Charged for an empty plate?!

[sandwichh]

I recently went to a greene king pub for a carvery. After plating up my dinner, I asked for a plate for my 10 month old, not to take any extra food but to take it off my plate to give to him. They wanted to charge me for it! Never had this issue before, AIBU?

They probably expected you to order a baby bowl if you thought he'd eat enough to have his own plate. If he was only eating a few mouthfuls then he didn't need his own plate anyway.

I don't know why people keep saying that it will only be a few mouthfuls/a couple of squished up carrots. My kids would have happily eaten a plate full of roast dinner at 10 months! DS had a full english breakfast for his first birthday and ate the lot.

Wouldn't people just take a tub with them to decant the uneaten food into - to eat, give to the dog or throw away later at home - rather than pay for the waste (with the added element of embarrassment)?

Or just flush it down the bog there before the waiter/waitress comes to collect the plates at the end?!

Really? At 10 months, they would have eaten the same amount as an adult? Were they absolutely massive for their age?!

I'm assuming pp means a smaller portion but an actual meal, not just a few mouthfuls.

All 3 of mine were the same at that age. Definitely past just having a few mouthfuls.

There are some really thick people on here. How much do you think a 10 month old is going to manage to eat? YANBU @sandwichh , next time take a little plastic bowl or put it straight on the high chair

Must be. 😳My daughter at that age would definitely not have eaten this much.

I think that they gave you a plate for your child at a buffet, which is what a carvery is then charged you for a childs plate. If you go to a buffet you effectively pay per head no matter how much you are eating. They don't discount becuase you only had one potatoe and a handful of green beens.

No, obviously not an adult portion, but a meal - more than just the few mouthfuls everyone is suggesting that all 10 month olds eat. Just like adults, children and babies are all different, and whilst some might still just be having a nibble at things, others are happy to eat small meals.

The extra plate was a few quid, it wasn't about the money, it was the fact that I've never had this issue before and I was shocked that it was a thing. I get where people are coming from with sharing it with partners etc but let's be real, one small plate from the carvery isn't going to fill you and your other half up, but a 10 month old who has a few mouthfuls?? There was no extra food I would be getting, and yes I could add extra to my own plate but there's really no limit and there's no stopping anyone eating alone getting too much and leaving some either (and we all do it).
The line will be drawn when my baby starts eating meals, or least once food is his main intake. Next time I will take my own plate, but as I've said it's not something I've come across before so haven't had to do this until now

I imagine they basically have a pay per plate policy, which isnt unreasonable for a help yourself carvery. If you start getting into “oh it’s just for a baby…a toddler…my friend who isn’t really hungry but just wants to try a bit” then it all gets complicated. Much easier to just have a policy applied to all.

I can see their thinking; but surely if you've just filled your own plate and then you ask at the end for an empty one, as you're leaving to go to your table, that's not going to be open to abuse?

It'll stick out a mile if somebody turns up to the carvery already with their own plate in their hand - and they obviously won't have a another ticket to hand in, to prove that a meal has been paid for, which most seem to use now.

Similar thing happened to me.

I was in the tableware section of John Lewis and picked up six dinner plates and as I was leaving they said I had to pay for them. Sod that. I gave them to the security chap and went to Dunelm, and bugger me the same thing happened there!!!

They will charge as you are feeding an extra person so therefore having more food even if it’s a small amount.

I don't think OP was unreasonable at, as her child was very young and was only going to chew on a couple of mouthfuls.

But, equally, having worked for a long time in hospitality, I don't think the place was unreasonable for having a blanket rule of a payable baby bowl. There are so many who will take as much advantage as possible trying to get more food etc., so it's a much easier to have a policy that plates are charged.

Also, there's plenty of staff I've worked with who wouldn't be able to judge for themselves how much a baby/infant/toddler would eat/how old they are (as they may not be around babies much) and would not really be able to make a judgment call.

All the ones I’ve been to have let you go back for everything except meat
I went back last time for extra Yorkshires, veg and gravy

I agree it’s silly, but then again I’ve had places try and charge me for my toddler who’s entirely tube fed! A NG as well so very visible. Many times I’ve had to argue for a £5 plate charge to be removed at carvery’s and buffets. They usually argue that they can’t see if toddler ate anything…. If toddler dared to eat anything orally they’d know. There would be choking and most likely an ambulance and crew 💀

There was no extra food I would be getting

So as I said above, if you normally eat 3 potatoes, and you would not get an extra one for the baby, you would eat 2 and let him have the 3rd and not pick up a 4th?

All buffet type restaurants should have a clear policy about costs of kids' meals, I think.
Eg, - under threes free
X much (token amount) for an extra plate for 3-5 year olds
X much for 5-10 year olds
(or whatever ages they deem fit. )
Not hard to do, is it?

@SprayWhiteDung what a splendid auto correct 😂come to think of it it was more of an orangery

Sorry yabu at a carvery place or anywhere where the charging is for per mouth fed. Of course you are going to take more - you'll take one more potato than you want, one more bit of each thing along the buffet than you want, intending it for your child.some of it might not get eaten - tossed on the floor or whatever but it still costs them more. If you are ordering a set meal off a menu then of course it's fine to get an empty plate to give your child some of yours and that shouldn't be charged as the onlt extra cost is the extra 1 second of staff time to load the extra plate in the dishwasher. They are being unreasonable not to have s set price for a child that is 6 months to 3 years, and being up front about that cost and charge it to anyone bringing in an child old enough to have more than milk, that's rather than it being contingent on you asking for a plate.

The one I go to which is a Stonehouse says help yourself to as many veg potatoes blah blah as you like
a lot of people seem to think it’s what you can fit on one plate but you can go back up, and you can have as many Yorkshires as you want too

Great idea…if it’s not already, a small plastic plate or bowl should be a standard bit of kit in her changing bag.

Even if it is 'as many veggies as you want' their pricing is based on what the average adult can eat and they have every right to charge per mouth fed

Who now wants a carvery? All the meats please.