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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have thought we should have been allowed another cup

393 replies

lakia · 01/06/2015 19:39

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.

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 02/06/2015 16:03

If it held two cups it wasn't a pot of tea for 1 was it

evelynj · 02/06/2015 16:04

Yabu, should have bought another cup of tea.

whatsthatcomingoverthehill · 02/06/2015 16:05

It was, because that's what the owner said.

Gileswithachainsaw · 02/06/2015 16:10

That the point though isn't it. what one person perceives as a portion fir 1 is often what others would class as a potion for 2. having worked in catering I've seen sen then size of what goes out and no surprises lots came back

chaletdays · 02/06/2015 16:12

A pot big enough to hold two cups is a pot that caters for up to two people.

whatsthatcomingoverthehill · 02/06/2015 16:28

But as you've said people want to drink different amounts. And the 'waste' from a cup of tea is a bit of hot water. The material costs are negligible. Talking about mark up on basically hot water misunderstands the costs of running a cafe.

Are you seriously saying that if you went into a cafe which advertised a pot of tea for one or a pot of tea for two that you would order tea for one and ask for an extra cup?

I actually agree that it wasn't great customer service and in his position would probably have just given them a cup. But that doesn't mean that the the OP is right, just that in the service industry you have to put up with people who take the piss.

chaletdays · 02/06/2015 16:32

I think ordering a cream tea (which is not specified as being for one or two people on the menu) and casually asking for a second cup because you're also going to share from the large pot of tea, is quite a simple thing to do and doesn't imply any great pre-calculation or meanness.

Just going in and ordering a cup of tea and then asking for a second cup so you could pour half the tea into it does smack of either meanness or being extremely hard up.

On this occasion the manager was being absolutely ridiculous.

Gileswithachainsaw · 02/06/2015 16:37

If you were just ordering a pot of tea you'd just order fir 1/2

if like the Pp just said it's along side other stuff you'd see the size of it and go from there. either way buying what you won't eat or drink. is pointless

nooka · 02/06/2015 16:38

The cream tea was advertised as being large, no one was required to order it. The normal thing to do would be to ask when ordering 'is it for two?' and if told, no it's for one, to order an extra cup of tea. No drama required.

Tamar86 · 02/06/2015 16:40

Grin It was me that said I have a few sips of DH's coffee rather than have my own. I'm sure I didn't say slurp. I would never say slurp Wink.

To be fair, it doesn't really happen so much in cafes, which we seldom go to, more likely to be from the buffet car on the train or something.

I'm not out to get something for nothing, I just can't drink that much, especially in one sitting. I'd rather just have some food, with a sip of drink.

Lots of people find being confronted with a big portion a bit stressful, and they fret about the waste.

AGnu · 02/06/2015 16:52

Because of this thread I've had to make scones. Now I'm having to eat the evidence before DH gets home or the DC wake up from their nap & expect me to share.

Interesting question... is a scone classified as a Biscuit or a Cake?

chaletdays · 02/06/2015 16:54

So the manager can supply two scones and a pot containing two cups of tea and dictate that it can only be purchased for one person? If two people want to eat it they must buy a third cup of tea that they don't want? Confused

Gileswithachainsaw · 02/06/2015 17:00

seems so chalet

if you sell something classic and traditional you can't be surprised of its taken up by old people who let's face it, love classic traditional food. and old people aren't amongst the bowls and bucket guzzlers of hot drinks. they dint need a mocha with whipped cream and a flake to go, on the way to work. They want a small cup of tea they can drink.before it goes cold. and to not waste half a pot and another half a cup because some jobs worth thinks he can dictate who eats and drink what

Sazzle41 · 02/06/2015 17:14

I dont get the cup thing. I grew up in 'historic' cream tea town and its always, always a smallish pot for two or a mini pot for one. Never a cup. Was it a bit cheap & cheerful ? (nothing wrong with that but you scale down expectations if it is i think). Where i lived is rather 'naice' and tourist trap so you may pay a bit more but you do get value for money & a posh 'experience' . Portion wise its two medium sized scones each. Owner shouldnt be advertising a pot if its a cup, false advertising. Thats a bit cheap caff to me, not 'naice' tea room!

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 02/06/2015 17:16

The point of a pot - apart from the tea tasting better! - is so that you can have more than one cup out of it. As pp said up thread, scones can be a bit drying and more than one cup to wash them down isn't excessive. A cream tea for one with a pot and two scones has been what a cream tea is for a long long time. It's not a modern invention designed to con people into paying more, nor a cause of the obesity epidemic.

As an aside, haven't seen the OP for a while

ilovesooty · 02/06/2015 17:21

She hasn't told us what she ordered.

XiCi · 02/06/2015 17:42

I would be so embarrassed in this situation. Firstly to ask for an extra cup is bad enough when it's tea for one, but then to stand there arguing in a crowded cafe when the owner had explained is even worse
Why the fuck didn't you just buy your mum/dad an extra cup of tea?

annatha · 02/06/2015 17:49

OP never said the menu specified a pot of tea for ONE. It was (rightly or wrongly) assumed to be for two, arrives big enough for two and therefore two want to share it. Surely if a tiddly pot arrives they would just order another pot, but if the pot looks big enough for both of them then they'd want to share it?

6Musiclover · 02/06/2015 17:50

This reply has been deleted

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mugglingalong · 02/06/2015 17:55

I'm with AGnu I have recently discovered that dd1 can make lovely scones. Now I want her to stop watching Tintin so she can make me some scones while I pop to the shop for clotted cream.

ivykaty44 · 02/06/2015 17:57

can you imagine going into a pub and asking for a pint of larger and then two extra glasses to share with your two mates?

its the washing up and bums on seats

if you have a 21 cover tea shop and only 7 people ever order a pot of tea but 21 people sit down then you are going to go out of business quickly

Laquitar · 02/06/2015 18:00

I cant believe this is still going on.
Now we 've got everything in the drama: the owner 'dictates' what people eat, obesity problem, shops force you to eat, idiots who work in cafes, ..
Next someone will say that it is human right to ask for freebies. Quickly call the Amnesty International.

I just have one question, where are the huge slices of cake? I had carrot cake at costa, i finished it in two seconds and i wanted more.
How tiny are your stomachs that you can not finish a slice of cake?

AGnu · 02/06/2015 18:01

If anyone else is having scone cravings, this recipe is really good. I've not had much success before but these worked really well. I doubled the recipe, used bigger cutters the size suggested would've been practically bite-size & grated the butter & returned it to the fridge until needed so it's easier to rub in. They're utterly divine but even I couldn't manage to eat that many... I've frozen 7 & will be using the excuse that we have DPILs coming on Saturday & I made them for them... Wink

Laquitar · 02/06/2015 18:04

6musiclover
not only that but she also said 'we had a good laugh afterwards'.
This i find even more annoying than been mean. Laughing or feeling proud about it.

Gileswithachainsaw · 02/06/2015 18:11

ofgs

mean is a glass of water three straws and a bag if scampi fries lasting all day.

It is not people ordering the exact amount of food and drink they actually will consume.