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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published:19 December 2008

Cllr Tracy Ismail shows the G Buffet’s controversial sign

Children have to measure up for cheap meals

YOU may be a child but if you are over four foot three inches you are not eligible for half price meals at one Angel restaurant.
The G Buffet at the N1 Centre are so fed up with parents lying about their children’s ages that they have introduced height restrictions to determine which little ones are eligible for half-price meals.
The restaurant is accused of being “heightist” this week after parents complained that the 1.3-metre (4ft 3ins) measurement penalised taller children. Islington Trading Standards officers visited the outlet on Wednesday to speak with the manager although officers admitted it was perfectly legal.
Liberal Democrat councillor Tracy Ismail, one of the parents who complained, had taken her family out to celebrate her daughter Alev’s ninth birthday.
Alev came up an inch taller than the restriction sign which meant her mother had to pay the full price.
Cllr Ismail said she wasn’t complaining about paying the full price and the food at the restaurant was extremely good value.
She added: “They have height restrictions as part of safety rules at fairgrounds but I’ve never come across them in a restaurant before.
“It’s very unfair when some children are taller than others. I appreciate that some parents will ‘pull the wool’ but I’m not sure this is the right way to establish who are really young [enough to qualify].”
Restaurant manager John Yong said that a height restrictions notice had been in the window for some time and very few people complained.
He added: “Before we introduced it we would ask parents how old their children were and of course not everyone tells the truth. You can’t ask parents for ID because that causes rows so we thought this seemed to be the fairest system.
“I do appreciate that taller children can be penalised but I don’t know what else we can do. Parents have the option – if they don’t like it to leave.”
Brian Gohery, consumer services officer at the Trading Standards Office, said he visited the restaurant and was satisfied there was no breach of legislation. “Mr Yong accepts children of the same age will range in height,” Mr Gohery said. “However, he informed me they had tried to apply the ‘management may request ID’ approach to verify the age of those he had his doubts about but it simply didn’t work.”
A notice regarding the height restriction is prominently displayed on the door and within the premises. Mr Yong states customers are also told of the restriction as they take their seats.
Mr Gohery said he “sympathised” with both points of view – children of the same age will range in height and some customers will lie about their age.
He added: “However, as long as the height restriction is brought to customers’ attention I do not believe any further action is required by this department.”

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