Offended by friend’s comments about party food

[LinsMum22]

We hosted my friend, her husband and three kids yesterday afternoon. Our sons are in the same football team and we said we’d put some food on at ours after and watch the Liverpool match who they both support. My friend agreed to party style food being the best option as everyone could pick at it as and when.

Amongst other things, there was - Indian selection, tempura prawns, sausage rolls, mini pizza’s, mini sausages, chips, breaded chicken. So a good mix all from Iceland where we’ve had positive comments on the food before.

I could tell my friends’ youngest looked unimpressed when they tried one of the items, and pulled a face to my friend. She made no
attempt to get them to try another item and basically said ‘I know’. I noticed five minutes later she had barely ate anything herself either.

15/20 minutes later, the youngest moaned again and this time my friend said ‘don’t worry, we will stop at McDonald’s on the way back as I’m hungry too.’

I text her after they left to say sorry if they didn’t enjoy the food. She replied to say they didn’t realise it would be that sort of food and that they’d have got something else before coming round if they realised!!

AIBU to find this really snobby and ungrateful? The fact she then took the kids to get a McDonald’s makes no sense!!

That's definitely what we do when we have the sweaty muddy kids around after their game to watch a big game on the TV. The continent we choose is Australia and the dead horse on the pies and sausage rolls is the veggie element. (Dead horse is Australian for tomato sauce which strictly speaking is a fruit but close enough).

How bloody rude. I'm not a fan of that kind of food but I'd have 100% made it for a bunch of young boys because I know how fussy some kids can be( often egged on by parents) I was taught to eat even your plate if you wee a visitor to someone's home. Mom sounds like a right biatch, a bit like my snobby mother who thinks she's ' cultured'. Personally I wouldn't invite them back,

Well, that's a fair point.

I probably also wouldn't have presented salads for a group of football kids. But then I'd happily eat a bunch of Iceland frozen food.

This thread is brilliant.

I could go a plate of tempura prawns about now to be honest.

Sorry this happened OP. Horrible to be so rude and wouldn’t invite her again.

How do you know the issue was specifically with where you bought the food?

Could it have been the type of food, eg too spicy or not bland enough for her and her DC? Not an excuse but possibly another explanation.

Do you know, tesco do decent tempura prawns but weirdly the vegan jackfruit ones? Absolutely incredible. Bizarre how good they are. Taste exactly like prawns in filo.

edit: these guys, but out of stock for me :(
https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/311781987

I always play safe and go through what we are having, beforehand. Tbf Iceland's duck spring rolls are some of the nicest around. There whole duck with pancakes the best value. She was out of order. My youngest GD can be a bit fussy. But she'd eat the sausages and we'd take dips and doritos (enough for everyone) to tide her over. I can't stand a full buffet being put out, to go cold, though.

Sounds like the guest was, though.

I don't think she's "snobby" for preferring McDonald's. Quite the opposite.

That food find sounds fine to me as telly-watching nibbles. And they sound like a very rude family, I wouldn't invite them back.

I can't get over some of the comments on here.

It doesn't matter what you served. You made a thoughtful, genuine effort, and your guest was rude as hell.

I've been to countless parties where whatever was on the menu wasn't to my taste. The gracious thing to do is to thank the hostess all the same and quietly satisfy yourself afterwards.

She is rude and she is teaching her children to be rude. I would NEVER invite them back.

You have done NOTHING wrong.

Same. My friend used to be “tomatoes? Cucumber? Do you want butter or mayo..?”
Now she just makes food and puts it in front of me

Hospital food was great, the catering staff seemed very happy to give more. I mean jam roly poly and custard?! I’ll take it

Does it matter?

I don't get what point you're trying to make.

Around these parts it is. I haven’t seen a crusty sausage roll or curled up sandwich at a party for years. Who wants to eat a cold sausage when you can be eating fresh bread, butter, cheese, meat and salad.

I haven't seen a crusty sausage roll or curled up sandwich at a party for years either, but I've seen plenty of nice hot sausage rolls and fresh sandwiches. And also plenty of easy cold deli food, like you serve, but most people will go for the hot brown food first.

What is with all the suggestions for cucumber and carrot sticks on food threads around here lately. I'm familiar with the fruit obsessive tendencies, but cucumber? 🤢🤮

Jesus, cucumber is the most disgusting food related thing on the face of the earth. The smell alone is enough to put me off eating anything in the same room.

The BFG's snozzcumbers are clearly just cucumbers.

And raw carrot sticks. Raw carrot! Makes my stomach hurt just thinking about it.

I like my vegetables. I speak as a freak who likes Brussels sprouts outside of Christmas. Cannot stand salad. No cold wet or slimy things.

Still, if they were on offer, I'd just politely decline and say I wasn't hungry. OP's guest could have just kept quiet if she didn't like the food.

I think a lot of posters here have never shopped in Iceland. Their frozen snack food is very good of it’s kind. I bet if you hadn’t left the boxes out they would have happily eaten it.

Haven't seen cheese and pineapple at a party since the seventies. Would you do it hedgehog fashion?

OP your friend and her child were rude. If they were the veg and hummus type party eaters, seems odd that they'd opt for a McDs. But regardless it was rude. I hate sandwich type buffets, but I'd nibble on one politely and say nothing as that's just what you do 🤷‍♀️

I like that type of food, but I know some people who wouldn't eat it (they don't like fried, brown, greasy food - which all of it is).

So I can see why they would be a bit dismayed that there was no fresher option, and I don't think it's rude not to eat if you don't like the food.

But when she said about McDonalds I would have said something like

"if your hungry I have bananas / apples / yogurts / whatever in the fridge. Do you not like the Iceland stuff?"

Not only is your friend rude she is not teaching her child manners.

It wasn't a dinner party, it was a party munchies for a few people watching a game. She must have envisioned a heartier spread and you did get stuff many people would happily eat. Good suggestions from previous posters to ask her for more details of what she would serve.

Was she expecting lobster or something 😆 what a snobby cow

This!

They were rude. They would’ve been rude even if it was The Ivy mentioned instead of McDonald’s.

@LinsMum22 the reason she suggested MacDonalds instead is because it’s the most insulting she could be! She’s basically said “Even a MacDonalds would be better than this,” which is clearly really fucking rude.

However, if she’s the kind of person who would do salads etc as party food I can see why she might not like a beige buffet from Iceland. I’d happily eat or serve this but not a whole table full.. would do with some other low effort bits too, like a bag of mixed leaves and some cucumber/tomato, might even stretch to some crisps and dips..

Iceland food isn’t nice food, you didn’t make any effort that took any time. She clearly took offence and went out of her way to be a bitch about it.