Real menus for children - campaign?

[fuzzpig]

Following this thread it seems parents may like the idea of persuading restaurants to change their children's menus to be more in line with the adult ones.

Some places still seem to offer little more than nuggets/fish fingers etc, which only serves to encourage the idea that children don't want 'real food'.

It would be great if more places were openly willing to do a children's portion of any adult meal for a smaller price (apparently some places do this but I've never seen it advertised), for example. It was mentioned on the above thread and some posters seemed in favour of the idea, so here I am :o

It doesn't have to be a waste of food -- some main courses are not that big or you can take the leftovers home.

Or order a starter, I disagree there are not good choices among starters. I often end up getting two starters instead of a main.

If the children's food is actually inedible then it's a crap restaurant and don't go back.

Basically I agree with TeWi, I think this is an annoyance for some people that can be managed by going to the right places and being flexible in what you order. Or giving feedback to specific restaurants to get them to improve. A proper campaign seems overblown.

Its not just crap places though, thats the annoying thing. You can go to a really nice place and they will still often serve the same rubbish for children

dd never used the children's menu - it wasnt an issue in the slightest. - we would either order a starter for her or ask for a small plate and she would have some off our plates or sometimes both. The smaller plate option was sometimes there too. I really dont think there needs to be a campaign.

To add - it's the treating children like they are separate species from adults that irritates me. I don't like children's menus because they dont need special food, they just need smaller quantities of it.

Fuzzpig, you could draft a letter and post it here along with the names and email addresses of the chains you wish to target then anyone who agrees with you would just have to copy and paste.

But the starters arebt usually much better are they.

Mushrooms,butterfky king prawns, and a load of other deep fried stuff

Maybe a soup
Prawn cocktail

Nothing you'd really give your child as a meal as they don't really come with anything but a sauce or garnish.

Sides are usually a green salad or chips, onion rings , sauce portions, coleslaw, bread, garlic bread etc

Again not something you would make a meal out of.

All we want is a kids portion of shepherds pie or macaroni made with real cheese or grilled chicken or a small portion of a mild curry or lasagne etc

Some places manage so why can't others

Its been a long time since I've had to deal with this but I don't remember bemoaning the quality of starters and if dd didnt fancy the starters she could have some of ours.

I do think that more places should offer a small portion size where possible. obviously some things cant be made smaller easily but it shouldn't be considered a children's choice - there are plenty of times when people don't want large portions (like for example when they've got one eye on pudding )

You're not obliged to eat in restaurants you know. It's not an enforced stay in hospital or prison. It's your choice. Restaurants are businesses, not charities. If you don't like what's on the menu, go elsewhere.

Or pay full whack for your child's meal, plus crayons, plus free tap water, plus changing facilities, plus their staff to clean up after your little darlings - it all costs money you know.

I think this is a ridiculous thing to get indignant about.

I'm sure I read that a surprising amount of restaurant food is pre made and frozen in so many places with great reputations, wasn't there a story with the Gordon Ramsey places before?
So in reality in these places one portion would serve 2 children in the end and obviously would cost a little more to store and heat 2 smaller portions but who would resent paying say £7 for a child's meal when the adult version is 12/13 pounds?
Also alot of the meal packages are a bit surplus now drinking juice is a bit olden days now we are more aware of dental health, I can only speak from my own experience but the nurseries I worked in only offer water with meals, my own dc doesn't drink juice and the dc's I have nanny'd for would not have been allowed fruit shoots, not saying they shouldn't be available but if they were not a compulsory add on to the meal package then the money would be spent on good food instead.

How about a slightly more positive spin on a campaign? Why not create a list of places that offer really good children's menus?

I'll kick off with Los Iguanas
children's menu.

There will always be places that only want to offer nuggets and chips, and always people who are happy to eat there. No point bashing them - they are just supplying a demand. If it's not for you, then don't go there.

