To ask what one thing is that ruins a dinner?

[ChloefromSundy]

I'll go first - nothing being crispy and no texture, so slop on a plate.

The flaw in your logic is that most vegetarians (certainly IME) become vegetarians on principle and to eat meat is to flout that principle. That's a bit different to Mr and Mrs Meat-Eater suddenly just deciding the spinach lasagne looks nicer than the beef one so they'll have a bit of that instead.

Not sure where you're getting 'forced' from, though - these things are frequently first come, first served - some people decide to exercise consideration for vegetarians in these circumstances and some don't. No one is 'forced' to eat anything, it's predicated by what's available at the time they come to make their selection. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@LillyPJ , I think the poster meant something like going to an event where the host will have a set number of vegetarian or vegan options, but omnivores will take them as they got there first.

What happens is that there will be a few vegetarian/vegan people getting nothing at all to eat.

It's something that happens quite a lot.

Gristly bits in meat 🤢

Anything containing mayo or salad cream. So coleslaw and so on.

Hair

Dead bug

If the cook smoked a cigarette while cooking (can't stand cigarette ashes)

Pesto

Coconut

Someone blowing/picking their nose or farting (my dad used to do this) while we're eating

Anything served with eyes still on it

Too salty

Screaming kids

If it's dirty/nasty where we are eating/being served

Fennel

When the waiter comes over to ask if everything's alright just as you've got your mouth full of food.

OMG this! I sometimes think the timing’s deliberate!

Yes, this. Two specific, a good Chinese restaurant event, I've stopped going. And an outdoor thing where the vegetarians had nothing left for them. The organisers plan to introduce a ticket system. Shouldn't be needed.

Random bits of hard gristle in mince dishes or chicken curry. My daughter bit into a gross bit of fatty chicken in a Tesco curry tray bake and i was heaving over the toilet after her bringing it to my attention

I did say specifically ordered/provided vegetarian dishes. A limited number is usually given. I choose not to eat meat and fish, no problem if you want to have a meat free meal, but let the organisers know.

@LillyPJ - vegetarians needvegetarian food - they can’t just eat the meat-containing dishes instead. And generally speaking, there are only a few vegetarian dishes, so if the meat eaters eat them all, the vegetarians have nothing to eat.

The meat eaters usually have plenty of choice - the vast majority of the dishes will be for them - plus the sides, so I can easily understand why it is rude and selfish for them to consume the few choices available for the vegetarians, leaving them to go hungry, even though I am not vegetarian myself.

I hope you now understand this.

Oh, the people who eat meat who decide to snarf up the veg options so vegetarians are left with nothing, BIG one!

It also happens with halal options.

THIS! Went to a wedding once where the groom and most of his friends were vegetarian. The carnivores snaffled all the veggie food at the buffet and a group of us went out amongst the diners and reclaimed it. Happened several times since, which is why we're now always first at the buffet checking what everything is and grabbing all the veggie options.

And we always let the caterers / hosts know well in advance.

And I bet the carnivores who snaffled all the veggie options would be the first to whinge if all the catering was veggie, @MadKittenWoman.

I understand what you're saying. But my argument still stands - vegetarians have MADE the choice to limit their options. They don't 'need' vegetarian food but they have chosen - often for very good reasons - to have it. I do empathize and think there should be far more vegetarian options on offer, but I don't think it's fair to blame omnivores for choosing a non-meat option if that's what they want.

Lumpy or runny gravy
lumpy mash
Roast potatoes or chips that aren’t crispy enough.
Tough stewing beef
I don’t get the coriander hate, I love it. Also cardamom pods yum.

@LillyPJ ,I was at an event where there were a set number (N) of vegetarian meals (for the vegetarians, Muslims and Jewish attendees). The first N attendees took the vegetarian meals. This meant there was a small surplus of non-vegetarian meals.
The vegetarians, Muslim and Jewish attendees had to go without food.

That's bad - and unfortunate. I suppose it would help if the caterers knew exactly what everyone wanted beforehand. One solution would be to provide only vegetarian food (which I would enjoy even though I do eat meat sometimes) but I imagine some meat-eaters would object to that.

You might generally eat mostly vegetarian but occasionally eat meat, but I am a vegetarian who doesn't ever eat animal products and have no intention of doing so. The people who had requested a non-meat meal for religious reasons couldn't eat the food available. We went hungry.

It the caterers who were at fault, but it was unsatisfactory.

Too much salt. Nothing you can do. Not enough salt is ok as you can add some.

And I have just noticed this is an old thread…

Frozen mixed veg
Swimming in gravy

Unwelcome whole bits of herbs/spices - woody lemongrass, star anise, bay leaf, rosemary stalks

Hot food on a cold plate.

Anything involving meat with fat or fish with white scum on it