@Kathleen645
I'm a bit like @Laura2592 - except I don't have an array of groovy nearby suppliers.. I'm essentially a beach holiday, although some people are coming for seclusion/retreat. Like Laura, I match the gift to the composition of the group ( my house can sleep up to 8).
This weekend is an extended family celebrating a birthday, I'll leave out a bottle of bubbly and make a banana cake. I have a family bringing their Scottish relative to sight see in a few weeks so i'll leave out "australian" produce - macadamia nuts and Tim Tams. But if I have a group of younger ones who are just going to hang out at the beach, I'll just leave out bread and maybe some eggs. I dont' ask about allergies - I have enough trouble getting basic information out of some of them like arrival time and how they want the bedrooms set up. If they don't want it, they leave it ( doesn't happen often) I ,put quite a bit of thought into what I'll leave out, but not a lot of effort any longer, then I'm not disappointed when nothing is said, or the food is left...
Cheers