Wedding venue cancelling my menu choices with three weeks to go - devastated

[Ilikegherkins]

I have just received an email from my wedding venue saying there has been a mid communication with my menu choices for my upcoming wedding. I have chosen a three course meal - with the help of the events planner at the venue, printed menus for 44 guests to choose and RSVP, spent hours with a spreadsheet to be able to get my pre order in - which was confirmed by the head chef in February (all choices with costings)

We have a three course set menu for 44 guests - we have also pro ordered lots of wine / beer and will be getting evening food for approx 60 people

I am in complete disbelief. The new set menu they have sent me bears no resemblance to my menu and is £20 per head more expensive

They have offered me a bottle of champagne to say sorry

Does anyone have any constructive advice - I'm a bit heartbroken

Cheeky Fuckers. They're hoping you'll capitulate as it's so close to the date.

You've paid in full and you have a contract with them as their Chef confirmed everything in a written email. Someone else in the company has probably decided they've under quoted, but that's their problem, not yours.

You can buy beef and chicken from your local butcher or supermarket so it's clearly bollocks about not being able to source the main ingredients.

You need to be VERY FIRM with them and tell them that as far as you're concerned you have a binding contract and have no desire to increase your budget due to their apparent error. Also, please can they clarify exactly which dishes/ingredients are no longer available.

Keep everything in writing. Do not phone unless you follow up immediately with an email confirming any changes to the original agreement.

But they clearly can source the ingredients - there isn't a nationwide shortage of fish and chips for heaven's sake. It's possible that might be true for the starters, but that's a reason to change the starters, not the whole menu.

Honestly, those saying "don't phone, send an official letter" you will get so much further having a conversation with an actual person. It's a lot easier to reply in an officious manner to a grumpy customer's letter than to tell a tearful bride on the phone you aren't going to do anything to help.
Absolutely reconfirm everything discussed/agreed on the phone in writing. But the way to get a solution here is by talking.
That's 100% why they've not phoned her in the first place!

I'm glad you got this resolved! I remember reading your post and I was stressed for you at the time :(

If they gave you an old menu and didn’t notice until 3 weeks before that is entirely their own fuck up. They still have to honour the original agreement.

Who cannot source fish and chips, chicken and roast beef? We could all do that from supermarkets - so bollocks.

It sounds as if prices have risen and it’s going to cost more to provide your menu than they quoted.

I work in a wedding venue and am married to a Head Chef.
I absolutely am not condoning what has happened. However, here are some possible reasons- which I hope you can use constructively to sort this out.

1. Cost of ingredients- they've realised that if it was priced a long time ago, they won't make anything. For those saying fish and chips is straightforward- a bag of potatoes (that are suitable for chips) have now gone from around £8 a sack last year to around £12. Not all spuds make decent catering chips. If they are working on small margins, this could mean a loss. Fish is up by about 40%. (Depending on the fish) Oil is almost double and we all know the price of electric!
2. Staff. They may be a) short staffed or b) don't have skilled staff. You mention the starter was unusual- it is possible that they don't have enough skilled staff to do it. (Skilled is the operative word.) The shortage of skilled chefs is truly chronic. Or, it may be that there aren't just enough physical people to get the meals out in a timely fashion. Large scale catering is actually difficult if not well organised. There are time when you just need 'hands' to put things on the plate.

(As an aside, a company offered my Husbands Sous Chef a £1000 bonus if he walked out there and then and started work with them. He didn't)

3.There has been a genuine mess up and the Head Chef has given you a menu which isn't actually in your price range. This can happen if couples want to write their own and the HC isn't very good at costings. (People would be surprised at how much time a chef spends behind a spreadsheet.) It could be that he's ok with the margins and his bosses aren't.

Just as an aside, do you have guests with a lot of dietaries? I'm sure people will want to shout at me on here, but catering for dietary requirements costs lots of money. Gluten free catering flour is now £5 a bag. (And before anyone tells me how much it is in the supermarket, domestic products don't always work in a commercial kitchen and commercial ovens) Vegan Cream that doesn't split in a oven is double the price of dairy cream. It also 'costs' a lot of time- and again, if they are very short staffed, this may be an issue. We cater for all sorts of allergies and it can be time consuming. If they haven't taken this into account, it's going to cost them. I'm not saying it's right, I'm just trying to give you enough knowledge to help you.

Saying that, the offer of champagne is....awful.

I would suggest you ask them for transparency. If they are short staffed, there isn't much they can do about that and you and the company need to come up with a menu that a) you like and b) the kitchen can actually produce.

If it is the cost, again, they need to work with you- perhaps the starter can be made more cost efficient; could a sauce or garnish be removed, or could it be prepped in a easier way? Or could the fish be changed for a more cost effective fish? Could the meat be a cheaper cut? Could a dessert be simplified?

