One of Britain's largest pub chains has banned customers from having more than two drinks if they have children with them. The move by JD Wetherspoon, which owns 683 pubs throughout the UK, emerged only after a man from Wallasey, Merseyside, who tried to order a third drink and a meal was told he could not be served on "child cruelty" grounds.

 

Stephen Gandy, 44, was waiting for his wife to join their party of seven adults, including a mother with her two-year-old child, shortly after Christmas.

 

Having unwittingly already drunk their limit, they were refused service when they went to order their meal. The health and safety consultant, who was a regular at the pub with his two teenage children, said: "The adults had two drinks each but the mother of the toddler was not drinking alcohol as she had come down from Scotland and was driving.

 

"I just could not believe it. I was told we could not be served any more drinks even though we were ordering food, to prevent cruelty to children under the Licensing Act. I was furious.

 

"We were basically told that we could only have more alcoholic drinks if the two-year-old and the mother left. We left. It was embarrassing not to be served. My gripe is that you should make the policy more visible so the customers are aware."

Mr Gandy said he would often take his children, aged 13 and 15, to the pub for a meal with his wife but had not heard of the restriction before.

 

A JD Wetherspoon spokesman, Eddie Gershon, said: "We are not in any way a children's pub with an activity centre. It is not a wonderful day out for children spending hours in the pub.

"Once customers have finished the meal with the child, we would expect them to leave soon after. We are not uncomfortable with children being on the premises as it is commercially viable. We would let an adult order an alcoholic drink with a meal and another drink after that.

 

"Coffee is more welcome than ordering alcohol but not ordering three or four coffees. We don't want children there bored while adults drink. "

Neil Williams, from the British Beer and Pub Association, said that it was not industry policy to limit the number of drinks that a customer with children could consume.

He said: "This is an issue for JD Wetherspoon. It is not typical of the pub trade as a whole.

 

"Pubs have become much more family-friendly in recent years and many offer great food and deals for children so that parents are made to feel very comfortable bringing their young ones in with them."

 

The JD Wetherspoon chain was started by the entrepreneur Tim Martin in 1979.

Having named his first pub after his maths teacher, Mr Martin built his empire and a £150m fortune on the back of a rigid formula of cheap meals and reasonably priced beer.

 

 

Source: Independent on Sunday

 

Do you agree or disagree with JD Wetherspoon's policy?

Children should be banned from pubs full stop

 

Pubs are a place for adults to have a bit of banter and a few drinks and swear like troopers and so on and should be able to do that without pesky kids traipsing around

Children should be banned from pubs full stop

 

Pubs are a place for adults to have a bit of banter and a few drinks and swear like troopers and so on and should be able to do that without pesky kids traipsing around

 

I disagree completely.

 

Why should Children have to pay for something that is not their fault? How do you ever expect families to go out for a meal, when you think that all kids should be banned from pubs. If an adult wants to have a few drinks etc. then let them, I don't see it doing any harm to the kids.

 

Anyway, the fact that you can only have 2 drinks with your kids their is stupid. What's the point of going to a Pub and spending your money when you arn't allowed to drink the amount that you want? It just makes more sence to stay at home when you can drink what you want, when you want and how much you want.

You still haven't convinced me Jonny

 

I am not talking about restaurants where there is nothing wrong with kids sitting at a restaurant table and the parents having alcohol but what I am very against is kids being allowed in bars and saloon areas of pubs that is a place for adults to be adults and last thing need is annoying bored kids running around the place, pubs are a place for men (and women) to escape the home and escape the kids so it devalues a pub totally if kids are there, might as well stay at home

 

I do not mind kids sitting at a table with family in an enclosed designated restaurant area but they can bugger off in terms of the main bar, and saloon areas of pubs

 

Also kids being bought up in a pub environment at an early age are far more likely to become binge drinkers in the same way that kids who are bought up in a violent household are likely to turn to violence themselves

 

