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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that babies shouldn't be charged £1.40 to eat a bit of home made puree in a cafe???

33 replies

1gglePiggle · 17/05/2011 21:54

A local cafe in Bath is charging £1.40 if you take your own food to feed baby. They offer a puree of the day for the same price. However, what if your baby doesn't like courgette puree as I think was on offer one day when I went in. I wouldn't even eat that so I very much doubt my fussy child would! And they do baby tapas but when I asked what was in it, I was told crisps! CRISPS! For a 7 month old! Anyway they have now got rid of the charge after many complaints.

The local paper website is astonishing however with the negative comments about mums (nothing about dads though, no surprise there...)

OP posts:
Madamolive · 17/05/2011 21:56

Barmy... i would have swiftly left, is this the same cafe with the over priced scones?

IMissSleep · 17/05/2011 21:58

I live in Bath and heard about this, quite shocked that they are charging you to feed your baby!

troisgarcons · 17/05/2011 21:58

Why? bars have bring-your-own booze and corkage fees.

It's not a drop in centre

Ineedacleaneriamalazyslattern · 17/05/2011 22:00

It is ridiculous.
I have only read a few of the comments in that link but the point people are making the point about you wouldn't expect to eat your own food in a cafe is absolutely true but I would also expect to be able to choose from a range of foods off a menu not be told what the one thing I could eat was.

Original poster
1gglePiggle · 17/05/2011 22:02

It's called Jika Jika. It used to have quite a baby friendly atmosphere but seems not anymore!
Trois corkage fees are fair enough if you aren't buying anything but the mum/dad/friend will be buying food and drink (not cheap either) so I think that more than covers it. I've never known anywhere else charge for a baby. Even the eat all you want restaurant lets you get food for a baby free of charge and that's actually using their food, not fresh air!

OP posts:
pigletmania · 17/05/2011 22:03

troiisgarcons you cannot compare booze to baby food completely different. This is ludricous, they will loose custom fast, babies are not comparable to children and adults.

edwardcullensotherwoman · 17/05/2011 22:04

Yes but troisgarcons , if you bring your own booze, you're not buying the bar's booze. If you're in the cafe buying lunch/coffee etc you're already spending money there, it just so happens that your baby needs to eat at the same time.

pigletmania · 17/05/2011 22:05

Oh sitting all day in a cafe with a baby/child I wish. If I went to a cafe when dd was younger I would be lucky to spend half hour in there, without crying tantruming, and would have to make a swift exit, after necking my tea.

edwardcullensotherwoman · 17/05/2011 22:06

x-posts there Blush

Anyway, that's totally bizarre, good to see they've backed down - the'd have lost a llot of custom, fast.

Salmotrutta · 17/05/2011 22:06

Do they charge you if you just want to give them a bottle/nurse them too?
Or do they have a wet nurse on the menu that they can bill you for as well?

Original poster
1gglePiggle · 17/05/2011 22:06

Exactly Ineedacleaner. I would be more than happy not to have to make stuff for my baby and have someone else do it for me but you need to have a choice of more than one thing.

OP posts:
MogTheForgetfulCat · 17/05/2011 22:09

I'm in Bath and was annoyed to hear about this, think it's indicative that they don't actually want parents and babies to be there. Have been there with DSs as it's quite big and absorbs some of their, ahem, exuberance (plus DS3 isn't weaned yet Grin), but not sure I'll bother now. Bit Hmm about it, as I've spent considerably more than £1.40 each time I've been in there, so think they're a bit mad, tbh.

Sirzy · 17/05/2011 22:13

If you go in to only feed the baby I could understand a charge, but surely nobody would be that cheeky and most people at least buy a drink for themselves in which case it is unreasonable to charge.

BitOfFun · 17/05/2011 22:14

They're daft. Most babies I know are skint.

pigletmania · 17/05/2011 22:16

Exactly! Most people when they go to a cafe will be themselves something to eat and drink, and will not stay forever, how can you with young children Hmm I have never heard of anyone using a cafe just to feed their baby, I used to feed dd in shopping malls, outside in parks anywhere really, didn't need a cafe to do that.

MollyMurphy · 17/05/2011 22:16

YANBU - that is ridiculous.

pigletmania · 17/05/2011 22:17

If you have older children with you, you normally buy them a little something to, so nobody is taking advantages, you are a paying customer.

jordannarikki · 17/05/2011 22:18

Wow.

I went into my local Costa the other day. My car was booked in for a recall at my baby's lunchtime so I dropped the car then and took food with me to feed her (not puree, it was chopped up roast dinner cos it was a Monday and it was leftover Sunday lunch).

I did feel a bit uncomfortable about it so bought a cake to go with the large coffee I had ordered. I would have just sat on a bench outside rather than pay £1.40 to feed her in there though.

How does it work anyway? Do they come up you while you're feeding, check it's not their puree of the day then demand £1.40?

Original poster
1gglePiggle · 17/05/2011 22:19

I'm surprised they don't have cartons of aptamil/sma that you have to buy instead of bf!

OP posts:
Icelollycraving · 17/05/2011 22:19

I remember there was a thread that went on & on when a woman was told she couldn't have her mummy & baby meetings at starbucks anymore. It went on & on!
I think they are basically getting rid of all the groups of mums who take up space,don't spend a lot & leave a mess. You may be perfectly respectful of others but before being pg I would have left swiftly if I was greeted by lots of mummies & babies. They can make more from people whizzing in for a sandwich or from tourists as it's coming up to summer. Find somewhere else if you don't like it. Do they charge if you are bf?!

pigletmania · 17/05/2011 22:21

Basically its a charge for feeding your baby, barmy!

emsyj · 17/05/2011 22:25

Oooooh excited that my scone thread makes me almost famous . The scone cafe is in the north west tho, not Bath.

I like the idea of a cafe serving homemade fresh baby food, but would not pay £1.40 for it as too parsimonious. If it was 80p perhaps... There is a very lovely cafe not far from me that serves a baby tasting plate with a variety of finger foods on it, but it is an eye-watering price (think is about £4???) so have never ordered it myself.

I can sort of see that they want to sell you their baby food and are trying to 'encourage' you to buy it, but it is a bit short-sighted to charge people for feeding their own food to babies. It will just irk people and they will go elsewhere. The attitude would put me off. It seems foolish to do something that will alienate so many customers for the sake of a measly £1.40 per baby.

parakeet · 17/05/2011 22:28

Check out this gem from a mum-hating moaner on the Bath website:

I'm surprised these women are able to eat or drink anything with their incessant chin-wagging (all at the same time!).

pigletmania · 17/05/2011 22:28

emsj how much are the scones now lol, do they now include tea/coffee with it

pigletmania · 17/05/2011 22:31

Erm I can do a lot of chin wagging in cafes when I don't have dd with me. What about people without children who buy a £2 coffee/tea and read their whole novel in the cafe, or those who buy just coffee/tea make it last all day whilst having a meet up with their friends. Its not only the mummies ya know.