To ask at what age it stops being ok to take own food into a pub/ restaurant for toddler?

[WinkyisbackontheButterBeer]

Just wondering really. At what age would you say that you have to buy your toddler a meal, rather than take something for them?

My little girl is 18 months old and we would order her something now if something suitable or she would share ours. But, I normally would still bring some breadsticks or fruit so I know she has something and can nibble if there is a long wait. I’ve never had a problem as long as adults are eating. Up until 1 I always brought something for her. One of the issues I have is so many places serve utter crap as children’s menus. I wouldn’t have wanted her having very salty things as a baby and even now I’d rather she had something off the adults menu in a lot of instances even if that means sharing ours.

So bumble if a parent phoned and explained that their child had allergies/restricted diet so would bring their own food but the other 5 members of the Party would be eating you would turn them away?

What about if someone only ordered a side because it is all a member of the party would eat?

6 months old. I.e. As soon as they're on solids.

Up to 2 because of the Salt content in what is offered as childrens and adults stuff. After that I used to order something they could have some of or if it was something I knew she would eat and wasn't a rip off would order that for her

Agree with Greensleeves, u§nless you have an extremely fussy eating child who eats maybe 5-6 things easily, you wouldn't question taking food along. DS is 2.8 and refuses to try anything unfamiliar, so either he starves or I take his little packed meal.

Lots of people have allergies/dietary requirements. We cater for them our selves. We don't allow guests to bring in their own food, not sure why that is such a bizarre concept.

So you would turn away a party of 5 paying customers for the sake of cost of a children’s meal. Not sure that is the best business practice really

Well thank goodness most restaurant staff/owners are considerably less greedy and unaccommodating than you bumble, otherwise our lives would have been even more difficult.

I’m always amazed that in the UK staff would ask someone to leave. Here in the U.S. I could not imagine restaurant staff checking out what parents were feeding their children and then disapproving.

As far as fast food joints goes; there’s a Burger King, Arby’s and Taco Bell on the same street, right next to each other, my son nips into Taco Bell gets his grub and brings it in to Burger King where we are eating and consumes it there - with Taco Bell logos all over the cup and wrappings. No one cares. At proper restaurants the staff would never comment if a parent was feeding a toddler/child something from outside. It would be considered rude.

My son told me when he was going to uni in England he bought some fast food to go, take-away, and when he got to the door he saw it was pouring with rain so he sat down to eat it there and was asked to leave!!

Wow, just wow!

Charolais presumably because he hadn't paid the VAT on the meal.

Upto a year I'd say, after that there would likely be something in the menu they could eat or share.

2ish without asking the restaurant. If older than that, I'd check with the manager - some will be happy to accommodate, especially at quiet times, but it's not fair to assume. If the child is old enough to take up a seat that could have gone to a paying customer, then the restaurant has every right to turn away a child who is not eating.

Sirzy
We actually don't have a children's menu/pricing, so this doesn't really apply. We rarely have children dine with us, but when they do they chose from the regular menu.
Yes we would refuse anyone bringing in their own food. We'd rather lose a booking like that than set a precedent of being a BYO restaurant.

A year.

As soon as my little one was taking proper solids she ate what I ate in the restaurant (I would order what I would do her at home for me and put hers onto a smaller plate. We would tend to go to carvery though just for ease more than anything 😀

It can't just be me who had to order their toddler a meal to themselves?! If I shared mine I'd never get any dinner! DS puts food away like it's going out of fashion though (he's 13 months).

Each to their own, my friends little boy eats like a sparrow and it would be pointless them wasting money on buying him food if he'll just pick at a banana.

18 months, unless you've got a particular valid reason e.g. SN and have checked in advance with the restaurant that it's OK.

TBH I think parents are more cheeky with children's drinks than they are with food - pubs/restaurants serve water/cordial/juice etc, it's really cheeky when parents take their own to avoid paying. By all means take your sippy cup if needed, but at least buy the actual drink from the venue!

I don't i ever did. Maybe a ricecake or something while waiting but they woukd always eat soemthing aswell wether sharing with us or something of their own.

I only did this when dd was a baby, so maybe up to 18 months. It probably depends on the pub though. Dd still sometimes shares our food though, depending on what we’re having, time of day etc, rather than having a whole meal to herself. Even the children’s ones are a bit big for her (she’s only three).

I’ve never known any restaurant notice/care what a baby was eating or had any problems, up to about 2 I’d say.

I’ve never taken Food to a restaurant. I’ve either breastfed, given them something off my plate, or paid for a half-meal.

no one will bat an eyelid about a baby and a baby jar - you can always ask the restaurant to heat them for you. It gets horribly wrong when you see parents taking a whole picnic, even in a cafe! You have to be a strong CF to bring your own sandwiches when the place sells them.

If you think the restaurant is unsuitable for children, why did you book it in the first place?

I take bits for when we are waiting for ds who has sn and starts to get irritable if we have to wait for more than 10 mins. I've always bought a meal for him since he stopped having baby food.

My ds is 2.5 and I would still take things like fruit or breadsticks and other than that he'll share whatever I or his dad are having.

Bumble- would you really turn away a booking because a toddler was having some breadsticks or other snacks before sharing some food with their parents? If so, that seems very short sighted. Last weekend my baby joined us for a meal out which was a set 4 course menu in a nice restaurant. There were 20 adults and no-one batted an eye lid that we had some snacks for the baby and hadn’t ordered her something specific (she shared ours). The staff couldn’t have been more welcoming towards her and we will go back again. Had a member of staff told us not to, I’d have been pretty annoyed given how large the total bill was and wouldn’t have returned.