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AIBU?

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Original poster

Charged for an empty plate?!

436 replies

sandwichh · 09/09/2025 21:36

I recently went to a greene king pub for a carvery. After plating up my dinner, I asked for a plate for my 10 month old, not to take any extra food but to take it off my plate to give to him. They wanted to charge me for it! Never had this issue before, AIBU?

OP posts:
ACR7 · 10/09/2025 07:19

I’ve taken my baby to the toby carvery. It was 99p for a baby bowl. I thought it was a bargain

ProfessionalPirate · 10/09/2025 07:18

Charlize43 · 10/09/2025 00:05

🤔

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🤷🏻‍♀️

ProfessionalPirate · 10/09/2025 07:17

Jc2001 · 10/09/2025 06:54

Why don't you Google it yourself, or are you too good for that too? 😆

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Touchy! I genuinely don’t live anywhere near a chain carvery to I couldn’t visit one even if I wanted to (admittedly I really don’t).

Anyway, after getting no replies I did google it in the end (as you would know if you’d read my subsequent posts!) and after wading laboriously through their waffley website I’m still unsure what the answer is. It appears their pricing scheme is based on plate size so I’m assuming it is not all you can eat but I haven’t seen that in writing.

breakfastdinnerandtea · 10/09/2025 07:17

Whenever I went to the carvery with my babies, they’d always give a small free bowl to share food from my plate. I thought this was normal?
Toby carvery is as many vegetables as you want, you can keep filling up. I can’t see anything on Greene King to confirm or deny but wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same.

Shhhhitsmagic · 10/09/2025 07:13

SummerFrog25 · 10/09/2025 06:48

Because you have paid for that food , no matter who eats it. It's different at a carvery because you haven't paid for that food in the same way. You have paid for that one person to eat , not extra food for other people. Substitute her DH for her baby & then you might see the difference.

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The OP has paid for her that food too! 😂
You can't compare an adult male to a 10 month old baby, that's ridiculous. A 10 month old might eat half a potato and a few peas. The OP is simply having 1 or 2 less bites of food and giving it to her baby. This thread is crazy!

Sausagenbacon · 10/09/2025 07:13

They have to make up for people like my elderly mum who load up on more food than they could possibly eat, and ask for a box to take left overs home in (which look disgusting)

SummerFrog25 · 10/09/2025 07:12

ProfessionalPirate · 09/09/2025 23:01

Ok, like I say I’ve never been to the big chain ones. Have you been to Greene King? Do you know which format their carvery takes? If it is indeed all you can eat, I agree that does have some bearing on the OP’s issue - although I still think trying to charge a 10 month old for a full child’s portion is OTT.

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We don't know how much they wanted to charge because she won't say, I'm assuming it was probably the usual 'baby biwk' £2.

Seajaye · 10/09/2025 07:12

Presumably it wasn't full price charge? I think it sounds like you wanted a separate baby portion of food, so not unreasonable for the restaurant to charge something for it, as it's difficult to know at what point the cut off should be for free portions of their food. Lots of people would do the same for a toddler.

I would have just fed the baby from my plate or used a saucer or side plate .

SummerFrog25 · 10/09/2025 07:09

Frazzledcat · 09/09/2025 22:57

I can't see how people think this is being cheeky. It's exactly the same as ordering one meal to share with a friend and asking for a spare plate. I often do this with a friend as we both eat really small portions.

I can't see, how you can't see, the massive difference between ordering a set meal & sharing it & paying for one person at a carvery , taking a huge serving & sharing that.

FurForksSake · 10/09/2025 07:02

You could also consider whether you loaded your plate for yourself and then ate less than you intended to allow for feeding the baby or if you compiled your plate to ensure you had enough and then added what you intended to feed the baby.

this is going to run and run. I doubt the OP will be back, I’m not sure I would be!

Strawberrryfields · 10/09/2025 07:01

How much were they charging? I don’t think £1 is bad for a baby bowl but if they were charging for a full adult plate that’s ridiculous

SummerFrog25 · 10/09/2025 06:59

Namerequired · 09/09/2025 22:32

But there is a limit, you are the limit. Otherwise 5 people could eat on one ticket. If you buy 1 dessert and share it that’s fine. But if you buy unlimited desserts for 1 person but share with multiple people then it’s not the same.
That said in any buffet situation I expect very small children to be free or very cheap.

