Not to tell bride that guests got food poisoning?

[CatwoMum]

Friends got married recently. It was a DIY wedding so the caterers were hired in. When served, lots of guests noticed that they were being served hideously undercooked chicken. Some sent their food back at the time. Since then, several guests say they had serious food poisoning, including some who had it confirmed by a stool sample (so there’s no chance it was something else).

No one has told the couple yet. AIBU to keep them in the dark? On the one hand, maybe they could get their money back if they complain (there’s certainly enough evidence), and they might be able to improve standards for other couples if they report them to environmental health. On the other hand, they will be beyond devastated if they find out.

I think if I was the bride I’d want to know

I! I'd want to know. They could get some money back

I'd want to know if I was the bride. There's no way that this won't come out at a family party in a few years time when it'd be too late for her to take it up with her caterer.

I would be horrified if I was the bride and no one informed me.

Of course it needs reporting to the couple and also environmental health

She’s bound to find out eventually. Someone will tell, it will get mentioned by accident in 3 years time when someone’s drunk and that will be even worse.
Tell them, let them get their money back!!

Yeah the couple need to know.

It’d be a bit ridiculous not to tell them, they aren’t a bride on their wedding day anymore, she’s a normal person not a protected species and she needs to no! If this was me and nobody told me and then I found out accidentally years later I’d be humiliated that everyone thought I was such a bridezilla, and I’d be annoyed that I didn’t get the opportunity to deal with it and get a refund.

If it was a stool sample via GP environmental health will be told and investigate anyway.

I'd want to know. A formal complaint needs to be made at the very least.

This is serious, someone could die. The caterers need to know they are doing something seriously wrong and rectify it.

They’ll find out eventually one way or another.

@CatwoMum what kind of “serious food poisoning”? this needs to be reported ASAP to environmental health and public health. If it’s E. coli that could kill a child or put them on kidney dialysis for life. If it’s E.coli anyone affected needs to keep away from vulnerable groups. If it’s as a result of one of the food preppers shedding it there could be a whole other event affected by it. Report it now.

You have to tell the couple

As the bride and groom have presumably paid for the caterers with their actual money, surely they’d want to know if the food has made guests ill. That’s not something to shield them from because of some daft polite etiquette thing.

I thought if people had food poisoning confirmed by a stool sample the caterers/restaurant etc had to be notified. I dont think it is a choice.

Please report to environmental health.

Someone could die next time.

Of course I would tell them: they will learn anyway, they might think that everything’s fine and use the caterers again/ recommend them to friends, they actually might be unwell themselves but without realising the scale of it.

@ILoveAllRainbowsx Exactly! In fact @CatwoMum someone could still die this time. Tell the couple but report it yourself also.

I would want to know so tell them, in the kindest way possible

This is what’s supposed to happen, but it doesn’t always work that way, especially at the moment when NHS labs are beyond overstretched. That’s why it’s important to report it to public health, eg UKHSA, and local authorities. The sooner it’s investigated the better.

What if everyone takes the ‘Oh well, someone else has probably told them’ approach?

If the bride and groom were both lucky and didn’t get sick, they could be recommending this company to people, or rehiring them for other events. I’d be annoyed if no one told me.

I mean, surely NOT reporting and thus this inevitably this happening at someone else's special occasion is not ok?

When you pay for caterers for an event, it's an underwritten rule that they not poison your guests. So, I'd want to know if my guests were poisone so I could complain/leave a bad review/possibly get money back.