Afternoon tea difficulty

[TheAverageJoanne]

Well it's ATBU. Booked afternoon tea for a few friends on Saturday for a birthday. One person only eats cheese on sandwiches but she'll have chutney and things like that on them.

Unfortunately they are being rather difficult. When I requested cheese sandwiches when I booked she had to check with her manager who said it would be OK. They phoned today saying they could only provide cream cheese & cucumber, but not plain cheese! I pointed out plain cheese was available on the children's menu but they weren't able to change the sandwich selection, only for allergy or food intolerance.

AIBU to not leave them a tip, grumble on Trip Advisor and complain to them? We want it to go ahead. I'm going to make some and take along in a sandwich box for this person, too. She doesn't eat meat or fish.

This is a prestige hotel that charges a lot btw.

Go elsewhere.

I’m not a picky eater at all - when somebody on the thread joked earlier about sea urchin and porcini sandwiches I thought they sounded great. But I hate cucumber - something to do with how nothingy it is but there is still a taste (which is ridiculous as I’ve literally happily eaten jellyfish!).

The hotel seem to be saying the afternoon tea menu is set and they wont deviate unless intolerant/allergic? .
You have a few choices here:
Say your friend has allergies but knows she is not allergic to plain cheese as in the childrens menu.
Clarify you arent looking for a price reduction.
Is the vegetarian option liited to cream cheese/cucumber?
If no accommodation : either cancel and book somewhere more accommodating to vegetarians.
Or your friend eats the sweet options only.(which she may not wish to do)
I dont think think a packed lunch to a hotel restaurant will end well as most would insist you dont consume your own food on the premises.

Any half decent hotel would make up a bespoke sandwich, especially if only a cheese one. She’s not asking for caviar. Perhaps fewer hospitality places would be in financial trouble if they were a bit more accommodating with reasonable requests.

The hotel is being completely unreasonable.
It would be nothing to them to make up a few cheese sandwiches.
A product that is readily available in their fridge.
Why not ask to speak to the manager?

AIBU to not leave them a tip, grumble on Trip Advisor and complain to them? We want it to go ahead.

Please don't do this. Rightly or wrongly, the hotel isn't going to substitute a different type of sandwich. Don't go there, knowing that they aren't going to suit you and then make life difficult for the wait staff.

A few people have said that this is poor of the hotel and "what happens to the customer is always right". If this is a set price afternoon tea then the hotel gets multiple bookings for it and orders the number that they have booked - the staff then arrange it on the plates before serving. It isn't made by artisan bakers in a section of the kitchen; if it were it would either be wildly expensive or very unprofitable.

No, I said your comments were, not that you are. And that was because you were making remarks on the kind of customer my mates and I are.

Well, your friend has an ‘allergy’, they will change it for that.

Anyway it’s not the point but how could anyone ‘hate’ cucumber? There is no taste off it, it’s like water? Some really fussy people here!!

Me, my brother and sister are not fussy eaters. I eat virtually all vegetables and fruits but cant stand cucumber. I drink water throughout the day and while I wouldn't call it my favourite drink, quite enjoy it but none of us like cucumber.

Every now and again I'll try but at the age of 60 Im never going to love it. I do t like things like cucumber eyelashes or cucumber' cooling ' skin care products.

Just because you dont like a certain fruit or veg it doesnt make you fussy!

All those who have said to tell the hotel the friend has an allergy / phobia - please don’t do this either. Restaurants / hotels aren’t obliged to cater for allergies - a (nice) place near me won’t. Now that the OP has already asked about changing the sandwiches, they may refuse the booking if she now says it is because of an allergy.

Great, more people thinking it’s funny or clever to lie about allergies.

AIBU to not leave them a tip, grumble on Trip Advisor and complain to them? We want it to go ahead
That is just bat shit if this isnt a wind up.
The place isnt quite suitable for your group but you still want to go even though its not going to cater to all of your needs. You know this but will still go and then moan.( and leave a tip!)

Not every place is for everyone. If it doesnt fit the bill for you move on.
No need for drama moaning, bad reviews etc.

If I read a review that they wouldnt swop a cheese for you I'd think so bloody what!

Well, your friend has an ‘allergy’, they will change it for that.
Nasty and low handed.
Why would they change cream cheese for 'plain' cheese. They both have the same allergens in dont they?

This, what type of allergy are you going to lie about? Anaphylaxis? when they ask if it’s airborne, contact, eating what will you say?

the hotel will need to know so that they can create an appropriate allergen free area to prep and store these cheese sandwiches, and depending on what you lie about this will impact the sweet treats she gets…

Actually some Michelin Star establishments - especially in France - simply won't cater. They have statements that basically say if you can't eat our menu don't come. At that level, they cannot afford to be tweaking recipes with the expense of some of their ingredients and their reputations depending on a certain standard of what they serve.

So all those saying it must be a low rent kind of restaurant aren't actually quite on the money there. Sometimes the better their reputation, the more they stick to their guns about what gets served.

The place I am thinking of is a Middle Eastern place where most of the main courses have some form of nut in them. They say that there is no way to keep people with genuine allergies safe because of the way the kitchen is set up.

I have been to plenty of afternoon teas as a vegetarian and they have all had a vegetarian/vegan option as a full afternoon tea rather than just one choice of sandwich amongst the normal afternoon tea. Never just had a plain cheese option though

They do have them, but this vegetarian wanted a specific sandwich, not the pre-prepared veg/vegan options. And therein lies the issue ...

There are lots of this type of restaurant - and for lots of reasons.

It simply isn't the case that they are obligated to cater for all.

I was joking. I think with cucumber, either you taste it or you don’t. I don’t taste it so can’t hate it. My husband HATES it and thinks it tastes like perfume.

Just to clarify, I was joking. Fusspot 😁

i don;t understand why you just can't go somewhere else...

Because the friend is still going to be there, wherever they go.

I'm going to make some and take along in a sandwich box for this person, too.

You cannot bring your own sandwiches. Even to a fecking cafe!

Some of the comments on this thread are just being obtuse for the sake of it. It is a simple request that any quality establishment with good customer service would and should accommodate without question. Afternoon Tea is an absolute money spinner with huge mark ups. You are not being unreasonable OP.