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MNHQ

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

338 replies

AnnMumsnet · 30/04/2013 10:53

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.

OP posts:
knitwitter · 30/04/2013 22:09

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

No

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

I like the variety that it offers, and the portion sizes.

~ 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 DS1 will still stick to what he knows he likes, however DS2 will enjoy designing his own pizza. He will probably try different cominations with each visit. Wish there was a Pizza Express nearer to home!

Doogle2 · 30/04/2013 22:17

Haven't tried it yet but like the new menu. My 9 year old feels too old for lots of children's menus but this seems to give him a more 'grown up' choice.

I love the fact they have a gluten free option.

busymummy3 · 30/04/2013 22:19
  1. No haven't tried it out yet
  2. Menu looks brilliant with plenty of choice- cannot see my lot going for the olives though!
3 My youngest DD will absolutely love the "create your own" element only drawback I can see is being there all day!
stealthsquiggle · 30/04/2013 22:30

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

No, not tried it yet - we don't often go to Pizza Express TBH

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

It looks nice, but far from revolutionary. DD (6) would eat happily from it. DS (10) would stick with the adult menu. It looks, with the exception of choosing your own toppings, just like many other italian children's menus I have seen.

~ 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?

Possibly - DD might add mushrooms to one of the pizzas, or ham. I don't like the "for a small extra charge" though - either don't charge, or tell me how much. DS (back when he would eat from children's menus) would refuse to ask for added things in case it was too expensive, and DD would want lots and leave me having to say no if it turned out to be pricey. I like single-priced children's menus so that they can choose without restrictions from the menu they have.

Princesspond · 30/04/2013 22:34

~ Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it? No

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu? I like it, as there are dairy-free options particularly for starters and dessert as this is fairly rare. I'd love to see a dairy-free ice-cream

~ 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, but they are fairly adventurous with food anyway so I think the basic pizza options that you have on the menu are good. It's nice to see it stated that you can pick and choose your toppings but I always expect to be able to have this option in a pizza restaurant anyway

BadRoly · 30/04/2013 22:40

We eat in Pizza Express probably once a month on average. This is the first time I've seen the new piccolo menu (wasn't in our local PE on Sunday!).

Seems very fussy to me. My 3/4 of my fussy dc have always created their own pizzas anyway, just by asking the waiter for what they want!

I would question the age if the children it is aimed at - dc 1&2 are 11 and 10 and now pick from the adult menu as they are still hungry after the children's pizza. Dc3&4 (age 6 and almost 4) scarcely look at the menu as neither could read it, the new one wouldn't be any better.

BikeRunSki · 30/04/2013 22:42

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

I havn't tried it. Our nearest Pizza Express is 45 mins away, in a city we wouldn't normally go to, so we don't often eat there. The menu has encouranged me to want to go!

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?
Really like it. I like that there is a bit of choice, but not overwhelming so. Gluten free isn't directly important to us, but it does mean that PE would be somewhere we could consider with some particular friends.

~ 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 and yes. It would be right up my 4 year old's street. He would choose, olives, olives and olives, with more olives.

BadRoly · 30/04/2013 22:42

Oh and the combinations they choose are 2x olive pizzas (dc3&4) and a chicken, ham and olive pizza (dc2). Dc1 likes a plain old margarita!

stella1w · 30/04/2013 22:47

Haven't tried it yet but my kids don't need more choice. I hate the dough balls as starter as it just fills the kids up. And the salad pictured is much larger than what we are ever given.

ninja · 30/04/2013 22:54

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.

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

I don't think it's particularly different to the previous one. I've alsways assumed that I can change the toppings a bit anyway - nice to have that formalised I suppose. Mine tend to like simple toppings anyway

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?

Maybe, but in general margherita or with ham or mushrooms would be enough. When you said 'create your own' I imagined them physically doing it!

stealthsquiggle · 30/04/2013 23:01

FWIW, my DC would interpret 'create your own' as them doing it themselves too, as they have done that before somewhere else.

musu · 30/04/2013 23:15

I like the idea of being able to choose toppings. If we go to Pizza Express we always order an adult pizza for ds as the children's pizza is just too small. I've tried in the past thinking that the starter, pizza and dessert on the children's menu would be enough. Since ds was 6 he has had an adult size pizza and often a starter or dessert. He is now 8 and you can see his ribs (ie he is slim and doesn't over eat). Pizza Express have the smallest pizzas out of any of the pizza chains - Zizzi, Pizza Hut, Strada etc. Wherever we go ds always has pepperoni and olive pizzas!

HeathcliffeItsMe · 30/04/2013 23:22

~ 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?
It sounds nice, not particularly unusual, the dss would be v pleased about the olives.

~ 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? Dc would like to chose their own toppings, but don't most places let you chose and alter your own toppings now?. Create your own does sound a bit like you would actually be making it. Dd would probably just have a plain pizza, the dss would be likley to have olives and pepperoni.

HazeltheMcWitch · 30/04/2013 23:24

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

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?
Not that inspired, to be honest. I am not sure how radically different it is from before, apart from the GF changes (which are great, but wont impact me personally).
I note that there is no drink included with the meal - I get why, as drinks are a high-margin item - but it feels a little sneaky and mean. I'd rather my DC have a drink with meal, than a bambinocino after.
I also think that the vegetable offering is a bit poor! A tiny bit with the doughballs, then hardly any with the pastas and pizzas. Some kids do like vegetables! We are vegetarian, and the margherita pizza just seems massively uninspiring. Pizza Hut is even more exciting than that!

