AIBU to be pissed off about this brunch showdown?

[MeganCrossing]

Am trying to work out if I’m a hormonal mess or whether other people would be annoyed.

I am arranging a meal for a close family member, due to everyone’s schedule we have settled on brunch. At a pub close to the guest of honour (as she loves it there)

Their brunch menu is quite limited and when booking the space I asked the manager if needed could people order off the breakfast menu. Our booking is for 11am and they move from breakfast at 11am.

I was told at the time it should be fine if it’s a few people, as we have to pre order anyway.

They have recently changed their brunch menu and it’s a lot more ‘fussy’ than it was before, so now a few more people are wanting to order from the breakfast menu.

It’s a group booking of 22 people and out of the 22, 6 want to order the same dish from the breakfast menu.

This dish is their sausage and egg bun. They still serve sausages, eggs and brioche buns in other meals throughout the day so you can imagine my surprise when I was told 6 people couldn’t order this as it’s a breakfast item and stops at 11.

I tried to push back that sausages, eggs and brioche buns don’t stop at 11, you use them in multiple meals at brunch, lunch and dinner. Hardly like toast which is only served at breakfast so they’d be putting toasters away at 11 (IYSWIM)

I then got a bit shitty when I was told if we wanted we could each order the sausage and mash plus burger with egg and make our own - cheeky sods

AIBU to be pissed about this?

Am now going to have to cancel and rebook elsewhere, so they’ll lose out on ££££ (as it’s not a cheap place) because they won’t put some sausages in a bun.

And before the snarky comments - I know, my life is so great that this is ‘all’ I have to worry about

I’d cancel and tell them to arrange something else.

I hate being stuck with arranging things like this, people are always moany fuckers.

They don't deserve your custom.

Far easier for them to have the knowledge of 6 breakfast baps than 6 various meals being ordered on the day.

Very short-sighted of them to turn down a table of 22 pre orders.

Enjoy your meal elsewhere.

Otoh, you will be there over lunchtime, so they won't get a lunch booking. So from their point of view you are causing extra work (big groups are a pain) but being tight on the spending.

Perhaps?

Hmm. It's a tricky one. I can see why they might not want to serve 6 people a breakfast bap that presumably costs far less than their brunch menu; especially if they would otherwise be confident of filling the tables with people ordering a full brunch.

If it's a busy and popular place they might also prefer to be serving five or six separate tables of people rather than one more logistically complex table of 22, so might not be bothered if you do decide to go elsewhere.
So while they're being annoying, I can see where their reasoning is coming from.

Can you not move the booking back to 10:45 so you’re comfortably in the breakfast window?
I think they are being difficult and I’d be annoyed too, but it would be a shame to have to faff around somewhere else.

Cancel and let them know why.

I'm sure they would do the breakfast items if you offered to pay brunch prices

As it is, you're wanting to order (cheap) breakfast items at (more expensive) brunch time. I can see why they're not willing to accommodate that

Meet at 10.30 instead to get the breakfasts you all want?

Just get there at 1045 and put everyone’s order through 🤷‍♀️

I'm sure they would do the breakfast items if you offered to pay brunch prices

Ahhhh, I voted you were NOT being unreasonable but, if you actually want to pay less than a brunch spot costs, then I change my vote.

Yes, make the booking for 10.30 am or 10.45am?

The pub is being annoying & I get where you are coming from, especially because pre-ordering and they did say at first that you could…but to save yourself a faff, instead of changing venue can’t you just tell the 6 people they need to order from the brunch menu instead

They were probably fine when it was potentially a couple of people. Now it’s a larger number ordering something that is likely a lot cheaper than a brunch/lunch meal

I don’t think it’s the type of item eg sausages that’s the issue it’s just the cost per head is lower than what they would get from someone else having that table at the same time

From a business perspective I don’t think they are being unreasonable especially if they are usually busy and could get someone else to take the table easily if you cancel

Apparently last orders would need to be in for 10:30 and it just doesn’t work for quite a few who are traveling in for it unfortunately.

otherwise we would, although not now, I begrudge paying them a penny after this.

As others have said...literally move your booking forward by 15 minutes, problem solved! Not sure why all the angst to be honest, when there is a very simple solution.

Even if some of you arrive 'a few minutes late' (nearer to your original 11am booking) you'd still have already pre-ordered your food so they'll cook it!

The cost is the same for the breakfast item as half the brunch options.

Which is another reason I’m confused.

As said to that poster they’ve said last orders for breakfast are for parties at 10:30 so would need to be too far forward for many to make it.

Many are traveling from hours away and 10:30 would be a bit too early for them

I’m one of the 6 so definitely not

There is nothing on the new brunch menu I’d personally eat, nor would the other 5. They’ve made it very ‘fancy’ nothing doesn’t have micro herbs and avocado mixed into it they’ve also cut it down a lot so it was originally 20 items and a mix of breakfast and lunch, now they’ve got 7 things on there

There is nothing on the new brunch menu I’d personally eat, nor would the other 5

Now that sounds ridiculous. How can there be nothing - nothing on a brunch menu you'd eat? I'm guessing all six of you don't have complex dietary requirements?

Can you cut and paste the brunch menu, as this place is sounding bonkers.

I'm struggling to imagine a place that does egg and sausage baps pre 11am and then morphs into something different entirely.
Is there not just some variation on eggs royale /eggs florentine/ eggs benedict/ avocado on toast? Some waffle/pancake thing...?? Surely brunch is pretty much the same everywhere?!

FFS.

This should be a fun occasion to catch up not something that requires as much planning as a military operation.

There really is no need to make such a fuss about menus.

I would imagine that others are right, and that it is the amount that you will be spending that will be the issue, if all brunch dishes are a bit posher compared to breakfast dishes.

Are you able to discuss with the pub whether this is what the problem is? And if it is, are they able to put together a dish that you can all eat that will fit with what they need in terms of custom? Or can you order from the main (non-brunch) menu if you don't like anything on the brunch menu.

If ordering from the brunch menu puts the place out of your price range, then yes I guess you need to book elsewhere.

But if you have to have the order in before the date it’ll be in for 10:30 on the day and people just need to be arrive a bit earlier, surely the food will take at least 15 minutes to cook? Or will they be cooking it to be ready for half ten? Even then max 30 minutes earlier is hardly a huge headache for people to arrive?

You’d think so!

the old brunch menu was exactly that, buttermilk pancakes, some breakfast items (full english etc.) then eggs Florentine and a few fancy items

now it’s all the fancy stuff. Like eggs poached in a chickpea and tomato sauce. Some beetroot based monstrosity as well

I think the restaurant is being fair enough. Big groups take up a lot of space and you may be there over lunch so the restaurant may be losing some lunch trade. I’d simply tell the guests they need to choose something from the brunch menu as you’re meeting for brunch.

Oh no we have cancelled the venue and are booking elsewhere. Just wanted to see if I’m being overly annoyed about it!