Mum issues warning to families after £1 Toby Carvery meal deal ended up costing her £20

Summertime is a stressful period for a lot of parents who have to come up with an array of different meals to keep their children’s stomachs full and taste buds tingling.

This is why meal deals from mainstream restaurant chains are often a lifesaver, offering a cheap alternative to fast-food while still being delish.

But what happens when you don’t read the fine print?

You could be spending a whole lot more than you bargained for, as one mum soon found out.

X / @tobycarvery

Toby Carvery is a beloved British roast dinner spot that families frequent to get their gravy fix, so when they announced a bargain deal for little ones during the school holidays, parents rushed to snap up the deal.

The discount came in the form of a renewable voucher which then allowed children to have one main meal for only £1 up until today (1^st September).

It was also redeemable on their app so parents didn’t have to worry about losing a piece of paper, and was quite the handy mealtime offering for those who are struggling to afford meals during this time.

With up to two children per party able to take on the deal per full paying adult, it was a discount that any parent would jump at.

Options for the children’s dinners were also pretty decent, with a variety of meals such as veggie fingers, mac n cheese, a chicken burger, tomato and meatball pasta, and three sausages with a Yorkshire pudding.

Kids could also go up and eat as much vegetables and potatoes as they wanted from the carvery table too, so where did it all go wrong for this one mum?

It all began when Claire Ambler took to a Facebook group about tips and bargains to initially share the deal with others online.

X / @tobycarvery

She wrote: ''I've just seen this on the Toby Carvery app.”

''Thought it might come in useful for those with kids/grandkids/etc.''

But little did she know that the deal didn’t include drinks, so when Stephanie Ng took up the offer and brought her kids for a light bite, she found out the hard way.

The mum-of-four Ng commented on Ambler’s post to warn others: ''Just don't buy drinks - ask for tap water!”

''We made the mistake of asking for drinks a few years ago and added about £20 to the bill.”

With drink options such as Pip's Organic Pineapple & Mango Smoothie and Robinsons Apple & Blackcurrant Squash, it’s easy to see how one table could add on so much money, especially if your kids opt for multiple drinks throughout the meal.

Of course, Facebook users expressed their opinions on what should be known as ‘drinksgate’, calling out Ng for being 'ridiculous'.

Commenters asked what she expected from a deal that was labelled for main meals and not drinks, whereas others were downright rude about her fumble.

All in all, at least the kiddies had a great meal for a tiny price.