If you travelled 3 hours to visit relatives ...

[Xmasgingerperson]

would you expect a biscuit with your cup of tea? I ask because we did this recently and thankfully we had taken something along as well as loads of presents.

When ever we have visitors for ore than three hours they get a meal. But we don't normally have snacks in. My kids destroy them.

I think I'm socially enenpt and getting worse with age unfortunately

We never have biscuits in the house, we just don't eat them really so it wouldn't cross my mind either expect them or to offer them

Did you feel welcome and wanted in every other way except for the lack of biscuits?

Are you in the UK or Ireland or somewhere else? It would be pretty much unheard of in Ireland.

What do you offer guests then if they visit for coffee during the day, assuming it’s pre arranged?

for my fiends I had drinks and nibbles - so crisps and nuts and crudités and humus

but if it’s more casual I will have biscuits or those mini Victoria sponge things from marks and Spencer (because most people seem to like them)! From now until Christmas it’s mince pies!!

i don’t have kids but when my sister had her babies there was a constant stream of ants and uncles - and endless cups of tea and plates of biscuits.

Hard to feel welcomed if you're starving though, three hour drive each way plus a visit is basically the whole day, most people would have at least one proper meal in that time.

Does seem likely to have been a visit to a newborn though which does kind of change things, we can cut the new parents some slack I think.

Not in the ones I make, and I try to avoid it in the ones I buy.

We once drove nine hours to see the ILs and had to go out and get food for ourselves when we arrived. Don't know what MIL was thinking tbh.

Bloody hell! In my family 'Is your kettle broken?' would be asked if tea was not forthcoming as soon as the coats were hung up.

No I genuinely find this so odd I don't have a biscuit tin. I wouldn't plate up a biscuit as that's weird and I don't understand why when someone enters your home you would give them a pack of biscuits just like I wouldn't hand someone a loaf of bread. A drink absolutely, a meal if they come at meal time and want food but a snack for an adult is strange to me

I haven't had snacks in the house for years because I am a former fatty with zero self-control. It's not something that would occur to me now, if I'm honest. Maybe I just expect people to look after themselves rather than turn up hungry hoping for food. I at least remember to buy a pint of semi-skimmed milk in case visitors are tea/coffee drinkers, but only if I know they are coming.

What are you waffling on about?

England.

My mother's neighbour who we have know since we were 10 is like this, she call round once a week around 1030-11 in time for a coffee. In the thirty years they've lived there she's only offered a cup of tea on two occasions when any of our family have called to catch up.
I find it strange not to put the kettle on and offer biscuits or food to visitors especially when they've mad the effort to drive some time.

You wouldn’t get anything like cake etc in to offer them? Seems mean

I am glad I live in London and people don't ever "call in"

Sone prophet nay come and stay so I'd check what cereals they like and what meal they are here for.

But I still wouldn't ever automatically think "this also needs biscuits"

Maybe I am not womaning correctly? Do men always offer biscuits? Or whip up a cake?

I wouldn't be able to resist planning to arrive at 11/11:40 and staying for 4 hours

Why do visitors not bring biscuits for their hosts?

Well, there you go. MN is giving you insights into a whole different way people live their lives!

Im expecting a whole meal if I’ve travelled 3 HOURS to get there.

Bisuits and teas (notice the plurals) if I came down the road 😂. (You’re offered the same regard in my house!)

@BlueEyedPeanut that's also done in my family. Either just bring something or ask; or say, I'll bring x. Then it would typically be something from a bakery.

If it's family can't you just say "where's the biscuit tin?!"

I appreciate everyone has different live experiences and preferences - but are you serious that you have never seen a plate of biscuits and find it weird that people would put out a plate of biscuits for a guest to have with coffee?

the plate of biscuits for Santa most blow your mind every year😂

Load of tosh being talked in this thread. These are relatives having a planned visit, not some stranger knocking randomly. It's beyond rude to let someone drive 3 hours and not offer a coffee/tea or cold drink and something to eat. And even if you didn't want to cater you would tell them that first so they could eat on the way.

I don’t have a biscuit tin! I would however ensure that I always had something to offer an expected guests, what that is with change day to day