Kids should be banned from pubs and confined only to a sealed off restaurant area if at all, oh and ban them from supermarkets too ;)

You still haven't convinced me Jonny

 

I am not talking about restaurants where there is nothing wrong with kids sitting at a restaurant table and the parents having alcohol but what I am very against is kids being allowed in bars and saloon areas of pubs that is a place for adults to be adults and last thing need is annoying bored kids running around the place, pubs are a place for men (and women) to escape the home and escape the kids so it devalues a pub totally if kids are there, might as well stay at home

 

I do not mind kids sitting at a table with family in an enclosed designated restaurant area but they can bugger off in terms of the main bar, and saloon areas of pubs

 

Also kids being bought up in a pub environment at an early age are far more likely to become binge drinkers in the same way that kids who are bought up in a violent household are likely to turn to violence themselves

 

Kids should be banned from pubs and confined only to a sealed off restaurant area if at all, oh and ban them from supermarkets too ;)

 

Ah that's were I got confused, I though you meant the WHOLE Bar. :P

 

I agree that Kids shouldn't be allowed in the Saloon area of the bar, that's for Adults to do there aldut thing etc... I'm only 13 and I don't want to be in the Saloon area of a bar tbh. When you say that Kids who are brought up in a Pub enviroment I disagree, kids these days could never of been in/near a pub in there life and still find them selves drinking at the age of 12, if there friends for example drink as well, they follow there example, and the same applies for smoking.

 

But I can't see the logic of banning kids from Supermarkets. :blink: What/where do you expext these kids to do/be while there parents are off shoping?

 

But I can't see the logic of banning kids from Supermarkets. :blink: What/where do you expext these kids to do/be while there parents are off shoping?

 

I was messing about supermarkets hence the wink :P but Asda this morning was a very frustrating experience with kids running wild in the place and screaming brat at checkout etc

I was messing about supermarkets hence the wink :P but Asda this morning was a very frustrating experience with kids running wild in the place and screaming brat at checkout etc

 

:lol: I never know when people use the ";)" sign. It's very confusing. :( :P

There was a Wetherspoons spokesman on the radio a couple days ago and I was left very confused. He got himself completely tied in knots by the interviewer. I couldn't make out whether it was because Wetherspoons didn't want children running around (fair enough) or whether they thought it was irresponsible for parents to drink too much in front of their children (is that their business?).

 

We ought to be more tolerant of young children in restaurants and pubs. How are children going to learn how to behave in such places if they never go there? Elsewhere in Europe you find lots of children in restaurants etc. before 8-ish and they generally behave well. If they're a bit boisterous, most people just accept it.

whether they thought it was irresponsible for parents to drink too much in front of their children (is that their business?).

 

Of course it's their business seeing as how the law is making pubs more or less responsible for yobbish and loutish behaviour on their premises...

 

And I have to agree with Wetherspoons' general policy in this area.. I dont agree that pubs are a place to take children. At all. Sorry, but when I go to a pub with my mates, I dont want to have to worry about "modifying" my normal behaviour just because there are bloody kids around.. And on another level, surely it cannot be healthy (in a moral or psychological sense) for kids to be sitting around a pub for hours on end witnessing their parents getting arseholed, nor is it particularly interesting or stimulating for them... A pub is NOT an adventure playground for kids, it is NOT a particularly healthy environment.. If "popping in for a quick bite to eat" is the justification for parents taking their kids into a Wetherspoons, then a "quick bite to eat" does not generally involve sitting round for hours on end getting totally pished... No one would dream of sitting around for ages in a cafe or a restaurant (or a McDonalds) with a brood of kids - it's a case of eat, drink, pay, then get on with the rest of your day, and take the kids someplace far more interesting - so why do it in a Wetherspoons or any other "Gastropub"...?

Children should be banned from pubs full stop

 

Pubs are a place for adults to have a bit of banter and a few drinks and swear like troopers and so on and should be able to do that without pesky kids traipsing around

 

I agree.

