put up and we point it out to people as well). People will still get some of that food even if they didn't order it. I think people either don't notice or like to taste everything but we do make extra and keep some in the kitchen to restock.

We would then bring out the children's food, if they aren't eating from the buffet and the pre ordered food that are gluten/allergy free ect. We do make extra as people forget to preorder.

Personally if I had an allergy I wouldn't eat the allergy free food if it's among other food on the buffet table as people will contaminate the food by using the wrong tongs/spoons. Chiefs work hard to prepare food separately (different aprons, utensils, pans and in a different part of the kitchen) so it surprises me they would just put it on the same table.

@Longtimelurkerfinallyposts
bit joyless, though?

Trouble is it's difficult when paying £20 per food platter to know whether you need more and how much more

So you'd have to tell people -it's 1 burger per person - to ensure all burger orders get a burger. Hopefully that one is common sense.

Was the vegan, gluten free, vegetarian etc on a separate table, or near the other stuff? Or labeled? If there wasn't any way to tell them apart, I can get why they thought they were all, part of the buffet.
But it is akward, my mum is gluten free and during covid, when the pasta was under shortage, everyone was buying all the gluten free pasta, my mum was annoyed as it isn't like she can eat normal pasta.

In general I think "buffet etiquette" is poor. I have been to many where the first in the queue pile their plates high leaving remnants for the rest towards the back of the line. Often alot of food is left on the plates after they are full which is even more annoying.
I was always taught to take a little and come back for more once everyone has had some.
I'm not surprised that if your dietary requirements have only limited supply that you find yourself with little left after gready guts have been through the buffet.

This is an issue that really the organisers and the caterers need to address, so you'd be wise to email your firm to ensure this doesn't happen again.

Yes, it's really shitty that people do this, I've seen this happen many times and it is utterly thoughtless. But it will continue to happen, so really the organisers and caterers need to agree that food for those with dietary requirements will be kept away from the main buffet and given out to those who require it. OR the organisers get those of you with the DR to go first.

I've an allergy and encounter the same, or worse still the caterers put my foods right next to those containing my allergen so I cannot eat it even if there is any left.

Had an issue with a caterer at a wedding last year too, I spoke to the head caterer myself when I was there, despite the bride being very clear with her about my allergy, and it turned out she didn't make any special provision for my allergy and I was left with new fucking potatoes to eat (drenched in salt and oil - BOKE). I love potatoes (I'm Irish), but really hate new potatoes (and salt and oil). I was so fucked off. Plus the caterer brought out a huge bowl of my allergen and plonked it right in front of me on the table, I nearly puked (because the smell triggers my aversion and I have an aversion to it due to my allergic reaction). My husband had to move it away from me. The caterer was a complete cow. The food in general was bloody awful, and even my children wouldn't eat the food. Anyway, I digress.

Surely food for non-omnivores should be kept separate, & they should be called forward to the buffet before the rest of the crowd.

Everything?

School food and restaurants and everything inbetween?

But no one is true omnivore - everyone has things they don't eat for various reasons

Why should people end up with processed meat rather than a quiche or samosa just because they don't claim to be fully veggie

I said in a pervious post, my workplace did this once and they ended up spending a fortune on expensed lunch as anything nice had gone, all that was left that processed meat, sausage rolls, burned chips etc. It seems it's not unreasonable to leave those who can/will eat meat with the dregs but not the other way around. No one should be left with the dregs.

I'm only talking about dietary choices here, not allergies or anything else. I don't have any but was having to do testing a while ago due to reactions so appreciate what a pain that is.

I don't work with anyone who is as greedy as me. I don't think I've ever seen a plate piled high with food at a work event unless it was my plate.

I thought that this was a thing of the past. When I had my first job after graduating circa 20 years ago, I wouldn’t say a thing when the meaty sandwiches were stacked with the vegetarian ones I was hoping to eat. I’m vegetarian. I used to get asked by the admin team, ‘if the special diet ones are finished, can’t you just pick out the meat/fish from the other sandwiches’. I’d typically be left hungry, or just have the fruit and crudités.

it is only one event but it is so hard to focus when hungry. I’d be distracted by my rumbling tummy, and restless. Working in those settings and presenting is also consuming.

what I learned to do, is to 1) keep some food items in a larger than usual handbag 2) ask for your food to be specifically set aside for you, and make sure you go and collect it 3) of the food that you need is finished, make a point of nipping out to grab something. That way, the people who organise will hopefully send an email out to ensure that people eat from the section that’s allocated to them.

The caterers need to sort this out to be honest. If it’s a help yourself buffet then people will help themselves. Lots of people have preferences, I eat meat but my favourite sandwich is cheese so I wouldn’t put down “vegetarian” when asked - but if there were ham and cheese sandwiches laid out, I would choose cheese. It wouldn’t occur to me that this was only for vegetarians because it’s a help yourself buffet with various choices. Where do you draw the line, can I also not have crisps or crudités? Do I have to exclusively eat meat or can I be an omnivore? Or can I only be an omnivore if I specify this in advance?

I think really when people have allergy’s or intolerance, some food should be posted for them in advance.