No food/cake tasting. Is this the norm? - Vent

soontobemrshamilton · June 2014

Maybe I should rephrase, they do a cake tasting but charge $25.00 for up to 3 people. As for the food, they will take 20% off 2 entrees when we come in for dinner.

We are getting married at a restaurant and I'm irritated that we don't get to do a food tasting even though we are spending thousands, upon thousands of dollars with them. You would think they would offer a free tasting, right? Is this normal? They said they would take 20% off 2 entrees, but what about everything else? Soup, salad, apps?

Am I overreacting? I thought it was normal to offer a food tasting when booking a wedding.

Maggie0829 · June 2014

This is something that you should have considered before booking this venue.

Not all venues offer free tastings, or they offer a free tasting for 1 person and then charge for any additional people.

I would suggest that you speak to your venue and see what you can work out with them. The worst they can do is tell you that they can't do anything. But I would go to dinner there (make a special date night out of it) and try out a few things. Yeah it may cost you some money but there are always leftovers that you can enjoy the next day.

soontobemrshamilton · June 2014

We haven't booked yet, we just know this will most likely be the place. We just toured the venue last weekend. It's not a deal breaker, but it is a turn off, that they don't offer a tasting, or at least if charging us, let us be able to sample everything from the menu that we choose.

Maggie0829 · June 2014

soontobemrshamilton said:

We haven't booked yet, we just know this will most likely be the place. We just toured the venue last weekend. It's not a deal breaker, but it is a turn off, that they don't offer a tasting, or at least if charging us, let us be able to sample everything from the menu that we choose.

Yeah it sucks but that is their policy. Like I said, try and discuss it with them. You never know what they may say.

tammym1001 · June 2014

I had to pay for every cake tasting I attended. Our venue offered a free food tasting, but only after we booked with them. Honestly, every venue we looked at either charged or you had to put a deposit down first. If they didn't do that then people could just come in and say they were thinking of booking an event and eat for free all the time. I would feel differently if you had already paid a deposit and booked them and they still wanted to charge you for a tasting, but I don't blame them for not letting you sample everything you choose from their menu for free with no guarantee that you are actually even having an event.

theartistformerlyknownas · June 2014

tammym1001 said:

I had to pay for every cake tasting I attended. Our venue offered a free food tasting, but only after we booked with them. Honestly, every venue we looked at either charged or you had to put a deposit down first. If they didn't do that then people could just come in and say they were thinking of booking an event and eat for free all the time. I would feel differently if you had already paid a deposit and booked them and they still wanted to charge you for a tasting, but I don't blame them for not letting you sample everything you choose from their menu for free with no guarantee that you are actually even having an event.

This.

I paid $15 for my cake tasting (3 types of cake, 3 fillings, 3 frostings for the 2 of us), and that charge was applied toward my cake bill once I signed the contract with them. We were charged cost for our food tasting at the venue (came to about $60).

icecreamS04 · June 2014

We paid 4.50€ per person for our cake tasting. That included as much cake, cakepops and cupcakes as we wanted, coffee or what ever we wanted to drink. It really helped us and we chose three flavours we wouldn't have considered otherwise-

lyndausvi · June 2014

We didn't have to pay for ours, but it was also after we put down the deposit.

When it comes to restaurants it's not unusual for them to charge you. Sadly there are people out there who have no intentions of booking, but pretend they do in order to get a free meal.

Often what places will do is charge you for the tasting, then apply a credit if you end up booking with them. That often weeds the ones who want a free meal, but gives something back to those who book. I would see if you can negotiate that type of a deal with the restaurant. It might be worth if for them.

soontobemrshamilton · June 2014

Oh no, I totally get that @lyndausvi. I don't expect a free tasting before we book, but after we book, it would be nice to be able to do a free tasting. Or offer it at a lower price and where we can taste everything, not just 2 items.

Maggie0829 · June 2014

soontobemrshamilton said:

Oh no, I totally get that @lyndausvi. I don't expect a free tasting before we book, but after we book, it would be nice to be able to do a free tasting. Or offer it at a lower price and where we can taste everything, not just 2 items.

Even venues that offer free tasting sometimes limit you to only 2-3 items and anything additional costs money. Are you sure that they don't offer you a free tasting after you book and they just told you what it would cost to have a tasting if you haven't booked?

soontobemrshamilton · June 2014

I guess, they could offer a free/discounted tasting after booking. I'm going to email her and look into it. It's not the money that bothers me so much, it's just the principal of the matter. I guess I feel like I shouldn't have to pay to taste some food, when I am spending a lot of money. I just always thought free tasting (after you book of course) was standard.

Alikat9614 · June 2014

We just had a tasting yesterday (yum!) that was included when we booked the venue. We were able to choose up to 4 meats as well as 4 sides- after that there would be a charge. They also charge to taste if you haven't booked yet. As for the cake, one baker did not charge for sample (and good thing, blech!). The other is just starting up and has quoted ism a crazy low price, so we will be paying to sample those ($5 per 6" round cake).

JennyColada · June 2014

If it's a restaurant (versus just a caterer) then it seems reasonable that they would charge you for a tasting. The fact that they're giving you a discount sounds pretty nice too!

Have you eaten at this restaurant before? We are holding our reception at a restaurant as well, but we are not bothering to do a tasting because we've eaten there multiple times and know that we enjoy the quality of the food and service.

