NOW CLOSED: Dolmio Event feedback thread

[AnnMumsnet]

Dolmio are hosting a series of events to promote their range of 100% Natural Bolognese sauces. They would very much like Mumsnetters and their children to attend a "Dolmio 100% Natural Fun Day" and then to add their feedback about the event on this thread to tell other MNers (and Dolmio) what they thought about it. Events are being held at various shopping centres across the UK - see below for more details.

Everyone who visits an event and returns to Mumsnet to add feedback to this thread be entered into a prize draw to win a £200 John Lewis voucher and a Dolmio hamper. Once you've been to the event all you have to do is say a) which event you attended and b) what you and your children thought of it. Do also let us know how you got on with the World Record attempt

The events are being held as follows:

Birmingham Bullring Shopping Centre: Saturday 23rd April
Essex/ London - Lakeside Shopping Centre: Saturday 30th April
Glasgow Braehead Shopping Centre: Saturday 7th May
Newcastle/ Gateshead Metro Centre: Saturday 14th May
Manchester Trafford Centre: Saturday 21st May

Dolmio say the events will feature the following:

"World Record Attempt - Each family will receive a ball of dough and will be able to feed it through a pasta machine in an attempt to beat the 7ft world record. Once they have completed their attempt an independent adjudicator will measure the pasta, record it's length, take a photo of the family with their creation and bag it up in a branded bag for them to take home and cook together. A leader board will record the longest attempts each hour, and at the end of that hour the leader will win a branded herb grow kit"

Also there will be pasta collages to make with your child, face painting and free samples of Dolmio on pasta to try.

The events are open to all so please also tell your friends about it. Do 'watch' this thread to remind yourself to give feedback after the event.

Thanks, MNHQ

[AnnMumsnet]

ouryve has been (belatedly) selected at random as the winner for adding her feedback. Well done and thanks to everyone who went

[minipen]

I am so easily led, after reading about the pasta making I thought I needed one, much better to make a fool out of myself at home than in public. We had the pasta samples (Trafford centre) , very tasty & we spent, well slightly more than we intended, good day out though

[MrsTumbles]

DD (2.6) and I popped along to this yesterday. The staff were making big fusses over the parents with slightly older children and those there as families (Male and Female parent, chid(ren) aged 4+). My DH was working so it was just me and DD and after being ignored for over 5 minutes (including the taster Woman walking straight past us - twice, and with me doing my best starving face too!) we realised that we obviously didn't meet the demographic that they were looking for. (BTW, they weren't particularly busy when we went past so it wasn't a case of us getting lost in the heaving crowd)

DD and I had made a trip down there as we had nothing better to do and I remembered this being 'advertised' on MN, needless to say they have done a very good job of keeping my family buying non-dolmio goods, not the greatest loss to us as a family!

[suwoo]

Me and my sister stumbled upon this today in the TC while I was enjoying a child free afternoon. The reps from Dolmio were all very pleasant and engaging in a slightly kind of way. The children all looked to be enjoying themselves. There were plenty of staff and plenty of samples. The sample was just warm enough but didn't convince me to stop using tinned tomatoes and stock TBH.

Is that enough info?

[amistillsexy]

I could have looked myself, couldn't I? Sorry, AnnMumsnet, for wasting your time, and thanks for looking up the link.

[AnnMumsnet]

Hi - just checked on the TC website and it is in Orient Way have a look here - hope you can make it!

[amistillsexy]

I was going to ask that, orangehead. The Trafford Centre is too massive to be wandering around looking for things!

In and out, that's my motto!

[orangehead]

Where about in the tc is it?

[orangehead]

ds2 loves his pasta

[TheMonster]

Do you think Dolmio would pay the petrol costs for us to go next week? We're skint

[StealthPolarBear]

Well we were at the Metro Centre one today, and I too headed for the Gilette one - there were men getting their faces shaved, did you happed to know if they were also doing women's legs in full view of everyone??

Anyway... the pasta sample was lovely, even fussy DS liked it. However wasn't too impressed by the event I have to say. the staff seemed so unenthusiastic (though I did get there late). Ds enjoyed mkaing a pasta picture but the pasta rolling thing - each 'turn' seemed to go on forever, we waited twice for him to have a turn but he was not entertained by watching at all.

[AnnMumsnet]

I think it was because I was at a party last weekend with face painter for the kids and a dad I know said he was thinking about getting his done! Glad your DS enjoyed it.

[ouryve]

Haha! Now I'd have been sharing photos if DH had his face done!

DS1 has ASD and is usually very defensive about having his face painted, so he did really well. He even broke the ice for a few other kids who were shy about getting theirs done!

[AnnMumsnet]

Sorry TOTALLY misread your post ouryve...!!!

[AnnMumsnet]

Sorry didn't see you message last night Stealth - hope you found it today.
WOW ouryve well done on your DH getting his face done!!

[ouryve]

We made it to the one at the Metrocentre, this morning. We had to hunt for it, mind, since there was a big Gillette event going on in the Town Square, when I expected it to be. We eventually found it upstairs, near Mothercare and they were just getting set up. All the same, DS1 made a beeline for the pasta art table and worked on a few creations. He stayed for ages and was really enjoying himself, so I nipped off to start some M&S shopping, leaving him with DH.

To my surprise, the boys all came back to me and DS1 had had his face painted! He was the cutest, least ferocious tiger ever! DH said they hadn't got the samples going yet and when we asked, they were doing the pasta rolling events at 3 set times - they were still trying to get their heads around how to do it when DH and the kids left! We tend to get in and out of the shopping centre before lunch, as it can get quite mad and the kids (and I'm not much better) have a very poor tolerance for crowds, so didn't hang around for that bit.

[StealthPolarBear]

What sort of feedback do you want? What sort of themes?

[StealthPolarBear]

Do you know I am going to the Metro Centre tomorrow and have been looking for something fun to do with DS! Problem solved

What time and where will it be?

[Watchoutdailyfail]

We will try to remember to go to the MC one :)

[Aimsmum]

We went to the Braehead event yesterday (were going anyway, didn't go specifically) anyway, it all looked good.

We got a free sample of pasta each, which could have done with being a little warmer, but can see that this would have been hard to achieve! But it was nice, none the less.

DD is a bit too old for the face painting and there was a huge queue for it anyway.

She did have a really bad attempt at guessing how many tomatoes were held in a tub, so no prize for us, unfortunately

But it did all look good and very busy.

[scottishmummy]

funnily enough might no catch on

[NotShortImFunSized]

We did go to Lakeside last Saturday, unfortunately due to day from hell didn't get there until 4.30pm then by the time we had got to the Dolmio bit they were all packing away. The kids I was were very

[AnnMumsnet]

Please note change of venue for Glasgow - now at the Braehead Shopping centre.

[Sunshineonacloudyday]

[areyouserious]

This sounds about as much fun as.....well, actually i couldnt think of anything more awful than taking the children to a shopping centre on a saturday when they want to buy something from every store.....not your best idea Dolmio