Tweens/Teenagers meal choice?

Pistachios & cream · 28-04-2015 01:03PM

I'd be going mad. You are paying for quality food and they don't want to provide that to your younger guests. As you said there should at least be one healthy choice for the tweens and how hard it is to give them a bowl of soup or some other starter like melon so they get to experience the whole wedding meal.

Milly33 · 28-04-2015 04:35PM

Sorry to hear it didn't go to plan sticky!! It is annoying isn't it when you don't get the back up but maybe take a few deeps breaths and think how to get around it..

Is it like an exclusive venue where they have to bring in the caterer or is the food there already. like I know with ours as said, I was annoyed really that he asked after we booked him but I can see his point, in that he doesn't normally run his kitchen there. But lets say if they do like a regular restaurant then in fairness they should have enough to give the kids options, if they are given the adults the option of courses too.

I can see what they mean when the say they don't want to waste food but as someone else said something small like melon would be nice to have...Or just have the starters the same as the reg mains...

Sit down and think about it all before going in guns blazing as you don't want to cancel it in a temper.. Was any of the planners nicer that the other or something or could you approach anyone else there

lazygal · 28-04-2015 05:37PM

I think this is a ridiculous policy. We always ate proper half portions of adult food when we were at weddings as kids. I don't like the attitude that chips and processed meats are good enough for children. I would never choose them as a first option for my children, we usually end up ordering one adult meal and splitting it between them if we're out eating somewhere. There's no good reason children can't be served smaller portions of the food the adults will be eating and why they can't be given a choice, apart from this being a small bit of extra work for a venue you're paying enough to as it is. I would communicate by email regarding this, as then you'll be able to spell things out properly and have a record of what was agreed.

Jwacqui · 28-04-2015 08:38PM

fits wrote: »

Id say its better than the ritz but also far from most expensive in the country.

Where are you getting married? We are looking at a 5 star and around the same price was hoping to get them to add some things in though!

fits · 28-04-2015 08:42PM

Jwacqui wrote: »

Where are you getting married? We are looking at a 5 star and around the same price was hoping to get them to add some things in though!

Id prefer not to say. Its a blue book property.

dr.fuzzenstein · 28-04-2015 09:22PM

I'm sorry about the rant OP, I can't stay quiet on this any longer, I realise that this is about your wedding and not about the quality of food in Irish restaurants, but this is going too far. Feel free to disregard, but I just have to say this.
I find a lot of the time price =/= guaranteed quality.
I would ask them how they can describe themselves as a serious place for food if they would have to resort to chicken goujons, burgers and chips that could be had at any burger joint, Spar shop or petrol station. In fact I am willing to bet serious money and body parts that if you where to look at the packaging said food items came in, they would be the exact samer mass-produced frozen items to be found in the aforementioned establishments. And I would challenge them on that. A lot of Irish "restaurants" use everything frozen, pre-packed, serve the same food as everyone else, bought at the same mass-produced food factories and seem to charge money based on their perceived "status" and the actual food is an afterthought. The idea seems to be to make as much money as possible with as little money and effort as possible put in.

EricPraline · 29-04-2015 09:36AM

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

I would ask them how they can describe themselves as a serious place for food if they would have to resort to chicken goujons, burgers and chips that could be had at any burger joint, Spar shop or petrol station.

Have to agree with this. Find it hard to believe that many Irish hotels and restaurants, which pride themselves in providing food and service of a certain standard (with the accompany price tag), are willing to provide Supermacs-quality fare when it comes to children.

stickybookmark · 29-04-2015 10:21AM

Milly33 wrote: »

Is it like an exclusive venue where they have to bring in the caterer or is the food there already. like I know with ours as said, I was annoyed really that he asked after we booked him but I can see his point, in that he doesn't normally run his kitchen there. But lets say if they do like a regular restaurant then in fairness they should have enough to give the kids options, if they are given the adults the option of courses too.

I can see what they mean when the say they don't want to waste food but as someone else said something small like melon would be nice to have...Or just have the starters the same as the reg mains...

Sit down and think about it all before going in guns blazing as you don't want to cancel it in a temper.. Was any of the planners nicer that the other or something or could you approach anyone else there

Good advice Milly, i'm going to stew on it for a few days before going in all guns blazing as you say.
it's not a venue where i have to bring in my own caterer. it's a hotel that you rent exclusively for the wedding but it's the hotel's own kitchen and chef we'll be using. they are booked out solid for the summer so if they don't use the chicken goujons or burgers or fish fingers at my wedding they can just use them the following weekend, considering such things can easily be frozen. so i don't buy why i have to specify in advance that it's one or the other.
We're not actually giving the adults any choice. it's a pre-ordained menu. Everyone is having chicken Caesar salad then everyone is having a duo of fish plate (cod fritters and sea bass with asparagus, pureed cauliflower and parma shavings) then everyone is having lamb shoulder with artichoke and leek tart then everyone is having lemon meringue tart with wild berries.
So no choice for the adults (except for those that don't eat fish or don't eat lamb or don't eat meat there will be a veggie alternative for starter/fish course/meat course)
However i don't see why they can't have a choice on the children's menu. Even a choice between burger or fish finger or chicken goujon they don't allow!! That's ridiculous. and no starters for the kids is a bit stinge as well. Their point is that the kids don't even finish their dinners but i'm trying to make one menu do for tweens as well as kids so i think i need a starter in there. will have to come up with a plan and then go to them with it.....i'm sure everything is possible for a price!

