A reader’s question about party etiquette: at the end of a party, could you expect to return home with leftovers of the food or the drink you contributed to the party?
No, not unless the host offers.
You’re a guest in your host’s home and anything you contributed to the party is tantamount to a gift. Unless the host decides not to preserve the remainder of your contribution and suggests that you take your leftovers home, don’t expect to return with your leftovers. Just return with your empty dish.
At potluck parties, however, you can take your leftovers home, but first offer to leave some or all of the leftovers for the host.
It is very tacky to tote someone’s leftovers out the door at their function. The host may have late guests and it is embarrassing to have to say “thanks for the gift you brought me but sorry all the food is gone). The host is usually hosting and doesn’t get to eat. The host may decide to serve their own family the leftovers the next day considering they paid for The food. The food is for the party. The party is not a grocery store. Go buy and cook your own food for later.
Had dinner guests last evening. One guest deliberately double filled her late, ate half and then asked to take the remainder home.
When I bring a dish to a relatives house, that is my gift to them. I think it is
rude to take back your food. This was brought for them to enjoy. My husband’s
friend just left with the leftover food he brought. I was “taken aback”. I thought
people bring a dish to contribute to the meal, not feel it was a chore and a burden.
Please leave the dish or anything brought for your host. They go through a lot to
prepare, make and cook the meal. It is common courtesy!
I am in my mid seventies and when I have a party I cook lavish food. It usually takes me 3 days to shop and prepare everything. I have in-laws and step kids that actually bring containers to take food home in. I need this to stop. First I am exhausted and would like to serve the leftover food in my own home. One time my step daughter was loading up on Thanksgiving food and I asked her to not take all of the mashed potatoesl She said “I am not cooking tonight” and did anyway. I want to take a day of cooking off. We are also on a fixed, but comfortable income. The prices of everything has gone up so much it would help our budget to eat leftovers later or even freeze some of them. How do you tell these people that you don’t want them to take leftovers home?
I forgot to add to my post that no one brings anything or helps clean up at my parties. This is because I don’t want them to. MIMI