Is it cheap not to cater?

[Itrtttyy]

it’s a significant birthday and a function room is being hired out 4-6pm for around 40 guests then afterwards carrying on in nearby (nice) pubs. The function room place serves food as do a few nearby pubs.

Does the event need catered (a buffet)?

Yes - YABU
No - YANBU

To be fair, a pub crawl does involve different pubs and she’s made it clear that’s the plan. If you waited till everyone was finished every time no one would ever move.

Nope. That seems odd. I can’t imagine turning up and ordering a meal when other people aren’t. Either it’s a party with no catering beyond perhaps some crisps or a dinner/buffet.

The reserved area is till 6pm. It’s not available after that.

That's shocking! Either have a party or don't, don't dump your guests to move on without them.

Well you've no choice now OP but to go, stay out for the entire night, and report back to us on what the function room was booked for and when people ate!

I am guessing your friend is strapped for money, but is hoping for a night out celebrating with their friends.

Has anybody other than you questioned them on this?

It has been made clear though that the room is reserved 4-6pm and then it’s a pub crawl. You can’t stay in the same place all night because some people are two hours late.

Even with a big lunch I’d be wanting something later.

I will certainly be doing this!

Why is it starting at 4 pm? Is it to accommodate kids or something?

I wouldn't want to go to a gathering that started at 4pm and then went on for hours.

I don’t know. I only know a couple of mutual friends.

I don’t know if it’s more of a northern thing, but I’ve never been to a “do” (party) in a function room that didn’t have a buffet.

You don’t even have to spend loads on catering companies. In my experiences friends and family usually all club together and do everything homemade. Sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, chips, crisps, salads, buns, cakes, breadsticks and dips.

It is definitely not appropriate for kids!

Or, to draw on another Scottish stereotype… “you’ll have had your tea…”

I think yes you need to provide food, because people won’t be able to eat on a ‘pub crawl’. Packet of crisps while standing or fish and chips if they have time to stop at the chippy, but it’s not like people will get a table and sit down to eat while everyone else leaves for another pub. Friends did a 50th birthday at the village pub and pub put out sandwich trays, sausage rolls, brownies and flapjacks and that was perfectly sufficient (followed by cake later in the evening).

We’re in the North.

Fuck it. DFriend has been known to be tight.

I have a significant birthday coming up but because nice food is so expensive and as I wouldn’t want to go to Weatherspoons or host at home somewhere nice comes with a high price tag so you are left with the awkward situation of inviting people somewhere nice and either accept you will stump up the full cost of a nice meal, at least a buffet and some drinks or a first drink, cake and nibbles, or the awkward situation of everyone paying to attend with no free food or drinks.

This is nonsense timing.

I wouldn’t host a party if I couldn’t put food on.

I can't get my head around this. What is the point of the function room? It would probably take longer to decorate than the two hours it's hired for. Yes, I know it will be decorated before and not during. Then the decorations have to be taken down. Are the pub staff taking the decorations down? That's usually the responsibility of whoever hired the room. Is everyone expected to help or wait around while that's being done?
What if everyone wants to eat? Would the pub be able to cater for forty extra people without notice?
Then the pub crawl. If not everyone can get into the same pub, what's the point them all being invited?
It all sounds a bit shit.

Sounds awful. Eat before 4pm? Sit in a function room with no entertainment or food, why?
I bet people bring gifts. What tight wads.

I am just imagining 40 slightly bewildered people all in a function room for 2hrs with no discernable actual function taking place.

And just as people start ordering their own food, 6pm would roll around and birthday girl would up and leave them there and go on a "pub crawl" and those eating would be evicted from the function room along with their food.

Bonkers but to each their own.

I can't get my head around it either 😕
If you want a pub crawl for your birthday then have one but don't do a half arsed 2-hour "party" at 4pm beforehand.

That was my first thought too. Turn up, sit down, do what? Chuck out time 2 boring hours later? Are you providing drinks and nibbles at least?

To eat before 3.30 when they leave to go to the venue or you expect some people to buy their own food at a party you’ve invited them to. But only some people so it’s not a collective experience?

No it wouldn’t, the host is providing nothing except some decorations for herself and some reserved tables. Nibbles is the very least needed if there’s not even a drink