Pistachios & cream · 29-04-2015 10:27AM

stickybookmark wrote: »

Their point is that the kids don't even finish their dinners but i'm trying to make one menu do for tweens as well as kids so i think i need a starter in there. will have to come up with a plan and then go to them with it.....i'm sure everything is possible for a price!

There are plenty of adults that won't finish all their dinner either. with a 4 course meal many people are full by the time dessert comes around. I often don't finish my main course at weddings as i want to save room for dessert.

Pistachios & cream · 29-04-2015 10:35AM

Also while your menu sounds lovely i know that my 14 year old nieces would prefer to get a simplified version of it. Your dinner menu is not just a 'good dinner' it is gourmet food and that is not suitable for many young teens. They might be ok with one or 2 courses but have no interest in the others so you would have the same issue of them not eating their meal.

lazygal · 29-04-2015 10:53AM

The 'they won't eat it anyway' line is comedy! Sure there's plenty of adults won't eat a full four course meal, but no one would suggest cutting corners for their meals. My children eat most things, and would tuck into salad, fish and lamb no problem. Plus, if they got their main course when everyone else is just getting their first course, with three more to follow, they'd wonder why they were short-changed. And plenty of parents would rather avoid the usual chips and crappy processed meat option for their children.

stickybookmark · 29-04-2015 11:05AM

ahayes84 wrote: »

Also while your menu sounds lovely i know that my 14 year old nieces would prefer to get a simplified version of it. Your dinner menu is not just a 'good dinner' it is gourmet food and that is not suitable for many young teens. They might be ok with one or 2 courses but have no interest in the others so you would have the same issue of them not eating their meal.

exactly ahayes84! Maybe now that i've explained my menu people here that were telling me i should be giving it to everyone over 12 will understand why that would just be a waste of money and food...

hdowney · 29-04-2015 11:15AM

I do think you'll have to stick to your guns with the hotel. Course you don't want to be giving the teens and tweens the full four courser your giving mammy and daddy, but at the same time 'here's your fish fingers and chips, there's your ice cream, lump it' isn't going to wash either. I don't see why they won't throw on a salad or a soup starter for the young'uns and then have a couple choices like the chicken and veg and one other (I'm not for fish fingers/goujons etc but that's a whole nother rant and not the point). A couple simple choices like that wouldn't hurt surely? It's like they see the young folk as second class citizens, but the problem is since it is YOUR wedding it could come off like YOU also see them that way. So deffo hold your ground. The amount of money you are already giving the hotel they can afford to be a bit less stinge in my opinion.

Neyite · 29-04-2015 12:34PM

Generally speaking, children at weddings tend to be direct relations to the bride and groom. The way that the hotel are so dismissive of them knowing that they are your family members is appalling. I daresay if they had a posh guest with a dog, the animal would get more consideration.

This is why I hate the wedding package bundle that a lot of venues do. They end up having so many stupid rules for stupid reasons. I've worked in catering. Its absolute lies to say that food will go to waste - if they made up 12 half-portions of the menu meals, plus offering something that they can take out of a freezer and cook within 5 minutes as a choice it is absolutely no waste to them compared to the wastage of drinks bought and never drank, second portions asked for and not eaten or desserts handed out and not eaten.

It's goujons out of a freezer put into a fryer for 10 mins. Not like they have to catch and pluck a chicken and hang it like game meat for a number of days before serving. :rolleyes:

And kitchen staff / serving staff will eat any plated up dinners that don't get selected by the guests as its standard that you get fed on shift in hotels.