~ 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?
Again, I'm not super-impressed by it. It does not seem that radical to offer this, but it does seem odd to charge for swaps, even though they are limited to set things (eg it's not like swapping tomato for more expensive goats' cheese). TO get a veggie pizza with veg, isn't it cheaper to order a La Reine and request without the meats, rather than getting a Marg. and paying extra for a bit of olive and mushroom?

This wont make me rush to Pizza Express with DCs, there are other places that offer me a better choice for what my DC would want - which is basically pizza and a bit of veg, not groundbreaking stuff!

DoTheStrand · 30/04/2013 23:25

We haven't tried the new menu yet but it looks great - certainly better than their competitors' children's menus. I think there should be a second starter choice though.

The create your own pizza would be a big hit with DS1 (3.10), it would be quicker to go through the list of single toppings he can add rather than explain each pizza option. he often changes his mind about what he will eat too so I can't rely on him always wanting, say, a margherita. It would be good to have a longer list of toppings they can add though.

Love the gluten free options, a friend of DS1 can now only eat gluten free and so far we've had to rely on Dominos takeaways (who do GF) if both boys want pizza.

The drink at the end looks fun too.

Tobermory · 30/04/2013 23:32

Have you tried out the new Create your Own piccolo menu and if you have, what did you think of it? No, we haven't tried it yet.

~ If you hadn't seen it yet, what are your initial reactions to the menu?
I like it. We go to pizza express Sometimes and i think the new menu makes it more tempting. More choice, especially of pastas and puddings. Too often the pasta option is just spaghetti bol.

~ 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 are good eaters anyway so getting them interested in food is not really a problem. I think DD1 (almost 6) would enjoy the creating her own option and whatever she created would definitely include olives!

TheSkiingGardener · 30/04/2013 23:33

The new menu looks like its an improvement on the old one with slightly more options.

The create-your-own isn't really is it. It's add a little bit extra or take something off option. Why not just let them choose any two toppings from a list. The extra charge bit is very annoying too.

I do love the kids menu at Pizza Express but my local one never delivers it properly, you either don't get the salad, and we have never managed to get a bambinoccino. They just forget it and don't bring it, and then forget again, I think they just can't be bothered with it. It's put us off going back as DS loves bambinoccino's and it just makes the end of the meal very disappointing.

Firewall · 30/04/2013 23:48

No hadn't seen it.

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

I think it looks nice but nothing special, not much choice with the starters and I know mine wouldn't eat the salad but would be better if there was a soup element or bruschetta . Dough balls are great though, but perhaps alternative for salad.
The rest looks pretty standard, would be good if the menu included a cold drink for the meal as its almost £7 for the meal.

~ 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 my 3 year old wouldn't be too fussed by it but is a good element for older kids,

stickortwist · 01/05/2013 06:15

Menu doesn't look drastically different to me. We've always requested extra or different toppings.
Plus if doing gluten free for ppl who are actually coelia c are they using different ovens utensils as I would have thought that would be vital with all that gluten flying around

TotallyEggFlipped · 01/05/2013 06:23

We haven't tried it yet.

My initial thoughts are that I'm glad to see an expanded menu with a few more choices that you wouldn't get on a typical children's menu.

I'm also very impressed with the gluten free option.

I think getting the children more involved is a great idea.

What I'd really like when we go out to eat with DD is for the staff in restaurants to listen when we ask for her food to be cooked slightly earlier and allowed to cool before being brought to the table. She gets so excited when her food arrives, but it's always far too hot for a small child to eat and if she tries it when it's too hot she often refuses to touch it again. Having it cooling on the table in front of her is torture for all of us.

sarahbanshee · 01/05/2013 06:45

We haven't tried the new menu yet.

I was surprised after seeing it hyped (got an email all about the new kids menu and now seeing it on here) that the changes were so minor. It looks very similar to the old menu. My son (4) quite likes it and will probably still quite like it - he doesn't like creamy sauces on pasta so the new options won't do it for him, but he might like to choose his own pizza toppings.

There seems to be a dairy free dessert option but no other dairy free options - DS has two good friends who both have quite severe dairy allergies so we are alert to this and look for places we can go together.

EldonAve · 01/05/2013 07:09

Looks good - I like the option of just ordering the piccolo main

OrWellyAnn · 01/05/2013 07:23

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

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

I was expecting more 'create your own element, rather than just a few extra pizza toppings at additional charge. Why not let them build a pizza from scratch instead of having certain choices...the same with the side salad. As it is both of my two would love the salad on the menu, but dd also loves rocket, avocado, olives, sun dried tomato....all of the things you offer in your adult salads.

~ 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?
Probably a different combo every time, but again i think you should just offer a margarita and then a list of toppings, and rather than have a price difference say they can choose 2 or 3 or 4 depending on which group they are from?

OrWellyAnn · 01/05/2013 07:24

The best news for us is that you now do gluten free pizza bases as it means we can take the extended family now!

bluecarrot · 01/05/2013 07:33

I haven't tried it yet but DD is 10 and started looking for things off the adult menu as the kids one is boring. Why not just offer smaller portions of stuff from the regular menu? In the meantime, create your own is a great idea!