There’s a running joke in our house when it comes to mealtimes that Mike is a little like Joey from friends. Just like Joey, MIKE DOESN’T SHARE FOOD.  He loves eating, loves eating other people’s food if given the chance, but share some of his own? You must be joking.

He does however get food envy. We sit there for AGES at times whilst he umms and ahhs about what he is going to eat. The wider the menu choice the longer it takes and meanwhile I pick in a nano second, and then get more and more ‘Hangry’ as the wait continues. With two young children in tow, this is never going to end well.

Then, without fail, as soon as the food arrives, 9 times out of 10, he starts tucking into his own before looking over at mine with longing eyes! Whatever he picks, he always seems to want what everyone else has!

I think I may have found a solution, but is Joey, I mean, Mike, too set in his ways to take it on?

We were given the opportunity to test out Prezzo’s new La Famiglia range –  a choice of four favourite pasta dishes in portions big enough for up to 4 people to share. It was a tough one. Would he a) Jump at the chance or b) come out in a cold sweat at the prospect of sharing a meal with his entire family!?

We decided to put him to the ultimate test and headed along to our local Prezzo to give it a whirl.

About Prezzo and the La Famiglia Range

Prezzo is one of our favourite Italians, with over 280 restaurants across the UK. Here in Shirley, we are lucky enough to have one right on our doorstep.

The new La Famiglia Sharing Bowl is a dish big enough for four, and comes in four different varieties:

• Spaghetti Bolognaise
• Penne Arrabiata,
• Spaghetti Carbonara or
• Penne Alla Rusticana

Our Experience

We headed along to our local Prezzo on the Stratford Road in Shirley. The restaurant is large and airy, with lots of booths and larger tables. We visited on a Sunday lunch time and it was fairly quiet with just three or four other families eating at the same time. We were given a booth seat (which Erin was very excited about), and a high chair for Neve.

Knowing we were testing out the La Famiglia range, the process of choosing a meal was significantly easier. We simply had to pick one dish from the four that we could all agree on. Whilst I would’ve been happy with any of them, we decided to opt for the penne arribiatta. The waitress kindly advised that this was a little spicy and offered to ‘tone it down slightly’ if we wanted to. With the girls in tow, and hoping that even Neve would try some, we decided to do this, but they offered Mike some chilli flakes on the side so he could add a bit of extra kick back in!

The meal is served in a large bowl placed in the centre of the table, and you are all given side dishes so that you can help yourself with the serving tools provided. At first Erin was a little confused asking where her dinner was, but eventually the concept of sharing kicked in! It worked really well, as even with varying appetite sizes there was plenty to go around. Erin enjoyed helping herself to smaller portions, whilst Mike, you can guess, dug in with gusto.

We added some garlic bread for dipping which was the perfect accompaniment, and great for mopping up the last bits of sauce from the plate! 🙂

We ate the entire portion between the three of us, so whilst it says it serves up to four, I would say this would be perfectly suited to two adults and two children.

I asked Mike how he felt about the sharing….

He admitted that he still did feel “a little uncomfortable watching me dig in” to what was essentially “his dinner”, but he managed to “power through it” and enjoyed the experience, joking that it felt like how a proper Italian family would dine. 

At £18.90 for one dish (as opposed to £7.90 for individual ones), this sharing meal works out at great value too. There is something quite fun about having it placed in the centre of the table and chatting across the table as you dish up your own. It all felt very authentically Italian! 🙂

Erin felt like a proper grown up being able to dish out the food she wanted, and by managing how much she put on her plate, she never felt overwhelmed or under pressure to eat too much, and ended up going back for seconds. It’s a rare treat not to have to winge at Erin to EAT HER DINNER, so I am taking this as a definite win.

Would we go again? Yes, I certainly would. The food was really lovely, and we enjoyed the sharing experience. Next time… spag bol 🙂 – yum.

And what did Neve make of it? Well… she was completely puzzled by the whole experience. Penne? A total mind blowing concept. Pasta sauce on the other hand, perfect for smearing allllll around your face.

This post is an entry for the BritMums #PrezzoLaFamiglia Challenge, sponsored by Prezzo. https://www.prezzorestaurants.co.uk/LaFamiglia/”

*Disclosure – We were given a complimentary La Famiglia Meal for our family in exchange for our honest review, however all thoughts and opinions are my own*.