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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to ask about dd drinking in a restaurant?

103 replies

minikimmi · 29/08/2012 22:00

My dd is 17 and as a family we occasionally have wine with dinner or a couple of glasses on a Sat night watching x factor or whatever. Today was my d's first day of college. Afterwards I met her in town and we went to a Wetherspoons for a bite to eat. I ordered a carafe of wine and 2 glasses, as a wee bit of a celebration really. Halfway through the meal a bartender came over and asked d for id. I explained right away that she was 17 but I was her mum and I was ok with it. He said that no, she couldn't drink in there and we'd have to leave. Tonight there has been much debate in the house about this. I was CONVINCED that 16 yo could drink wine or cider in a restaurant if accompanied by an adult? I can't for the life of me remember where I heard this though. Any restaurateurs around to clarify?

OP posts:

FudgeyCookie · 30/08/2012 12:34

It's at the disgression of te management/chain. Some places will some places won't - from now on it might be worth asking before ordering if they allow 17yr olds to have a drink with their meals. My mum used to do this everytime we went out for a meal with family etc and it was fine with me if I wasn't or was allowed lol. Some places have it as part of their license to not allow it at all - used to be the case when I worked in a pub.

peeriebear · 30/08/2012 12:44

It is down to the discretion of the management I'm afraid. I worked for 6 years in a similar-but-not-Wetherspoons pub chain. Our rules were if you're under 18 you don't drink booze. It was a big busy pub and rather than trying to police and obtain proof of who is 16/17/18, it was a lot easier all round to just say no.

UKSky · 30/08/2012 12:49

You can legally drink alcohol in a designated bar area from the age of 5 but are not allowed to buy it and you must be eating.

All places should have a non bar area but do not have to. This area should be out if sight of the actual bar which may be the reason.

However despite this, it is up to each landlord whether or not they serve you and they do not have to give a reason.

eurochick · 30/08/2012 13:33

There is a particular pub back home that all the 6th formers used to drink in. I was there every weekend and never ID'd.

I went off to university and when I was back in the hols, one Sunday afternoon arranged to meet a friend there for a catch up. We were 20/21 at the time. We both drove there so only ordered cokes. They refused to serve us without ID....

Spuddybean · 30/08/2012 14:17

After graduation (10 years ago) exPILs took exH his brothers and me to a wetherspoons for pub lunch. We walked in, ordered at the bar and sat in the restaurant area at the back. One of the brothers was 17 at the time. When we sat down the manager came over and said we'd have to leave because exBIL was underage - even tho he was having a coke! The whole family stood up, 8 of us downed our drinks and trooped out (i can't remember - pissed from downing a pint prob - but presume exPIL got a refund for the food).

Went in there on bank hol last week for brekkie at 10am and there were blokes getting tanked up.

It is a parallel universe. They want to be a child friendly restaurant but then again don't.

SiSiTD · 30/08/2012 14:32

I can understand your frustration and embarrasment however, the bar tender was well within the law.

A 17 year old is allowed a glass of wine, cider or beer with a meal if accompanied by some one over 18 years of age.

However, there are exceptions and ambiguities if the premises if primarily a bar/pub rather than a restaurant and the table can be used for just drinking purposes.

Bare in mind that Wetherspoons is there to make as much money as possible and would not have asked you to leave with out good reason. The bar tender was well within his rights to get you to leave if he felt that you were breaking the law - technically you don't need to give any reason to kick someone out or refuse service.

(A Licencee)

SiSiTD · 30/08/2012 14:34

Oh, and for what it's worth, it is absolutely against the law for a minor - under 16 years old to consume ANY alcohol on a licensed premises.

Shakey1500 · 30/08/2012 14:47

Straight up, i was asked to leave a weatherspoons for leading a chorus of 5 women "singing" She's gettin' married in the morning (sober and quietly i might add) to the Bride to Be. Because "they don't have a music licence".

PicklesThePottyMouthedParrot · 30/08/2012 15:05

No way! in my home town (welsh valleys) no one gets chucked out. Its carnage in there with all that cheap booze. You literally have to hit someone with a chair to get thrown out.

