Pub Food Families: The kids are all right

Ok, let's get one thing straight, the last thing anyone wants is a screaming child incessantly banging their fork on the next table when you just popped into your local for a quiet pint. We can all agree on that.

But many purists argue that pubs are supposed to be a completely kid-free zone; a haven where adults can relax and chat without interruption. However, as food becomes an increasingly important part of the pub trade, this is a sector of the market that can't be ignored. Like it or lump it, family trade is big bucks.

And the industry is getting more comfortable catering for families than you might think.

The Publican Market Report 2010 reported that 49 per cent of pubs now have a play area, up 26 per cent on last year, showing that family interests are firmly on the agenda. Granted, they won't tend to be big spenders when it comes to drinks, but families open the door for a potentially roaring weekend lunchtime and early evening trade.

So how can pubs capitalise on this? One way to make sure you are a step ahead of competition is to look at successful family-friendly restaurants. Of course, many will have an atmosphere completely different from that of a pub, so it's important to make sure you don't lose your pub's identity. Get it wrong and you could end up shrinking your regular trade in a blind effort to gain a family following.

But restaurants everywhere are leading the way when it comes to catering for kids but keeping everyone happy. And pubs could learn a thing or two.

Down with the kids

There are so many things pubs can take from family-friendly restaurants to help them feel a little bit more welcome. Smollensky's on the Strand in London is not primarily a family restaurant, but on Saturdays and Sundays between midday and four, it transforms into one. Children are given balloons and goodie bags to keep them occupied between courses, and there is even an entertainer on hand to make balloon animals, do magic tricks and even put on a panto.

And it doesn't stop there. The children's cocktail menu and mini adults menu is a welcome departure from the regular cola, fish fingers and chips offer, and caters for kids at that tricky age where a children's menu just won't cut it. Kids' TV is on flatscreens around the restaurant, and there are games consoles to keep the older ones occupied.

"We are popular because we are different," explains Tanja Christie, general manager of Smollensky's. Careful thought has gone into their family-focused weekends, down to them turning table mats into colouring pages, to which mini-diners can add their artistic input in a colouring competition.

But the best thing is that the family-focused events do not detract from the roaring weekday and night-time trade. "We try to cater for everyone," says Tanja. "We are a family-friendly restaurant, but it's not a massive amount of our business." During the week, they mainly host office workers at lunchtimes and pre-theatre-goers in the evenings.

Tanja puts their success down to "service and quality of product", adding: "We take pride in offering really fun lunchtimes." She agrees that some of their ideas might be a bit costly, but says it's worth the expense due to the weekends' trade. For those looking to become more family-friendly, she offers this advice: "You need to be prepared to have children around, make sure other customers are aware of this, and, of course, you need to have the space."

At the Rainforest Café in London, kids can put on an apron and make their own pizzas using flatbread dough, sauce, cheese and toppings, which are brought to customers' tables. The pizza is then baked and served along with the rest of the family's orders.

So if you're keen to appeal to all, both large and small, look to those with a booming family trade for inspiration on cost-effective ways to boost family trade.

Catering for families at the Fox

The Fox near Basingstoke in Hampshire is run by Rob and Izzy Mackenzie. It's a country pub and restaurant with a large beer garden. In the garden they have erected a children's play area to help attract dining families. Staff at the Fox take a positive approach to catering for children all year round. "If we've got an event on, like our oyster festival in April, we will get in a bouncy castle and have face painting on as well," says Rob.

Food-wise, they offer child-sized portions of the meals on the main menu, but also have a special children's menu further tailored to kids' preferences, with main courses available for £4.95. Rob believes that nutritional value is important, and this is reflected in the food they offer.

"When we took over the pub we wanted to get away from the pre-manufactured fish fingers that the pub was selling and make the food from scratch, like the tagliatelle dish we do," explains Rob. "So we made it into a fresh food menu. The children's menu is a bit more restricted than the main menu, but you won't see any turkey twizzlers - Jamie Oliver would be proud. We accept that getting away from chips is not easy and the offer is there, but we have sugar-free soft drinks available as well."

However, it isn't always easy, and Rob says pleasing all your customers can present some difficulty: "We've just got a 60-seat dining room, so it's not big enough to have a separate family area. In this day and age we want as many customers as possible, so it's important to encourage families to come. We try to balance the regular customers and the families, but it's a two-edged sword - not everyone wants to eat in a room where kids are running around."

Make your pub more family-friendly

• Create two kids' menus, not just one. Toddlers and seven-year-olds don't eat the same thing, and creating two separate offerings says that you really 'get' families.

• Have baby wipes and bibs on hand, and make this known to parents when they are seated. It's low-cost and busy parents will be grateful for the help.

• Supply high chairs and changing facilities, preferably not just in the female toilets.

• Get in some plastic plates and cutlery, ideally with cartoon characters on them. They're great for keeping kids entertained as well as being safer. Keep some spare sippy cups on hand as well.

• If you're keen to get the word out that you are a family-friendly pub, why not hold a family day in the pub? You could get an artistic member of staff in to do some face painting, as a relatively low-cost form of entertainment.

• To boost numbers, why not offer a deal for families dining? For example, every fourth Sunday kids under 12 eating with two adults dine for free.

• Provide a colouring book and crayons for children waiting to eat. It will be fun as well as keeping them distracted until the food's ready.