What makes a family friendly pub? Share and you could win £100 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

As part of the Mumsnet Family Friendly Programme we'd love to know what you think makes a family friendly pub and to name any pubs in your local area which you believe have a great family friendly environment.

Here's what Carrie Longton, co-founder of Mumsnet says "we all know you can have a great family time in your local - but also that it can often be disappointing. We'd love to know what's good and not so good in your local pub - or even about one you discovered on holiday!"

So how do you think pubs could be more family friendly? Should they include a nutritious family friendly menu? Maybe there should be adequate baby changing facilities in the bathrooms? Perhaps slot machines should be replaced with a toy chest for younger children? How about older children - how would you like to see them catered for in pubs? What about customer service - how important is this? Would well-insulated outdoor areas do it for you? What do you NOT want to see?

We'd also love to hear what local pubs you think have a really good family friendly environment. Please state their name, and location (town or village) where they're situated.

Add your views (and pubs!) and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £100 Amazon voucher!

Click here to learn more about companies who are working to make the UK a more family friendly place

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

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We like a pub with good food options for adults and children and also with tolerant staff.
Its ok offering kids meals and softplay areas or outdoor spaces but then having staff that are not very tolerant of children counteracts any of the good stuff.
Not to say anyone has unruly children but the little folk are very different to adults, they make messes (some parents clear up after them), they can be loud/boisterous especially when hungry/tired or just grumpy.
I like my children to be served first when we've ordered meals that way i dont have to deal with the 'wheres mine mummy questions'.
My favourite places dont clutter tables with condiments or excessive menus that ive to shift around to deal with the children oh and have plenty of clean high chairs.

Varied healthy pick and mix childrens menu/children's meal deal. An activity/soft play area to use while waiting for the food to arrive. Children activity packs with activitiy sheets, stickers, crayons etc without having to ask for them. Harvester are good at this. Help yourself childrens drinks/ice cream as older children like exerting their independence oh and friendly staff who engage with the children and treat them like little adults.

family friendly areas inside and outside and no loud drunken people

Good things: smaller cutlery, clean high chairs, fencing if there's an outdoor area, baby change areas in both loos (or separate) - and staff who engage with kids. Two pubs spring to mind: due to the closure of the tiny branch library next door, one place we went to had set up its own lending library in the snug, including a kids' corner. The other had fabulous and attentive staff - unprompted, offered to take ds' sippy cup, give it a rinse and fill it direct from the behind the bar, rather than bringing us juice to decant from a glass into a cup which had had milk in it

It's definitely the little things...

Bad things: high chairs that are dirty or only 'fit' one age group, seemingly 'plain' options that aren't. DD (fussy!) ordered sausage and mash once and the mash was full of chives...

A warm welcome, familiarity and plenty of genuine smiles. A cosy fireplace in winter, a green space outdoors to sit with Pimm's in summer. A children's menu with healthy options, an adult's menu with naughty puddings (ahem chocolate cake!) Local buzz, good banter, excellent company.

Spaces away from the main bar and thorough fare are a must.

It's also great if pubs have cards and board games to play as a family :)

Vegetables served as standard with child meal. The number of supposedly gastro pubs I've been to which don't serve vegetables with the meal is way too high (I mean honestly, WTF? why wouldn't you serve vegetables with a child meal?!?!) Sorry pet peeve.

Also outdoor play area if possible would be lovely otherwise small colouring books with crayons (for when I forget to bring some!)

baby change in both loo areas or a unisex one.

Liking children helps as well.

The best place for families I have found (not for food quality but just for welcoming children, stuff for the children to do, lots of space around tables, serving veg and salad to child) are Harvesters.

• clean baby change. Ideally with a hook near the change mat for change bags. Baby change accessible to both males & females. One in Pizza Express had spare nappies, wipes and also a mobile above the mat.

• space for buggies or definitely space to get out with an unhappy child. Ideally to some space outside to play in. Doesn't have to be fancy. An NT house we went to had quoits and skittles you could borrow to play with.

• clean high chairs with working straps.

• other children not running amock. DD is well behaved and it is annoying when other children are running around inside without any parenting. It has to be a balance.

• MacDonalds had colour-in table cloths for a bit, they were brilliant for DD. Any colouring provision needs working crayons/pencils. We bring our own and I often sharpen those in the establishment!