This is just them trying to fob you off with a meal that they will charge you €25 for but only cost them about €2 or less to produce. Its profit maximisation for them.

fits · 29-04-2015 01:09PM

I agree with Neyite. The children attending our wedding are as important as any of the guests and will be treated as such. Id hit the roof if my not-so-cheap venue tried to fob us off with goujons for 20 quid.

solerina · 30-04-2015 12:23PM

Def stick to your guns OP....there is no way the children should be short changed, if they are important enough to invite to the wedding, they are important enough to be given a decent meal !!

stickybookmark · 30-04-2015 12:44PM

Yeah I'm stewing over it for a few days, trying to decide what I want then I'll put it to them.
I'm thinking based on teh experience of others here:
Starter: Soup (the choices in this hotel for soups are Butternut squash, Leek & truffle, Spring veg barley broth, seafood chowder or celeriac + smoked bacon. Thinking the butternut squash soup of of those.
For another starter option it's hard. I read through all the starters, they're all gourmet food like wild mushroom + onion tart, Goats cheese & aubergine this and that etc etc. Nothing simple there. The chicken caesar is nearly the simplest one (what we're giving the adults). Maybe no choice for starter for kids just the soup.
For mains a choice of two items. Just don't know which two.
Their children's menu (15 per head including ice-cream for dessert) is:
Homemade chicken goujons & chips
Spag Bol & garlic bread
Fresh fish fingers & chips
Hamburgers & chips
Stir fried chicken noodles
Roast chicken, potatoes & veg

I'm supposed to choose one but I'm going to ask for a choice of two, just not sure which two. Also have to pick the child's meal for the night after party - was going to go for the chicken goujons for that so would like to leave them out of the main day.

lazygal · 30-04-2015 01:46PM

Don't go for spag bol. Tomato sauce+people in nice clothes+small children=dry cleaning all around!

stickybookmark · 30-04-2015 02:01PM

lazygal wrote: »

Don't go for spag bol. Tomato sauce+people in nice clothes+small children=dry cleaning all around!

Yeah the OH already ruled that one out immediately for the same reasons!!

Pistachios & cream · 30-04-2015 02:10PM

Almost every child and teen i know eats roast chicken. i like the idea of the noodles but it could be similar to the spag bol depending on the sauce used.

jlm29 · 30-04-2015 02:11PM

I'd say roast chicken is a good option. And maybe one chip based option!

PhoenixParker · 30-04-2015 02:12PM

I think from that menu I'd go for the roast chicken.

It's a Sunday dinner which I think is more appropriate for the wedding, it's tasty, it's plain so unlikely to offend any finnicky tastes, unless it's over dry it's difficult to mess up. It also seems to me like something that should be easy for the kitchen to handle while they're managing the much more complicated adult dinners.

30-04-2015 02:16PM

+1 for roast chicken too.

This thread makes me hungry!

Pistachios & cream · 30-04-2015 02:17PM

Why not ask the hotel to provide chips with the roast chicken on request? That way you are providing a healthy dinner but also giving chips to those that only want chips!

You are not providing any choice in your own meal so i think you could easily pick the same policy for the kids meals. Have chips as the silent option

stickybookmark · 30-04-2015 02:42PM

ahayes84 wrote: »

Why not ask the hotel to provide chips with the roast chicken on request? That way you are providing a healthy dinner but also giving chips to those that only want chips!

You are not providing any choice in your own meal so i think you could easily pick the same policy for the kids meals. Have chips as the silent option

The hotel actually already said they can do that (I think I'd have to say it was roast chicken, veg & chips then though i.e. the potato would be scrapped - I could ask about it being an option)
They also said they can do a pasta dish although it's not on the menu

stickybookmark · 30-04-2015 02:47PM

Right maybe this - stealing a few ideas from ahayes and solerina's tweens menu (!):

Starter: Soup or galic bread
Main: Roast chicken, veg & chips or Pasta (but not with tomato sauce...)
Dessert: Ice-cream or the adult's dessert

I can see the hotel wanting to add on the euros for having the adult's dessert as an option though!

Pistachios & cream · 30-04-2015 04:55PM

stickybookmark wrote: »

Right maybe this - stealing a few ideas from ahayes and solerina's tweens menu (!):

Starter: Soup or galic bread
Main: Roast chicken, veg & chips or Pasta (but not with tomato sauce...)
Dessert: Ice-cream or the adult's dessert

I can see the hotel wanting to add on the euros for having the adult's dessert as an option though!

Sounds perfect to me. surely there's a compromise money wise. It's not worth €65 but is worth more then

StripedBoxers · 01-05-2015 01:20AM

I would prob go with the roast chicken dinner as well. Most kids I know would choose a roast dinner (or else their parents would choose it for them) instead of chips/burgers etc. I do know of one adult who would choose chips, burgers, goujons etc over every other choice.

I know when a relative of my mine got married kids were given a choice of starters, mains and desserts. All the kids options were the same as the adult options but smaller portion sizes.

pwurple · 01-05-2015 11:21AM

Roast chicken would be lovely for children.

stickybookmark · 01-05-2015 11:54AM

ahayes84 wrote: »

Sounds perfect to me. surely there's a compromise money wise. It's not worth €65 but is worth more then

Right I'm going to send it off to the hotel......let the negotiations begin!

Tweens/Teenagers meal choice?

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