to think that the vegetarian option should consist of more than a pizza with the pepperoni picked off

[Patinkin]

Italian day at school. Options for school dinner were lasagne and pizza. Both of which had meat in/on. The staff behind the counter picked off the pepperoni to make the pizza "vegetarian". This is not ok is it? I know different vegetarians are more/less strict but that wasn't actually supplying a vegetarian option was it? Or is it just me?

Yanbu. Not acceptable at all.

Definitely not a vegetarian option - and also kinda gross.

I would be fuming if that was me or my dc. Not ok.

No, not vegetarian. Complete lack of thought- it would have been easy to make veggie pizza and/or pasta.

Thats really not ok!

No, that's not good!

Would have been easier for them to just make Margherita pizzas surely! I'm sure Pepperoni is American and not Italian anyway!

It wouldn't be ok for me, or most vegetarians I would imagine.
Everyone is slightly different, but I hate the taste and smell of meat. I use different pans for cooking my vegetarian food and my children's meat meals, eg, because I don't want my food to be 'contaminated' with meat. I wouldn't be able to eat that pizza because meat had touched it.
I can't speak for anyone else though.

That's what we do Fatlazymummy. I was stunned when she told me what had happened. Just as well I have cool down time before I can speak to the school about this as I am feeling so peed off right now.

No, as a vegetarian I wouldn't be able to eat that.

It would taste of meat as pepperoni leaks it's fat when cooked. Not okay at all, and I speak as a veggie who is usually very relaxed about things. For example I don't mind my food being cooked on a BBQ with meat.

Not in any way acceptable.

We had Italian day today too! Our school offered spaghetti bolognaise and vegetarian lasagne. Do they not cook their own food on site? If they do I fail to see how they didn't cater for those who don't eat meat!
Did they have a good tasting activity? If so where thu catered for then?

Sorry rubbish at proof reading - food not good and they not thu!

I think the meals are cooked on site although I am not 100% certain. They didn't do a tasting thing so nothing to compare there

Complain.
My vegetarian DC were once, at primary, served pasta bake with ham in. The little one was outright lied to (told it was veggie) the older one was told to pick the ham out. When she got upset she was told off.

I hit the roof.

To be fair the head did grovel. It was made slightly more awkward that the dinner lady responsible was the mother of another child in DD2's class (she wasn't deliberately malicious, just totally lacking in iniative, basic knowledge about diets, and imagination.)

Oo - bet that was a bit awkward Elvira . It's not the first time meals have not gone well. There are other issues with the school too. So I am, overall, fed up.

I mean, we aren't living in unenlightened times are we. Vegetarianism is pretty common these days. How would they cope with someone with gluten issues? Tell them to just put the bread to one side?

I think it is outrageous that someone with catering qualifications (I assume the head cook would have them) doesn't understand what being vegetarian means.

Some pupils might choose the veggie option for religious reasons. What if they were Muslim or Jewish?

I'm not veggie, but that kind of ignorance does my head in.

I am glad it is not just me!

Bet it didn't have vegetarian cheese on either. Nice bit of lambs stomach enzyme as well as pepperoni juice for the veggies.

YANBU.

They should have standard option and then a vegan/gluten free option to cover all bases.

By vegan/gluten free I mean something that is both. I am aware they are different things!

I think I assume that places that provide food know all this stuff and would automatically provide vege/vegan/gluten free and others if necessary for the client group. DD was told by the staff that they had "forgotten" she was vegetarian (and my other DD, hence the little "fix" of pulling off the pepperoni.
I doubt the school will do much about it. They have a history of burying complaints. This could well be the last straw for this camel!

No I wasn't there. Do you reckon they might be lying about it awful daughter?

I was thinking I would ask what the vege option was that day first.