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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Eating out on Christmas Day. Do we expect too much?

213 replies

Nonimai · 26/12/2023 07:46

We spent £100 a head yesterday on a meal that wasn’t horrible , it was just meh. Expectations are high. People were complaining. Did you have your meal out yesterday? Was it worth the money?
we went to a local gastro pub/restaurant in North England. Usually excellent roasts. Tbh they tried too hard to make it special - chefs only make this once a year - and it didn’t work.

OP posts:
Meeb · 26/12/2023 08:26

SnufflyBunny · 26/12/2023 08:02

Haha, what extra wages? It doesn't cost them anything extra to open as you don't get paid anymore to work on Christmas Day!

I used to get paid double time, 10ish years ago for working Christmas 🤷‍♀️ time and a half other bank hold

pictoosh · 26/12/2023 08:26

My son worked Christmas Day yesterday for double time. He's currently in a famous well-to-do Edinburgh hotel. A great deal of the food was still frozen shite, despite being presented as upmarket. They cut corners wherever they can.

TrashedSofa · 26/12/2023 08:28

DustyLee123 · 26/12/2023 07:49

I’ve heard so many people be disappointed that it’s not something I’d do. They complained of surly waiting staff, food being below standard ( like it had been kept warm) and feeling like they wanted you to go so that they could start their Christmas.

Yes, I suspect it's probably just the risk you take if you go out on Christmas Day. Might be fine, might get staff who resent being there.

There probably comes a price point where you buy your way out of that, but I don't know that it would necessarily be reached at paying double time in a sector where wages aren't that high anyway.

Southlondoner88 · 26/12/2023 08:31

No, we went out yesterday at an Indian restaurant, the Everest inn in Blackheath and were really impressed with the food and service, great atmosphere too. I’d imagine some places like hotels would be dissapointing though.

geoger · 26/12/2023 08:32

I wouldn’t eat out on Christmas Day because at £100 per head I couldn’t afford to esp as there’s 20 plus of us for lunch. For me it’s cheaper to eat at home. Also I love leftovers! Around 10pm on Christmas Day we have a little plate of leftovers and then for the next couple of days I don’t really have to cook and I def don’t need to buy any food. But I completely understand why people choose to go out to eat

Grimpo · 26/12/2023 08:33

SnufflyBunny · 26/12/2023 08:02

Haha, what extra wages? It doesn't cost them anything extra to open as you don't get paid anymore to work on Christmas Day!

If you don't get paid extra for working on Christmas Day, you need to get a new job.

MurielThrockmorton · 26/12/2023 08:35

We went out to a pub for the first time, though it is run by friends, and it was amazing. Way too much food but it was all excellent and we knew a lot of people in there. I wouldn't have gone to somewhere with no connection otherwise. I have cooked Christmas dinner for years and I am absolutely sick of doing it so it was definitely well worth it, and we are a small family as well, so seeing other people was really nice.

One of the people working behind the bar is someone who has a highly paid job, but doesn't do Christmas so has helped out in the pub for different landlords over the years for someone to do. My DB works in hospitality and has pretty much always worked over Christmas. I think he feels he has the better deal, as it's me that has hosted our DPs for years and years!

dottiedodah · 26/12/2023 08:36

Surely the staff would be paid extra? Otherwise no one would work ! The whole point is that they would be sacrificing time with their families to serve food. We have been out in the past and it was OK ,but its not as cosy as being at home .

gotomomo · 26/12/2023 08:37

@SnufflyBunny

My local pub/restaurant paid triple wages, they also invited 24 local older people who would have been alone for free. They charged £85 a head including welcome drink and glass of wine, apparently was good and everyone was kicked out by 4pm so the staff could go home or eat there for free, not open today. If they are going to open staff need to be looked after

Groovee · 26/12/2023 08:38

SnufflyBunny · 26/12/2023 08:02

Haha, what extra wages? It doesn't cost them anything extra to open as you don't get paid anymore to work on Christmas Day!

My Ds was on double time yesterday and will be today and they get an extra per hour until the second of January too.

goldedging · 26/12/2023 08:49

We did and it was actually really nice. We're a family of chefs and cooks so it's difficult to find a place that everyone isn't critiquing but we paid £89 each and it was lovely and tasty. They had two sittings so presumably the staff could get home reasonably early and because we pre-booked our food choices, it was really well-organised and everything arrived at the table with no fuss.

Even my granny who has dementia and has lost the ability to fake how she feels about things, enjoyed it.

JSMill · 26/12/2023 08:50

Both my ds's gfs (in the past not this year) worked in local pubs whilst in 6th form and both were forced to work Christmas Day for no extra and weren't even fed.

