Argument over Billy Bear Ham

[Yebbie]

DC had friends over for play date, I provided lunch (baguettes, cucumber, cheese and billy bear ham, apple and yoghurt for pudding)

Yes it's processed and gimmicky, we are all vegetarian in this house apart from my 3 year old, so it was the only meat we had and they asked for ham in their baguettes.

Friend fuming I fed her son Billy bear ham, very dramatic about it, don't you know what's in that? I'm not one for processed food particularly, but my 3yo loves the stuff and has an otherwise balanced vegetarian diet so what's the issue, in my opinion. AIBU?

What’s wrong with using meat carcasses efficiently? I’ve never understood this as an argument against processed meat.

Personally I don’t eat it because I don’t like the taste, just as I don’t like liver and sweetbreads. But in theory I think hosing up meat mush and shaping it into a form that pleases a three year old is a great spin on nose to tail eating.

My ex MIL told me I was cruel because I didn't buy dc Billy bear meat

I can't buy face meat myself I just cant bring myself to do it it has a face.

Yabu, dinosaur meat is so much nicer!

My three year old with food issues related to his additional needs had billy bear ham every day for breakfast for a week with fruit and cheese as its the only thing that he'd tolerate 😂 so this wouldn't even register with me.

But presumably the mum was ok with the other highly processed item, the baguette?! What an absolute tool. Ignore her ridiculous behaviour.

FGS, it’s a load of old shite but it was a one off. The other parent should’ve just let it go if there were no genuine dietary reasons why the child couldn’t eat it (veggie or non-pork for eg)

It’s the processing that the hosed off bits have to undergo to make them palatable, I think. Excess salt, sugar, preservatives etc.

Is she never ever going to buy her child a McDonald's or KFC or anything like that? Or a slushy at parties, or sweets, or any of the other millions of things that are as bad or worse as billy bear ham?

Of course she is. Remind her of her ham based meltdown in the future when her pre teen is eating space raiders and drinking lucozade.

That would be the highlight of my son’s day if someone had fed him billy bear! It would definitely be the first thing he told me about a play date 😂
I never buy it but certainly wouldn’t be upset or complain if someone had been kind enough to make my son a lunch.
what’s wrong with some people?!

Is the friend her first child?

If you'd posted a literate comment, I might agree!

As I say to my dc, ‘This isn’t a restaurant and there’s no menu choice’. The kid obviously liked it 🤷🏼‍♀️

It's no better or worse than a sausage roll and not something to fall out with another adult about.

Your friend us a muppet.

You should have provided naice ham. I'd have given them quorn ham but then we are a veggie household and meat isn't something I ever have in.

I love Billy bear yanbu

It's vile but kids love it 🤷🏼‍♀️ it's a bit of ham she's over reacting!

🤣🤣🤣

I don't understand why a family of veggies would choose that as the only meat they buy? Because it's utter shite. I work on the basis that if something isn't seen as good enough (quality wise) for the adults to eat, I wouldn't offer it to kids.

I'm veggie and DH isn't (although he doesn't eat meat often) - the meat he buys in tends to be free range, organic etc. Decent stuff farmed and produced reasonably ethically. If he was eating Billy bear ham we probably wouldn't be compatible.

So you’re telling the OP a polygamous relationship with her and her DP probably isn’t going to work on the basis of ham compatibility?

I don't understand why a family of veggies would choose that as the only meat they buy?

Because a 3 year old likes it and specifically asks for it, has it sparingly and I like to pick my battles in the middle of Tesco!

https://metro.co.uk/2017/06/29/important-information-the-maker-of-billy-bear-ham-also-makes-happy-tractor-ham-6742867/amp/

Ask her if she'd like tractors or just 'Billy' next time

I personally wouldnt eat it... My kids and plenty others I know have loved it though.

Your friend is being unreasonable in my eyes. However this is coming from someone who allowed their son to have turkey dinosaurs as a pub lunch this week ha ha

Cos it needs loads of crap adding to it to make it edible. I agree with using all the bits too but not what they have to bulk it out with.

If someone feeds my child, I am grateful. Unless they've actually given them arsenic, whatever they've fed them is absolutely fine!