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AIBU?

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Original poster

Argument over Billy Bear Ham

136 replies

Yebbie · 02/05/2022 18:20

DC had friends over for play date, I provided lunch (baguettes, cucumber, cheese and billy bear ham, apple and yoghurt for pudding)

Yes it's processed and gimmicky, we are all vegetarian in this house apart from my 3 year old, so it was the only meat we had and they asked for ham in their baguettes.

Friend fuming I fed her son Billy bear ham, very dramatic about it, don't you know what's in that? I'm not one for processed food particularly, but my 3yo loves the stuff and has an otherwise balanced vegetarian diet so what's the issue, in my opinion. AIBU?

OP posts:
ExtraordinaryBehaviour · 02/05/2022 19:48

TabithaTittlemouse · 02/05/2022 19:42

Can I be nosey and ask why you give your dc meat? Feel free not to answer because it’s pure nosiness rather than being judgemental etc.
Ours were brought up veggie and until they were older and chose to eat meat I wouldn’t have had any in the house.

I respect OP all the more for not enforcing her dietary preferences on the kid.

AngelinaFibres · 02/05/2022 19:48

MyJobisNotOuting · 02/05/2022 18:44

Scrapings

Show quote history

It's made from 'mechanically recovered' meat . Fired off the bones sgen everything else has gone. Probably got a lot of salt in

WyfOfBathe · 02/05/2022 19:48

YANBU, it's not ideal for every day but it's not going to hurt on an occasional play date.

N0va · 02/05/2022 19:47

Used to love billy bear as a child! I now buy the turkey version (Najma do it) for DS but mainly for me

ExtraordinaryBehaviour · 02/05/2022 19:47

lovehearrrts · 02/05/2022 19:36

https://metro.co.uk/2017/06/29/important-information-the-maker-of-billy-bear-ham-also-makes-happy-tractor-ham-6742867/amp/

Ask her if she'd like tractors or just 'Billy' next time Grin

Don't! 😂this week tractors mean so much more. I could cope with Billy but tractors 😮

RowanAlong · 02/05/2022 19:45

But as a vegetarian, it does seem an odd choice of meat…that’s if you’re veggie because of animal welfare reasons!

RowanAlong · 02/05/2022 19:43

It’s grim, and I wouldn’t feed it to any 3 year old, even if they asked for it - but she was being rude to object. Shows the strength of objection to processed meat, but she should have been polite and thanked you for feeding her child…

TabithaTittlemouse · 02/05/2022 19:42

Can I be nosey and ask why you give your dc meat? Feel free not to answer because it’s pure nosiness rather than being judgemental etc.
Ours were brought up veggie and until they were older and chose to eat meat I wouldn’t have had any in the house.

Bagelsandbrie · 02/05/2022 19:42

If someone was kind enough to look after and feed my child for me I wouldn’t dare say anything about what they fed them! People are so entitled and rude nowadays.

Jacopo · 02/05/2022 19:41

Your friend has no manners.

Octomore · 02/05/2022 19:37

So you’re telling the OP a polygamous relationship with her and her DP probably isn’t going to work on the basis of ham compatibility?

Obviously not 😂

Just that, as a veggie myself, it seems a really unusual type of meat to choose to have in the house.

I get that if the DS tried it somewhere else, and then asks for it, it would hard to say no though.

GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal · 02/05/2022 19:37

If someone feeds my child, I am grateful. Unless they've actually given them arsenic, whatever they've fed them is absolutely fine!

Matchingcollarandcuffs · 02/05/2022 19:37

Moancup · 02/05/2022 18:47

What’s wrong with using meat carcasses efficiently? I’ve never understood this as an argument against processed meat.

Personally I don’t eat it because I don’t like the taste, just as I don’t like liver and sweetbreads. But in theory I think hosing up meat mush and shaping it into a form that pleases a three year old is a great spin on nose to tail eating.

Show quote history

Cos it needs loads of crap adding to it to make it edible. I agree with using all the bits too but not what they have to bulk it out with.

BakewellGin1 · 02/05/2022 19:36

I personally wouldnt eat it... My kids and plenty others I know have loved it though.

Your friend is being unreasonable in my eyes. However this is coming from someone who allowed their son to have turkey dinosaurs as a pub lunch this week ha ha

lovehearrrts · 02/05/2022 19:36

https://metro.co.uk/2017/06/29/important-information-the-maker-of-billy-bear-ham-also-makes-happy-tractor-ham-6742867/amp/

Ask her if she'd like tractors or just 'Billy' next time Grin

Original poster
Yebbie · 02/05/2022 19:33

I don't understand why a family of veggies would choose that as the only meat they buy?

Because a 3 year old likes it and specifically asks for it, has it sparingly and I like to pick my battles in the middle of Tesco!

OP posts:
Moancup · 02/05/2022 19:33

Octomore · 02/05/2022 19:31

I don't understand why a family of veggies would choose that as the only meat they buy? Because it's utter shite. I work on the basis that if something isn't seen as good enough (quality wise) for the adults to eat, I wouldn't offer it to kids.

I'm veggie and DH isn't (although he doesn't eat meat often) - the meat he buys in tends to be free range, organic etc. Decent stuff farmed and produced reasonably ethically. If he was eating Billy bear ham we probably wouldn't be compatible.

So you’re telling the OP a polygamous relationship with her and her DP probably isn’t going to work on the basis of ham compatibility?

Octomore · 02/05/2022 19:31

I don't understand why a family of veggies would choose that as the only meat they buy? Because it's utter shite. I work on the basis that if something isn't seen as good enough (quality wise) for the adults to eat, I wouldn't offer it to kids.

I'm veggie and DH isn't (although he doesn't eat meat often) - the meat he buys in tends to be free range, organic etc. Decent stuff farmed and produced reasonably ethically. If he was eating Billy bear ham we probably wouldn't be compatible.

skodadoda · 02/05/2022 19:30

Maybebabyno2 · 02/05/2022 18:58

Yabu, dinosaur meat is so much nicer!

🤣🤣🤣

marymaryquitecontrary820 · 02/05/2022 19:27

It's vile but kids love it 🤷🏼‍♀️ it's a bit of ham she's over reacting!

Bpdqueen · 02/05/2022 19:26

I love Billy bear yanbu

AlternativelyWired · 02/05/2022 19:17

You should have provided naice ham. I'd have given them quorn ham but then we are a veggie household and meat isn't something I ever have in.

MajorCarolDanvers · 02/05/2022 19:16

It's no better or worse than a sausage roll and not something to fall out with another adult about.

Your friend us a muppet.

Longdistance · 02/05/2022 19:15

As I say to my dc, ‘This isn’t a restaurant and there’s no menu choice’. The kid obviously liked it 🤷🏼‍♀️

Blarting · 02/05/2022 19:15

Matchingcollarandcuffs · 02/05/2022 18:43

YWNBU to feed him but YABU to buy Billy Bear ham. It's made from the bus if 'meat' hosed off the carcass once the 'poper' meat has been removed. And use much higher in fat than decent ham.

Maybe friends was just surprised given you're all veggie that you had such a processed meat product?

If you'd posted a literate comment, I might agree!