Was my BBQ hosting ‘stingy’ as my friend has suggested

[SingingJess]

DH and I hosted a couple of friends last night - we usually go out for dinner etc but with the nice weather agreed we would host a BBQ which they were very much up for. We exchanged messages in the week on what we’d cook and any drink preferences.

Here is the issue:

-Friend (wife) asked me where the food was from. I said most of it was Tesco’s finest BBQ range (we had a mix of chicken, burgers etc - it wasn’t cheap). She called this ‘not a bad budget option’ and said that when they do a BBQ, they raid the local farm shop. I’m sure that’s lovely, but also out of our budget.

-One of the drink requests was for flavoured gin which the husband likes. Now my DH also likes gin, and we have a lot of bottles here. So rather than spend money on a new bottle, we put out the gin that we have. Friend (wife) whilst in the kitchen with me pointed out a bottle of gin from Lidl and casually said that I ‘can’t expect her husband to touch something from there’.

-Later in the evening, she told me she thought it was a bit stingy of us to ‘recycle’ gin we already have rather than buy a new bottle for the occasion.

They both said thanks at the end of the night for us hosting and for the food, but I got the impression they were unimpressed.

My question is - was I being tight or do you not see an issue in us not investing in a brand new bottle of something we already had plenty of?

Makes entertaining very stressful having people like this. It's not just the food and drink it's the company surely? I hope you've other friends too as these don't sound a chilled evening.

Disgusting behaviour.

Always amazed at the definition of ‘friends’ on here.

How rude!! She wouldn’t be getting invited back.

Your BBQ sounds lovely. All my friends’ get togethers are BYOB and folks generally rock up with some nibbles too.

What a twat she is.

You mean an influx with a bbq code?

I wouldn’t be able to keep quiet. What vile rude people.

I’d probably text her telling her I was glad I’ve seen her real side and that you’ll never subject her to your hospitality again.

Then I’d tell our mutual friends.

They sound awful.

We have friends who are multi millionaires who happily
shop in Aldi. Tell them to fuck off. They’re not friends. They’re face arse snobs.

@SingingJess -Later in the evening, she told me she thought it was a bit stingy of us to ‘recycle’ gin we already have rather than buy a new bottle for the occasion.

I think comments like this demonstrate that wealth and intelligence are not positively correlated, and I would suggest that your friend learns what the word "recycle" means.

"Recycling" would be if you purified your piss to recover the gin, which I'm sure you didn't do. Though that's probably the standard of drink that your friends deserve.

Did this behaviour surprise you? Are they new friends? I’m astonished that they could be so rude.

I know someone (guess who) that has a picky, snob for a relative. She is a right pain in the arse but she's one of the last of my mother's family so gets an invite to family gatherings. She is one of those gin freaks also, and must have Bombay Sapphire only. Own brand gin or anything other than Sapphire is never to be offered to this woman. And she is a rude prick about it too, enough to want me to do something to her dentures.

Anyway I am sick of her and her condescending tone, so I bought Aldi gin and decanted it into the nearly empty Sapphire bottle from her previous visits (a small measure left in it). The prick never noticed and was high as a kite for the afternoon. Just shows you.

I personally wouldn't invite people over for a BBQ instead of going out for a meal and only serve supermarket food...but I certainly wouldn't be rude enough to comment if someone else did.

God, yes…..just this !!

Good lord, they sound awful. Friends? Er no.

Is this the first time you've noticed these people "friends" are nasty and snobby? Up to you if you want to be "friends" with these rude people but I could t be friends with anyone that looked down on me. Are you desperate for friends?

Your bbq sounds lovely. I’ll come next time

I agree

Don’t invite them back.
Don’t answer their calls.
Don’t say a word in response.
Silence is the best defense.

Oh, are you friends with the OPs rude friend?

Absolutely nothing wrong with serving supermarket food when inviting people over.

Heck I've given cheese toasties, beans on toast etc.

Those who matter, don't mind. Those who mind, don't matter...

I had a guest recently who was googling what the nearest lidl to her family castle was after I served her a particular cheese from there....

Just saying.

With friends like that who needs enemies.. never again would they be invited!

They sound horrible! I definitely wouldn’t invite them again.

Have you ever been invited to any of their oh so fantastic BBQs?

Of course you can use already opened bottles of gin! That’s how spirits work, it’s not like putting out an old bottle of wine.

Your friend is rude and bad mannered. She clearly lacks any sort of class.

🤣🤣 she's so stuck up!

No class at all to be so condescending and rude. Which is funny because she she obviously fancies herself a cut above.

They’re rude. If they don’t like Lidl gin that’s fine, but they should keep it to themselves!