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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Should they describe this menu item better

263 replies

holidaybubble · Yesterday 13:06

Went to a cafe for the first time it’s not for profit and does stuff for the community. I had been wanting to try it out for a while and finally went to day with my toddler I checked the menu to see if he would eat anything and saw baked beans. I ordered him baked beans on toast with a sausage turns out the beans where homemade and spiced Aibu to think they should state this on the menu as there is a big difference between tinned and home made. I said to the girl behind the counter it was my first time coming she could have said did I know the beans were spiced when ordering for my son. Obviously he refused to eat them.

not linked to my Aibu but my full English came with toast and I got toast for him too. The wait for food was long so they gave me my son’s toast early which I hadn’t asked for. I then didn’t revive my toast with my meal and he then had no toast for his beans. I would have said something but my son was screaming as he was hungry and pushing his pot of beans and spitting them out so I just inhaled mine and left. The person that also works there had gone upstairs and I didn’t want to wait.

OP posts:
Thebigonesgetaway · Yesterday 13:08

Gosh I mean really was this a huge deal

LizardyGuts · Yesterday 13:10

If I had a child who I knew would reject some foods, I would ask the staff to describe the baked beans before ordering them. Onus is on you. They served you beans as described.

The toast coming at the wrong time is unfortunate, but just a typical thing which commonly goes wrong with restaurant service. Not worth a Mumsnet post.

TrafficBlocking · Yesterday 13:11

Well yeh easy for them to put spiced beans on the menu description. Also easy to ask are these beans straight out of a can. Dont most parents check stuff like this for their childrens unique tastes?

didntlikethis · Yesterday 13:12

I have a significant allergy to chillies, so, yes, this would be a huge deal for anyone with the same thing. I wouldn't think to question baked beans in a café.
There are chillies in bloody everything these days!

Saturnalio · Yesterday 13:13

Meh it's a community cafe.. maybe a bit annoying but I couldn't be bothered to think deep about it personally

Conchiglie · Yesterday 13:15

I think you've got a point OP. Baked beans means something obvious to most people, if it's different that should be made clear.

Original poster
holidaybubble · Yesterday 13:15

I mean it’s not a huge deal but I’ve never ordered just baked beans and not had them come in a tin unless the menu has stated home made beans etc they where spiced who orders baked beans thinking they where spiced especially for a 1 year old. His class over ran so he was starving and crying when he tried the beans I swiftly left and got him a kids sandwich from pret.

OP posts:
CremeEggsForBreakfast · Yesterday 13:15

What do you mean by "spiced"? If you simply mean they were well seasoned and maybe had a bit of paprika or something in them then YABU to want the cafe to state they were homemade. You can't expect every cafe to serve Heinz not assume all beans will be as bland.

If you mean they were actually spicy and had chilli or something in them then YABU and they should state that they have a good kick.

Ablondiebutagoody · Yesterday 13:17

He should have just eaten the beans if he was that hungry. I can't believe they were that spicey. I like that they've tried to jazz them up a bit.

Honeyhonay · Yesterday 13:18

It’s weird to assume it would be tinned in a restaurant without checking, baked beans do not exclusively come from a tin.

Malasana · Yesterday 13:18

Could you not have eaten your son’s beans and given his some of your food from your full English rather than “inhaling” yours while he screamed? Would he not have had his toast and a sausage?

Honeyhonay · Yesterday 13:20

holidaybubble · Yesterday 13:15

I mean it’s not a huge deal but I’ve never ordered just baked beans and not had them come in a tin unless the menu has stated home made beans etc they where spiced who orders baked beans thinking they where spiced especially for a 1 year old. His class over ran so he was starving and crying when he tried the beans I swiftly left and got him a kids sandwich from pret.

He had toast and a sausage, and you had a whole plate of food. Why did he still need an additional sandwich just because he didn’t like the beans?

Do you think you can only buy sandwiches advertised as “kid” sandwiches?

ProfessorBinturong · Yesterday 13:20

Ablondiebutagoody · Yesterday 13:17

He should have just eaten the beans if he was that hungry. I can't believe they were that spicey. I like that they've tried to jazz them up a bit.

He's 1!

Honeyhonay · Yesterday 13:21

Malasana · Yesterday 13:18

Could you not have eaten your son’s beans and given his some of your food from your full English rather than “inhaling” yours while he screamed? Would he not have had his toast and a sausage?

No one told OP she could share her food with her son instead of leaving him to scream apparently out of starvation while she gobbled a full fry in front of him.

columnatedruinsdomino · Yesterday 13:23

Why was he spitting and screaming with hunger if he’d just had his toast? And ffs why didn’t you ask for more toast? There must have been something on your plate he could’ve eaten instead? I agree the beans should have said home made.

OttersOnAPlane · Yesterday 13:23

"Homemade" baked beans or similar would have been better, especially if she knew you were ordering them for a toddler.

I'd expect the waiting staff to say something because it's just common sense to let someone ordering for a small child know that what they've ordered is spicy. (I say that as someone who loves spicy homemade baked beans)

boohoomootoo · Yesterday 13:24

I’d expect there to be a description if they were anything other than tinned baked beans. If there wasn’t, I’d be pissed off too.

Ablondiebutagoody · Yesterday 13:24

ProfessorBinturong · Yesterday 13:20

He's 1!

Show quote history

Fly them into his mouth like an aeroplane rather than leave him pushing the pot around while you eat.

WhatHappenedToYourFurnitureCuz · Yesterday 13:25

Heinz beans are also spiced.

ProfessorBinturong · Yesterday 13:25

They should state the beans are spicy.

Beans on toast means beans on toast. Not toast, and then beans on a separate plate some time later.

And they forgot the toast with your order.

Yes, things go wrong, and I give more leeway in a community cafe. But that's multiple pretty basic errors.

However, was there nothing on your plate he could have had as a stopgap?

Paganpentacle · Yesterday 13:29

If I had a child who I knew would reject some foods, I would ask the staff to describe the baked beans before ordering them. Onus is on you. They served you beans as described.

They didnt though. They served SPICED baked beans.

Paganpentacle · Yesterday 13:30

Honeyhonay · Yesterday 13:18

It’s weird to assume it would be tinned in a restaurant without checking, baked beans do not exclusively come from a tin.

It would be weird to assume they were spiced, when no mention of them being spiced was made anywhere at all.....

aLFIESMA · Yesterday 13:32

I don't think I've ever questioned the provenance of 'beans' on a menu, always assumed Heinz would be forthcoming Grin DP once ordered a sausage bap and received a patty with what was his first experience of sourdough too.....

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · Yesterday 13:33

I would definitely expected Heinz baked beans too YANBU. I’m not sure why they gave you son’s toast separate from the beans either…

SleepingStandingUp · Yesterday 13:38

LizardyGuts · Yesterday 13:10

If I had a child who I knew would reject some foods, I would ask the staff to describe the baked beans before ordering them. Onus is on you. They served you beans as described.

The toast coming at the wrong time is unfortunate, but just a typical thing which commonly goes wrong with restaurant service. Not worth a Mumsnet post.

oh come on, unless it's an artisan fancy place it's pretty reasonable to assume baked beans are just.... baked beans!! spicy food should be labelled.

I've never considered asking if the baked beans are home made, if the tomatoes are tinned tomatoes are canned on-site, if the eggs are ostrich or quail etc.

op it sounds like the staff are inexperienced/ under trained or overworked. offering toast early if he's clearly hungry, absolutely greedy. sending toast and beans for beans on toast 20 minutes apart, not ok.

I wouldn't return but I wouldn't make a huge deal with the venue over it