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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Not to tell bride that guests got food poisoning?

48 replies

CatwoMum · 30/07/2022 22:10

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.

OP posts:

TeapotTitties · 30/07/2022 23:11

I'd want to know.

But I don't think this will be a problem for you because it would be extremely unusual for 'several guests' to get serious food poisoning and all decide to keep quiet.

That's not going to happen.

LibrariesGiveUsPower · 30/07/2022 23:12

You need to tell them and report the company. Next time someone could die.

steff13 · 30/07/2022 23:19

Cooking chicken to the correct temperature is pretty much Cooking 101. They could be poisoning people at dozens of events.

PortalooSunset · 30/07/2022 23:19

The catering company needs to know. Whether that's done by guests telling the bride & groom and them then complaining, or by the affected guests doing so directly doesn't really matter. I thought if food poisoning was confirmed environmental health would be made aware as a matter of course though so possibly they are already aware.

CourtneeLuv · 30/07/2022 23:32

Jellybean23 · 30/07/2022 22:29

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

Those caterers need to be shut down if they can't identify raw chicken.

RobertaFirmino · 30/07/2022 23:35

I'm assuming the B&G are on honeymoon right now, let's hope it wasn't ruined by the squits! Seriously though, I'd want to know - they may wish to play merry hell with the caterers after all.

lapasion · 30/07/2022 23:37

Tell them. A friend of mine went to a wedding at a local venue and something like 50 of the guests got food poisoning from some pate. It ended up making the national news and the hotel owners were taken to court and got a massive fine for unsafe food practices. Proper food poisoning is no joke and can make people extremely sick, especially if they are vulnerable.

surreygirl1987 · 30/07/2022 23:46

Yeh, the couple will find out eventually anyway and at least if they know now they won't feel like everyone hid it from them! How awful. I'd be really mortified if I was the bride or groom though.

Sweatinglikeabitch · 30/07/2022 23:46

They paid for food that was dangerously inedible. They're entitled to their money back so yes you should tell them. It's not like they cooked the food themselves, they've no reason to be embarrassed.

sheildmaiden · 30/07/2022 23:47

My parents once went to a wedding where half the guest list had food poisoning from the reception. This happened before I was born, I'm 33 and they still talk about it if the topic of tummy bugs/food poisoning comes up as as they were that ill. Tell her.

EmbarrassingHadrosaurus · 30/07/2022 23:59

OneFrenchEgg · 30/07/2022 22:27

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

That was my thought on the matter.

Frazzled2207 · 31/07/2022 00:02

I’d be very surprised if they don’t already know. But yeah someone needs to step in and tell them.

fUNNYfACE36 · 31/07/2022 00:10

Hellocatshome · 30/07/2022 22:39

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.

This

bridgetreilly · 31/07/2022 00:21

If you know who the caterers were, report them directly. But I would definitely make sure the couple knew as well.

ultraviolet4753 · 31/07/2022 01:26

I'm sure a case of food poisoning from a wedding has been national media...

A couple at a hotel/motel got a rosted pig or something and everybody got food poisoning.
£200k fine plus £50k costs!!

mol.im/a/7591297 via dailym.ai/android

concernedguineapig · 31/07/2022 01:50

What kind of friend are you? Why would you even need to ask this question?

Mumsnet never fails to baffle me.

HannahSternDefoe · 31/07/2022 06:41

Tell her.
It's not her fault this happened. She needs to report the catering company to Env Health.

UnmentionedElephantDildo · 31/07/2022 06:58

Food poisoning is a notifiable disease, so doctors are under a statutory duty to report it so cases (and potential wider outbreaks) can be investigated.

So there is no need for the guests to tell the bride for that reason.

I'd leave it to one of those who actually had food poisoning to tell them, and not still by gossiping amongst all the other guests

ManateeFair · 31/07/2022 11:26

Was it campylobacter by any chance? Having had that, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It’s awful and symptoms can recur for weeks.

And yeah, as others have said, it’s notifiable so doctors are legally obliged to report it to Environmental Health. My guess is that the couple will find out pretty soon anyway, but I’d want to know anyway if it was my wedding so I could get my bloody money back.

1982mommaof4 · 31/07/2022 11:27

I would want to know definitely

Threelittlelambs · 31/07/2022 11:29

We had food poisoning at a wedding - environmental health visited us at home and we all had to give samples - the bride and groom were among those asked. We had to give details of which items we ate.

Not sure of the outcome - I was a teenager

SheWoreYellow · 31/07/2022 11:30

Even if the venue is told, the couple won’t necessarily be. I’d tell them because it will come out later and if they find out now they can possibly get some money back.

Northernsoullover · 31/07/2022 11:42

lapasion · 30/07/2022 23:37

We used this as a case study in my environmental health degree.

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