Egil Johansen, landlord of the Kenton pub in Hackney, east London, has banned children entirely after a series of incidents involving unruly behaviour and safety concerns. He cited a three-year-old who fell down a cellar hatch while parents were unaware, a five-year-old who collided with a staff member carrying drinks, and a group of 10 children from a birthday party who ran wild. Johansen said parents often blamed staff for accidents or became angry when asked to control their children, leaving him with no choice but to impose a ban.
Johansen had previously tried a compromise by banning children after 5pm, but that failed to resolve the issues. He said the decision was not taken lightly, as he is a people-person, but other customers were beginning to go elsewhere due to the chaos. The Kenton is one of a growing number of pubs choosing to exclude children to appeal to adult drinkers, sparking debate online and in the community.
On the other side, Lee Jones, landlord of the Brewers Arms in West Malvern, Worcestershire, reversed a previous child ban, stating that pubs should be for everyone. He said his customers rarely cause problems, and a polite word with parents usually suffices. However, Stephen Boyd of the Alma in Crystal Palace, south London, found that families with children demanded disproportionate time for lower-priced kids' orders, causing delays for full-paying adults. He said children screaming and running around dictated the atmosphere, and parents took offence when staff intervened.
Boyd eventually banned children, describing it as a 'fucking revelation'. Staff retention improved and takings doubled, though he faced online backlash from people who had never visited. Tom Stainer of the Campaign for Real Ale acknowledged the topic can be 'very live', reflecting the divide between those who see child-free pubs as a welcome retreat and those who view it as exclusionary.