Same with the cake. The bakery that we're ordering from would make us anything in any flavor that we want, but we'd have to pay for it. So we just picked a basic flavor (white cake with strawberry filling) and know that it will be high quality and thus delicious.

soontobemrshamilton · June 2014

yes I spoke with the lady yesterday and she said no. It is what it is. They do give the 25% off which is nice, it's something. I haven't eaten there, but FI did back in high school, lol. They have excellent reviews and people I know that have eaten there, rave about it. So, I guess I'm not too worried. We will just make a date night out of it when we go!

mysticl · June 2014

Our venue did not do a tasting. The ones we looked at that did, only did them after you signed the contract and paid the deposit. The purpose of the tasting was to choose the menu, not choose the venue. There was one venue that used a restaurant to cater so we could have opted to eat at that restaurant if we wanted to but it wouldn't have been a tasting. Our baker did do a tasting, they were bite sized samples, not full slices.

MegEn1 · June 2014

I'm trying to set up a first tasting now for a place with a menu that looked good. I expect to be charged for it - they have to make the food and that costs money and time - but I'm starting to see around teh interwebz that a lot of caterers don't do any tastings at all before you book. That seems crazy to me! I don't expect them to make exactly what I'm considering ordering or anything, but I'd like to at least see that they can avoid overcooking a chicken. And again, I'm willing to pay.

Am I just ignorant about all this? Should I maybe start rolling back the emails I'm sending out asking for a time to set up a tasting?

atlastmrsg · June 2014

My caterer didn't do tastings, either. They had photos of some menu items. I had eaten their food before though, so I was confident they would execute things according to plan. I think it's just inefficient for them, and encourages people to come eat for free while they're shopping around, and perhaps even tasting the food with no interest in booking them.

jay788 · July 2014

Huh, we met our catering coordinating for lunch at the restaurant and she treated us to lunch plus a whole ton of apps (it is a restaurant we eat at regularly too, and we were prepared to pay for lunch so it was a nice treat). Our baker gave us 3 small cakes for our cake tasting for free.

That was actually a good move for them, because my fiancé and I really like working with nice people, so that helped seal the deal for us.

caitlinmca · July 2014

The venue we chose to hold both our wedding and reception is called the Darby House, at sits on a privately owned horse farm that used to train Kentucky derby horses but now is rented out by a catering company called Cameron Mitchell Catering, Cameron Mitchell also has a few restaurants as well besides two wedding venues. After you put down your deposit for your date, they then will do a tasting with you when it gets closer to your wedding/event date for you to set up your menu.

soontobemrshamilton · July 2014

I'm ok and understand not doing a tasting before booking, but AFTER booking I think as a courtesy and for spending so much money, they can offer us a little bit of food for free or a small fee.

Like I said she will be giving us 25% off 2 entrees, but we still have to taste salads, soups and apps

caitlinmca · July 2014

soontobemrshamilton said:

I'm ok and understand not doing a tasting before booking, but AFTER booking I think as a courtesy and for spending so much money, they can offer us a little bit of food for free or a small fee.

Like I said she will be giving us 25% off 2 entrees, but we still have to taste salads, soups and apps

It could be that they just don't do tastings because it is a restaurant rather than an outside venue, catering company, etc. I know that is still no excuse but that may be the reason, that since it is a restaurant that the people already know the location, know the food, etc.

JennyColada · July 2014

soontobemrshamilton said:

I'm ok and understand not doing a tasting before booking, but AFTER booking I think as a courtesy and for spending so much money, they can offer us a little bit of food for free or a small fee.

Like I said she will be giving us 25% off 2 entrees, but we still have to taste salads, soups and apps

Why would you need to taste all of that though? I mean, salads you can pretty much just read the ingredients and you should be able to tell what it tastes like. Actually, I feel that way about most food. We go to restaurants a LOT and I've found that at the good restaurants I like 100% of the things on the menu (granted, I like some more than others, but I can pretty much close my eyes and point and I'll be given some awesome meal).

I think if you're being catered by a place that is very hit and miss, then I'd probably reconsider having them cater my wedding.

[Deleted User] · July 2014

Wow I didn't know places charged... our catering service made us a lunch!! It was great TONS of food. We got to pick 3 meats, and 3 salads from their list to try.. it was great... and I'm glad we've done cake testing.. one place was AWFUL! And I would have been mad if we went with them and the cake tasted that way.

bananasplit472001 · July 2014

Most venues that I looked at did not offer free tastings before booking. Many did offer free group tastings after you have given them the deposit. This was something that was important to me when choosing my venue. I immediately crossed off any venue on the list that 1. did not let you try the food ahead of time (even when paying for it) 2.did not offer a food tasting after booking. Personally it was difficult to find a venue where I could do both things so I also went with a restaurant and went there ahead of booking to eat to make sure i liked the food. My venue offered a food tasting for the sit-down dinner and cake but we had it written in our contract to include food from the cocktail hour as well. I would honestly just pay to eat a meal there with a group of people to decide on the food.

goldchocobo.defunct635829490514903826 · July 2014

My venue just made both entrees we were considering. I don't think I'll get to taste apps, desserts or hors d'oeuvres in advance but I'm cool with that. Any other people who wanted in on the tasting would have to pay $35/person.

Cake lady was different. I signed a deposit and she loaded me up with 6 different gourmet cupcakes to try and sent them home with me. I wasn't even out of the parking lot when FI broke into them. That boy....

hyechica81 · July 2014

we only had a cake tasting with the baker that was it we tried two cake samples and two fillings. cake was included in our package deal, we had heard great things about the food at our venue and we were not worried about that.

the day off the food was amazing everyone raved on how good the food was and how much food they received our venue even brought out take home containers to all the tables so they could take meals home

tcnoble · July 2014

We just did our tasting and it was very clear why they wouldn't do tastings without a booking... We were served soup, salad, main dishes, and sides. It was a meal that would've cost us close to $100 on a date night out. So it made sense to us they wouldn't do free tastings before a contract was signed.

No food/cake tasting. Is this the norm? - Vent

Re: No food/cake tasting. Is this the norm? - Vent

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