To Ask Guests To Bring NYE Food?

[ChicMintUser]

AIBU to ask guests to bring food to my NYE party?

I’m hosting NYE this year and I’m already dreading the sheer volume of foods I’ll need to buy. I’ve always been high-energy and very lean (I prioritize fitness and honestly, my body just doesn't require much fuel to thrive. I intermittent fast from 5 pm to noon the following day).

The problem is my guests. They are lovely people, but they seem to treat New Year’s Eve like a competitive eating trial. Last year was a bloodbath, I put out what I thought was a generous spread and it was inhaled within twenty minutes. I'm talking platters of cheese, fresh fruit, delicious charcuterie, imported European crisps, sandwiches, etc. By 11 pm people were looking at the empty platters like I was starving them, despite the fact they’d already consumed more calories in one sitting than I do in three days.

I want to be a good host, but my internal gauge for "normal" portions is clearly broken compared to the average person. I find the sight of mountains of beige food quite off-putting, to be honest. I don't want to spend my evening watching people descend into a food coma while I’m trying to actually celebrate.

How do those of you with "normal" appetites handle catering for the "bottomless pit" crowd?
Do I just buy out the local Costco and accept the waste? How many sausage rolls per person is considered "enough" for people who don't know when to stop?

Am I a total Scrooge for wanting to serve elegant, light nibbles rather than a buffet that looks like a Viking feast? I just can’t wrap my head around needing that much fuel to simply sit in a living room and wait for a clock to strike twelve.

Is it unreasonable to ask guests to bring the snacks they like instead of buying a pile of food I would never, ever eat?

When I've hosted on Hogmanay the following have gone down well and can be made in advance in a big pot and heated up when folk are ready for them:- soup (and nice bread fresh out the oven), chilli, curry, stovies with beetroot and oatcakes, mince and tatties + skirlie. People need food or end up too drunk. You're probably too posh to serve a trifle.

Yanbu OP.

Last year I hosted a little NYE soirée for around 70 people at my country manor and they scoffed at spread I put on. Something about "splitting an olive between three people" being "ungenerous". Tosh. If I can go three days on an almond and a sip of espresso so can they, the piggies.

I'm glad you're not my friend

Three?!! Wow you're generous

They have the same amount of fat / oil as any other crisps. 🙄

You've literally done nothing but judge their eating habits since you started the thread

I cater for twice the number I am entertaining. You should triple that since you have a tiny appetite. Grazing food gets eaten quickly and you need food out till after midnight.
Several platters of cold meats, several types of cheese, lots of bread (I mean several french sticks, coburgs etc and cobs (rolls). A turkey or a beef joint - a turkey crown is least hassle - backed up by a ham and some flans (some veggie) and pizzas (put them out hot). Crisps and crisps and crisps. Sausage rolls, cheese rolls, potato skins...as others have said caseroles and soups...and keep going...

Its a bit off if you are having a crowd for a long night for friends to think you will provide hours and hours of snacks etc., especially if its more than 4-6 people.
Very normal for people to bring a dish to be shared.
We always do a dip/salad/sweet with good friends when we or friends host.
Host might provide a main like a curry, lasagne, chilli, etc.

OP apparently lives on half an elegant grape and soda water. She needs to triple the quantity of food at least. And nibbles are not enough because people are drinking, so pizzas, caseroles, a turkey crown, a ham, bread and cheese, crisps. The left-overs can be donated to departing guests once they all go home (and stuff elegant nibbles - I hate parties without proper food and people well fed always think a party was great, which is worth a thought).

I voted YABU because bringing snacks they like is a bit sad.

You would NBU to suggest bring a dish though. And have a loose agreement about dishes.

Otherwise (if you can afford it) just cater for them.

If I was invited to a NYE party I would assume there would be some sort of buffet late on to keep people going - maybe 10.30pm.

To keep costs down ditch the imported crisps and charcuterie - either make an easy to make ahead dish like a curry or chilli (or both if big numbers) make the rice fresh.

And have out snacks - crisps, dips, fancy bread sticks, nuts if no one is allergic.

I’ve missed the issue with chilli 🤣

Bacon and sausage rolls (baps) are a brilliant idea

A very good satirical effort let down by your failure to improvise on subsequent posts. Still, four stars from me

You don't sound like you have a normal eating pattern on any level. I get that fasting works for some people but most people don't fast from 5pm to noon the next day

Also the number of people responding to the OP on good faith makes me a bit concerned for the general public’s ability to recognise satire. Did we read the same thing?

Ah right - it was satire. How drole.

I'd want nibbles, pibbles, tibbles and lashings of ginger beer. IYKYK

It does seem a bit unfair if you are always the person landed with hosting amongst your friendship group. Maybe start laying the ground for someone else to do it next year, or to go out to a restaurant or something?

Don't be silly. No one else can possibly host because the OP is the only one with a massive country pile (Reading semi) while all the rest live in little teeny tiny cell-like boxes with only Saxa salt.

Not sure if I might be lowering the tone here a tad, but what about pie and peas? Buy in a truck load of pies from your local farm shop, get one of those extra large sauce pans for the mushy peas, and a few jars of mint sauce.

😂

You seem to have quite an odd relationship with food to the extreme, fair enough your diet sounds healthy I’m not knocking it but I don’t think you can force your habits on others, you either need to make it clear from the offset to guests to eat before as you’ll be serving a light buffet only or cater for the majority and you stick to your regular food.

Imported crisps. Lol

They're not posh enough for saxa salt, they just reuse whatever falls off of their non-imported crisps as they guzzle them by the multi pack.

I’d want the Viking feast tbh

YES, I was trying to think who this was reminding me of, Amanda it is 😂 Also agree with the pretending.