I don't want to be the voice of doom but so many places have gone under recently. Many hotels in our area didn't make it through the pandemic, so we have had a big surge in wedding bookings as there is nowhere else to go. It's possible that your venue is just holding on at the moment.

The communication you have received is terrible. I would suggest that they need to work with you to come up with a menu that works for both sides and them just imposing it on you it rubbish. Asking for additional money at this stage, without a full and proper explanation is really bad practice.

I wish you all the best- drop me a message if you need any more info!

It's a straightforward breach of contract. That prices may have increased since the contract was agreed is their problem not yours. They need to honour the original contract. At the very least if they absolutely have to change it they cannot charge you extra.

If they are adamant you have to pay the extra ask them what they intend to do if you refuse. Make sure you confirm in an email anything said verbally immediately after the conversation.

Ultimately you can pay but put it in writing you are very unhappy and doing so to save your wedding celebrations. Then sue them for breach of contract for the extra cost and an extra 100 or so for distress. It's very naughty what they are doing.

What does your insurer say?

Op thetes nothing on the email you attached about prices. Have they explicitly stated you need to pay the extra £880 or have you just noted the price diff on the menu? My first instinct would be to play dumb, confirm you are willing to accept the new menu and assume given the contract was agreed at £60 pp (or whatever) that that stands .

I'd love to see the changes that warrant a £20 per person price rise!

@bcc89 that's so sweet thank you! I didn't update the thread as it had all got a bit angry! But thank you so much for remembering ❤️

Are they saying they can’t source fish and chips and roast chicken?

Tou don’t need a document headed ‘’contract’ for there to be a contract! The email exchange should be sufficient if it sets out your agreed menu, number of guests and costs, and that that’s what’s been agreed ( doesn’t have to be explicit either) ie the main terms and conditions are clear or can be clearly inferred because you’ve acted in reliance on what’s been said.
Time to pull out the MN stalwart ‘ No, that doesn’t work for me’. They’re trying it on in the expectation that you’ll cave because, three weeks before your wedding they think they’ve got you cornered.
Tell them to crack on as agreed or you’ll go to the press/bridal mags & websites, local radio and contact all the local wedding planners

You might have to compromise on starters, if the ingredients are truly rare and cannot be sourced (unlikely)

But of course they can still do fish and chips, roast beef and roast chicken !

Acknowledge that prices have increased, sympathise with that, but say that you still expect them to honour the contract you entered into ie provide the agreed food at the agreed price. (Remember, if prices had gone down, you would still have to pay the agreed price. That's how it goes)

Don't let them mess you around. And i agree with PP, don't agree to any changes / champagne they offer, or you could be deemed to accept their proposals

They won't want guests turning up and there's no food. That would be terrible publicity for them

Good luck

I agree with this. Also what sort of gastro pub has a head office unless they are in a chain?

You can get pretty much any ingredient year round in the UK. Granted strawberries will be horrible outside of June to August, and asparagus pretty rubbish outside of April/May. Maybe not Welsh spring lamb later in the year, although a supplier somewhere will have it frozen.

I really really want to know what these mystery dishes are.

@ForestofD I hear everything you say, but OP had a contract. And if prices have increased since then, it's really bad luck for the venue, but not OP's problem. If prices had reduced, OP would have no right to demand a lower price

Op they are completely in the wrong here and they know it. You know, we know and they know that this comes down to money and money only. Tell them to stick their champagne and serve what you ordered at the price that was agreed.

So It's someone at the venues fault for giving you the old menu and prices? So refuse to pay the additional costs. How have they only just noticed this mistake? They need to sort this situation out.

Really helpful advice from @ForestofD

(Forest of Dean by any chance?)

OP you will get a huge amount of people saying this is fine (due to rising costs), but it’s not They caterers have a contractual duty towards you - under contract and consumer law.
ring trading standards consumer helpline tomorrow and they will advise you.

I remember your post. Thankyou this is really helpful.

Im in a taxi on my way to a friends but wanted to thank everyone for taking the time to reply. I'll catch up fully in the morning

As I understand it even a verbal agreement can be considered as a contract if the intentions are clear. An email trail is definitely a contract if it is clear that an offer has been made and accepted.

If you have a verbal contract with email trail evidence referencing costs and menu then they are screwed.

It is reasonable for them to change the menu if they can't get the ingredients, but extremely unreasonable for them to expect you to pay the difference. You have a contract with an agreed price. Tell them you are happy to accept the change but will not be paying anything further and stand firm. Cheeky fuckers.

Actually, the offer of the bottle of champagne is a sign that they know they have monumentally messed up. Dont accept it but equally be glad it is there as it is a sign that they already know they are on a sticky wicket.