Thats hilariious.

TalHotBrunette · 30/08/2012 15:11

I got asked for id in a Wetherspoons once. I was 24, heavily pregnant and ordering a cooked breakfast. I made this face .

TalHotBrunette · 30/08/2012 15:12

Pickles which valley are you in?

PicklesThePottyMouthedParrot · 30/08/2012 15:13

Without revealing myself too much it used to be a tesco! Does that ring a bell?

TalHotBrunette · 30/08/2012 15:14

No bells, I think we are safe!

PicklesThePottyMouthedParrot · 30/08/2012 15:16

I dont live there any more but I like to call in there now and again. Wearing my tin hat and with a weapon.

LineRunnerFlameBurning · 30/08/2012 15:20

I'm still getting over a Spoons having a carafe on the premises.

My local Spoons is like a casting session for The Wicker Man.

complexnumber · 30/08/2012 15:21

I thought it was at the manager's discretion who they served.

LineRunnerFlameBurning · 30/08/2012 15:24

Yes, it's at the licensee's discretion. They can refuse anyone service, and they don't have to say why.

They are meant to refuse service to anyone 'in drink', ha ha.

KenLeeeeeee · 30/08/2012 15:31

I was asked for ID in Hammersmith Wetherspoons for ordering a meal for myself and one for each of the kids. No booze at all! Absolutely loony policies.

verlainechasedrimbauds · 30/08/2012 15:48

My DS was furious when he had directed a play in a pub theatre, been served alcohol with his lunch (he was 20) and then been refused alcohol in the evening after the show as they had an "over 21" policy in the evening. He wasn't even allowed to sit in the bloody garden with a soft drink! None of us were particularly impressed - though they were within their rights to insist that their own rules were followed. He was so cross that he went to the off licence and bought a can of beer and leaned over the fence to chat to us in the pub garden - we did offer to go elsewhere but he wanted to stay put on principle. As he pointed out, he had to go through the pub premises to get to the theatre anyway. Funny in hindsight but infuriating at the time.

StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 30/08/2012 15:56

Yup, wish they would make their mind up as to what they want to be, S and friend aged 17 just started work met for lunch one day at weatherspoons, sat in family area, ordered meals, no drinks, bar served them they paid.... manager came and told them to leave! so are they a pub or a familyy eating place? breakfast and a beer anyone.

bubalou · 30/08/2012 16:50

Laughing at the thought of a 'posh Weatherspoons'

I would deem our one posh if it had some toilet roll and didn't stink of shit.

ProfYaffle · 30/08/2012 17:05

Yes, Wetherspoons are properly odd. With small children you must sit in The Family Pen and not stray outside of it ever. We once saw a man with his daughter frog marched inside from the beer garden and instructed to stay in the Family area. On another occasion we tried to order some drinks while we perused the menu but were refused, drinks with the meal only if you're accompanied by children. And lastly, only 2 alcoholic drinks for parents. Not a drop more.

Yet if you're a non parent and want 4 pints with breakfast that's just fine and dandy

I avoid at all costs these days but they have developed a habit of disguising themselves as reasonably decent looking pubs and I've accidentally wandered in.

AuntieMaggie · 30/08/2012 17:15

Their licence may not cover under 18s to drink in this way and to be honest if it didn't I'd have asked you to leave too as its the indvidual that serves you that can get fined not just the pub. Thats why places are getting over the top about ID. Its actually quite hard to tell some peoples age!

LineRunnerFlameBurning · 30/08/2012 19:10

bubalou Indeed, the aroma of the lavvies pervades impressively in our Spoons, too.

The funniest thing though is the free magazine which always has a leader page by Tim Martin ranting on about how he is right and everyone else is wrong about everything. The crossword's quite good, though.

MarysBeard · 30/08/2012 19:14

I got asked for id in a Wetherspoons once. I was 24, heavily pregnant and ordering a cooked breakfast. I made this face

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