Q. I recently attended with my wife the summer party of a London literary society. The event offered wine and buffet supper between 6 and 9 p.m. Arriving at 6.50 we found the buffet table almost stripped bare, with guests seated around it, munching copiously, à la Babette’s Feast. Food stocks were not replenished. Therefore I ate nothing. For next time, should the organising committee be asked to delay food, or should one expect to join a hungry queue outside well before six o’clock?
Name and address withheld
A. No, let this party continue in the normal civilised manner without queuing or introducing elements of tension over inadequate suppliers. Perhaps this year, as a feature of the recession, the buffet was stripped bare by human locusts by 6.50 p.m. But, taken by surprise in this way, what could the organisers have done? Had Sloane Rangers been in charge of catering they would have hot-footed it to Waitrose and brought back some ready-roasted chickens, bagged salad, baguettes and squirty Hellmans, but a literary society party of this kind is likely to have been organised by gormless interns.
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