If a child drops their ice cream, should the shop replace it free of charge?

[LittleRa]

I witnessed this today. At the seaside, at a popular Italian ice cream/gelato store, takeaway window. The family in front of me- mum, dad and two kids. They got their ice creams and as they turned, the dad said to the eldest child about 8yo “don’t spill ice cream on your England shirt” She put her tongue out to lick and licked too hard and the whole scoop fell off onto the ground. Cue tears from the girl and the dad huffing and puffing. He came back to the counter and seemed to be expecting it to be replaced for free. The person behind the til said so sorry she dropped it but we don’t do that, the dad was saying but I’ve just bought it, but she’s literally just dropped it and sighing loudly. In the end he did get his wallet out and pay for a new one though.

YANBU- it’s the parents’ responsibility to monitor the child’s ice cream and if the inevitable should happen, they need to pay to replace it.
YABU- the shop should replace it for free.

As an aside, I got my DD’s hers in a tub with a spoon

@MidsummerMimi

It’s time we had child friendly ice cream cones. Smaller cheaper cones.Children love the novelty of a cone, but physics of the ice cream cone works against children. Big dollop of dense ice cream balanced on top of fragile cone. As well as the ice cream going splat, the cone can snap.Too much coordination, concentration, speed and dexterity needed. Same as giving a small child or a child with neurological needs a can of bubbles and a bubble wand. I have tried asking for half size cones in UK, US and Canada. It utterly flummoxed the servers. They all explained to me that a all ice creams are a set price and a set size. This is a very common answer, if it is soft serve ice cream being dispensed from a machine. I have responded by explaining that I don’t want any discount, just a half size ice cream cone. I suggested that they just discard the extra ice cream. This horrified nearly all servers. I offered to pay double for a half size cones in Canada. My request was granted following major negotiations. Still cheaper than several bigger cones, stuck to the pavement. My neighbour runs a ice cream parlour in a open farm. She finds it very entertaining to watch how customers cope with cones. How some manage them very easily and others struggle. She reckons, about half the customers have issues, dentures, tremors, too young etc. About half of those struggling, lose all or some of their cone. So why not make more manageable cones?

Very good point. When my DD was a toddler/younger child I used to buy an ice cream for her and immediately scoop the top half/three quarters off into a napkin into the bin to make it more manageable for her to eat. Now age 7, she always gets a tub and little spoon anyway, prefers it.

@Middlesboroughgirl

Generally when this happens it is because the ice cream has not been secured on the cone properly. It was the shop's fault. They should have replaced it.

Rubbish, if everyone were losing their ice creams it may be the case but this sounds like carelessness, not the shop's fault, next time the girl will be less aggressive!

@MidsummerMimi

It’s time we had child friendly ice cream cones. Smaller cheaper cones.Children love the novelty of a cone, but physics of the ice cream cone works against children. Big dollop of dense ice cream balanced on top of fragile cone. As well as the ice cream going splat, the cone can snap.Too much coordination, concentration, speed and dexterity needed. Same as giving a small child or a child with neurological needs a can of bubbles and a bubble wand. I have tried asking for half size cones in UK, US and Canada. It utterly flummoxed the servers. They all explained to me that a all ice creams are a set price and a set size. This is a very common answer, if it is soft serve ice cream being dispensed from a machine. I have responded by explaining that I don’t want any discount, just a half size ice cream cone. I suggested that they just discard the extra ice cream. This horrified nearly all servers. I offered to pay double for a half size cones in Canada. My request was granted following major negotiations. Still cheaper than several bigger cones, stuck to the pavement. My neighbour runs a ice cream parlour in a open farm. She finds it very entertaining to watch how customers cope with cones. How some manage them very easily and others struggle. She reckons, about half the customers have issues, dentures, tremors, too young etc. About half of those struggling, lose all or some of their cone. So why not make more manageable cones?

Ronaldos, Sheringham do a child-sized cone or will put it into a cup. Brilliant ice-cream too, lime and tequila sorbet though maybe not for children!

Miserable shop to not just replace it, different if she was 10 minutes into eating it. If this was in Devon the ice cream was probably nearly £4 so it's just mealy mouthed. I guess it depends how the dad was about it but an ice cream shouldn't just fall off on first lick by an 8 year old - was probably too hard straight out of the deep freeze.

That Ronaldo’s sorbet sounds gorgeous.
Thank you for recommending.

JudgeJ

I certainly judge you guilty - of recognising amazing ice-cream when you taste it

Ronaldo's ice-cream and sorbet is just the best, as is Ellie's in Sheringham who sell it. So many delicious flavours and really friendly staff - with a few different cones to choose from, as well as tiny little tubs right up to the massive ones for sharing as if!. I think they're (one of) the main outlet(s) in Norfolk for Ronaldo's. They told me some time ago when we were over in beautiful Sheringham that it's made in a really small unit on a micro-business scale, so they don't have the economies of scale that the greatly inferior big boys do. All natural ingredients, meaning that some flavours aren't the colour you'd expect, which are normally arrived at with artificial colourings.

I gather that the man who runs Ronaldo's is very happy with it that way and has no desire to go massive and anonymous, with the inevitable downturn in quality that that would likely lead to.

Ellie's do also sell the whippy stuff for those (mainly kids, I'm guessing) who want what they're familiar with, but it's a huge single portion tub of mango sorbet and strawberry ice-cream for me, please! I just wish we lived nearer to Norfolk and could pig out on responsibly enjoy it every day a little more frequently

....I promise I have no links with or shares in Ronaldo's or Ellie's at all - just an extremely happy customer on the one or two occasions a year when we get the chance! I'm a big fan in general of small businesses that are run with skill and pride.

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

....I promise I have no links with or shares in Ronaldo's or Ellie's at all - just an extremely happy customer on the one or two occasions a year when we get the chance! I'm a big fan in general of small businesses that are run with skill and pride.

Sadly, living close to the coast I eat far too much Ronaldos then on to Wiveton for tea and cake in the field!