Page 13 | Not served alcohol with a meal.

GingerFreaker · 2021-05-25T16:57:57+00:00

I'm slightly miffed today. We went out to lunch. We being grandparents, myself and 19 year old grandson. We booked a table. We ordered a bottle of wine with our meal. They refused to give the strapping 19 year old a glass, because of challenge 25, and the twit did not take his driving licence. It stupidly "spoilt" a lovely long planned meet up. Since we can legally buy a 16 year old alcohol with a meal, am I right to be annoyed it was refused today? A pub chain, if it makes any difference.

Frazzledstar1 · 26/05/2021 17:28

I think the grandson needs to remember to always carry ID!

purplebunny2012 · 26/05/2021 17:36

YABU unreasonable because that is the law.
But I have found the challenge 25 ridiculous since it came in. IMO it should have stayed at 21

bellocchild · 26/05/2021 17:42

Email them, and tell them they handled it badly and spoilt your family lunch. They need at the very least to improve their staff customer-handling skills. You used to be regular customers, but may now revise your opinion.

Inastatus · 26/05/2021 17:44

@phoenixrosehere - if you RTFT, you will see that I have defended the OP several times. Duchess had obviously decided that not enough people had told the OP that she must have some sort of drink problem so jumped on the bandwagon to state it yet again. I find that pretty nasty. I see Luckylavender is the latest poster to join in to make the same point and twist what the OP has said. I guess some people just get their kicks this way. And yes, I did intend to make her feel bad about her out of order comments!

Mariamaria71 · 26/05/2021 18:05

Once pub staff have asked for id they are not allowed to serve the person alcohol until they've seen it. Doesn't matter if someone else vouches for the person. Police and licensing officers send people in to check that staff are complying with this. If they aren't, the staff member gets fined and the pub gets fined. It's not worth the risk. Plus there are a lot of pub chains that have a blanket ban on allowing 16 and 17 year olds to have alcohol with their meals regardless.

LobotomisedIceSkatingFan · 26/05/2021 18:08

'Once pub staff have asked for id they are not allowed to serve the person alcohol until they've seen it. Doesn't matter if someone else vouches for the person. Police and licensing officers send people in to check that staff are complying with this. If they aren't, the staff member gets fined and the pub gets fined. It's not worth the risk. Plus there are a lot of pub chains that have a blanket ban on allowing 16 and 17 year olds to have alcohol with their meals regardless.'

Absolutely this. Spot on.

LobotomisedIceSkatingFan · 26/05/2021 18:12

Disappointing but not at all surprising to see the sheer number of indulgent mums who expect 'the little people' to put their jobs on the line just so the kids can have 125 ml of vin ordinaire . . .

Hesma · 26/05/2021 18:30

Totally your son’s fault and a completely entitled overreaction on your part 🙄

pollymere · 26/05/2021 18:41

This is why you don't eat in pub chains...

LolaSmiles · 26/05/2021 19:14

Once pub staff have asked for id they are not allowed to serve the person alcohol until they've seen it. Doesn't matter if someone else vouches for the person. Police and licensing officers send people in to check that staff are complying with this. If they aren't, the staff member gets fined and the pub gets fined. It's not worth the risk. Plus there are a lot of pub chains that have a blanket ban on allowing 16 and 17 year olds to have alcohol with their meals regardless
100% this.
Why should someone put their job on the line because someone thinks their meal will be ruined without a glass of wine.

Iquitit · 26/05/2021 19:20

@Mariamaria71

Once pub staff have asked for id they are not allowed to serve the person alcohol until they've seen it. Doesn't matter if someone else vouches for the person. Police and licensing officers send people in to check that staff are complying with this. If they aren't, the staff member gets fined and the pub gets fined. It's not worth the risk. Plus there are a lot of pub chains that have a blanket ban on allowing 16 and 17 year olds to have alcohol with their meals regardless.

Exactly. I don't think answering "His mum said he was" in answer to a licensing or police officer asking how you verified someone's age when serving them alcohol is going to wash really is it? Or worse, a judge.

But then as I've already said, all the concequences are for the server, be that a customer who tries to bully the server or legal/employer ones.

The laws around the sale of alcohol are quite basic, the regulations around getting and keeping an alcohol license are stricter and more in depth, and although for some of them no, you're not breaking the law by breaking the license terms, you can lose your license. Then no one gets served do they.

Lovely13 · 26/05/2021 19:22

My son is 30 and still gets asked for ID. It’s a part of life now. This young person will remember next time.

Beyondridiculous · 26/05/2021 21:13

Is anyone else confused by who was there? Son/Grandson, 6 people but only 4 from description, apparently all intending to drink. This story has more holes than a colander.