Maverickess · 26/12/2023 08:55

As many have said, you're paying for chefs, potwash, waiting staff and bar staff to serve you on Christmas Day, that's why it's expensive. They are spending a national holiday that's traditionally spent with family, giving other people the opportunity to not shop, plan, buy, cook and clear up, while spending time with their family. Interesting that some people don't factor that in at all and yet will expect happy staff that give them a great experience, but clearly don't want to pay for it.

It's also an absolute ball ache to organise admin wise and then shifting tables around, setting up , all the prep etc - it's not just the people on the day, it's the people who come before, setting the room and then clearing it all up after, preparing all the food etc.

And when doing it you're very aware that people want things to be 'perfect' and at least where I've worked a lot of time goes into the planning of that. And every single table will have a different idea of perfect.

And hospitality is struggling for staff, especially chefs, you want them to work Christmas Day so you can spend it being waited on then it's going to cost you.

But sadly at the moment society seems really down on hospitality and the staff for some reason, so I'm not surprised.

Summerishere123 · 26/12/2023 09:10

We stayed home this year because last years was so bad. £400 for 4 adults and 2 kids (Not including drinks) and it was barely edible. Not of the choices were particularly child friendly apart from the turkey dinner which was barely edible.
My starter was Camembert served with.... a fork! I asked if it came with bread and it just came with the croutons on top. Said croutons were smaller than my pinkie nail and there were 4 of them.
This year we spent about £120 to feed us all and have enough for another roast.

BabyElf · 26/12/2023 09:14

We went for a curry and it was absolutely delicious. Starter, main, side dish and dessert for £39 each and it was BYOB. They only charged us £20 for dd even though portion sizes were exactly the same. It was brilliant.

PumpkinsAndCoconuts · 26/12/2023 09:15

We went to a Chinese buffet (which had a “traditional British” Christmas section, but I didn’t try those, tbh).

paid 50 £ for me, about 60 £ for my SO (due to alcoholic drinks). We had a huge selection of dishes, a lovely dessert bar and got a little Christmas present (apart from the customary crackers).

most people present were families (some with children) or couples. Very comfortable atmosphere.

I would definitely recommend this!

MikeRafone · 26/12/2023 09:20

Today Christmas Day we were booked for our Dinner .
It was lovely could not fault it .All cooked well and plenty available .
The starters and desserts were also excellent .
The staff were so nice and obliging could not do enough for the guests we had a lovely girl watching our table .
Everywhere was clean and kept clean throughout service .

A lovely touch was a box of mincepies and brownies to take home so appreciated .

Would we do it again , absolutely we would.
Well done Managers ,bar staff ,chef(s)
Waiting staff .....Great job done well.

This above review is from a local pub to me - I didn't attend, its £75 a head and they do a Sunday carver with extras. The boss has volunteers only to work, obviously paid but nobody works who doesn't want to actually be there.

festivepains · 26/12/2023 09:21

Feedback to them that their normal roasts would be welcome on christmas day

EnglishGirlApproximately · 26/12/2023 09:21

We've had our Christmas Dinner at our local average pub for the last two years and enjoyed it. It isn't as nice as I can make at home, but as DP was back.at work at 7am today weve decided its worth the trade off for no hassle and no dishes.
Its £50 a head, food is really just your standard pub roast dinner but its 5 minutes walk from my house, great atmosphere and staff are unfailingly polite, warm and chatty. I think if you go.in expecting it to be better than home you're likely to be disappointed.

meatbaseddessert · 26/12/2023 09:22

I worked as a waitress before. I would never ever eat out on Christmas Day. It's fucking insulting to those staff.

It was shite because they don't want to be there and are fucking miserable. The only people happy are the owners who have charged your twice the price, staff get the same as they always do and you get worse food.

luckylavender · 26/12/2023 09:23

SnufflyBunny · 26/12/2023 08:02

Haha, what extra wages? It doesn't cost them anything extra to open as you don't get paid anymore to work on Christmas Day!

Of course you do.

rwalker · 26/12/2023 09:27

in my teens used to work behind a bar always worked Christmas Day shift

double time great atmosphere and could VERY easily triple my wages in tips for a few hours work

FatFemale · 26/12/2023 09:29

Crikey, thats a lot of money!!!

Pimo · 26/12/2023 09:30

We've eaten out three times on Christmas day - I've never been disappointed in the food but always reflected that the cost/eating at lunchtime wasn't worth it, so left it a few years before trying again.

Now decided that Christmas dinner on Christmas day full stop isn't worth it. Next year we're going to go out for a family meal in the week before Christmas and then have completely different food on Christmas day...

FUPAgirl · 26/12/2023 09:30

I personally would never eat out or go to a shop on Christmas Day as I think it's ridiculous that they open. Let the staff have one bloody day off with their family ffs. If people would stop giving them money then they wouldn't open.