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!!

Yeah but there's cheese with it so that's OK 😂

Me! I love a good cheese and pineapple platter me, particularly post chemo. All washed down with ( yep you guessed right!) pineapple juice! ( weird I know 🙈🙈)

HOW are sandwiches and pizza superior to sausage rolls and mini-pizzas? 😂😂

it's all junk food, it's absolutely fine for a party.

I am all for healthy food, but just have a salad for diner to compensate the lack of fresh vegs and you'll live.

Oh, I'd not have been able to resist answering her message and saying that's a shame and that you were glad to see that dad and other child enjoyed it all so much.

Ridiculous. Ignore.

I’d have asked what “sort” of food she was expecting being as she agreed to party food.

Rude bitch. She wouldn’t be a friend after this.

I love pineapple juice, that I serve 😁

Please ask her what she would have expected!! Everything bought from Waitrose or what?? Need to know 🤣

Yes it was rude but you assumed it was snobby so think going to mcdonalds is odd, I don't get that they were hungry (again rude about it though) so they ate somewhere quick so not get the snobby comment

I would have kept quiet thanked you and left

I don't see what there is to be offended by though but due to their rudeness I would not invite them again

I'm with you OP! Iceland party food all the way. It all goes down a treat with our parties. I love the duck spring rolls and the mini pizzas. Your friend definitely sounds like a snob to me. I have a sister like that. She doesn't shop at Iceland..but she eats the food when it's sitting there in front of her. Must be nice to be able to shop at places like M&S or Waitrose for food. I don't have that luxury.

Unforgivably rude. Doesn’t matter what you served them, the Iceland party food is a tempura-coated red herring.

That would be enough for me to ditch them, to be honest. Who needs that?

😆 nowt wrong with a bit of the old pineapple 🍍

I don't care if they liked your choice of food or not, or if posters on this thread like Iceland party food or not. Your friend was very rude and ungrateful

It’s the perfect balance. With a nice strong cheddar.

She was extremely rude. There was nothing wrong with what you offered.

Re. what her expectations were. I’m seeing her as part of a wider friendship group tomorrow, so will see if I can drop it into conversation without appearing too confrontational. So I can’t promise you anything but I’ll try my best 😂

This was some friends and their children coming around after a match to watch football on tv, not Abigail’s Party.😃

I would want McDonald's even less.

I would invite myself round to hers next weekend and see what she serves up then make excuses and tell her your off to the chippy if its crap! Such rudeness and entitlement x

There’s no need to drop it into conversation

They didn’t like the food

Incredibly rude of her. Where are people’s manners? If her children are picky eaters (which I understand) then the thing to do would have been to have some options discreetly tucked away so they didn’t actually go hungry.

“Party” food is just that, it’s not your main meal of the day and it doesn’t have to meet any nutritional needs. Some people are very into their performative catering, personally I can’t be doing with it.

Your guests were very rude, OP, you deserved better for your efforts.

She sounds really rude and ungrateful. If McDonald's is the only thing they will eat, she should have said. But first she should have given her children a much wider diet and taught them (and herself) some manners.

I have two thoughts:

would the food have been more ' acceptable ' if it had been from M&S or Waitrose

• tho how would she / they have known

or

was she / were they expecting what could be termed ' picnic ' food i.e. sandwiches, pork pies, sausage rolls - tho you did have them !

Yes, she was rude and is raising at least one of her kids to follow in her impolite footsteps. I wouldn't be inclined to host them again, but if I did, I might suggest that you'll provide the location/entertainment and you'll both contribute to the food side of things so there's more variety. At least then the picky ones can eat what they brought (and stop rudely talking about plans to stop for food on the way home).

The outbreak of scurvy comment was hyperbole/sarcasm.

You know something- my office, upmarket, private client solicitors, frequently catering for clients, presentations, partners' meetings, trustees' meetings etc, breakfast and lunches. Guess what uneaten leftover appears back in the staff kitchen- the fruit.