And glad to see “you can drink over 16 with a meal” has become the new “cancel the cheque”

TinselTinsel · 26/05/2021 21:15

@sweeneytoddsrazor

One of the reasons it is challenge 25 is because between the ages of 15 - 18/19 it is incredibly difficult to tell how old someone is particularly girls with tons of make up or lads with beards. Without any I.D you couldn't actually prove he was 16 not 15 either. So no he would not have been served.

I found it easier to get served underage! As soon as I turned 21 I started getting id'd and now 20 years later it's still happening lol

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 26/05/2021 21:25

I was asked for ID a few months ago while sitting next to my 18 year old son! (He wasn’t drinking as he was driving.) If I didn’t have my license with me I wouldn’t have expected to be allowed the drink - that’s the law and I wouldn’t expect the waitress to take responsibility for my oversight.

smilingontheinside · 26/05/2021 21:33

YABU. I have worked in a business that had challenge 25 & once asked if person cannot provide proof then akcohol/tobacco etc cannot be sold to them without the person selling it putting themselves at risk of a fine and/or losing their job. Musing wine with a meal is hardly ruining the outing and up to the 19yr old to havd his ID with him ad he must be aware that he may get asked. As for "strapping" I know a "strapping" 14 Yr old who did spot shops for customs and excise and got served so looks mean nothing.

Anonymous48 · 26/05/2021 21:35

@Beyondridiculous

Is anyone else confused by who was there? Son/Grandson, 6 people but only 4 from description, apparently all intending to drink. This story has more holes than a colander.

And glad to see “you can drink over 16 with a meal” has become the new “cancel the cheque”

So confused!

"We being grandparents, myself and 19 year old grandson."

That sounds like there were 5 people - the poster, her grandparents, and her grandson. So the 19 year old was there with his grandmother and two great great grandparents. I assume that's probably not the case. You're absolutely right that this story doesn't make sense.

Inastatus · 26/05/2021 22:12

Doesn’t take a lot to confuse some does it 😅
‘ We being’ basically means ‘We equals’ - The OP, the 2 grandparents and the OP’s son. I’m not sure what is so difficult to understand.

moynomore · 26/05/2021 22:56

OMG. The OP was there with her parents and her son. Her parents being the grandparents of her son. Her son was the 19 year old old without ID.

Downunderduchess · 26/05/2021 23:05

@phoenixrosehere did you mean that my comment was unnecessarily nasty? Because I don’t think it was or did you mean it about what @Inastatus said to me? Just checking.

Guavafish · 26/05/2021 23:08

Most places have the challenge 25 policy

I still get ID at 30... so YABU

thelonghaul · 26/05/2021 23:14

This says a lot about the importance of alcohol to you compared to the importance of spending time with family. Unless you seriously dislike your family and need the booze to help you forget?
I disagree with what appears to be your basic premise i.e. that you can't have a nice time/meal without alcohol. That sounds like a different problem to me.

DreamTheMoors · 27/05/2021 00:12

[quote GingerFreaker]@librariesmakeshhhhappen

No. We didn't argue. That's not my style.

Ordered a couple of soft drinks. Ordered a bottle of wine. Confirmed my son was 19, and OK to drink with the meal....

That's when the waitress got shouty and threatened to remove all wine glasses if she saw him drinking any and she WOULD be watching..

To be honest, it was probably amusing to be sat gawping from the other side of the room. But having to deal with my son, and deal with settling him... not so much.

Anyway. Its got a lot of you hyped🤣 Glad to have been of service🤣[/quote]
@GingerFreaker

Laughing at the people who brought up legitimate arguments to the information you, yourself have provided is not a good look.

It’s small, and it’s petty.

PyongyangKipperbang · 27/05/2021 01:25

@longtompot

As has been pointed out, there are two issues.

Firstly that it is at the servers discretion (not the licensee) whether to serve anyone. In fact they are legally required to refuse service to someone who is in intoxicated (an interesting one for me because if I have served your first drink and therefore know you to be intoxicated I shouldnt legally serve you your second.....go figure!) and secondly that your DD had no ID.

You could have bought every single drop of alcohol on the premises but as your DD had no ID she could not be permitted by staff to drink any of it and had you given it to her you would be asked to leave.

I would like you to explain why the one shot of Baileys you bought your DD was worth someones livelihood because I cannot see it.

As a PP said "legally allowed" is not the same as "entitled to". I can refuse to serve the Queen alcohol should I so choose and the only person I have to justify that to is my employer.

sue20 · 27/05/2021 02:09

This is confusing. If as obvious adults you order alcohol and are paying for it how does it impact an ambiguity around your grandson? He is one member of the party. Are the waiters watching and if you give a half glass to him the establishment takes issue?? You are an obviously adult party. Surely around legal situation the assumed under age one person does not affect the party drinking? Gosh I remember children being given a little sip at table by adults. They pulled faces. Must be a law I’ve not heard of.