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Buffet Breakfast

(151 Posts)
cassiedawn Mon 25-Apr-16 09:57:23

is it just me or do you find it distasteful when people take extra food like fruit etc away from a buffet breakfast. We have just spent a weekend away and saw enough fruit to make a fair sized fruit salad being stuffed into pockets and a handbag and slices of meat and cheese wrapped up in a serviette. I will admit to eating more than I would usually but I would never take any extra it seems like stealing to me.

Kittye Mon 25-Apr-16 10:01:52

You want to go on a cruise, the amount of food people take away from the buffet after eating there is unbelievable. shock You wouldn't think that food was available 24/7 the say some people behave grin

Kittye Mon 25-Apr-16 10:03:09

(the way)

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 25-Apr-16 10:06:36

DD always smuggles an extra croissant out, for her lunch the next day. grin Wonder what they do with the leftover food? Give it to the homeless? Or chuck it?!

Alea Mon 25-Apr-16 10:11:15

Distasteful? No, why. You could have eaten it there and then, but close to "save it for later ". My mum always had a capacious handbag and when they were on holiday, usually in a city involving lots of sightseeing, she could stash away enough for her and Dad's lunch!!
It's a bit ??? to call it stealing IMHO.

Pittcity Mon 25-Apr-16 10:16:32

I recently stayed at a cheap hotel in Edinburgh. The rooms were cheap (for a city centre) but they were charging £9.50 each for a cold buffet breakfast!! I passed and got a cooked breakfast in a cafe for half that price. If I had paid I would have wanted my money's worth.
We admit to pocketing some of the sachets of coffee or condiments as they come in useful for DH fishing trips.....

rosesarered Mon 25-Apr-16 10:48:59

On holiday a couple of years ago at a lovely hotel abroad, where they put tons of food out for breakfast, we were amazed to see a couple walk out of the dining room carrying a bunch of bananas quite brazenly( the man was holding them to his chest) it really made us laugh as he looked like a gorilla.

Juggernaut Mon 25-Apr-16 12:43:08

We never take any food away, but we keep eating until our buttons are about to go 'pop'!
We often stayed at De Grey's in Ludlow, (sadly gone now). Fabulous rooms in a Tudor building, and they served the biggest breakfast I've ever seen; fresh fruit juice, fresh fruit, yoghurts, cereals, freshly baked croissants and assorted pastries, cold cooked meats, cheeses, followed by the 'breakfast of your choice'. So we used to have fruit juice, cereal, yoghurt, croissants with ham and cheese, followed by a very large full English, finishing off with toast and honey, and three fresh coffees! Then we would waddle around for the rest of the day grin

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 25-Apr-16 12:58:12

That was cheap pittcity. The London hotels charge £21 or more. Delicious breakfasts, but you do feel the need to stuff yourself silly. grin

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 25-Apr-16 13:00:14

To be fair, that does include cooked options/additions.

Jane10 Mon 25-Apr-16 13:18:49

I do love a hotel breakfast! Somehow I can manage a huge amount compared to what I have at home. Cant compete with Juggernaut though! Now that's a big breakfast!

janeainsworth Mon 25-Apr-16 13:31:49

I have seen people actually eating three times as much breakfast as I do - I usually have porridge, fruit and yoghurt and two cups of tea and that's it.
So I feel no qualms about taking a banana for elevenses!

Auntieflo Mon 25-Apr-16 14:00:47

We once stayed in a 'faded glory' type hotel in Switzerland., but it was in the most beautiful of settings. The hotel manager would hide himself in an adjoining room and watch to see if anyone took things away from the breakfast. Our table companions, both Dr's, were accosted one morning, as Mrs Dr, had taken something for later. She had had no breakfast, so thought it OK. (Nasty little man), but she did get quite a telling off.

Solazure Mon 25-Apr-16 14:05:41

It is like all you can eat buffet meals. People pile food on their plate. I wouldn't take food though, especially things like cheese or meat

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 25-Apr-16 14:15:16

I have, to start with (important stuff in first) a plate of scramblwed eggs. Then muesli, milk and fruit flavoured yogurt. Then toast and/or crioissant, then a little pastry.

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 25-Apr-16 14:16:00

And some of that delicious almondy flavour madeira cake they serve in some European hotels.

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 25-Apr-16 14:16:17

I mostly go on holiday for the hotel food.

Eloethan Mon 25-Apr-16 14:28:24

I've taken one or two items - maybe a roll, an apple or a cake.

What I do find annoying is people who pile their plates up or go for second helpings and then leave most of it.

Synonymous Mon 25-Apr-16 14:35:35

cassiedawn I would agree with you that it is distasteful to see people deliberately stealing and pocketing stuff from a buffet whether it is food or other housekeeping items. Food is provided is for the meal paid for and not for any other future meals. It has been paid for by the business owners and makes the business unprofitable at the price charged so the price charged to everyone has to be increased.
I say this with feeling since DH and I were in the hospitality business and found we had to be very careful with everything because if it was not nailed down someone would steal it. We had to put locks on store cupboards in the house, keep a watchful eye on people and ensure that the private areas of the house were also secure. We came to realise that anything in the public area had to be regarded as 'sacrificial' and we must expect it to 'walk' so it was important only to put out things to which we were not attached. It is a fact that people who are seen as normally law abiding can do the most dishonest things if they think they can get away with it. For example if we saw that the towels had gone we would charge for them and would add a service charge for the inconvenience of having to replace them. Friends in the business add a 'damages charge' which is refundable on completion of the room turnaround when all is found to be in order. And don't get me started on smoking!
We stopped doing buffets because it was just too expensive and we found it cheaper to pay waiting staff. We did ensure that there was more than enough food served to each guest and judging by the sheer number of regular guests and their enthusiastic comments in the guest book we clearly got it right. If someone couldn't manage their breakfast we would pack them 'something to go' if requested. It is always better to ask or be asked.

Synonymous Mon 25-Apr-16 14:42:04

I could write a book!

NanKate Mon 25-Apr-16 14:59:41

At a Harvester I saw someone fill their salad bowl to brimming, plus a bread roll in the other hand and one bread roll sticking out of her mouth. She looked like a revolting glutton hmm

granjura Mon 25-Apr-16 15:36:30

Synonymous, agree, it is sickening... and yes, just as shop lifting, the price of buffet breakfast is so high because it has to account for those who take the mick and basically steal from it.

I just hate all inclusive holidays where people seem to want to eat and drink themselves stupid just because it's 'free'.

shysal Mon 25-Apr-16 15:37:02

I am a revolting glutton blush! I always fill my salad bowl at a Harvester, and have a bread roll. I usually eat most of it before the meal comes too!

NanKate Mon 25-Apr-16 15:42:43

But I can't imagine you Shysal with a bread roll stuck out of your mouth as the person I saw. I wonder if she put any other rolls in other orifices of her body grin

shysal Mon 25-Apr-16 15:46:06

Ok, I'm not quite that gluttonous! grin