GBPA 2024: Best Pub for Families – Almondsbury Creative, Bristol

Almondsbury Creative, which is based at a sports and social centre, even has its own in-house entertainment team to help bring magic and sparkle to its extensive range of kids events which include themed brunches (previous events have included Barbie & Ken and The Grinch), a Summer Carnival featuring mascots/ characters, super slides, giant water fight and teddy bears’ picnic; a Family Fright Fest, Halloween Nerf War and Kids’ Valentine Ball.

Impactful initiatives​

Among its most impactful initiatives is its free weekly Kids Creative Club, which attracts around 150 attendees in winter and 400-500 in summer, and features different entertainment each week such as discos, mascots, slime making, bubble shows and puppet entertainers.

Festive activities offer a ‘Christmas Festival of Fun’ with snow party, naughty elves, face painting, Santa’s’ sweet shop and Christmas photo booth, Festive Food Truck Fridays with live music, craft stalls and kids’ fun and entertainment and a kids’ daytime NYE with a DJ, games, mascot and midnight countdown.

Fundraising efforts​

Among its biggest events is its annual fireworks display, which was a tribute to Star Wars last year and this year is Harry Potter-inspired, and which sees around 4,000 people attend.

Family-friendly facilities at Almondsbury Creative include a cinema room, skittles alley, arcade machine, pool table and customise your own shape candy floss machine, whilst its food and drink offer for young guests includes kids’ mocktails and slushies, a Wall’s ice cream freezer and a build-your-own, great value kids’ menu.

The pubs’ team also drives lots of fundraising to help support local children’s charities and works with social workers and food banks to offer free event tickets to local families in need.