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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To give a family run Hotel a Poor Review

568 replies

MistressMia · 30/04/2016 09:55

I stayed at a family run hotel earlier this week in the Midlands and while on the whole it was a nice place a few things bugged me, notably the vegetarian / vegan option or lack off.

It was only 1 night with breakfast included.

Perhaps I'm just too used to London standards, but it really amazes me that things like soya milk / soya yoghurt are not available as standard.

I'm not fully vegan, but haven't drunk milk for ages now, so couldn't have the breakfast cereals.

The hot breakfast consisted of bacon / eggs / beans / mushrooms & grilled tomato. I don't eat eggs. Don't usually have a problem as used to having the option of hash browns. and other veggie alternatives.

AIBU unreasonable to expect establishments to fully cater for those with different diets ? It really peeves me off, considering the charge is the same and veg options don't cost more.

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 30/04/2016 14:37

I hope the pillows weren't feather. Shock

ScreenshottingIsNotJournalism · 30/04/2016 14:41

do you think the OP knows that something doesn't have to come in a packet that says "dairy free" to be vegan?

toast with marge and beans! vegan go-to breakie right there!

BarbaraofSeville · 30/04/2016 14:42

I would avoid vegan flapjacks because I expect them to be made with butter not some hideous soya or vegetable substitute.

I stayed in a hotel in Barcelona a few years ago that had 2 or 3 non dairy milks and I think that is the only time I have seen it in hotels anywhere including London.

When you exclude a large part of food from your diet, don't give the hotel any notice and then turn your nose up at standard vegan breakfast offerings of mushrooms and/or tomatoes on toast there is no helping you really and you are going to accept a very limited selection in most places.

Sparklingbrook · 30/04/2016 14:46

I have no idea what they have in them Barbara, just that they are a good seller as long as the sign isn't up. It is a place with lots of repeat custom. But I am not a huge flapjack fan. Grin

expatinscotland · 30/04/2016 14:49

First world problem. YABU. And a nightmare. But go ahead and write the review so people can laugh their arses off at it.

SukeyTakeItOffAgain · 30/04/2016 14:52

The thread that keeps on giving :o

curren · 30/04/2016 15:01

I didn't say all I said wide variety.

Well get cater to vegetarians. So why does 'kind Of, a little bit vegan'

Come above coeliacs and people with allergies?

CaptainCrunch · 30/04/2016 15:02

You sound like one of those awful, petty, attention seeking participants on Four In A Bed, desperate to find fault and determined to be right about it.

puglife15 · 30/04/2016 15:03

YABU

Who wants shitty soya milk and crappy wheat protein "sausages" anyway? Any vegan I know would be much happier with tomato & mushroom on toast

Original poster
MistressMia · 30/04/2016 15:03

do you think the OP knows that something doesn't have to come in a packet that says "dairy free" to be vegan?

Yes I do.

toast with marge and beans! vegan go-to breakie right there!

And there wasn't any marge. And yes I did mention at breakfast I didn't eat dairy.

It's simple things like this that I think should be standard. Many non-veg don't eat butter for health or allergy reasons.

OP posts:
Original poster
MistressMia · 30/04/2016 15:03

As explained earlier, I was never going to give them a 'poor' review as in terms of slating them or anything. That was my poor phrasing.

The AIBU was probably more about whether it was unreasonable to mention my thoughts in the review.

Clearly I am BU to have expected better. I had thought of originally emailing the owners separately so I won't bother saying anything at all.

OP posts:
BorisJohnsonsHair · 30/04/2016 15:04
  1. I wouldn't expect soya milk as standard anywhere. And I have stayed in many lovely hotels in London and never seen it on the menu.
  1. Hash browns are a horrible cheap addition to a proper English breakfast, so I wouldn't expect them to have that either.
  1. If they didn't have what you wanted, couldn't you have asked (for example) for porridge, scrambled eggs with mushrooms and tomatoes with some toast and marmalade? I used to be vegetarian and have always managed to eat decent breakfasts at hotels.
  1. I think you're being VU (in case that's not clear from my terse bullet points Grin)
Sparklingbrook · 30/04/2016 15:05

Bit late to mention it at breakfast.

Zwellers · 30/04/2016 15:07

Vegan is not main stream and if you have asked they may have only been to happy yo provide for you. You can't complain about limited choices when it's you who have limited them. Bring to soya next time you have to endure the horror of the midlands

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 30/04/2016 15:08

You sound like a petulant teenager

Roussette · 30/04/2016 15:08

Trouble is OP...

you sound like someone who thinks anywhere north of Potters Bar is backward and clueless. I sort of imagine the scenario of you coming down to breakfast and saying to whoever you are with "I knew it! No soya milk. Well... what do you expect, this is Sutton Coldfield after all..."

The world does not begin and end in London y'know...

I don't get what's so difficult with ringing where you are going to check if it's that important to you.

BitOutOfPractice · 30/04/2016 15:09

I'm from the midlands so I'm typing this on a computer made entirely from lard and black pudding so excuse any typos but no, soya milk is not "standard" and if you needed it, you should have asked. HTH

A4Document · 30/04/2016 15:12

If you require a special diet you could book somewhere that says they provide it, or contact them to find out beforehand.

It has nothing to do with whether a hotel is in London or not Grin

Sparklingbrook · 30/04/2016 15:12

DB is coming up from London tomorrow and will be visiting us here in rural Worcestershirel. i will get all the different milks lined up just in case he has become nearly vegan due to living down there too long.....

derxa · 30/04/2016 15:13

Think of the gallons of wastage of soya or almond milk if hotels/B&Bs just had it in on the off chance.

OP you never answer the important question: why didn't you ring in advance or get your 'people' to do it?

Sparklingbrook · 30/04/2016 15:13

My keyboard is made of grey peas Bit. Wink

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 30/04/2016 15:13

Do you think nearly vegan ia catching?

Stylingwax · 30/04/2016 15:14

I thought this was a joke. Seriously you're going to complain because they didn't have soya milk? FFS.

curren · 30/04/2016 15:15

You mentioned it at breakfast?

Why not when you booked (no matter how short notice) or when you checked in.

Why the fuck would you wait until breakfast to mention it.

As I said I have food allergies. I would not expect anyone to cater to me if I told them at the meal time. Rather than many of the opportunities before hand.

Yabu. I think you should mention it in your review. I love reading clearly ridiculous reviews from arses on trip advisor.

derxa · 30/04/2016 15:15

DB is coming up from London tomorrow and will be visiting us here in rural Worcestershire I feel for him Sparkling having to leave London and all that.
Whatever you provide will never compare Grin