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

I’d never eat children. You have to draw a line somewhere.

Mine would have eaten that as kids, we never did ‘kid friendly’ food when they were little really, they mostly ate what we were having. Other than one being 90% veggie now they’re not fussy and will give anything a go.
They would have tried everything on the menu even if they didn’t actually end up liking it all, though I suspect they would. Mind you, ds has never eaten hummus so I reckon he’d swerve that (I don’t like it either 😂).

me either. they are pretty indigestible.....I have been told

Where are all these kids who eat anything? Just on MN? Mine aren’t too bad. I went through the smug ‘feasting on olives and smoked salmon’ phase with them too, that didn’t last but they are definitely much more adventurous than their peers, pretty much all of whom I’ve had over for tea and have had a laundry list of things they won’t eat. Even when I’ve served what they do eat, it’s not been done the same way at home (my porridge was too lumpy, the cheese sauce tastes different) and is then poked around suspiciously.

I don’t think many young kids will eat truffle mayo and aioli (I volunteer with young children and getting them to try new foods as part of our activities can be very difficult) and most of that stuff tbh.

Mine probably would eat some of it. Some would need to have stuff scraped off. Plenty of their pals wouldn’t touch it. I wouldn’t have gone near most of it as a kid (I am a totally normal and adventurous eater as an adult, so it was just a phase!)

I would let them go to town on the desserts and just bring some other stuff with me.

I'd contact them, explain that your children have autism and see if they can offer any more plain alternatives.

When I took my son with a restricted diet to hospitality for a football game, they were wonderful and catered to his needs.

Alioli is just garlic mayonnaise, mine love it! What’s offensive about it?
I wouldn’t say my kids would eat ‘anything’, neither like any seafood to be honest. They’d eat most things on that menu though.

If you take a lot of the styling away it's basically crackers, homous, cheese straws and burgers.

Mine would definitely eat most of that if I described it as that. They aren't the biggest fan of homous but love spiced burgers.
They also demolish smoked salmon though I look forward to the big packs arriving in the supermarket for a cheap price!

Child 1 would nail that menu.

Child 2 and Child 3 would think we were trying to poison them.

It's crackers, cheese straws, burgers with tater tots and puddings. I don't know what the issue is other than the fancy descriptions.

I wouldn't want most of that myself and I'm in my late 40s. I don't know why catered meals always seem to have to be 'fancy' just for the sake of it.

For £250 each they're not going to offer chicken nuggets and chips, are they? Most of those tickets will not be bought for children.

The beer is ok

Got to keep their alcohol levels up

Because most people aren’t going for a VIP experience at the Royal Albert Hall to eat spaghetti bolognese?

Yes, but it's been the case everywhere I've had catered food. They always seem to try to make it fancier than is necessary, and usually only succeed in making it less tasty than the basic version would have been. (Imho.)

I agree with the suggestion about contacting them.

Not surprised at the menu though.

As I said upthread, they have always accommodated dietary preferences when contacted beforehand.

Children should be encouraged to widen their food options. Too many will only pick out nuggets and fish fingers, but only because that’s what they’re offered in child friendly cafes or at home. Try to broaden their horizons regarding food. There really is no such thing as ‘age appropriate’ food.

What a load of old fanny. Just fill your handbag with a load of crisps and sweets.

@Mummyofabearhospitality at Albert hall is aimed at corporate people not kids so would hardly be nuggets and chips served. They wouldn’t change the menu every time a family show comes on. You can eat before you go

It’s a hospitality package at the Royal Albert Hall. It’s hardly going to be fish fingers and chicken nuggets.

It’s bollocks to say any menu ‘isn’t suitable for children’ unless every course comes with a shot of vodka and a line of cocaine. It might not appeal to your children, but that doesn’t mean it’s unsuitable for children. Children can eat everything adults can eat. I’d have eaten all of that when I was a kid.

It’s mad the way people think that every single thing must somehow be tailored specifically to their own preferences. Some kids are fussy. Some aren’t. If yours are, that’s unfortunate but you really cannot expect them to be the benchmark for an entire menu.

Some adults are fussy too. But you wouldn’t start bleating about a menu being ‘unsuitable for adults’ just because some adults didn’t like all the things on it and wanted a rice cake and a Petit Filous instead.

Oh don’t be so silly, no way is that child friendly.

I have 3 children, my autistic son is the most adventurous of the 3, he will eat pretty much anything and is also a brilliant cook.

It's a £250 a head VIP hospitality ticket - surely it's obvious they wouldn't design the menu with children in mind. Adults paying that much are going to want to have restaurant style food, not chicken nuggets.

It may have been the only ticket left but OP wasn't forced to buy it, not going to see Matilda is also an option.

I think that the problem may be with the descriptive language used rather than the food itself.

Maybe ask for the bugers to be served with garnish on the side but other than that, I'd tell your kids that it's an adventurous menu for them to try and just take some sandwiches that they like just in case it doesn't land well.

I hope it does though and that you enjoy the show.

My ND child wouldn't eat anything but 'beige crap' either when little. Bit uncalled for to 'shrug' at disabled children's eating habits because they're hyper sensitive to texture/smells/colours. My other children didn't have any issues eating a variety of foods, so it wasn't because it was all she was offered. Now she likes a lot more, thankfully (albeit it's taken 20 years). Although there are still some she can't stand the smell or texture of.

@Mummyofabear I would just ask for the sliders to be plain. Salad/sauce on the side in case they want to try any, but can easily be moved off their plates.