She turned her nose up at my joint camping meal, then added her own stuff!

[MerchantGourmetLover]

On our camping trip with friends we decided that each night one family cooks a meal to feed everyone. I got allocated the final night, so a bit more difficult in terms of bringing fresh stuff from home as it won't last.

My friend got allocated the first night and presented a home cooked chilli using all these organic ingredients picked from a local allotment. She also made some pointed comments about how she is trying to reduce her consumption of ultra processed foods.

To make life easier, for my meal (which to be fair was similar to hers) I used some packets of Merchant Gourmet cajun beans and Mexican grains - which I happen to think are really nice. As soon as I mentioned this she started quietly grumbling about UPFs and I overheard her describe it to someone else as "slop from packets". I tried to ignore and rise above it, but at the moment I served up my meal to everyone, she popped up with a load of extra stuff (of course from the organic allotment) which she claimed was "just some sides to add to your meal", but she then proceeded to only eat her stuff and ignored everything I had cooked.

She has form for this as something similar happened last year! Should I have tried harder with my offering or AIBU to be upset that she was rude about my meal in front of everyone else?

I assume everyone else thinks she's an arsehole too?

I love merchant grains

Going against the grain here but I can't see the problem. She doesn't sound awful at all. As long as she provided for herself and didn't inconvenience you, why shouldn't she eat what she wants?

Separate holidays from now on, fuck her!

How many families went?
what was everyone else’s offering?
can you pint out to her how rude she is?

Large group of us (6-8 families) holiday together for a week every year. We have one communal meal (barbecue) in that week. I'd maybe suggest similar if you're going to holiday with her again.

YABU for going a second time.

Unless you were serving me mouldy bread I’d happily accept someone feeding me for an evening!

Why do people sit quiet when people are blatantly insulting them?

Regardless of her adding food to her own plate I think the phrase "slop from packets" is unforgivable and I would have pulled her up on it right then and there.

Next time serve what I got camping with Russian friends: rye bread, raw onion and slices of uncooked bacon. Surprisingly edible and the only objectionable part from her pov would be the curing salt used on the bacon.

She sounds dreadful, let's hope she chokes on an organic bean or two........

Pretty sure merchant gourmet isn’t UPF they’re just prepackaged grains. I normally get the French lentil one. They’re probably a bit higher in salt etc. than if homemade but hardly ultra processed! I was expecting you to say you have to do chicken nuggets or something.

She would have got a sausage roll and a bag of crisps on my night lol can't be arsed with people like her, it's meant to be a break away not a competition on who can prepare the best meal. To be fair though everyone going camping with me would know beforehand I can't be arsed with adding unnecessary stress where it's not needed and would be expecting a sausage roll lol

I think describing OPs meal as slop from packets was out of order. She can ofc eat what she wants but she doesn’t have to insult OP.

Almost certain there's no such thing as an organic allotment. (Missing the point)

She's a food twat.

What a cow
Appalling and rude behavoir
Your dinner sounds yummy (and healthy for camp food too)

Did you miss this part:

As soon as I mentioned this she started quietly grumbling about UPFs and I overheard her describe it to someone else as "slop from packets".

That's pretty fucking rude.

As is refusing to eat food someone else has made, unless you have an intolerance or allergy of some kind. Basic manners.

Presumably you habitually behave as rudely as she does if you don't see a problem with someone describing your food as 'slop'.

I thought the same.

Did everyone else enjoy your meal, op? If she was the only one who didn't, don't worry.

She's a food snob/bore. And she clearly has so little else going on in her life and so much insecurity that she needs to find ways to score points off 'friends'.

I presume you'll not be holidaying with her again.

The good news is that like here - everyone else probably noted her for the dick she is and it said more about her than you.

@MerchantGourmetLover

Did you tell her that her allotment produce is 6 times as polluting as commercial produce?

a study published in January 2024 that suggested urban agriculture in the US and Europe is on average six times as polluting, in terms of carbon emissions, as conventional, commercial agriculture”

I’d just add a link to this to your group camping chat now…

She’s a bit painful. I wouldn’t have cared about someone adding sides/extras to a meal I’d prepared - the more the merrier, but I would have spoken up if someone had described my offering as slop.

Did she really say about beans and grains? Bit weird.

Either dont go on holiday with them again or if she’s otherwise fun and the rudeness was a one off, then suggest she prepares food in future and you take on a different chore.

I've been known to preach about the health risks associated with UPF and normally try to avoid the stuff. However, on a camping trip I would eat any reasonably edible meal, especially if I don't have to cook it. Most likely my own offerings would contain some UPF as well. This 'friend' 🙄is a rude cow.