To have thought we should have been allowed another cup

[lakia]

Was in a restaurant today with my parents they wanted a cream tea we saw on the notice board that it came with a big pot of tea and two generous sized scones with cream and jam.
My parents seeing the size of it decided to order the one between them it wasn't stated as either been for one or two people.
Anyway so we ordered paid and one cup was put on the tray and of course we asked if we could have another cup and the guy who happened to be the manager refused we was bit taken back by this and thought maybe he had misunderstood so again we said we want another cup to which he refused again.
We asked why and he said this is a cream tea for one person and I said its too much for my parents and they want to share he replied that he is a business and that if we want another cup then we have to buy a separate cup of tea I said that's ridiculous and he said no it isn't and he would not budge. He then said that its like him giving one cream tea to a load of people to share and its not good for his business.
Just interested in your thoughts.

No one has said it was wrong to share the scones. Splitting a pot of tea for one between two was stingy and asking for another cup rude. They should have ordered the cream tea and asked for a pot of tea for two with it. Paid another £1 or so and not been so cheap.

But what's difference?

its ok to share food but not drink? why? to enable cafes to make a 500% mark up on 1 tea bag? If the pot was big enough for two cups of tea, two cups were drank.

either provide smaller pots with the option.of a refill or accept that those with small appetites will likely share buckets if tea/coffee.

£5 pounds for a cream tea?????

I could make scones for everyone for that....

My self and my mother both have small appetites and find that restaurants nowadays seem to provide a ridiculous amount of food for 'one portion'. So if we meet up for lunch we usually order one dish and ask for a second plate because 'we're sharing'. We have never ever ever had anyone even raise an eyebrow at this.

why is it stingy to share the portion of scones but not to share the teapot? That doesn't make sense at all.

I've shared DD's 'children's portion' of macaroni cheese may a time, mainly because it's not a 5 yo's sized portion at all. We might get a children's macaroni cheese and some chips on the side and split it between us. Surely, surely, that is better than ordered a separate adult's meal and having half DD's portion go to waste. Neither of us have big appetites, I fail to see why I should spend money on unwanted food because food outlets have decided that they need to supply giant portions to all the greedy MNers people out there who have no idea what size a portion should be. Let them fork out more for a second portion!

YANBU OP. If he can't afford to let a couple of OAP's share a cream tea then his business really is in trouble.

RiverTam... if it's too big for a 5 year old's portion then why do you need a side portion of chips as well?

That I don't really understand. Do you not understand portions?

Witch Sometimes a main portion and a side will make up enough food for two main meals, whereas two main orders will just result in a lot of food being left behind.

Wow some people are ridiculous. Sharing a cup of tea? Unreasonable. Sharing a pot of tea for one and requiring extra milk, sugar, water etc? Unreasonable. Sharing an unspecified pot of tea because it was TOO MUCH FOR ONE PERSON? The only extra resource they are taking is a cup. The business isn't going to collapse. True, we don't know what OP ordered and if she did order nothing then it would be a bit stingy but if the business is in so much trouble that sharing cakes is a worry, half the portions so people can pay for more if they want more, instead of paying for something and wasting half of it to be polite.

Not in the same league as arsy customers. A completely innocent, reasonable request. And if I'm going to a cafe to eat and my daughter wouldn't eat anything from there I'll bring her a packed lunch. I'm paying for my lunch, drinks etc and I'd make sure yo clean up after her and take our rubbish with us.

How so? One child portion + whatever River eats? Sandwich or something?

It's all petty semantics though isn't it? River's example is two portions of food - two people. No issue really.

Some places don't mind extra plates/cups. People who want to do this should go to those, not berate an establishment that doesn't want to do or permit that. It's all about "But I'm the customer, I can do what I like and you'll just put up with it or I'll report you to TripAdvisor" nonsense that I'm talking about.

did you not read the bit where I said I would split it between us? Half a child's portion of macaroni cheese is plenty for her but not much for me so I add a side (chips, peas, whatever) to make it a bit bigger. The salient point is that we share her portion - if I'm not that hungry I won't bother with the additional side order.

Christ, all this explaining!

I'm laughing at all the people with so called tiny appetites on here. I bet they're the very same people who are always trying to get something for nothing..

I know "I nibble bits of his cake and he has a slurp or two of my coffee"

Never quite sure why all those people with teeny, tiny bird-like appetites actually go into cafes in order to eat and drink. If I'm not hungry but others are then I'll just have a coffee. I won't order a meal and complain I can't eat it. Neither do I "nibble and slurp" at other people's food.

Are they like the contestants on Come dine with me who mark down because the 'portions are huge'

No musiclover I am not always 'trying to get something for nothing.'

However, if restaurants insist on serving up and charging for huge amounts of food and calling them 'one portion', then people without large appetites are going to continue to order one portion between them. It has nothing to do with meanness and everything to do with being fed up of paying for food, over half of which is left on the plate.

Why can restaurants not serve realistic portions and charge slightly less. They are basically trying to force people to buy more than they want and pay for it.

Summer not having a huge appetite, doesn't equate with not wanting to eat.
If I'm out and it's lunchtime I will want some lunch. If I'm with my mum and I know that we'll both end up leaving half our food on the plate, then I'm happy to share. If I'm with friends with very big, or normal, appetites then I just pay for my own main and eat what I can.

You don't have to have a 'tiny' appetite to find today's portions far too big. A lot of restaurants are now serving supersized portions because they can charge more.

"I know "I nibble bits of his cake and he has a slurp or two of my coffee"

Reminds me of the Gavin and Stacey episode where Smithy goes off on one over the Indian takeaway.
"It's my food, I ordered it, I'm going to eat it"

Damn right! I've eaten with people who decide they don't want chips because they're dieting but then proceed to demolish most of mine.

This thread has made me crave a cream tea. I could murder a scone right now - 2 would do nicely.

Gileswithachainsaw
"But what's difference?"

Social norms. It is entirely normal and expected for people to share a piece of cake in a cafe. I've never known anyone to order a pot of tea for one and then ask for two cups.

Unfortunately this thread has made me think 'Two OAPs, one cup' which definitely doesn't make me want a scone.

whatsthat

'oh could we have a second cup please'.

You've seriously never heard anyone say that in a restaurant?

You don't have to have tiny appetites to find today's portions too much.

danishes are like dustbin lids, burgers are packed so high now they need a stick to hold them together. cake slices are huge. two or three times the size of what you'd serve at home.

Not when ordering a pot of tea for one, no.