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!!

Sorry, got carried away there!

It is in India. Oh - and anywhere else in the world that's slightly open-minded about food.

If it's what you'd eat at a football game, surely it's got to be pies?

This really is the most Mumsnet thread ever, and 'certainly not what I'd use to host with as I'd want to shine as a hostess' (in relation to a couple of families with kids watching a football match) is, by some measure, the wankiest comment ever in a wide field.
😂

I actually find it depressing that anyone would want to "shine as a hostess". Some people really need a life - it's not something you ever hear a man say, is it?

They wouldn’t phrase it that way but plenty of men like to flex with their cooking.

Your food sounded fine to me. Your friend was rude I reckon. To me party food covers snacks which is what you provided. If I knew you and you invited me I would be happy. I like party food now and then I must admit. I never go to McDonald's myself apart from using their toilets as they are usually nice and clean.

So she agreed in advance the precise type of party food you’d be supplying was okay and her only issue seemingly is brand snobbery without even having given the food a chance and not caring if she hurt the hosts feelings and then to add insult to injury she announces they’re going to need to stop in at McDonalds on the way back - McDonalds?! And she had food snobbery over Iceland?! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’ll tell you who was in the wrong here, YOU! For having sent an apology text when you’d done nothing wrong. Do not pander to these types!

Do an advanced search for the Bailey’s bombe thread (I think it’s in Classics). That’s like the perfect storm of Mumsnet madness!

and Iceland have higher commitment to the environment, staff welfare and access to good food for all than many chains I believe? I sat up and took notice when they tried to remove palm oil from their goods but had to give up on that but some of their own goods as it is now in everything.

Fascinating how marketing affects people's choices and gets into kids brains if they have anxieties around food. I expect an AI programme would quickly let us know if there is much different in contents and ingredients between the brands.

I dont like that type of food but would be grateful of anything at all in someone else's house! So so rude.

In future you could add some chopped veg and hummus, maybe some fruit kebabs, cheese board but dont ever invite her again. What an absolute bitch.

I dont eat McDonald's. If she does I dont know why she would have an issue with your party food.

Iceland also passionate about recycling, their containers are almost all 100% now.

They're very innovative in many ways.

I would have loved to be invited to your buffet supper OP, I love a buffet and consider myself something of an expert on the subject. My husband and I began having a weekly buffet night during lockdown. Given that we couldn't go out for a meal at the weekend we decided to inaugerate our Saturday buffet night, preceeded by a kitchen disco, because nothing says party like a buffet tea! It just made Saturday feel a bit special and helped stop all the days from blurring into one long Wednesday!!
We still regularly have buffets even post-lockdown, especially since our little girl arrived, it turns out they're also a great option when trying to eat with one hand while holding a four-month-old baby!
To all the people on here laying down the law about what constitutes a buffet, we've had all kinds of weird and wonderful things on our buffets, as long as their small pieces and there's a nice variety that's all good. Our buffets usually have an international selection, we're particularly keen on samosas, pakora, spring rolls, tempura prawns and chicken, nacho cheese bites and lots of other indulgent but delicious treats.
I source buffet food from a range of shops, though I'd say Aldi and Iceland are our main source of party food. Aldi have really upped their game recently, especially from October to Christmas, they've got some really interesting and varied buffet foods that I can highly recommend, both vegetarian and meat-based. Iceland do my favourite duck spring rolls but by far my favourite samosas come from Farm Foods, they're terrific!!

Your friend was very rude as was her child. You don't turn your nose up at food offered in someone else's home and that's something most people teach kids very early on. I would think of party food as pizzas, crisps, cocktail sausages, carrot and cucumber sticks - but the picky food you chose also counts. Having said that if I am having someone over and I don't know their food preferences I always say 'anything you don't eat?' Oh well, no invite for them next time.

"Shine as a hostess."

It didn't take long for these types of people to show up, did it?

Listen-if the rude woman and her offspring were happy with a McDonald's, I'm going to wager a guess that they don't have such refined palates that they couldn't have stomached some Iceland party food without pulling rude faces and acting like it was beneath them.

It's completely irrelevant what you would have hosted with or if you would have liked that food-you don't turn up to someone's home where they're graciously serving you food that they bought out of their own pocket and turn your nose up at it.

There is such a thing as shining as a guest, too, you know. Manners cost absolutely nothing. And if she's allowing her offspring to act like that without correcting the behaviour-she's in for a world of trouble at other events and no one will want them around.

She’s mad!

Like me loathe sport in all its forms, always have, don't play it, never watch it.

I have 3 adult kids. Party food is beige and includes samosas. (We don't have Iceland). Buffet is leftovers from visitors with bread, possibly sandwiches. Grazing board is Christmas, with baked camembert and artfully draped grapes.

OP hasn't learnt from Megan and forgot to cover the food in flower petals! 😂😂😂

As many others have said, your friend was rude and sounds like a complete snob.

There's nothing wrong with Iceland for party food. Or for any other frozen food for that matter. Try their Chinese Sticky Shredded Chicken if you have an air-fryer, it's amazing and in their three for a tenner deal.

Maybe they just go to the Polo and have champagne with smoked salmon and cavier blinis?

I’d say it sounds yummy and is EXACTLY what I would think of if someone said they were serving party food. But aside from that how fucking rude of her!!! She would not be welcomed back to my house! Xx

So rude!!! I wouldn’t be asking her back again.

But she was complaining! That's bad enough.

But she was complaining! That's bad enough.