 

And as for the 15 y/os, I wonder what they're doing in a pub? :rolleyes:

 

Imo, if the people who had a bit more care and priority for their children hadn't taken them for a meal and got pissed in the first place, then this rule wouldn't have been put in.

oh and ban them from supermarkets too ;)

 

 

yes 100% agree :cheer:

 

And ban old people (except Mrs Baker :P ) and moaning men and women.....in fact ban all customers....then i'd be a happy bunny :cheer:

 

 

:rofl:

Of course it's their business seeing as how the law is making pubs more or less responsible for yobbish and loutish behaviour on their premises...

 

And I have to agree with Wetherspoons' general policy in this area.. I dont agree that pubs are a place to take children. At all. Sorry, but when I go to a pub with my mates, I dont want to have to worry about "modifying" my normal behaviour just because there are bloody kids around.. And on another level, surely it cannot be healthy (in a moral or psychological sense) for kids to be sitting around a pub for hours on end witnessing their parents getting arseholed, nor is it particularly interesting or stimulating for them... A pub is NOT an adventure playground for kids, it is NOT a particularly healthy environment.. If "popping in for a quick bite to eat" is the justification for parents taking their kids into a Wetherspoons, then a "quick bite to eat" does not generally involve sitting round for hours on end getting totally pished... No one would dream of sitting around for ages in a cafe or a restaurant (or a McDonalds) with a brood of kids - it's a case of eat, drink, pay, then get on with the rest of your day, and take the kids someplace far more interesting - so why do it in a Wetherspoons or any other "Gastropub"...?

I agree that it doesn't set a good example if parents go to a pub and get pissed in front of their children. All I was doing was questioning whether Wetherspoons should be acting as a moral guardian. Of course they have the right to refuse to serve people and, if they want to pursue this policy, they have the right to do so. But Wetherspoons do have a reputation for being just as nanny-stateish as New Labour.

I think Weatherspoons have a point when they say they are not set up for children.

 

In some restaurants they have play areas etc - fair enough - but without kids do get bored and is not fair on them or others to have them there.

 

A brave decision? well it has got them a lot of publicity.

 

A query - isn't it still illegal to be drunk in charge of a child under the age of 5? It used to be. Off to google ;)

I find the concept of kids in pubs really weird. I was never taken to a pub as a kid. I didn't go to one until I was legally allowed to drink.

Drinking isn't the only thing that goes on pubs, not here in Australia anyway. There are poker machines, and gambling (horse races to bet on etc). I think my local pub throws out the welcome mat to kids for lunch but even they are forced out into the beer garden. (outdoors). They aren't allowed in the pub area. No one under 18 is.

Edited January 9, 200817 yr by Naomi Watts

Children should be banned from pubs full stop

 

Pubs are a place for adults to have a bit of banter and a few drinks and swear like troopers and so on and should be able to do that without pesky kids traipsing around

 

I agree. If you want some quality family time what the hell are you doing in a bar. If you want a couple beers while out with the family go to a restraunt that accomodates alcoholic beverages, but at the same time making sure it is a friendly enviroment for children.

Edited January 11, 200817 yr by Tyler

A query - isn't it still illegal to be drunk in charge of a child under the age of 5? It used to be. Off to google ;)

 

If it's not, it damn well ought to be....

 

Actually, I would say that this is probably the reason why Wetherspoons has adopted this seemingly "zero tolerance" approach... They surely could quite easily be held as being legally liable as well if some sh!t did hit the fan.... Considering the increasingly litigious nature of this country, and the ever-growing "compensation culture", it seems to me that Wetherspoons are just covering their own arses....

 

Children should be banned from pubs full stop

 

Pubs are a place for adults to have a bit of banter and a few drinks and swear like troopers and so on and should be able to do that without pesky kids traipsing around

 

 

You can still have that, try the Working Mens Clubs.