Is it true you can bring a cake to a party as the host, but cannot cut it up for the children to eat it on the premises?

[IrnBruTheNoo]

I'm talking about a place where you'd book your party like a soft play centre, swimming pool, etc. Have you heard of this??

A friend of the family has been told she can bring in the cake for her DC's birthday but that she cannot cut up the cake for the children to eat on the premises (against their policy, apparently!). Is it really like this everywhere?! It's a birthday party where the children are meant to eat cake surely????

I have always put the cake in party bags, I thought thats what most people did. I can see why they wouldn't want it eaten on their premises though, I wouldn't go to a cafe with my own cake and its the same thing really.

Does the party place object to the knife or is it a food hygiene issue?

Never heard of it before, but did cupcakes for DD's birthday a couple of years back, rather than faff about cutting a cake in time for party bags (was vv pregnant at the time).

I think we had this many years ago with one of DD's parties which was at a sports centre. I just put it in the party bags.

Usually the party place offers as part of their service that they will cut it up & put it into bags for you.

I think she's hired a soft play centre and they are getting party food from the premises, but she wanted to bring her DC's cake into the party there and sing Happy Birthday, blow out the candles, cut up the cake and let the children eat it?? Surely that's how it's done or have I got it all wrong? No expert at hosting a party, btw!!

She hasn't said if the place objects to a knife being used or any food hygiene issues mentioned, nothing like that. 'Only food purchased on the premises is allowed' was what she was told, apparently. Her little one can blow out the candles, but cake cannot be eaten there.

Never had this before. But I always cut it up to put in party bags.

At every soft play party I've been to they've cut the cake and wrapped pieces for the party bags. Many people do that at parties at home too so it never struck me as odd.

So the answer is to buy two cakes then? One for show, and one to cut up before-hand to put into party bags?

no, generally the place will cut the cake and put it in the bags for you, or allow you to do that after Happy Birthday has been sung.

I think the rule could be due to health and hygiene- only cooked on the premises allowed to be eaten there. I've had that when I've hired a hall for a party. I also had to hold a food hygiene cert (I did at the time) to use the kitchen to prep food.

Buying two cakes is the best way forward anyway, takes ages to cut up and wrap 20 slices, much better to spend the time with the birthday child. Either use the other one for a little family celebration, or cut it up freeze it for lunch bags. Also has the bonus that the show cake can be small, and the cutting cake doesn't need to be expertly decorated, bung a bit of icing on a sponge cake and it's done.

ta for all the advice so far. seems it is normal for this to happen then...plenty fun times ahead when I start hosting parties for my own DC in the future! What a faff!

I've never been told we couldn't serve the cake there, although it's about 50/50 whether we actually do (if the party is overrunning when we get to the cake I'd generally cut it and put in bags).