Restaurant snub left a nasty taste

A YOUNG mum has criticised a restaurant which she said asked her to pay £4.95 to take her eight-month-old baby in with her.

Toni Ellam went to Minh's Oriental Buffet Restaurant in Hanley and says she was told she had to pay the full price of the all-you-can-eat buffet for her daughter Brodie even though she was not eating.

The 21-year-old and her friend Laura Sparkes, who had her 15-month-old son Lewis with her, decided to call into the Albion Street venue after taking their children to see Santa on November 18. The mother-of-one of Stanton Road, Meir, said: "When we went in they asked us if we wanted a highchair and said it would be £4.95 for each baby.

"I told them that the babies were too young to eat the Chinese food so it would just be for two adults. They said we would still have to pay for each baby.

"I was so angry. I told them it was not our fault we had children and it would cost them nothing to let two babies sit with us.

"We even offered to let the two babies sit on our laps but they refused. I could understand if they were busy. But there was not many people in and it is a big restaurant. I felt it was discrimination.

"We left as we thought it was disgusting. It would have cost us nearly £10 more just to take two babies in with us. That is the same price as two adult meals."

Miss Ellam, who worked at the Car Phone Warehouse in Longton before starting her maternity leave, said she would not be returning to Minh's restaurant in future.

She said: "I don't even have to pay for my daughter to go to places like a wacky warehouse, firework shows, farms or zoos because she is under one."

Miss Sparkes of Waterside Drive, Newstead, said she thought the restaurant was being unfair on young mums who were surviving on tight budgets.

The 20-year-old said: "I could understand if Lewis was old enough to eat. But he might just have had a chip or two off my plate and that's it."

Mr Flint, aged 21, who works as a telecanvasser, said he thought the way his partner had been treated was "disgusting".

He added: "It really is just not on."

No-one at Minh's Oriental Buffet Restaurant was available for comment.