Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
JudgeJ · 09/09/2025 22:06

Screenager · 09/09/2025 21:39

Don’t be so fucking ridiculous

Show quote history

So your sprogs eat for free?

Cutleryclaire · 09/09/2025 22:06

Screenager · 09/09/2025 21:55

MN is so weird!

It really is. Between this and the named driver ‘fraud’ thread, I think it’s given me to impetus to stop wasting my time on mumsnet. There’s no measured common sense at the moment.

Bagsintheboot · 09/09/2025 22:03

dynamiccactus · 09/09/2025 21:59

In which case it's mad. You could have gone back and got more food for you and it would have been ok but it wasn't ok to have a few mouthfuls for your baby?

Make that make sense!

Show quote history

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?

dynamiccactus · 09/09/2025 21:59

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!

In which case it's mad. You could have gone back and got more food for you and it would have been ok but it wasn't ok to have a few mouthfuls for your baby?

Make that make sense!

Original poster
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!

OP posts:
RabbitsEatPancakes · 09/09/2025 21:56

I think it's depends on if it's a refillable/ all you can eat style place where you pay per plate vs a normal set fee for one plate of food. In which case you're not getting anything extra so shouldn't have been charged.

Personally think YABU for feeding a baby a cheap pub carvery. It'll all be salty, processed and fully of nasties. It's basically a ready meal.

Screenager · 09/09/2025 21:55

MN is so weird!

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 09/09/2025 21:54

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.

But it was a carvery, so it was extra food.

Granted not much extra! But with an extra plate, there's nothing stopping someone filling that right up as a whole extra meal, so they have to charge for it, because people are CFs.

BeltaLodaLife · 09/09/2025 21:54

Carveries give you a set amount of meat but the veg, potatoes, gravy etc is refillable. So, parents will get what they want and then also add on the potatoes and veg for their kid. So, you’re paying for one person but you’re not taking food for one person. You’re taking extra food which you wouldn’t have usually taken. They’re losing out, that’s why they usually have a kids bowl option.

Obviously some people will eat loads more than others, some people will take hardly anything and they don’t charge per weight of your plate so it’s easy to say, “well, that man has double what I have so I’m still costing them less” but that’s just now how it works. They want you paying per person who is eating from the buffet part of the carvery.

You can agree or disagree, but if you disagree then just don’t eat there again. I’m not saying what my opinion is on this btw, before anyone jumps on me.

TheNightingalesStarling · 09/09/2025 21:53

Its more standard at buffets to have a an age under which it is free. I think Toby is U3s eat free (but no extra meat).

FettleOfKish · 09/09/2025 21:50

YANBU OP. We went to a local hotel buffet restaurant the other night with family who were staying there. £30 each mind you (reduced from usual non-resident price of £40) but no charge for 15 month DS and he smashed through a good bit of food, encouraged and cheered on by the lovely waiting staff passing by the table. An infant is likely to be bringing at least 2 full paying adults with them and the amount most buffets restaurants chuck at the end of the night is insane anyway, it’s just good customer service to make it a good experience.

NotSayingImBatman · 09/09/2025 21:49

Florally · 09/09/2025 21:44

This is like the thread the other day where someone wanted a refillable drink to serve five people or whatever 😂

No it’s not.

FourIsNewSix · 09/09/2025 21:49

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.

That depends on how the food is paid for.
If it is per weight/set portion, it is her own food. If it is all-you-can-eat style, she is taking more than she eats, she is taking food for another person.

Yes, it isn't huge quantity, but there must be a line at some age

bumbaloo · 09/09/2025 21:46

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 09/09/2025 21:38

Why shouldn’t you pay for your 10 month old to eat?

You think a 10 month old should be charged for a standard plate? 😑

cheesycheesy · 09/09/2025 21:45

Sounds ridiculous. Did they take it off the bill after you complained? Next time feed the baby from your own plate.

Florally · 09/09/2025 21:44

This is like the thread the other day where someone wanted a refillable drink to serve five people or whatever 😂

MorrisonsBitch · 09/09/2025 21:44

Do they not do the baby bowl that’s normally around £1. Mash and veg in his own bowl with gravy? Most carveries cater for under 2s with this precisely because they don’t eat a lot

Bagsintheboot · 09/09/2025 21:43

sandwichh · 09/09/2025 21:40

Because hes a baby, and has a few mouthfuls. I wouldn't be buying in a full meal, and it's costing them no extra in food

And how many hundreds of people with babies will go into pub carveries up and down the country every week and think a "few mouthfuls" of food every week should be free? It adds up.

You can either pay for your child or accept that you'll just have to feed him bits off your plate.

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.

Original poster
sandwichh · 09/09/2025 21:42

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 09/09/2025 21:41

Then just feed him off your plate 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

Lol I did, but obviously I asked for the separate plate beforehand

OP posts:
Original poster
sandwichh · 09/09/2025 21:42

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 09/09/2025 21:41

Then just feed him off your plate 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

Lol I did, but obviously I asked for the separate plate beforehand

OP posts:
Original poster
sandwichh · 09/09/2025 21:42

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 09/09/2025 21:41

Then just feed him off your plate 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

Lol I did, but obviously I asked for the separate plate beforehand

OP posts:
Original poster
sandwichh · 09/09/2025 21:42

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 09/09/2025 21:41

Then just feed him off your plate 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

Lol I did, but obviously I asked for the separate plate beforehand

OP posts:
Original poster
sandwichh · 09/09/2025 21:42

tumblingdowntherabbithole · 09/09/2025 21:41

Then just feed him off your plate 🤷‍♀️

Show quote history

Lol I did, but obviously I asked for the separate plate beforehand

OP posts:
tumblingdowntherabbithole · 09/09/2025 21:41

sandwichh · 09/09/2025 21:40

Because hes a baby, and has a few mouthfuls. I wouldn't be buying in a full meal, and it's costing them no extra in food

Then just feed him off your plate 🤷‍♀️