Alright, so the annual family get-together was looming, and honestly, the thought of cooking for twenty-odd people just filled me with dread this year. You know how it is. Last year, I nearly had a meltdown over a collapsing pavlova. Never again, I told myself. So, I started looking into party food to order.
My mate Sarah mentioned she’d used Waitrose for her little one’s christening and said it was decent. Waitrose, eh? My first thought was, “That’s going to cost an arm and a leg.” But then again, the stress of cooking it all myself? Probably worth a few extra quid just for my sanity.
Diving into the Ordering Process
So, I hopped onto their website. First off, it’s quite a slick site, I’ll give them that. But wow, the sheer number of options! Mini quiches, vol-au-vents (do people still eat those?), platters of this, platters of that. It was a bit overwhelming, if I’m being honest. I spent a good hour just scrolling, trying to figure out what would please everyone from my picky Aunt Carol to the kids.
I decided to go for a mix: some sandwich platters (can’t go wrong with sandwiches, right?), some little savoury tart things, a big sausage roll (because who doesn’t love a giant sausage roll?), and a couple of their fancier-looking canapé selections. The pictures all looked lovely, of course. Tiny, perfectly arranged morsels of food. You do wonder if it’ll actually look like that when it arrives.
Actually placing the order was pretty straightforward. Picked my items, chose a collection slot from my local store – they do delivery, but collection felt safer, somehow. Like I could eyeball it before taking it home. Paid up. That bit was easy. Then the waiting game began.
The Big Day: Collection and Unveiling
Come the day of the party, I trundled off to Waitrose. The staff at the collection point were nice enough, and everything was packed in these sturdy-looking cool bags and boxes. So far, so good. Got it all home and started unpacking.
Here’s where it gets interesting. The sandwich platter? Looked pretty much like the picture. Fresh, nicely filled. Good start. The giant sausage roll? Definitely giant. Looked appetising. The mini tarts were a bit… well, smaller than I’d envisioned from the photos. And some of the “fancy” canapés looked a little less “assembled with loving care” and a bit more “hastily put together.” Nothing disastrous, mind you, but you know, when you’re paying Waitrose prices, you have certain expectations.
- The sandwiches were a definite hit.
- The sausage roll vanished in about ten minutes flat.
- Those little tarts were okay, a bit underwhelming flavour-wise for some of them.
- The canapés… some were lovely, others were a bit meh. One type was supposed to have a delicate herb garnish, and it looked like it had just been sprinkled on from a great height.
Did it save me stress? Absolutely. One hundred percent. I actually got to talk to people at my own party instead of being chained to the oven. That alone was worth a fair bit.
So, Would I Do It Again?
You know what? Probably. But I’d be a bit more selective. I think I’d stick to the more straightforward items, like the sandwiches and the larger baked things. They seemed to offer the best value and were consistently good. Some of the fiddlier, more “gourmet” bits felt a bit like style over substance, or maybe they just don’t travel as well.
It wasn’t cheap, no doubt about it. But for a special occasion, when you’re short on time or just can’t face the cooking, it’s a solid option. You’re paying for the convenience and the generally reliable quality. Just manage your expectations a little on the super-fancy bits, and you’ll likely be quite happy. My pavlova-related trauma is certainly a thing of the past, and that’s a win in my book.