Bring a board nights?

[tequillaaa]

For anyone who doesn’t know what it is, you bring a board of food to someone’s house and it’s usually themed (countries, colours etc).

I’ve been to one and there was so much food left over it was an absolute waste. I did a dessert board but the host almost made a cake so it felt pretty worthless me paying for food that wasn’t eaten - and it wasn’t just mine.

I’ve been invited to another but now it’s expected to cater for lots of food intolerances- which I absolutely get. I just can’t be bothered to put so much effort in to have food left over, that even if I brought home I wouldn’t eat (because gluten free tastes quite gross to me). Aibu or am I just a misery? 😂

Such as waste and mostly only for social media anyway.

Not my idea of a good time!!!

YANBU. The actual concept sounds fun, but the waste element is partly what I dislike about food being so central to every single social gathering these days. And there's an inevitability about the waste, because no one wants to be the host (or bringer of a dish) that under-caters so the food runs out.

I’m looking forward to seeing the people who will be there as some I haven’t seen in maybe a year. So that aspect will be great.

I’d rather just bring a dish/dessert and a bottle.

When I lived in France 'bring a board' was a more modest 'Bring a plate'. It worked really well. Everyone brought something usually discussed in advance so there weren't duplicates etc. It was cheaper for the hosts, dietary requirements bought something they absolutely could eat so there was less pressure on others to cater for them. There were leftovers for sure but never wasted. So unless you are all creating boards for 20 people when there are 5 people attending I find it hard to see the problem. I get your point about waste though.

I’ve never heard of this and I’m not a foodie so I wouldn’t be going, but I wouldn’t give a shit about the food waste. It doesn’t matter.

So presumably you have to get a special kind of board to put the food on? Or am I being too literal?

Take something that can be kept for another occasion if not needed, so packets of crisps or nuts for example.

Agree with the poster who said this is just for social media. I have to scroll past these cringey tiktoks.

It is a waste of food

This is a good idea. Perhaps individually wrapped things?

I would take a Monopoly set and say I must have misunderstood the invitation - and then go home early.

Could you do a drinks board - cocktails and mocktails?

Surely it just needs better communication and organisation so that the quantities are correct and allergies and preferences catered for. It’s hardly a new concept: sone influencer might have rebranded it as “bring a board” but potluck suppers / bring and share buffets have been around forever, they’re not that complicated. And the usual thing is also for everyone to bring a Tupperware with them so that any leftover food can be taken home by anyone who wants it.

If it's literally a wooden board that is heeby jeeby territory for allergens.

It's an awful TikTok trend, remember the butter boards?!

What's wrong with an old fashioned bring a dish or 'pot luck'.

Yes a literal board, I already have a wooden one but I guess you could use a chopping board

It really is not the same. You’re suppose to fill the entire board. So it’s not just one dish you bring. And that’s for every person attending. So chances are it’s not all going to get eaten.

Surely it's only waste if you make too much food. Just use a smaller board appropriate to the number of guests-its not rocket science!

Overall, I think "bring and share" (by whatever name you call it) is a good thing. It shares out the cost of the food, and people have the choice to prepare food to the budget they have available. It also means that everyone can bring something that suits their own dietary requirements.

no need for waste - host at end of evening give everyone a doggy bag / some bits on a board to take home at the end of the evening

can’t see the drama. Go - share some food , have a laugh - come home with a few leftovers.

Stick an opened packet of crisps on a chopping board and you’re sorted.

It sounds very try hard.

Never done it, but I'd just throw together bits that were naturally GF (I'm a coeliac and don't go out of my way to buy Free From products). Cheese, chutneys, olives, etc. Hummus, meats (check they're okay for allergens), so on and so forth. Bring two boxes of crackers, one normal and one GF, and make sure they're kept separate with no cross contamination.

Anything that's left can be taken home/doggy bag made up as a pp said.

It’s themed (countries)

Could you pick cheese from a specific country? And then add in some local dips/chutneys? I'd have a look online and see what simple recipes they've got. Do you have a specific country you're doing?

If you're worried about cost - Greece could be done super cheaply.

Pick a small board. 2 x salad cheese (fake feta) at 89p each, some pitta bread, some jarred olives, some hummus/taramasalata/tzatziki. Job done. Not suitable for GF (but you could buy GF pitta or GF crackers instead if every.single.board needs to GF.)

Or Spanish. Some homemade frittatas (cost pennies to make) chopped into slices and nicely arranged, some chorizo slices (a pound or so) fanned out artistically, some jarred olives, some sliced tomato and cucumber word work fine to fill up the board. Perhaps chuck on some Manchego cubes if you want to spash out a bit (that's about £2.50). That would be gluten free, inexpensive and I don't see why there would be much waste?

Honestly, I think it's only fair to expect to provide something rather than expecting other people to always shoulder the cost of hosting, because it's always the same people who host and take the financial hit, and the same people who turn up empty handed and eat their fill whilst contributing nothing.

@mrsm43s Have to agree with this! I love hosting but there's a few friends who I know if I host there'll be loads left. I don't mind at all, it's about the company, but they tend to think they'll eat more than they do...which is absolutely fine as I'm similar tbh! But it does leave waste if cooking is involved. Bring a board is actually quite a good idea and I'm going to give it a go after reading this thread. Maybe not themed, but just some nice bits they can choose to take back.