NOW CLOSED: PizzaExpress have a new kids Piccolo menu. Tell them what you think of it and be in with a chance of winning one of two £80 vouchers

[AnnMumsnet]

PizzaExpress is releasing a new kids menu and to coincide with the launch, they'd love you to hear what you think of it.

PizzaExpress say "We know how stressful meal times can be, so we have worked hard on our new Create Your Own Piccolo menu to make sure that your kids can have more choice, they can now even choose a Gluten-free base. We believe in treating kids like mini adults, they should be able to choose exactly what they want and therefore enjoy eating their favourite pizza".

Here's a link to the new menu if you haven?t had the chance to try it out for yourself yet.

So:

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?

~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?

Everyone who shares their thoughts on this thread will be entered into a draw in which two winners will each win a £80 PizzaExpress voucher for a family meal.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

PS check out their Facebook comp for a chance for your child to win an Italian cookery lesson.

[Nehru]

I found my kids grew out of hte kids menu too fast.

[CheeryCherry]

Haven't tried the new menu yet.
I like the menu, like the choices in offer- not too overwhelming- and plenty of vegetarian choices which often is lacking on children's menus. m

[LadyIsabellaWrotham]

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?

We've had the old Piccolo menu loads of times - the DCs love Pizza Express, but we haven't tried the new one.

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?

New menu looks good to me, although will make no difference to us - the changes seem to be about a bigger choice of pasta and desserts and my DCs feel that a trip to Pizza Express that does not include pizza and ice cream would be a crime against nature.

Slighly that you've gone to the trouble of providing a gf main course and dessert, but your only starter is doughballs.

I showed it to DD for her feedback, and she was apoplectic that the sundae description no longer mentioned her beloved fudge cubes so we hope for your sake that this is just an oversight.

Generally speaking the menu works for us, though I agree with other people who've said that there don't seem to be suitable drinks for younger children, and a fruit salad option for dessert would be good - it might even tempt DS away from the icecream.

~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?

We always mixed and matched anyway; my DC's always have La Reine, hold the mushrooms, heavy on the olives.

[cleoismycat]

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?

yes, she had ham and cheese and loved it

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?

nice variety

~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?

i think so, ham and cheese, chicken and mushroom, extra cheese

[CheeryCherry]

Oops sorry....my DD would probably choose margarita pizza with a few extra veg toppings.

[Shiraztastic]

It looks lovely. Several things all of mine will eat. Mmmmm

[ouryve]

Is Alex James included in the price?


~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?

No. We've not been to Pizza Express for a few years.

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?

It doesn't stand out as anything special. Just very ordinary pizza and pasta

~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?

DS1 might appreciate this - he likes pepperoni pizza, so long as it's not too hot, but also likes a bit of extra veg. He'd happily swap olives for something different!

[YellowDinosaur]

I haven't tried this menu but we've been to pizza express many times with out sons (7 and 5) and they love it.

At first glance I can't really see much different to the previous menu apart from more pasta choices and the create your own bit. Pasta would please ds1 but the create your own would be lost on them as they usually choose plain pizza anyway.

I think it's good to increase the choice though and will try to go try it soon.

[Rowlers]

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?

Not been to Pizza Express for a while so no, not tried it yet


~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?

It looks ok, and I think there would be enough there for most children who, let's face it, usually go for plain and simple.

One key point for me which is not clear is whether the pasta sauce can be separate from the pasta? So many restaurants are inflexible with regard to children's food and this puts me off as, unfortuantely I have quite a picky little boy. Those (sorry but usually not chain) restaurants who will gladly give you more of something else in replace of something they don't like, or will e.g. separate sauce from pasta are always the ones I return to.

Also, can I point out that my children LOVE olives, as I think do quite a lot of kids these days. But not stuffed with bits and bobs, just plain and simple. They rarely appear on kid's menus.

Also, (thought of another), dough balls, they like and dough sticks, but they never get enough. Your pic looks like it has four dough balls and a load of salad. Nice and balanced and healthy, yes, but realistic, no (for my kids)
Puds look fine.

~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?

If it just means add bits to a pizza then no, as mine always just go for margherita.

Key for me is flexibility.

[SparklyOnTheInside]

Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?

Not yet, but we go to Pizza Express fairly regularly so I'm sure we will..

If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?

It looks as if DDs favourite dessert is no longer on the kids menu. She is a massive fan of the doughballs and nutella.. has it gone forever? Apart from that it looks good, slightly more choice.. but DD will probably stick to her margarita!

Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?

Yes, I think that will be popular, especially with slightly older children who are starting to want to experiment.

[aftereight]

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?
Not yet, received an email from PExpress today about it.

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?
Good additional options, would prefer if it included a drink in the price (juice/water)

~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?
My children prefer to choose from the standard options - they are overwhelmed when given more choice!

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?

Not yet, haven't been for a few weeks, but got the email about it today.

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?

Looks good, a bit more choice seems like a good idea. The only thing I would be concerned about is that certainly in our family one child would want to glance at the menu and order ASAP and the other would spend ages deliberating over all the new choices and cause great irritation. Whereas now we go in and just order one pasta and one margerita pizza, no faffing about. I would possibly just go for more individual toppings, peperoni, peppers, ham, chicken etc and not the 4 choices of pizza in the first place.

~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?

