To think an 18 year old can have a cider with a meal?

[boowaitingforbaby]

Ok, so my 18 year old cousin didn't have her ID but I've always been of the thinking that 16 & 17 year olds can have a pint of cider with a meal.
Got her a cider, about 3/4 in, bar staff come up, don't speak to me, but take the drink off her telling her she can't have it.
(Again, no word to me, the person who purchased the drink)
I complained to the supervisor, saying the law states that a 16 & 17 year old can have one drink so even if she is under age (she isn't) it shouldn't have been taken off her.
He said that it needed to be a low alcohol cider for that, but after some furious googling, I cant find anything about that.
(Obviously I didn't shout or get too angry, I more focused on the rudeness that no one asked me, the person who bought the drink)
Am I being unreasonable??

@ijustwannadance no worries :) it was more the rudeness that bothered me!

yes pubs can lose liciences for underage drinking as it can be near impossable to prove who bought the drink so alot of pubs refuse to allow for under 18s to drink in establishments while it might be legal for them to drink it with a meal.

How could they prove that they did not purchese the drink themselves if an inspector was in ?

simply that its not worth the risk and so most pubs err on the side of caution

he said that it needed to be a low alcohol cider for that, but after some furious googling, I cant find anything about that

That's because it's not true, it's so frustrating when people wrongly claim to know the facts.

Not sure why someone is claiming that you had a 'hissy fit' either.

When I say he won't serve anyone who doesn't have I mean he won't serve someone who looks under 25.

@ShutUpBaz definitely no hissy fit here! Too tired for that. Asked that it be passed on that I wasn't happy about the rudeness that no one asked or spoke to me "the adult", rather than just snatch it off someone they themselves are claiming is a child (she is 18, I would like to make clear)

If she doesn't have ID, she shouldn't be given alcohol.

actually, the bar brought the law into it. I asked and they said "it's against the law". It isn't. If they said "we have the right to refuse service" then no, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on. But that's not what they said

Then why not put that in the OP?

@SpartacusSaiman I honestly didn't see it was relevant who mentioned law first! Sorry

Silly of them to be rude. I guess they've lost some customers.

Fair enough, I stand corrected on the hissy fit.

Hopefully your cousin will carry ID if they want alcohol in future.

It's obvious that the bar manager had the wrong idea about the law (which was clearly in the op) as his justification was that it had to be 'low alcohol'. It was not 'it's our right to refuse anyone'.

I honestly think that some people will twist whatever you put in the op to fit whatever weird agenda they have for the day.

Blimey. I thought it was 14 to have alcohol with a meal in a pub. Ds2 must look older as he's had cider with a pub lunch, no problem, as did ds1 from the same age (now 16). He won't be having it again for a while.

It did used to be 14, it was changed.

Cousin almost wholly bar fault for not having ID, they could have reasonbly believed her to be 15. Although the barstaff shouldn't have made up the bollocks about low alcohol cider!

All they needed to say was, 'I have no proof she is over 16'

@BoysofMelody and if they'd said that I would have accepted, but they didn't. They made up something about low alcohol!
It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, and I don't mind. I just wanted to check about the low alcohol bit!

I work in a popular pub/restaurant chain, and our particular policy is that we cannot serve alcohol to any under 18 regardless, and if someone doesn't have ID when we've asked for it, then they are to be refused. It doesn't matter if you are 40, if you have been ID'd and don't have it, it is against the law to serve you.

I too also thought it was 14 🙈

I've been buying my teen a shandy or a small wine at pubs on occasion, with a meal

Never been challenged, but she does look 16.

OP, it's the rudeness and the illogical reliance that would bother me too. I hope you get an apology.

PS did they charge you for the drink? (Just being nosy, no what difference it really makes, but it would make me more cross!)

I don't think.it really matters if you were right or not. Fact is she couldn't prove she was even 16/17 so regardless of you telling them how old sue was you still can't PROVE it.

You have to have been living under a rock to not have noticed all the think 21 and badges and signs everywhere it's even on til dividers.

If people spent as much time filling out the ID forms or checking they have their ID on them.ad they do complaining about things or googling their rights/loopholes there wouldn't be these problems.in the first place

Used to manage pubs. No ID no alcohol in our, Wasn't worth risking the licence so it was a blanket ban regardless of whether they were eating or not. Prove of age (we did have a think 21 policy but obvs would serve with ID anyone over 18).

Saying that, they went about it in the wrong way...they should of had a chat with you and explained that even though you were eating the place still has a 18, no ID no drink (regardless of who bought it) policy

Gileswithachainsaw I think it matters- a lot actually that a bar manager is quoting bits of licensing law which don't exist.

Two mistakes, he shouldn't have took the drink, as you bought it you could have said, fine I will drink it, I've done that before and then let my daughter have it anyway

And yes it's not low alcohol he was wrong. However lots of pubs are really strict on this and I'm surprised at an 18 year old going to a licensed premises without her Id. Most kids I know always have it with them.

All the people going on about having ID, it doesn't say in the OP that they even asked for it, just took the drink. Which is pretty rude. Then followed that up by inventing licencing laws (which, as a licenced premises they should know inside out for their own legal protection) which don't exist. Yanbu to be pissed off with them and to complain if you want. Otherwise, lesson learned, cousin take id out in future and don't go back

Premises can have their own restrictions that's stated in the link someone posted earlier.

The no states "she was of the thinking..." Which does not mean she was up to date with all current legislation. From the way the op is written rightly or wrongly I get the impression they realises the woman had no I'D and knew full well she wouldn't get served so bought her a drink on the sly and figures shed try and outsmart the staff with some rule that hardly anyone knows about unless they are an experienced bar manager and plead ignorance should it turn out not to be so.

No one is told about that part really any more because with the regular checks and the constant threat of instantly losing your job for gross misconduct by not eating sleeping and shitting the strict think 25 policies It just makes things too complicated and opens too many opportunities for abuse.

In the staff eyes someone basically knew they wouldn't get served and got someone else to buy the drink for them.

It may have backfired a little when the staff possibly tried to blag their way out of it bit I stand by what I said with regards to people sorting their shit out and just getting ID