[News] Charging guests for Christmas dinner

[Dave the OAP]

Staying over at youngest’s gaff in mill hill London. They are vegans so we are having a really good non animal dinner. We provide champers, Sancerre wine, Marlboro sav blanc and in honour of super Mac, Argentina Malbec ( which is bloody magnificent)

we are out saturday night up there at a pub so we will have our carnivore cravings satisfied. Christmas pie is delish!

seeing Laura, who a lot of you know, down in Salisbury NYD so again will bring a lot of goodies and booze.

can’t see charging people is conducive to a happy day to be honest.

 

[bluenitsuj]

You should never charge. If its so much an issue then don't invite any guests over.

 

[schmunk]

Now if she was charging them, but was one of those mad people who would insist on everyone eating sprouts whilst maintaining that Yorkshires are not part of a Christmas dinner, then you'd have a story and I would be contacting Amnesty on behalf of her kids.

As with any roast dinner, Yorkshire Pudding should be a part, served as a large rectangle (from a traybake) with gravy before the main course. At Christmas it's after the Prawn Cocktail...

 

[Stato]

As with any roast dinner, Yorkshire Pudding should be a part, served as a large rectangle (from a traybake) with gravy before the main course. At Christmas it's after the Prawn Cocktail...

You were doing fine until you mentioned the prawn cocktail starter. You have to be careful with starters if you're going to ensure that you have enough room for leftovers sandwiches later on.

If you must include a starter, you should keep it light: perhaps a whole Toblerone or Terry's Chocolate Orange each. (Garnish with Lindt balls to taste).

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

For years we would get together as a family before Christmas to see my brother, mum and step dad before mum headed to either London or France for Christmas. Six adults, three older kids. Although my brother would host we'd all bring stuff round. Typically I'd cook a gammon and bring some cheese, bruv would do a range of salads, snacks and desert and mum would take care of the wine. Simple really.

Old habits are hard to change, innit

 

[e77]

I kind of get she is doing it on behalf the family but setting up a standing order and baring people who don't pay by December 1st is going a bit too far.

 

[banjo]

Was the photo of them all smiling taken before she announced she’d be charging them?

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

It feels like variations of this story comes up every year...

2021: https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/17044989/woman-sister-in-law-wants-charge-for-christmas-dinner/

2020: https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/13421850/mum-charges-guests-christmas-dinner-including-kids/

Yep, the BBC is plumbing new depths for sexy clickbait. Not referring to this story but many lead BBC home page news or otherwise articles will contain images of attractive people wherever possible, usually women and usually white or mixed race, or that have sensationalist content. It’s an effective strategy in a competitive market, as evidenced by the amount of BBC stories that get posted as threads on here, as pathetic as it is.

 

[Fungus]

And does she automatically add the service charge for parties of six or more?

 

[Guinness Boy]

Old habits are hard to change, innit

I can make them so they're neither salty, nor bitter.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

The headline is (presumably deliberately) misleading, since what she's actually doing is asking for a contribution towards feeding 12 people for 3 days, including a Christmas dinner in the middle of it.
Which I'd guess is also why just splitting the cooking and having people bring stuff over didn't work.
That's damn good value at well under £15 a head. Unless she's a terrible cook, that's not really discussed in the article.

 

[Jeremiah]

Charging your grandkids £2.50 is particularly weird.

I agree - she needs to round that up to £3 .

 

[WATFORD zero]

To be fair, I can understand anyone struggling with the current economic conditions asking for a contribution towards feeding and watering a significant number of people for a few days, even if they are family.

And just as reasonable is getting interviewed about it on the radio, and by a couple of 'journalists', and then using the fees to subside a significant proportion of any contribution anyone has to make.



Well played

 

[portlock seagull]

The better question is…why does she feel the need to tell the world? We don’t care! Unless, of course, she’s an attention seeking narcissist in which case she’s very of our time!

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Was the photo of them all smiling taken before she announced she’d be charging them?

At least the package included a photo opportunity, many don’t!

 

[A mex eyecan]

At least the package included a photo opportunity, many don’t!

no the picture was before they had eaten. She’s a crap cook

 

[phoenix]

Cardiff grandmother charges family for Christmas dinner

Some think Caroline is a "Scrooge" for charging her family-of-12 but she says it is "fair".

www.bbc.co.uk

This lady charges her children and grandchildren for the Christmas dinner she's cooking them - thoughts?

Personally I'd never dream of inviting someone for a meal, Christmas or not, and charging for the privilege.

I appreciate her point that costs have gone up, but surely you just adjust plans accordingly as we all have to?

I'm having Christmas dinner with my son. He's very happy to receive the beers and wine that i'm bringing along for his lovely lady.

 

[studio150]

Does she add a service charge?

Wouldn't charge myself, and if I was invited and someone decided to charge me for a home cooked Xmas meal, I would decline the invite.

 

[Shooting Star]

Like most things in life I feel this is all in the wording. If people are “charged” then yes, most people would be resentful. However, if it’s phrased “please could people pitch in a fiver to help with the cost” I think it sounds a lot more reasonable.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Is there a cooling off period?