A list of more creative menus would give people more informed choice.

www.giraffe.net/classic/menu/kids

Not great but some better options than other places

Wouldn't have a clue what to write in a letter/email TBH, I just (flippantly ) suggested a campaign on the other thread and other people agreed so I posted this. I know there are people here better than me at that sort of thing (and more assertive - something I most certainly am not - maybe if I was I'd feel able to insist on smaller portions of adult meals for my DCs! :o)

Maybe focusing on the smaller portions available to all (not just children) would be better. I can't manage a restaurant portion of pasta anymore and it would be nice to be able to order half even if the price wasn't halved.

" although some places are then a bit flummoxed as to what to charge - not sure why it can't just be half!"

The economics of that wouldn't work, though - much of the cost is fuel, salaries, business rates etc.

Our local Italian serves main course pastas in "starter size" for £1-£2 less, that seems fair and it's not then restricted by age!

The other thing is that a children's menu (eg pizza express) often has starter, main and pudding in an effort to get the adults to order more courses so they can afford to price it low (and the ingredients there are the same as the adult ones, just fewer choices).

"I think one problem restaurants have with the half sized portions is that adults try to buy it for themselves, As a cheaper meal option, and can become quite agitated when they are told it's a child's portion meant only for children."

Why is this bad?
Lots of restaurants have small or large pasta. They don't care if you are ordering for a child, a starter, or a light meal. Could this not become a general convention in most restaurants?

This pub has the right idea: instead of children's portions, it does smaller portions for anyone who asks. A lot of the clientele are elderly with smaller appetites than my ravenous young son.

Mab, it's bad because if the kiddie meals are really "half price" then they are usually not providing enough profit margin (unless they are made of crap like cheap sausages).

A couple of quid less sounds fair. And it should be for everyone.

I'm sure I saw an article a while ago about a customer (can't remember the restaurant) who had been fitted with a gastric band so physically couldn't manage an adult portion anymore, but the waiter had refused to sell her a children's portion. Daft really, if they can do it for a child why not an adult.

This chain of gastropubs do an excellent children's menu (and lighter meals) http://www.thethreefishes.com/childrens-menu.htm Ribble Valley Inns
Cafe Rouge is ok from memory, and yes, Giraffe. Restaurants are utter fools if they don't offer good food for DC, we wouldn't eat anywhere unless the Children's menu was good/there was an option to downsize portions.

Fuzz, I would like to see that too but it would make a family meal out more expensive

Trying to think now of the places we eat in town -

Pizza Express - small pizza or pasta, but more limited choice of toppings - DCs love it but it would be nice if you could choose any adult pizza topping/pasta sauce

Bella Italia - as above

Wetherspoons - can't actually remember what they do other than pasta, although the Sunday Club roast was just like the adult one

Nandos - pretty much like the adult one I think? But we usually do a sharing platter there.

Chiquitos - it's been ages since I went but I think I remember being surprised at the options like pizza/pasta on the children's menu, considering they aren't on the adult one? But there were more Mexican type things too.

Harvester - more options than most children's menus I think, I seem to recall quite a long list

Frankie and Benny's - various pastas and more nuggety type things IIRC

... we need more interesting restaurants in this town clearly! :o

Basically we are limited to those I've listed (plus TGI but that's £££). I like cafe rouge but we don't have one [dailymailsadface] no idea what the children's menu is like.

As I said above I am not fussed if the DCs want to choose nuggets/fish fingers (would be somewhat hypocritical as they eat at McDs too :o) or yet another bowl of pasta so we will happily eat anywhere in that price range really, but more choice wouldn't go amiss.

Someone upthread mentioned schools and the other thread was mainly to do with the deplorable quality of school lunches (even after the JO campaign).

I think that is very important.

This campaign could also be to do with ALL children's catering

Tapas is great for children. Mine love it.

Café Rouge are really good. Their children's menu is lovely and there are also lots of smaller plates on the main menu.

Qzine offer a couple of the options along the lines of nuggets etc, or they will make a half portion of any meal on the menu, at half price, for a child. Why can't they all do this!? There is one in Clitheroe, Lancashire, & one in Skipton, North Yorkshire.

Can't find the children's menu online, but Oakleys in Skipton, North Yorkshire is also good. Check out the reviews on Trip Advisor. Adult portions are mostly massive so beware!