To think that this menu isn’t suitable for children?

[Mummyofabear]

A few months ago I booked to take my children to Matilda in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall this month (October), I had to book hospitality tickets because those were the only tickets left at the time of booking. And then today have been sent an email with the hospitality details and this is the menu! They don’t have a separate children’s menu either even though Matilda is a family event! AIBU to think this menu isn’t suitable for children? My children have autism and are very fussy so the only thing that they will eat on this menu will be the desserts but even then I don’t think there’s much on this menu that most neurotypical children would eat either? In my opinion it’s not suitable for families or children even though it’s supposed to be a family event!

I’ve copied and pasted the menu below incase the image doesn’t work:

Snacks (served pre-show):
Black garlic polenta crackers

Seaweed tapioca crackers

Canapés (served pre-show):
Glazed beef skewer, chimichurri

Parmesan churros, tomato and Parmesan sauce (V)

Cold Bowl (served pre-show):

Pumpkin seed houmous, maple-roast pumpkin, pomegranate, pickled pumpkin ribbons, mint oil

Sliders (served pre-show):
28-day dry-aged beef patty, crispy bacon, tarragon and chive aioli, confit garlic,
served with potato hash puffs, truffle mayo

Moroccan-Spiced lamb slider, grilled onions, sumac mayonnaise & pickled cucumber,
served with buffalo cauliflower

Dessert canapés (served during the interval):
Mango, passion fruit, coconut pavlova

Millionaire's chocolate mousse, salted caramel, vanilla sablé

Milk and Cookies

Drinks:

Trebbiano, Rubicone, Novità
Sangiovese, Rubicone, Novità
Estrella Galicia 4.7%
Ginger bitters (soft cocktail)
Sparkling mineral water
Still mineral water

Mine would devour that!

Quite. One of mine feels squeamish about white sloppy foods like yoghurt. The other would end up with a bad dose of the shits and also refuse the apple and crumble the ryvita into dust.

Neither would sit through the show, so it wouldn't be happening, anyhow.

Most upper middle class menu ever. My DC would eat the dessert and naff all else. We’re veggie anyway so the main would be pumpkin and hummus, seriously?

I expect that if you contacted them and asked for vegetarian options, they would be happy to accommodate.

Same here

That was my exact point to you. You are one individual who wouldn't eat that, you have restrictive preferences around food. That doesn't mean anything about the menu itself

Yes, I think that's the point.

It's hospitality tickets at the Royal Albert Hall for a concert based on a 30-year-old film. It's not soft play.

The menu will be aimed at those who remember the film's original release.

But not everyone is neurodiverse or a picky eater.

Many people like new foods or flavourful foods. We look forward to something a little different. It's why seek out new cuisines, recipes and ingredients. We find that food can taste better with contrasting or complementary flavours.

It doesn't surprise me that some won't like - or think they won't like - some of the food on that menu. But nothing will please everyone.

A chance to try different foods is often a major component of a fun night out. It can be the only component of a fun night out!

To be fair, the website does say something about a family friendly menu. I can understand why OP may have expected a standard kids menu in addition to the menu given.

Not necessarily. Plenty of people on here never use "kids menus". We would just expect a regular menu and our children would choose from it.

God the sooner we move away from what is called a 'standard kids menu' the better for our children's health

I agree. When did all that nonsense start? There was no such thing when I was a child.

They are popular though and I can understand why the wording would make someone think it might be an option.

Eating at all is best for my child's health. I will call to see if there are any alternatives if there's no kids menu or bring packed food if necessary and discussed with the venue but it is always easier when there's a standard kids menu and I'm glad when it's an option.

Indeed.

For £250 I’d want Danny DeVito serving me something better than snacks, humous, kebabs, burgers some pudding and ginger beer!
Mine would eat it and enjoy it. One wouldn’t like one of the puddings.
When two of them were about 2/3 they would have only eaten bits of it but that was when we were firmly in the ‘serve food the food and ignore them phase’ and they’d only eat bits of anything put in front of them.

Doesn't the cost include the entertainment at a top venue, including live music?

What does your child eat from the standard kids menu?

sigh...... yeah

If you take out the fancy words…. This is what you actually get;

BEFORE THE SHOW
Crunchy snacks
• Garlic crackers (black garlic and polenta)
• Seaweed crackers (made with tapioca)
Little bites
• Glazed beef on a stick (with chimichurri herb sauce)
• Cheesy churros (Parmesan churros with tomato and Parmesan sauce) (V)
Houmous bowl
Houmous with pumpkin seeds, maple-roasted pumpkin, pomegranate, pickled pumpkin ribbons and mint oil.
Mini burgers and sides
• Mini beef and crispy bacon burger (28-day dry-aged beef, tarragon and chive aioli, and slow-cooked confit garlic). Served with crispy potato hash puffs and truffle mayonnaise.
• Mini Moroccan-spiced lamb burger (with grilled onions, sumac mayonnaise and pickled cucumber). Served with buffalo cauliflower.
SWEET TREATS — DURING THE INTERVAL
• Fruity pavlova (mango, passion fruit and coconut)
• Millionaire’s chocolate mousse (with salted caramel and a vanilla sablé biscuit)
• Milk and cookies
DRINKS
• Sparkling mineral water
• Still mineral water
• Ginger bitters soft cocktail
For the grown-ups
• White wine — Trebbiano, Rubicone, Novità
• Red wine — Sangiovese, Rubicone, Novità
• Beer — Estrella Galicia, 4.7%

AS a neurodivergent adult, I would be absolutely thrilled with this menu - as it's likely to be all tiny portions so I could absolutely stuff myself without being bored. In fact I once went to a conference at the British Library which had a similar set up and had to be practically dragged away to the actual conference

I know, I was being terribly flippant.

Ah, sorry!