Taking food from a hotel breakfast buffet- cheeky??

[Nannyogg134]

Was chatting with Brother and SIL about their upcoming holiday. They've got a long drive with 2 young DCs, so they've booked a chain hotel with free buffet breakfast part way along (to break up the drive.) DM said "Oh good, don't forget to make sandwiches for the drive later.".
This led to a whole family breakdown of what it is/isn't cheeky to do at a breakfast buffet 😂...

• DM would happily take tupperware with her and fill up because 'it's been paid for' (I don't think she does take tupperware, I think it was a figure of speech!)
• DH said he's too embarrassed to take anything more than a banana for later.
• DSIL confessed that she can't resist taking pots of jam

I just wondered what everyone thought- Is it unreasonable to take from the buffet breakfast for 'later'?

I’m with your DH, I’d happily take a piece of fruit and maybe a pastry/muffin. I wouldn’t walk out with a full packed lunch!

It's a bit naff, tbh

Taking anything out is cheeky tbh.
But I know loads of people do it.

It's not the same as ordering a pizza, eating half and taking the rest home.

Yes, of course it's cheeky. The result if this is done en masse is that the hotel will have to provide more food and increase prices. You have paid for breakfast - not lunch and snacks throughout the day.

My mum continually does this. I find it embarrassing. Just buy lunch on the way or go to the supermarket for supplies, it's not hard.

I once paid for a buffet for myself and my 4 young kids and I made them sandwiches to eat later because they we had a long journey home.

I went to an all inclusive this year and someone had actually bought tupperware on holiday and was filling it up. I did think it was brazen but tbh the food is going to end up in the bin if it’s not eaten so meh. Kind of admired his balls.

It makes me cringe a bit. But then so do people who pile up their multiple plates because “they’ve paid for it” and then leave loads and loads of food to waste.

Yes. Maybe it's ok to take some fruit or a pastry if you're not a big eater at breakfast time but taking a lunch isn't on.

Cheeky.
I have seen staff stop it at hotels we have stayed at.

I said this! They've got a long drive but it's not like it's through the wasteland, glad to see I'm not on my own haha.

My parents were demons for this sort of thing to my great embarrassment (also, who wants to eat a soggy warm roll hours later?) so I won’t do it. When I emptied mum’s house after she went into care, she had a drawer full of tea-stained sugar sachets she’d filched from cafes. Sad, cheap and obsessive, IMO.

I would take some extra fruit and a crossiant but making sandwiches is taking the piss.

Nah I wouldn't take loads. Maybe a pastry and a piece of fruit for my son. Definitely wouldn't make up sandwiches.

Last year I was on the ferry to France in the Dog Lounge. They have complimentary tea/coffee and soft drinks in the fridge (as you pay a bit extra to use the dog lounge and non-pet owners aren't allowed in). A family came in and completely emptied the fridge of all the soft drinks and took them away for later. No shame at all.

When we were in holiday in Norway, pretty much everyone was doing this at breakfast! We'd never done it before, but thought 'if you can't beat them, join them' and took a cheese/ham roll with us every day. But then we don't eat massive breakfasts and were probably eating less food in total than most people.

I wouldn’t and don’t take anything. I just eat what’s on offer and what I fancy at the time and then organise food when it’s the next mealtime wherever I happen to be.

Loads of people take extras though and I feel like it’s scummy behaviour so I just don’t.

Why was that the hotels problem to solve?

It’s the same whatever you take.

Personally, I have no issue making myself a breakfast sandwich, eating half and taking half for later. I’ve touched the food so I would take it better than wasting it.

At a hotel breakfast I will take some fruit for lunch, because it is hard to get healthy food out and about or at the beach, unless you are passing a supermarket or greengrocer. I do not want a sit down lunch at a restaurant because I do that in the evening. It’s not a question of money. Plus yes, it is paid for by me and accounted for by the hotel.

It wasn’t.
It was my problem to solve and I believe I solved it.

I wouldn't in the UK as it's not the done thing and would feel really cheeky.

We are currently staying in a hotel in Austria and making a packed lunch (including sandwiches) at breakfast is actively encouraged! They even provide paper bags and napkins. I brought my insulated lunch bag so we could put stuff in there.
It's been brilliant for the whole holiday- especially when out on the mountains and everyone does it. Very different to back home.

It’s naff

It's not the hotel's fault you can't be arsed to go and get fruit or because you don't want a full meal at lunch.

Unacceptable to take anything out. It’s included/paid for breakfast not food for later.