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She won't say how much, so I'm guessing it was a very cheep charge for a baby to eat. It's usually £2.

Jc2001 · 10/09/2025 06:54

ProfessionalPirate · 09/09/2025 22:24

Mind you I’ve also never been to a Greene King, just local independents. Perhaps someone who has eaten at Greene King can confirm if the sides are ‘all you can eat’ or single pass?

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Why don't you Google it yourself, or are you too good for that too? 😆

CoastalCalm · 10/09/2025 06:51

How much they were going to charge is totally relevant - if it was £1 or £2 then I think that’s perfectly reasonable to cover cleaning , service and the small bit of extra food

EmeraldShamrock000 · 10/09/2025 06:50

IT WAS A CARVERY. NOT AN ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET. 📣📣📣

SummerFrog25 · 10/09/2025 06:48

Shhhhitsmagic · 09/09/2025 22:09

I often order 1 meal to share between my 2 young children and ask for a spare plate. Would be a complete waste of money ordering 2 meals as they can't eat that much!
I've never been charged for the plate. Can't see how this is any different?

Because you have paid for that food , no matter who eats it. It's different at a carvery because you haven't paid for that food in the same way. You have paid for that one person to eat , not extra food for other people. Substitute her DH for her baby & then you might see the difference.

SummerFrog25 · 10/09/2025 06:42

sandwichh · 09/09/2025 21:57

We didn't pay for it, the price is irrelevant. I fed him off my plate. It's a buffet style carvery so I can get as much food as I liked, baby or no baby!

Yes, but the food is supposed to be for YOU, not your baby, toddler, child. Teen. DH, mate... YOU. It's no different to taking enough foid to also feed your DH. But only paying for YOU.

you now have a child, you need to get your head around paying for them when you eat out.

cliffdiver · 10/09/2025 06:40

Most carveries (Toby / Stonehouse) allow you to feed your baby from your plate, for free, or charge £1ish for a bowl with a Yorkshire that you then add veg from the buffet.

PigglyWigglyOhYeah · 10/09/2025 06:39

This thread is bonkers. No wonder there are so many enormously fat toddlers and young children around if people are filling them with adult sized roasts all over the place.

Next time, OP, take a little plastic plate or bowl from home and just use that for the baby.

SummerFrog25 · 10/09/2025 06:33

Bagsintheboot · 09/09/2025 22:03

Ok so why not do that with your partner? Your adult child? Your teenager? Your tween? Where does it end? After all if it's all you can eat why pay for two people when one person can just keep refilling the plate and share, right?

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Exactly!!

SummerFrog25 · 10/09/2025 06:32

SeaBaseAlpha · 09/09/2025 21:43

Is everyone reading a different OP than me? She didn’t want extra food, she just wanted a clean plate to transfer some of her own food to eg to cool down.

I agree OP, it’s stupid to charge you for that.

I'd agree IF it was an item off the menu, but it's not. She took extra food from the carvery for her baby. Just because it's piled on one plate, how many children do you think it's reasonable to feed from it??

Epidote · 10/09/2025 06:28

A separate plate needs washing, serving etc. I don't see anything wrong for a small fee. Usually kids eat free under some age in certain places or have a kids menu. I wouldn't bother for a small fee. No because I'm a CF, because probably they have been dealing with many CF in the past.
It is not personal, OP, is the consequences we pay for those who constantly take the piss.

CatchTheWind1920 · 10/09/2025 06:19

This thread is batshit 😂

Yanbu, op.

Sugargliderwombat · 10/09/2025 06:04

Oh come on a 10 month old isnt going to eat more than a potato and a couple of peas.

24karatPalamino · 10/09/2025 06:04

To judge whether this is fair or not, I need to know exactly how much they wanted to charge you for the plate.

If they wanted to charge you up to about £4 then you are being unreasonable. I think a nominal fee for the food and washing up is fine.

If they wanted to charge you for a full plate, then you are not being unreasonable, but I guess if it’s policy, there is not much you can do except go elsewhere.