There's no great banquet but some fare ill.

A gathering may be generous and impressive overall while still leaving some people poorly served. Plenty for the group does not guarantee a good experience for each person.

More broadly, the proverb cautions against judging a shared occasion solely by its apparent success. What looks fortunate from a distance may involve disappointment or hardship for someone within it.

Use it when a successful event or collective benefit has uneven results, particularly when praise for the whole risks overlooking those who did poorly. It can temper an overly cheerful account without denying that many people benefited.