Oh and toddler cutlery and spare disposable bibs

i think a nice garden makes a good family pub

A friendly atmosphere and an outdoor play area for children

Lots of space and a play area so the kids can have fun. Our local country pub has a chicken coop too which the children just love! A supply of toys such as stickle bricks works well too.

First of all I would like to see 'children's menus' replaced with smaller portions of adult choices. However, not all children enjoy the same food so the usual foods you see on a children's menu could remain.

Changing facilities in both men's and ladies toilets (or a family changing room).

Breastfeeding friendly.

Play area - indoor and outdoor.

However, having raised my own daughter and for several years having been a step-parent to 3 boys I equally would try my best to avoid taking children to more 'adult' pubs. When you get some time without the children and treat yourself to a meal in a pub that doesn't offer child-friendly facilities I think it's unfair when somebody arrives with difficult children.

Relaxed and friendly pub and staff who welcome families and their dog, who serve tasty food not at 'gastro' prices and definitely no chicken nuggets and fish fingers in sight

Went to giraffe yesterday and they have a new children's menu. It was fab, the children had a chicken noodle bowl and salmon with veg. Then fruit lollypops for pudding. It is an example of the choices that i prefer for my children.

A good indoor and outdoor play area, friendly staff and decent food.

Cleanliness is so important, so many pubs (family friendly or not so much, but especially those that serve food) just don't clean down tables before, after or between customers, and even fewer clean under the table which is essential (imo!) when children are eating there, no one wants to sit down in a sea of slopped drinks and dropped squished chips.
Non-smoking outdoor areas are good, and decently priced soft drinks with some simple options like plain orange juice or apple juice rather than fruit shoots etc.

A plentiful supply of highchairs - preferably wooden which seem a LOT easier to clean - I like to give them a wipe-down before we leave & the plastic type chairs wth straps seem to get food in every crevice! It's great to see some form of activity availables for kids - crayons & colouring sheets are a cheap & easy options, but make a big difference when trying to keep kids occupied while waiting for food. Outdoor play area is lovely, especially in Summer - if seating is nearby - it's great to give kids the option to play under supervision of parents, but the parents can sit & have a rest at the same time!
An indoor play area is great too - even a small corner with some books & toys. Ikea are really good for this - they have little wooden tills which can be taken to your table & it kept my LO entertained for about 30 mins straight!
Any effort from staff to interact with kids is always really welcome & makes them feel really welcome too :)

I think crayons and colouring material is great for keeping the kids happy, a little play area is a added bonus
kids menu with food they will actually like and eat is also good.
also smaller cutlery, we forgot his cutlery once and the place we went (Buddies Diner) had nothing small at all for him, we ended up with a teaspoon for his peas and the rest he used his hands or we fed him. not good.
we have a pub near us called The Market Cross (Dunstable) which is part of Marstons. they are really good, very patient with the children, has a good menu, a separate kids area and colouring materials. I think pubs are realising that if families want to go out and eat, they need to make it a pleasant experience for the families by keeping the kids entertained and happy.

activity sheets etc for wet weather and outside play area for dry days

Number one priority for me, and my children is... real food not reconstituted mush in breadcrumbs served with chips. The children eat 'proper' meals with us at home and want to be able to go out and feel they have shared the 'meal' experience with us when we go out. Just do smaller portions of the adult menu - it goes a long way with our family with winning our custom!

Pubs are nice when they have a bit of space outside for the kids to play. It encourages us to stay for an extra cheeky one if the kids are happily running around & playing!

I don't mind my DS having fish, chips and peas when we're out. He's going through a fussy stage and it's a meal I know he'll eat. What I really, really need pubs to do though is bring his food out first and not so bloody hot I have to spend 5 minutes blowing on it whilst he cries because he's hungry (he's only 17 months so doesn't get the need to wait!)

I'd love it if yogurt could be on the menu instead of ice cream.

Crayons and activity sheets are fab, as are friendly staff.

The ideal for us would be tables right next to an informal play area so when she is finished she can play. I'm not keen on the Wacky Warehouse style play areas as they are always tiny and noisy. Also healthy child options.

good food options, friendly staff and lots of area for them to run around!