No kids allowed: the debate over child-free pubs

For years, it’s long been debated whether children should be banned from pubs or not.

And this is something that’s been reignited once again after a Hackney pub announced a complete ban on children entering its premises in late March.

While not the first to introduce a child-free policy, the decision has been met with both praise and backlash online. Some believe it’s the best choice for retaining customers who want a relaxing setting, while others say it’s unfair to families.

This debate comes after pubs have been told to “shout louder” about their social value in local communities, and arguably, child-free policies risk undermining that role by excluding families.

But why has there been an increase in pubs banning children, and should your business do the same?

Why are more pubs banning children?

While there isn’t an exact figure for how many pubs in the UK have banned children, it’s something that has steadily gained attention in recent years, with more venues openly adopting child-free policies.

In March, The Kenton pub in Hackney announced its new no children policy on its Instagram page. The business claims that the reason for this ban was due to a lack of supervision. 

The post reads: “We want to be clear that this isn’t about the children themselves, it’s about the level of supervision needed in what can be a very crowded, busy space. Ultimately, we’re not able to take on the responsibility of other people’s children. Despite clear signage and reminders from staff, the problem has persisted.”

Two years earlier, a St Albans pub went viral after it displayed a sign outside its premises that said dogs are welcome, but children are not. Meanwhile, the Alma Pub in Crystal Palace explicitly states on its website that it is a child-free pub, and that children under 10 are not permitted to enter.

Egil Johansen, the owner of The Kenton, told The Guardian that unruly behaviour, safety concerns, customer experience, and dealing with angry parents when asking them to control their children had pushed him to make the decision. 

“I’m a publican; I’m a people-person,” he told the paper. “It gives me no joy to ban anyone, but it’s just not safe: parents don’t control their children and our other customers are beginning to go elsewhere. I had no choice.”

The pros and cons of banning children

While the Kenton isn’t the first pub to ban children, this latest revelation has sparked debate online, with some praising venues for the move and others criticising it for excluding families.

On one hand, some pub landlords have seen the benefit of banning children. Stephen Boyd, owner of the Alma, told The Guardian that “all the stress just disappeared overnight”. He also claims that staff retention has increased and takings have “doubled”.

Meanwhile, public opinion on the matter leans heavily towards banning children from pubs. A Yahoo! poll of 1,195 voters found that 72% support banning children from buns, while just 22% opposed the idea and 6% remained undecided.

However, those who don’t agree with banning children have also been vocal about it. Alexandra Jones, contributor of Stylish magazine, believes that the increase of no child policies in pubs is “another sign of how mainstream anti-child sentiment has become” and that they contradict the social value pubs bring to local communities.

Speaking of her own experience of not feeling welcomed in a local pub with her child, Jones writes: “Given that this place positions itself as a community boozer, it does feel a bit po-faced and miserable to ban a whole section of the community.”

Should your pub go child-free?

For pub businesses that are considering establishing their own child-free policy, this decision ultimately depends on the type of atmosphere you want to create, guided by the types of punters you want to attract. 

For example, a venue that primarily caters to evening crowds, live music, or craft beer enthusiasts may find that a child-free policy is the best move to improve the atmosphere and attract its target audience.

A leafy suburban pub known for hosting Sunday roasts or having family-friendly facilities (such as play equipment in a beer garden), on the other hand, will likely alienate local customers with some form of ban.

These are, of course, two quite obvious cases. The more difficult decisions will need to be made by the venues that offer customers an experience that sits somewhere in between them, or tend to see their takings spread relatively evenly across daytimes and evenings.

Most importantly, if a child-free policy is decided upon, it’s important for businesses to clearly state why the decision has been made, ensuring customers understand that the reason isn’t about excluding families unfairly.

The choice of going child free isn’t just a business decision and not one that should be made just to follow a trend. Instead, it’s something that should reflect the pub’s identity, its main customers, and the atmosphere it wishes to maintain  – whether that’s family-friendly or not.

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Planet of the Grapes founder Matt Harris has over 25 years of experience in hospitality. Read his bi-monthly column for Startups now.

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