Category #1 - Kid FriendlyPubs

18/12/2009 3:29 pm

Pub Categories - #1 and #2

Jean-Paul Russek

First of all who the heck am I? Well I'm a humble pub fanatic and one of those people who try and tick off every Good Pub Guide entry nationwide as soon as the new book is published. Ok so thats somewhat nerdy and frankly impossible in my post family days of a wonderful 3 year old. Weekends are less about trying to hit 30 pubs between South Yorkshire, West Sussex and Rutland and more spending hard earned cash at Kiddicare but I keep the dream alive.

Actually since having a little boy around my holidays seem to have moved from Colorado and Umbria to Cornwall and Northumbria. Which is fine as I've said - I love pubs, worked in and around the 'trade' for close to 20 years and cant stay away from them. So my use of The Good Pub Guide has increased more than ever, I need to know what pubs are ok for my 2 categories of visits;

Cat 1- The 3 of us as a family, normally for lunch (a daily treat on hols). Nothing difficult here..just entertain a 3 year old (ANY garden play equipment, and/or a few toys and games inside??), plus as we're all veggie and hate the typical goats cheese pasta that always seems to be on offer, and try to keep away from fried food. Oh and a friendly attitude to little boys would be welcome too, even if its through gritted teeth, just make out the kids loved..

Cat 2- Somewhere where the 2 of us (with child safely in bed being looked after by a sitter) can go relax and have a few hours to FORGET about kids.. Yes some veggie dinner would be good, and a great selection of well kept real ales preferably at least 1 i've never heard of, and decent Pinot (not for me..). Finally the easiest request for this category would be no bright lighting, candles would be fine, whats with the trend of some pubs in the evenings being brighter than Wembley Stadium? Well more about that rant in another post..

Well that's what I look for most of the time, sure there are others like the under used Category 3 pubs (Beer night with my mates), Category 4 (safe pubs that I can meet my parents which must have great coffee) and the new modern Category 5 (pubs with free wifi while I'm at ''work'') Come to think of it there are so many great varied uses for pubs that you wonder why so many are struggling, I wonder if Pubco's and Landords would like to satisy our needs at all...!?

Reader Comments

Sam

Friday 18 December 2009 5:53:51 pm

I think you've hit the nail on the head in your last breath - Every pub is trying desperately hard to be all (at least) 5 categories to all of the people all of the time.

I have to say thank god for pub restaurants that treat children as young customers as many of the 'finer' dining restaurants won't even consider letting them in until they're a teen (so where to they think our kids will learn about eating out before they reach the 'tetchy monosyllabic' stage - role-play at home perhaps?).

Secondly, I love pub restaurants that DON'T have children's toys and themes - it's hard enough getting Daddy to agree to take us all out without him having to bear sitting next to a plastic Coco the Clown. Nor do I wish to compete with the attentions of a ball park whilst I'm trying to get my children to eat their vegetables....

Thirdly, I also like a quiet pint just as much as the next overtired and emotional mother, without the attentions of the neighbouring table's kids that are desperate for someone to pay attention to them and I look like a friendly face.

So thereby hangs the rub.

Part of the problem is sometimes your fellow diners rather than the pub itself! If we, as a society take our children out, we need to ensure that they are comfortable in a social environment and realise it is our responsibility to entertain them so that they don't even get a chance to run around screaming and imposing themselves on the rest of the world. I don't expect every pub to have a suitable child seat for all of my different aged children nor expect a fresh food pub to serve me with wonderful fare but expect cheap chicken nuggets to be available for my kids (bear in mind that if you love food places that don't use microwaves they won't be able to zap your baby milk.... ).

So who am I? A mother of 3 under fives (yes I know, but I've now figured it how its happens!) and a pubchef/landlady to boot, so yes, I may be biased!

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