Do you offer to bring a plate?

[Mak]

Just wondering what the general consensus is on being invited out for a gathering.
Do you offer to bring something? Or do you consider that your hosts will provide the refreshments/food for the period?
Does your view change depending on who extends the invitation and for what the occasion is?

Keen to hear what everyone thinks - I love cooking and love to help out so I will always ask and offer to help out.
Family dos we generally divvy up the food etc so that no one is left with all the work and cost and generally most of us help out with the cleaning up.

[Rowellen]

Generally, I would only bring a plate if specifically asked too. I might ask if they want me to bring something if asked in person or by phone but otherwise I wouldn't. If it was something like a mum's group meetup (not a party type thing), I would just take food for my family.

[meow]

We can't eat much of what anyone else prepares so I bring a plate. Such as, we were invited to a friend's house for afternoon tea. I knew we wouldn't be able to eat much so I made a banana cake we could have and brought that along. Then I don't have to say anything and look annoying because of our "fussy" diet and I look like a nice guest because I brought food

[Mak]

LOL Meow! It must be hard when you have dietary restrictions too.
Thanks for your reply Rowellen! I would do same re MG catch ups as w

[Miss_Dee]

I just automatically ask if I can bring anything. I'd rather ask and be told not to bring anything than not ask and have someone annoyed because I didn't. Mind you, I have a friend who was hosting a baby shower and got soooooo angry at everyone offering to bring a plate because the invitation clearly stated SHE was hosting

More often than not when DF and I are hosting, we just tell people to byo booze or anything specific they may want (whether that be food or drink) and we'll supply everything else. For most things in our group though, regardless of who is hosting, everyone will still bring a plate - one person will do a green salad, one will do a pasta salad, etc. Even when we tell people not to worry, they still like to bring something.

[RhiChiChi]

I always offer to bring a plate, most hosts will say don't bother, however if you have specific dietry requirements and the host may not know about them or may not know how to cater for them then I can't see why it would be an issue to bring something you can eat & enjoy.

[Cranky Kitten]

I generally ask if they want me to bring something. My friends know I love to cook dessert type stuff and use them as experimental taste testers, so it's a win-win for us.

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

I generally ask if they want me to bring something.
I have a couple of friends and every time i go their their place i buy or make a yummy cake or cupcakes etc.
DD1 went to a friend at kinders for lunch one day and we joined them so i made some mini cupcakes for the kids.

If it's a BBQ or a party i generally don't take anything but will ask if they need anything IYKWIM.

[FabFiona]

I always offer. Even of I'm told no will generally bring a drink of some sort (not always alcohol, it depends).

Amongst a particular group of friends we tend to have a rule for dinners that host provides main or meat and guests do sides or salads. Works well as hosting can be quite expensive.


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[briggsy's girl]

it depends on the "do"

i tend to ask if there's anything we can do to help, as a lot of the time, it's not so much what someone brings but how they help. we're having DD's birthday in a couple of weeks, and apart from one friend that insists she bring something (we made her son's bday cake so she wants to help - but can't be here to help set up - so "stuff" it is), we don't need anyone to bring anything - but we do need help with set up or cooking in advance at home kwim?

it really comes down to the event, who is hosting, our relationship to them, what we have to do to get there (a lot of stuff we go to involves a lot of travel, so bringing food becomes a painful and impractical exercise). i don't think there is any rule to it though...

[LuluHB]

I will always offer to take a plate somewhere (bit like CK in that I love using friends as guinea pigs for my latest dessert experiment).

I tend to prefer people don't bring things to my house though, but if I'm feeding people I make sure I have things that go together and I like doing it, so I find if people bring things along it upsets the balance of what I'm serving.

[Cranky Kitten]

I will always offer to take a plate somewhere (bit like CK in that I love using friends as guinea pigs for my latest dessert experiment).

I tend to prefer people don't bring things to my house though, but if I'm feeding people I make sure I have things that go together and I like doing it, so I find if people bring things along it upsets the balance of what I'm serving.

Ha ha, yeah I get cranky if I invite people over for a meal and they bring stuff sometimes - mostly when they haven't told me they were going to or asked me if I wanted them to! I don't mind people bringing a plate or something, but I want to know in advance as I over-cater most of the time as it is and don't want to be eating leftovers for the next 2 weeks instead of just 1

[Phteven]

I like to bring something but I try to bring something that doesn't have to be consumed immediately so that if it doesn't fit with the meal or they have already over-catered they can put it away for 'ron.

[Astrid]

Another one here where is depends on the event, who is hosting, why, where etc

If it is party where I am likely to bring a present, then chances are I wont bring a plate and would probably be miffed if requested, unless I know the person does really need a helping hand or just loves one of our dishes. BBQ's I will often offer to bring a salad or dessert, I will say though I am not a fan of BYO meat to a BBQ.

If something is more of a casual get together, especially when is tends to be more at the other person place than at our, then I definitely offer to bring a plate and some grog.

[Shanti]

Yes I offer unless it's a birthday party and the invite says 'food provided'

[nickle730]

If it's a party I don't expect to take anything other than a gift and perhaps alcohol (if it's a grown up party!). For a casual get together such as a BBQ, I expect to take something like a salad or a dessert as well as a bottle of wine or similar.

[Amity]

Depends on the do.

DS1 is gluten free so I often bring his food.

And cookies are just noms. Well mine are

[Catastrophic]

Depends on what it is, who is hosting, and where...

That doesn't really answer your question tho, To a BBQ yes i would bring a plate... to a Birthday party - not unless I was asked. etcetc.