Recommendations for child-friendly pub restaurant near Stafford

[Trumpet]

Can anyone reccomend a pub somewhere locally that does decent food and is child friendly, but not a Wacky Warehouse type place. We have friends up from London for the night on Friday and I have to swallow my principles regarding kids in pubs. They have three, aged 11, 8 & 7. I'm prepared to zip tie the two younger ones' ankles to their seats and gag them between courses if it helps.

 

[Rowley Reg]

I'd go for the Mill at Worston - excellent food and great beer garden with river & ducks.

 

[Bob]

Your problem is the day, places tend to be a lot less family friendly on a Friday and Saturday, compared to any other evening in the week, I can't see you having too much of a problem if you go for an early sitting though. Somewhere like the Golden Orient would be ideal for the younger members, but I don't rate the food at all. Rural places like The Mill at Worston may be better for you than a town centre (drinking) establishment. There is alway Frankie and Bennie's or Pizza Hut. Also the chain pubs Redhill/Shire Horse are very family friendly.

 

[ATJ]

I have been part of a group of 10 who descended on The Vine in town on a Saturday lunchtime with a new born baby, and without warning. I'll forever credit that establishment for not kicking us out.

 

[United57]

I must confess I think rugrats and half pints should not be allowed in pubs

 

[proactive]

The Hollybush, Salt is very child friendly, also excellent food.

 

[Thehooperman]

The Chetwynd Arms at Brocton is ok for food and has a small area with children's play things.

 

[Noah]

The Seven Stars at Brocton is family friendly and the food and beer are fine but it does have a Fuzzy Eds (?), which is a sort of Wacky Warehouse, attached. The Swan at Whiston is ok as well.

 

[John Marwood]

If theyve bothered to come up from London then why not make the extraeffort and take em another ten miles or so to The Fox near Newport - Holly Bush aside the others are bilge

 

[Withnail]

Holly Bush aside the others are bilge

One must always bear in mind in such circumstances that the children's happiness is the route to one's own happiness.

Better to eat badly next to a good playground, than to eat well next to a bad or non-existent one.

Are-we-nearly-can-we-go-yet?

 

[Withnail]

Edit -
can-we-go-yet-can-we-go-yet-can-we-go-yet-can-we-go-yet-can-we-go-yet-can-we-go-yet-can-we-go-yet-can-we-go-yet-can-we-go-yet-can-we-go-yet.

When can we go?

P.S. enjoy your meal.

 

[Trumpet]

Thanks for your suggestions all, will let you know where we end up.

 

[Bob]

If theyve bothered to come up from London then why not make the extraeffort and take em another ten miles or so to The Fox near Newport - Holly Bush aside the others are bilge

I booked a table there on this Tuesday for 5 people at 6.30, we arrived and were stood at the bar by the entrance for over 10 minutes before anyone even made eye contact with us, they were having personal conversations about what some customers outside were wearing and the lack of phone signal in the area, one member of our party commented that we had been waiting quite a long time to be acknowledged and he was shouted at by a lady behind the bar because they were busy (there was no one before us at the bar area) we then left and headed up the road to a somewhere where they treat customers with a little respect. I can't comment on the food but I certainly won’t be returning. I also can’t comment on whether or not it is a family friendly place – my experience however was far from friendly.

 

[John Marwood]

I booked a table there on this Tuesday for 5 people at 6.30, we arrived and were stood at the bar by the entrance for over 10 minutes before anyone even made eye contact with us, they were having personal conversations about what some customers outside were wearing and the lack of phone signal in the area, one member of our party commented that we had been waiting quite a long time to be acknowledged and he was shouted at by a lady behind the bar because they were busy (there was no one before us at the bar area) we then left and headed up the road to a somewhere where they treat customers with a little respect. I can't comment on the food but I certainly won’t be returning. I also can’t comment on whether or not it is a family friendly place – my experience however was far from friendly.

Coming from someone who calls the police because he dunna like the price of his post I cunna think this will put anyone off

 

[John Marwood]

One must always bear in mind in such circumstances that the children's happiness is the route to one's own happiness.

Better to eat badly next to a good playground, than to eat well next to a bad or non-existent one.

Are-we-nearly-can-we-go-yet?

I thought all over three year olds were self contained these days

have you seen one without their own hand held passifier device of late?

 

[Bob]

I only speak as I find, and I didn't call the poilce because I didn't like the price of the post I called the police because the theiving little **** refused to give my things back and refused to post them, I'm not the sort of person to get into brawls in the middle of a shop, he wasn't budging - what would you suggest I should have done???????????

 

[Bob]

Coming from someone who calls the police because he dunna like the price of his post I cunna think this will put anyone off

Be careful you don't get a nose bleed all the way up there on your high horse

 

[John Marwood]

Be careful you don't get a nose bleed all the way up there on your high horse

hungry

 

[Trumpet]

If theyve bothered to come up from London then why not make the extraeffort and take em another ten miles or so to The Fox near Newport - Holly Bush aside the others are bilge

Not so much a coming up as a stopping over en-route situation.
To avoid driving Mrs T had a word with The Oak in Eccy who, although they don't have childrens meals on the menu, agreed to sort something out portionwise.
Had to go back on Saturday to apologise for behaviour of youngest two. Both parents are actors (lovey daaarling!) who embrace the idea that the little dears must be allowed to express themselves freely even if it involves standing on a chair screaming the house down.
Have to say the staff coped admirably. Why can children get away with this behaviour when an adult would be kicked out in very short order?
I don't accept the 'they're only kids' excuse as it's equally annoying for other diners irrespective of the perpetrators age.
We ended up gulping our food down and finishing our drinks in double quick time out of consideration for other diners.
Not our best eating out experience this year and just reinforces my opinion, children should be seen but not........in pubs.

 

[tek-monkey]

I don't agree that kids should be banned from pubs, but I do think parents who can't/won't control their kids should be.