“Children should be seen and not heard,” is a well-worn Victorian motto. But it’s been given a contemporary reboot in many a 21st century pub, with William The Fourth in east London becoming the latest boozer to ban children (after 7pm, that is), following customer complaints that it “resembled a creche”.
It was only in 1995 that under-14’s were legally allowed into pubs for the first time, but whether they have a place there is a question that’s still proving divisive today. William The Fourth in Leyton has announced that it will turn into an “adults-only space” from 7pm onwards.
The pub, dates back to 1897, issued a statement following customer complaints, with the previous owner permitting children until 8pm.
Several online reviews had criticised the situation, with one complaining about “badly behaved kids [bouncing] off the walls”.
Another said the pub had “got rid of the pool table for a place to park prams”, adding “it no longer feels like a pub, it’s now just a kids’ club”.
Adult-only evenings
In an Instagram post, the pub wrote: “Unsupervised children can pose risks not only to themselves but also to other customers and our team. We remain committed to being a family-friendly pub during the day, but to ensure a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable environment for all our guests, we are introducing the following rules regarding children.”
They said that banning under-18s before 7pm would “give adults a child-free atmosphere in the evening while still offering families generous daytime hours.” The pub opens at 3pm, meaning families can enjoy four hours of time daily where children are permitted.
The pub was taken over by Andy and Steph Solley in June. Speaking to Metro, Steph said: “This small change from our previous 8pm policy comes from customer feedback. Many people mentioned they felt more uncomfortable with children running around in the evenings.”
Response to backlash
Steph continued: “Unlike some pubs that don’t allow children at all… we’ve kept our doors open to families because we like having them.
“We want The William the Fourth to be welcoming to everyone but there have been occasions where the pub has resembled a creche.”
Under the Solleys’ management, the pub has started serving pizza and hosting evening activities including life drawing and pottery workshops.
A long-time debate
Whether pubs should be kids-free is a question that has long-since divided punters, and in 2023, The Guardian sought the thoughts of pub owners.
The anti-child camp lamented loudness, and a tidal wave of demands for stripped-back meals and babyccinos, while those in the other camp critiqued hostile staff and misogyny towards mothers.
Just last month, Ohio-based Eastside Brewing Company faced backlash and “threats” for its child-free evenings policy, prompting owner Rich Hennosy to insist he’s not a “child-hater”, but unsupervised kids sometimes caused havoc at the venue – including digging up rocks in the beer garden, antagonising the neighbour’s dogs and breaking the ping pong table.
The case for family-first pubs
On the flipside, Marston’s welcomed in kids earlier this year when it launched the family-first pub concept, Woodies.
At the time, a Marston’s spokesperson told the drinks business: “We spent a lot of time on market research and really understanding what families need and want from a visit to their local.” With 8.2 UK households dependent on children, they are an important sector of the consumer market. Each rebranded pub features a woodland-themed den, and family-friendly area complete with games, crafts and fun activities like karaoke, discos and quizzes.
“We wanted to use this insight to create a pub experience that delights both parents and their kids, providing a place for families to enjoy, relax and make memories together,” the spokesperson added.
How to cater to kids
Speaking to the drinks business, Sarah Frow, founder of The Kids’ Table, a service offering pop-up arts and crafts activities for hospitality venues, explained how catering to kids could help win customer loyalty. She said: “Pub operators shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that parents are adult customers as well, and if you offer something that makes their life easier dining out with young children, they’re going to want to spend their money in that establishment at other socialising points.
“When it’s ‘Wine Wednesday’, you’re going to choose that pub over another one, because they’ve offered you a lovely family dining experience on that Sunday lunch, for example, or that’s the place you might go for quiz night with a group of friends.”
In a recent tips piece on breweries staying relevant, Sacramento’s Touchstone Brewing marketing manager Kristen Madigan revealed that breweries need to try to connect with their community on a few different levels. “In some cases, this may mean being child-friendly, but in others it may be to understand that child-free timings are just as crucial for other guests and the business itself,” Jessica Mason reported last month.
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