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

It sounds fancier than it actually is.

Yep.

All things that would be problematic for my child with a limited diet.

Of course it isn't 'just' crackers and burgers.

What would you suggest as a menu instead?

I’ve got one child who would eat all of it. The other would eat the cookies. She doesn’t like strong flavours, wet food or sauces. For a family show I think it is a poorly designed menu. I’d expect at least one option without sauces.

My fussy 10 year old would be on with a fair amount of that menu. My non fussy ones would give it all a go.

Parmesan churros sounds heavenly.

So what menu would you suggest that everyone would like?
Those things are just flavour. Flavours that you apparently don’t like, but that doesn’t make them ‘problematic’.

I wouldn’t eat most of that never mind my DC!

I think most children would find something they like on that menu, even if they don’t like all of it.

It’s just been put in fancy language I think!

That said, maybe feed everyone before hand and then everything they do eat is a bonus. My DS has ADHD and is pretty fussy about food but I reckon he’d find some things there

I’d love to try a Parmesan churro!

My child with a limited diet wouldn’t eat those things either, but due to his limited diet I probably wouldn’t pay £250 for a VIP dining experience for him! It would be pointless. For my 2 children with ‘normal’ diets, all of that stuff would be fine.
If I was to take my child with a limited diet to something like that, I’d contact them in advance to see what they could serve that would be suitable for him. I wouldn’t expect the standard VIP menu to aim to cater to children with limited diets.

I don’t cook, so I wouldn’t be able to suggest an alternative menu. Not everyone is that interested in food.

Did those jumping on my thread notice that I said SOME children and adults? My DD would hoover up garlic mayo and then breathe all over me as she thinks it’s funny that I don’t like garlic as a main flavour.

Well my son would be very ill if he did unless it was vegan mayo.

I think the bigger issue is how little there is on there for vegetarians/ vegans etc

My children probably wouldn’t eat a lot of it, to be honest. They like simple, plain foods and aren’t adventurous. I always think people look down on that on MN - you’re supposed to have kids who will eat and try anything. Mine aren’t like that and nor was I when I was young.

I personally think it's fine, when mine were young they would have most of that, however, they never ate "children's food" because culturally for us it doesn't exist. I think the labelling is pretentious, some of it is quite ordinary, really.
Have a look and see if they would eat some of the lamb or the beef patty?
You know your children, if they've got issues and it's going to be stressful, there's loads of places nearby.

My DS wouldn't eat a single thing on that menu, except the potato puffs. He is extremely fussy though.

I'd have eaten most of it as a child, but my siblings wouldn't have.

Completely agree!

It's just normalising a wide range of foods from weaning.

We are off for a city break in Europe tomorrow and the young child is desperate to get to the markets and try the local food, plus tapas, paella, churros etc (although draws the line at mussels! Which in fairness, so do I)

Eating out at all is probably not a great idea for anyone who won't eat garlic to be honest.

And that’s fine, but surely you wouldn’t expect a £250 VIP menu to consist of ‘simple, plain foods’?

No-one is judging autistic children.

This isn't a menu for autistic children. It's a menu for (vaguely) sophisticated adults in a £250 hospitality package at the Albert Hall.

We are judging the childish adults who are turning their noses up that such extraordinary notions as garlic or cauliflower should be on that menu

I'd contact them too which I stated in my first comment. In my experience, though football rather than the Albert hall, they were very accommodating.

That's how we did it. No "children's food", just getting used to a variety of tastes and textures. They're very adaptable, imo, but obviously some children with additional needs may struggle.

But you’re not going to cater a £250 VIP experience to those people, are you?
There will always be some people who don’t like some things.

I think they've worded the menu in a way that's tried to make the food sound elevated.

You don't cook? Are you royalty?