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Original poster

Real menus for children - campaign?

159 replies

fuzzpig · 16/06/2014 20:56

Following this thread it seems parents may like the idea of persuading restaurants to change their children's menus to be more in line with the adult ones.

Some places still seem to offer little more than nuggets/fish fingers etc, which only serves to encourage the idea that children don't want 'real food'.

It would be great if more places were openly willing to do a children's portion of any adult meal for a smaller price (apparently some places do this but I've never seen it advertised), for example. It was mentioned on the above thread and some posters seemed in favour of the idea, so here I am :o

OP posts:
BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 17/06/2014 18:52

Restaurants that charge £9 are normally offering more "standard" quality, I think.

Most starters cost more than £3 these days,

RabbitSaysWoof · 17/06/2014 18:44

Food education is failing in this country I don't think its as trivial as it sounds.
The knock on effect is poor eating habits and poor health.

CharmQuark · 17/06/2014 18:42

Good idea DreamingBohemian.

CharmQuark · 17/06/2014 18:41

OddFodd has a point.

Restaurants work on their market.

If you go to a restaurant and don't like the children's menu, ask for a half portion of the main...the request in itself acts as a campaign if they are responsive to customers.

I always looked at the starter menu and the children's menu - and asked about half portions of mains, and chose accordingly.

And went to places I already knoew did a good value good choice children's menu - I agree that Cafe Rouge is such a place.

Give customer feedback to the places you eat, or want to take your kids to.

But as a focus for a MN campaign??

dreamingbohemian · 17/06/2014 18:40

I think vestandknickers has the right idea. Perhaps you could get MN to make a sticky topic with people's recommendations for places with good children's menus -- would be very helpful without elevating the issue to some kind of national crisis.

JontyMyers · 17/06/2014 18:35

Is a campaign against children being fed junk and denied a proper meal like their parents are eating. and the fact these restaurants charge anything from £3-£9 for a child meal they made for about £1 from substandard frozen food is outrageous.

OddFodd · 17/06/2014 18:31

Christ, if this place campaigns for fewer chicken nuggets on naice restaurant menus, I'm off.

Better miscarriage care
We believe you
This is my child
Nicer sausages Hmm

JontyMyers · 17/06/2014 18:24

Is there an actual petition we can all sign ?

JontyMyers · 17/06/2014 18:22

Always annoys me when i see muck on the children's menu's even the high end restaurants do it !! Angry no wonder some children are picky eater if that's all their is for them to eat !! makes me so angry children should eat what the adults are eating within reason of course then they wouldn't be fussy/scared of new foods with the exception of some children who are just fussy no matter what.

CottonbudCatastrophe · 17/06/2014 18:17

Can't find the children's menu online, but Oakleys in Skipton, North Yorkshire is also good. Check out the reviews on Trip Advisor. Adult portions are mostly massive so beware!

CottonbudCatastrophe · 17/06/2014 18:15

Qzine offer a couple of the options along the lines of nuggets etc, or they will make a half portion of any meal on the menu, at half price, for a child. Why can't they all do this!? There is one in Clitheroe, Lancashire, & one in Skipton, North Yorkshire.

vestandknickers · 17/06/2014 18:00

Tapas is great for children. Mine love it.

Café Rouge are really good. Their children's menu is lovely and there are also lots of smaller plates on the main menu.

ppeatfruit · 17/06/2014 17:58

Someone upthread mentioned schools and the other thread was mainly to do with the deplorable quality of school lunches (even after the JO campaign).

I think that is very important.

This campaign could also be to do with ALL children's catering Grin

Original poster
fuzzpig · 17/06/2014 17:57

Basically we are limited to those I've listed (plus TGI but that's £££). I like cafe rouge but we don't have one [dailymailsadface] no idea what the children's menu is like.

As I said above I am not fussed if the DCs want to choose nuggets/fish fingers (would be somewhat hypocritical as they eat at McDs too :o) or yet another bowl of pasta so we will happily eat anywhere in that price range really, but more choice wouldn't go amiss.