One child maybe, but her choice from Dominos is normally ham and olives, so she might just remove the mushrooms from La Reine. She might get tempted by the cheesy pasta if it didn't have mushrooms in it. The other child prefers the pasta and he might like all of those toppings apart from the cheesy mushroom one, he would it eat it with plain cheese sauce but not the mushrooms. If he did have pizza the only topping he would want is peppers. I don't think they would really feel more involved unless they got to come and put the toppings on themselves to be honest.

Oh and we are not the slightest bit interested in having a bambinocinno at the end of the meal. My two normally stick to vanilla ice cream for pudding wherever we are.

[NeverKnowinglyUnderstood]

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?

haven't tried it but we always mess around with the menu anyway, I do think it would be helpful for those who are more tentative at asking for alternative options

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?

I don't think it looks that different to the old menu, are the pizza's bigger than the tiny ones that you used to have?


~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?

the kids usually choose their own combination of chicken and pepperoni, always goes down well

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Just reading back up - olives for a starter, yes please. We always order these and DD scoffs most of them.

[LentilAsAnything]

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?
Not tried it yet.

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?
Am delighted with the gluten-free option, not that we are gf, but trying to cut back on wheat. However, I am less than delighted about the vegetarian pizza options. Add 'a little extra' - the vegetables offered are very limited! My child loads his pizzas up at home with all sorts of vegetables - artichokes, asparagus, sundried tomatoes, spinach, peppers, capers. Yours look rather dull and meagre by comparison.
Also, can you provide vegan cheese, and a vegan dessert option (not fruit salad). Can you label your vegan items as vegan, or veganisable, please.
None of your pasta options are vegan.

~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?
Absolutely. He loves making pizza at home. Combinations - well, anything vegan.

[Piffpaffpoff]

Have we tried it no not yet, but we will probably be going soon.

initial reaction looks good. My two are quite fixed in their ways o it's great that the 'old' options are still included.

create your own see above, my two are unlikely to deviate from their dough balls/cheese &tom pizza/fudge cake/babycino menu but it's good to know the option to add things is there.

[YourHandInMyHand]

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?

No not yet.

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?

My first reaction was that it didn't seem that different, I then noticed the create your own section.

~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?

My DS has very plain tastes and only ever orders margherita so this will be wasted on him. In his shoes I would ask for tuna and red onion.

[EnidRollins]

I'm one who hasn't seen the new menu before, so have just had a look.
We're a family of 'fussy people' when it comes to food (what with DH being a veggie, me allergic to dairy, and two fussy kids who pick mushrooms off everything
and you manage to cater for all of us, so I'm impressed!
I like the sound of the bolognese pasta, and there's plenty of choice for veggie DH too.
As for the mushroom dodging small people, they'd LOVE the idea of building their own, as that way they could boycott all mushrooms and just pile it high with their favourite pepperoni!

[CaptainSweatPants]

We're going this bank holiday but I know the kids will love the build your own pizza - we had a pizza express make your own pizza party for ds' 8th birthday , the staff were great & the 10 kids loved it

The bolognese is definitely a great addition

My two love the dough balls , as do me & dh, for a starter

[CousinArnold]

I haven't tried the new menu yet.

This is the first time I have seen it. It looks good! I like the option of being able to have just a main course instead of the full 3 courses.

DS is only 2 so I don't think he will be bothered about 'creating his own', but maybe when he is older that will be a good option.

[superbagpuss]

haven't tried it yet

like the pizza or pasta menu ideas, and the fact that some pudding options are not ice cream as one of mine doesn't like it. also love the bambicciono element

boys may not understand the make your own element but it does give a lot of choice and flexibility which is good

[Madamecastafiore]

We no longer visit Pizza Express. I think it is incredibly bad value for money for the service and food that you receive.

The amount if topping on a pizza decreased noticeable over the period of a couple of months, kids pizzas are ridiculously small and it us just incredibly expensive for what you actually get.

Rather than spend the 50/60 in there for a Saturday lunch we tend to go to Nandos which is value for money or we will buy the Pizza Express pizzas from Sainsburys as well as a bottle of pop, bottle of wine, DVD and popcorn and have it at home.

Sorry to have gone off tangent but we used to go most weekends when the kids were growing up but very unlikely we will go more than once a year if that from now on.

[ASmidgeofMidge]

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it?

Havent tried it yet although sure we will soon, as we're regular visitors.

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?

It doesn't look hugely different but like the extra pasta options and I think the 'create your own' option will be a hit with dd who's extremely fussy.

~ Do you think your kids will enjoy the 'create your own' element of the menu? Will it make them feel more involved and interested in eating the food? What combinations would they choose?

DD does not like cheese but loves veg so I think she'd go along those lines. I think she'll like feeling more in control of the food as she's often anxious when we eat out that things will 'taste different'

[Blu]

~ No, haven't tried it yet. In general I think the pizza express child option is v good, though. Except the side salad.

~ Looks good. I like the expanded options. And wider choices. I would expect to see the prices for the aded extras, because you would need to know how far you needed to manage expectations once the 'creating' got going.

~ yes, I think it's good to enable children to choose the things they would most enjoy. But DS would be asking for anchovies, and for years his favorite pizza was the Fiorentina. I think the option to offer slices or smaller child pizzas from the whole menu would be welcome. The thing that engaged DS most in thinking about what goes on his pizza was attending one of the Pizza Express birthday parties.