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AIBU?

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Original poster

Me vs Costa...

208 replies

ImAMarshmellow · 07/12/2017 13:18

Went to a shopping centre this morning with ds. Wanted to stop for a coffee mid morning so went into one of the 2 costas in the retail park.
Ds is intolerant to soya, dairy and eggs, which means he essentially can't have anything that Costa sell. (Bread contains soya, crumpets have eggs in and cakes are self explanatory. They also prepare stuff in the same area, so cross contamination is highly possible) I don't want him eating a bag of salt and vinegar crisps, so I normally take a bag of Ella's puffs snacks or similar. (He's 15 months).
Bought myself a coffee and cake and sat down with ds and his snack. He's happily chomping through his snack and an employee brought my drink over and asked if I had bought the snack ds was eating from there... I explained not and that he can't eat anything from there because as far as I am aware most of the foods are unsuitable for his dietary needs. She basically asked me to either leave or put the snacks away.
So was I wrong for bringing my own snacks or was I being reasonable since he really can't eat anything from there?
The only other 2 places to eat within that retail park would have been the same I.e they sell cakes/snack style foods.

OP posts:
rabbitsdontlayeggs · 07/12/2017 14:13

YANBU. How ridiculous. I have always taken snacks or lunch 'on the go' for my DD whenever we're out and about since she was weaned, and she has no allergies. She'll happily sit in the pushchair eating as I potter around town and I often stop into Costa on our way home, buying myself a coffee and sandwich. I never buy anything for DD - she has her own beaker of water and the food I've brought along. She's 20 months now. No ones ever said a word to me, and I haven't hidden it!

With small children (up to the age they're
no longer a toddler, but a child IMO) I can't see that it's reasonable for anywhere to object to this. Especially if you have a child with allergies who isn't catered for.

Obviously if we were going out for a proper sit down lunch these days I'd buy her a little meal if it was her mealtime too (if it wasn't I'd feed her at home beforehand then she'd just pick at bits off my plate), but if I'm just stopping for a quick coffee? No.

overnightangel · 07/12/2017 14:17

“Where exactly, based on a dairy, egg and soya allergy? Where the OP can have a hot drink and her son can eat the food?“

Well I don’t know the area but I wouldn’t take a child somewhere where I knew they were allergic to everything for a start, and then I wouldn’t put a pet lip on having taken them there and been called out for acting with a sense of entitlement (and taking the huff with a minimum wage worker who is doing their job as instructed)

I’m sure there are other coffee shops. If you don’t like it , go elsewhere

MonumentalAlabaster · 07/12/2017 14:19

I would have immediately asked to speak to the manager.

Mamabear4180 · 07/12/2017 14:20

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

RhiannonOHara · 07/12/2017 14:21

overnight, did you not see the OP said 'The only other 2 places to eat within that retail park would have been the same I.e they sell cakes/snack style foods.'?

MonumentalAlabaster · 07/12/2017 14:22

As long as you had bought something, which you did, there shouldn't be a problem.

Sparrowlegs248 · 07/12/2017 14:23

Ds's are 2 and 9 months. I always take snacks for them. Im not buying them a chocolate muffin or similar for £3. Yanbu.

CMOTDibbler · 07/12/2017 14:23

Actually, Costa do a GF, vegan, soy free christmas cake slice and mince pie so you could have bought him something - they are sealed

CMOTDibbler · 07/12/2017 14:24

And fruit pots

MrRayaUmasTurban · 07/12/2017 14:24

Jobsworth. OH and I always go to Costa and our baby's the same age. No allergies or anything we know of! He has his snacks in full view of all the staff and nobody has ever murmured.

ineedwine99 · 07/12/2017 14:25

I’ve taken Ella puffs or breadsticks to loads of places and none have had an issue. YANBU

Andrewofgg · 07/12/2017 14:26

Most Costas are franchised, not part of some big corporate entity. But YANBU and I agree with curryforbreakfast and I also like her screenname!

crunched · 07/12/2017 14:26

My 3 local Costa's sell bananas, that would be ideal surely?

I hate not being able to find a seat when I can see people sipping a small coffee with a Greggs bag of sausage rolls being dipped into on the table in front of them. I appreciate your situation is different though.
And it is bleedin' obvious this 'bringing your own food' ban does not apply to bf.

crunched · 07/12/2017 14:30

Ds's are 2 and 9 months. I always take snacks for them. Im not buying them a chocolate muffin or similar for £3.
As long as they are not taking up a seat of a paying customer...

StinkPickle · 07/12/2017 14:32

Wow YANBU!

MrRayaUmasTurban · 07/12/2017 14:34

As long as they are not taking up the seat of a paying customer

Yes, no manspreading 9 month olds, please.

curryforbreakfast · 07/12/2017 14:35

I think you came up against a major jobsworth here

I hate when people say this. Some young person on minimum wage just doing their job, well of course their job is worth more to them than your kid and his snacks. It's horrible to talk about them as if they are doing something awful to you.

AmyArmadillo · 07/12/2017 14:39

We bring our own snacks for the baby and toddler whenever we go to Costa (pretty often, 2 branches near us) and have never had a problem. The Costa staff see us giving our own food to the littles all the time and don't comment.

So I think you just got somebody a bit silly or new, I wouldn't worry about it.

MissionItsPossible · 07/12/2017 14:47

I hate when people say this. Some young person on minimum wage just doing their job, well of course their job is worth more to them than your kid and his snacks. It's horrible to talk about them as if they are doing something awful to you

Just read through the thread and was about to make this exact same remark. Fair enough if the owner of an independent cafe did this, then you can call them a jobsworth, but it's not likely that she took glee or delight in doing this, it's from orders higher up.

Original poster
ImAMarshmellow · 07/12/2017 14:47

Think she might have exploded if I'd brought a full picnic with me Grin.

I think she was probably new. It's a fairly new store, I'm not one to start an angry twitter campaign about it Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
ImAMarshmellow · 07/12/2017 14:49

Overnightangel. There's 3 places in the retail park, Marks and spencer, Asda and then costa. It would be the same in all 3 places. It's the same in the very fucking place we go Angry

OP posts:
overnightangel · 07/12/2017 14:49

@curryforbreakfast I agree

@mamabear well done on ring able to have a grown up discussion without being abusive
Oh wait, you can’t.

Jaxhog · 07/12/2017 14:51

Not unreasonable of you to do what you did. It isn't as if you'd just gone there and not bought anything! Might be a good idea to ask first though. They are unlikely to say no, unless they are really mean. If they do, you won't then waste your money buying a coffee and cake there.

Trinity66 · 07/12/2017 14:52

YANBU but you probably should have just said OK and then just gave him the snacks anyway. She's probably told she has to say that, I doubt she cares too much

Redpriestandmozart · 07/12/2017 14:55

Actually, Costa do a GF, vegan, soy free christmas cake slice and mince pie so you could have bought him something - they are sealed

Really? What 15 month old baby will eat Christmas cake or mince pie?

I would have just said 'oh sorry could you bring me something suitable please?' then went on letting him eat it.

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