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 tried it once at a hotel in Barcelona and one of the staff stopped me and asked for the croissant back. Felt like a shoplifter!
Never dared since. 😀

If DC has a mini pastry or piece of fruit left on their plate that they might want in an hour, I'll wrap it up and take it with us rather than leave it to go to waste. I wouldn't go back up to get more stuff specifically to take away though.

Yes it is cheeky. Yes I do it! Boiled eggs are my go to for later in the day. Or a banana.

I’ve done this but only where breakfast is included, I don’t eat breakfast so I’ll make a sandwich and take an apple or something to eat at lunchtime. It’s still less food than most people have on their breakfast plates!

We have doggy bags, but this only includes what you’ve paid for. Not CF’s at hotels. If you are at a B&B or hotel where you would go ’på tur’ after breakfast, noone would say no to taking a bread roll and some cheese.

I often take a banana or pastry for later in the day if I’m working away and don’t have easy access to other sources of food but I don’t eat a massive breakfast on those days anyway so it’s no more than some folk would eat in the breakfast sitting. I’ve was in a hotel one week and a bloke made a full packed lunch every morning with 4 rounds of bread for sandwiches!

It's theft.
Bit of a cliche, but I was queuing behind two Dutch girls for buffet breakfast in a hostel once and they took the last slices of bread for their lunch. No breakfast for me!

I think in posher places they would replenish, but in budget places they don't so if you take extra you're taking from the other guests.

Really embarrassing to take anything

I don't eat breakfast so I am happy to take reasonable amount (a sandwich and pastry or fruit with me).
If I ate breakfast I would call it CF.

I will take stuff to the table and know there's a chance I won't eat the piece of fruit and maybe a muffin which I'll take with me. More comfortable with just a piece of fruit though. If they've got really good jam I would be tempted to take some with me but probably wouldn't. I would not take enough for a full lunch and if I was with someone who was doing that I'd have to walk away from them because I'd find it embarrassing and plain wrong.

I don't and wouldn't take a picnic pack for later from the buffet.

One of those things. Is the hotel unhappy about it?

Well if it's unsuitable then just don't go. Don't steal and come up with excuses to justify it.

I think it is one of those things where what is culturally acceptable varies from country to country. As mentioned some places put out paper bags but now on the continent I think you are seeing more notices saying 'please do not remove items from the breakfast buffet - packed lunches can be provided' or similar. I've also seen places where you can pay a small amount, 5 euros or so, to take lunch from the breakfast buffet.

We stayed at the Cinderella hotel at Euro Disney once and I’ve never seen such a display of greed and bad manners as I saw at breakfast. People were filling up Tupperware boxes with anything they could get their hands on no sooner had the buffet been replenished when they were empty again. People can be disgusting.

It's greedy

and mean as not willing to pay out later for lunch / snacks.

Yes, I will take extra food - a roll, pastry or fruit because there is only so much I can eat at breakfast and some people just seem to sit for ages munching.
I have a holiday to get on with. Most European hotels accept some level of 'extras' (very surprised by Barcelona, unless it was a small hotel).

Have to say that DH did take this a little far some years ago. I have a bowel condition which meant I frequently had to "play the tourist" and make use of hotels' facilities whilst out. (I look very British and have a "determined: I am about to shit myself face" so am never challenged). I would frequently emerge to him partaking in the hotel's cava/prosecco breakfast treats!). He's very charming though.

We’ve taken takeaway tubs with packed lunches for the plane. Then been grateful we still had them as last year the ai evening meal was so busy and my tired 2 yo especially was getting overwhelmed/overstimulated. There was also no air con in the restaurant. So we took the takeaway tubs and gota take out. We had an apartment with kitchen and a dining table my children were much more settled, calm and cooler. So he could have just been doing the same.

I just fill up on the hotel breakfast. Usually the DC will have a cooked breakfast. So their usually ok with a snack until teatime.

I always take a pastry and coffee back to my room!

That’s Barcelona for you 😂 Love the directness of the staff there! I would have been tempted to stuff it in my mouth just for the comedy!

I don't take anything for myself but I have been known occasionally to take a couple of slices of turkey/ham for stray cats I've seen in the vicinity 🙈🐱

There's an excellent episode of the Adam Buxton podcast where he debates this very aspect of breakfast buffet etiquette with Louis Theroux. www.adam-buxton.co.uk/podcasts/128

Well done!

Depends what the rules are and what everyone else is doing. Quite obviously packing up all the soft drinks is simply stealing but apart from that surely we can all apply a bit of context to when it's fine and when it's a bit...scummy.