Unruly behaviour, safety concerns and lost trade are forcing some landlords to act, but others argue pubs should remain for everyone. Egil Johansen, landlord of the Kenton pub in Hackney, east London, has banned children entirely after a series of incidents, including a three-year-old falling down a cellar hatch and a five-year-old colliding with a staff member carrying drinks. Johansen said parents often blamed the pub when things went wrong, leaving him with no choice but to impose the ban.
Johansen described the situation as 'like the wild west' and said other customers were beginning to go elsewhere. He had previously tried banning children after 5pm, but that failed. 'It gives me no joy to ban anyone, but it’s just not safe: parents don’t control their children,' he said. The Kenton is one of a growing number of pubs rejecting the trend towards family-friendly venues.
On the other side, Lee Jones, landlord of the Brewers Arms in West Malvern, Worcestershire, reversed a previous ban on children. 'We’re dog-friendly, child-friendly, adult-friendly. We’re just friendly – we don’t distinguish,' he said. Jones said he rarely needed to intervene with rowdy children, as a polite word with parents usually sufficed.
Stephen Boyd, from the Alma in Crystal Palace, south London, banned children after finding families with children took up disproportionate staff time with requests for diluted drinks, babyccinos, and meals without various ingredients. 'You just need a couple screaming, banging on a table or running up and down, and it dictates the whole atmosphere of the pub,' he said. Boyd described the ban as a 'fucking revelation', with staff retention up and takings doubled, though he faced online backlash.
Tom Stainer, chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale, acknowledged the topic can become heated. The debate highlights a tension between welcoming families and maintaining a peaceful atmosphere for other customers.
