To expect a restaurant to be able to do a pint of milk?

[YourAgileBiscuit]

My autistic DD (13) will normally only drink milk when we are out in restaurants etc.

Some restaurants (including chain restaurants and pubs/carvery places) get a bit funny about it when she orders/asks for milk though. Even though they already have milk for the kitchen and for teas/coffees. We’ve had some restaurants outright refuse as well even though they have milk in the building.

Is it unreasonable to expect restaurants to be able to serve milk for a paying customer? Of course we pay for her milk, we are not asking for it for free!

I would say about 50% of places we go to get funny about it which I don’t understand as they already have milk in the building.

And in these chain establishments, can imagine a member of staff would do it to be kind and helpful and it would turn out to be a mystery shopper and they'd get fired!

The bags go directly into coffee machines, you can’t just snip one open and pour out a pint from it without wasting the entire bag.

If a bag bursts then that’s a totally different- one is intentional, one is not.

Yep, would be sod's law wouldn't it?

I'm not sure we've ever been refused it, possibly more in a cafe situation, as at meals ours normally ask for apple juice. I have been charged some ridiculous prices for it though. Asked for a babycino once and was charged for a cappuccino, don't think they misheard me 🤔 no ill effects from any caffeine anyway! Most of the time we'll be charged a £1 or nothing.

Until recently DD always had a glass of milk. Never a pint. It wasn't an issue. These were family pubs that served food but in the mix there would have likely been a wet pub or two. We've never had an issue as far as I recall but have had a few funny looks.

However, DD stopped at about 11 so I wonder if that's the issue - due to her age the pub has just decided she isn't worthy of the milk?

Some places it can be to do with allergies as it’s not on the system so even though you wouldn’t hold them liable, they might have their hands tied.

are you able to call ahead and explain rather than asking at the time and then if they say no take your own milk?

Totally unreasonable for them to not serve you milk. Most places serve milkshakes so do different in the quantity f milk being used.
When I worked in a small independent cafe we were ofen asked for a glass of milk and always obliged. We actually put it on the drinks menu.
Fresh produce like milk is ordered every few days so no issues with running out.
I always used to be the parent asking for milk as I tried to discourrage squash/fizzy when the kids were young.

Your cafe put ut in the menu this one doesn't
I wouldn't complain if couldn't get a glass of wine in Costa because I can get one in wetherspoons!

That was @Creamteasandbumblebees

Children’s menus with milk as an option wouldn’t be serving you a pint though. So on those circumstances order the kids drink and buy another if needed.

What a ridiculous comment, why would I expect to get a glass of wine in a cafe that wasn't licensed? 🙄

I'd expect to be able to get milk in a cafe where there's things like lattes, hot chocolates and milkshakes on the menu. I'd not expect to be able to order it in a restaurant where they only have milk for cooking and after dinner teas and coffees. If over half of places say no, there'll be good reasons. I think you're better getting your daughter used to the idea that she probably won't be able to have milk when you go out to a restaurant and that the choices are to have something else, not drink for that meal, or if she struggles with that idea to take your own. But if she will drink other stuff at home or school, I'm not sure it's fair to take your own milk. But you'll know how much she struggles to make that judgement call.

It's just as ridiculous as your comment saying your cafe put milk on the menu, so other cafes should 🙄

I don’t understand why places are being funny about it, if it’s a stock issue then surely they could just apologise and say we don’t have enough in stock I’m afraid for a pint, we can do a small glass - no need to be funny about it. I would take a small bottle with me and say please can I order a pint of milk for my daughter this is all she can drink if you don’t have it please can you put this in a glass for her - then it’s up to them to either provide or serve her your own x

Lots of places have rules where you can only consume what you have bought on the premise,sif they don't sell.it as a drink they don't sell it
I also have an autistic child if I cant buy him what he will eat or drink I would take him elsewhere.

So many posters here providing great evidence as to the 'I'm the customer, you are lowly worker bees, do as I demand!' 🙄

Yep, and showing a complete lack of understanding about how businesses work to boot...

Seems very inflexible to refuse if they have milk available.
They could just say sorry we are low and need to save it for coffees- if that is the case - but can't see why the default should be no. It's poor customer service, maybe they can't put it through their electronic tills and that's the real barrier !
Can you phone ahead to ask and if they say no explain your son's disability and bring your own?

Take the piss all you want but clearly never worked with these POS and stock systems and have zero knowledge of there stock control and auditing process

I would doubt many places would just have it sitting around unaccounted for if it’s not on the menu as a drink. They’ll have an idea of how many teas and coffees they serve over the course of, say, a typical week and how much they need for cooking recipes that include milk, and order based on that. That’s assuming that they don’t use those wee UHT milk portions for tea and coffees. A pint is also rather a lot!

Yabu. Milk for tea and coffee is small quantity. You could clear them out of milk if you wanted a pint of milk. Unless on menu I completely understand why it's no and as I said at the beginning yabu

You’re absolutely correct. I have no knowledge of these systems at all and I’ve never run a business. I only know about human decency and morals and had assumed any manager could bypass these systems you mention rather than make a child with SEN go without whether that is by refusing to provide milk or not allowing them to consume milk from home.

Well then you’d say “I’m sorry, we can’t actually do that because of the way the milk is provided”. I’m not expecting a restaurant to waste milk in order to provide one glass of it. Although I imagine there might be a milk dispensing button on the machine (for example, to add extra milk to a tea or coffee).

Except it isn’t, is it? Because quite apart from the fact that @Creamteasandbumblebees didn’t actually say “Every café should put it on their menu”, milk is something any café will have. It’s pretty much the most essential item in their kitchen, apart, possibly, from the tea and coffee itself. Most cafés won’t have wine because a) it’s not one of the main staples of their key offering and b) you need a licence to sell alcohol, which many cafés don’t have.

So rather than being “just as ridiculous”, it’s actually way more ridiculous… than something that never actually was ridiculous.

Yes, God forbid anyone working in hospitality should go beyond the absolute bare minimum effort possible.