OP posts:
Original poster
fuzzpig · 17/06/2014 17:46

Trying to think now of the places we eat in town -

Pizza Express - small pizza or pasta, but more limited choice of toppings - DCs love it but it would be nice if you could choose any adult pizza topping/pasta sauce

Bella Italia - as above

Wetherspoons - can't actually remember what they do other than pasta, although the Sunday Club roast was just like the adult one

Nandos - pretty much like the adult one I think? But we usually do a sharing platter there.

Chiquitos - it's been ages since I went but I think I remember being surprised at the options like pizza/pasta on the children's menu, considering they aren't on the adult one? But there were more Mexican type things too.

Harvester - more options than most children's menus I think, I seem to recall quite a long list

Frankie and Benny's - various pastas and more nuggety type things IIRC

... we need more interesting restaurants in this town clearly! :o

OP posts:
BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 17/06/2014 17:39

Fuzz, I would like to see that too but it would make a family meal out more expensive

Lizzylou · 17/06/2014 17:36

This chain of gastropubs do an excellent children's menu (and lighter meals) http://www.thethreefishes.com/childrens-menu.htm Ribble Valley Inns
Cafe Rouge is ok from memory, and yes, Giraffe. Restaurants are utter fools if they don't offer good food for DC, we wouldn't eat anywhere unless the Children's menu was good/there was an option to downsize portions.

Original poster
fuzzpig · 17/06/2014 17:31

A couple of quid less sounds fair. And it should be for everyone.

I'm sure I saw an article a while ago about a customer (can't remember the restaurant) who had been fitted with a gastric band so physically couldn't manage an adult portion anymore, but the waiter had refused to sell her a children's portion. Daft really, if they can do it for a child why not an adult.

OP posts:
BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 17/06/2014 17:29

Mab, it's bad because if the kiddie meals are really "half price" then they are usually not providing enough profit margin (unless they are made of crap like cheap sausages).

KittiesInsane · 17/06/2014 17:23

This pub has the right idea: instead of children's portions, it does smaller portions for anyone who asks. A lot of the clientele are elderly with smaller appetites than my ravenous young son.

allhailqueenmab · 17/06/2014 17:20

"I think one problem restaurants have with the half sized portions is that adults try to buy it for themselves, As a cheaper meal option, and can become quite agitated when they are told it's a child's portion meant only for children."

Why is this bad?
Lots of restaurants have small or large pasta. They don't care if you are ordering for a child, a starter, or a light meal. Could this not become a general convention in most restaurants?

BillnTedsMostFeministAdventure · 17/06/2014 17:19

" although some places are then a bit flummoxed as to what to charge - not sure why it can't just be half!"

The economics of that wouldn't work, though - much of the cost is fuel, salaries, business rates etc.

Our local Italian serves main course pastas in "starter size" for £1-£2 less, that seems fair and it's not then restricted by age!

The other thing is that a children's menu (eg pizza express) often has starter, main and pudding in an effort to get the adults to order more courses so they can afford to price it low (and the ingredients there are the same as the adult ones, just fewer choices).

Original poster
fuzzpig · 17/06/2014 17:10

Wouldn't have a clue what to write in a letter/email TBH, I just (flippantly Blush) suggested a campaign on the other thread and other people agreed so I posted this. I know there are people here better than me at that sort of thing (and more assertive - something I most certainly am not - maybe if I was I'd feel able to insist on smaller portions of adult meals for my DCs! :o)

Maybe focusing on the smaller portions available to all (not just children) would be better. I can't manage a restaurant portion of pasta anymore and it would be nice to be able to order half even if the price wasn't halved.

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 17/06/2014 16:09

www.giraffe.net/classic/menu/kids

Not great but some better options than other places

vestandknickers · 17/06/2014 16:01

How about a slightly more positive spin on a campaign? Why not create a list of places that offer really good children's menus?

I'll kick off with Los Iguanas
children's menu.

There will always be places that only want to offer nuggets and chips, and always people who are happy to eat there. No point bashing them - they are just supplying a demand. If it's not for you, then don't go there.

A list of more creative menus would give people more informed choice.