What Makes a Pub Baby-Friendly? A Parent's Guide
Pubs are great for all shapes, sizes and, more importantly, ages. But they do vary a lot in terms of quality, location and appeal. So, with this in mind, how do you separate the best from the rest when you have a baby to consider?
Whether they’re a newborn, toddler, teenager or somewhere in between, there are several factors to consider when choose a family-friendly pub.
Let’s break some of the key elements down and highlight what exactly makes a pub more baby-friendly than others.
The 5 key elements of a baby-friendly pub
Baby changing facilities
As you’re probably well aware already, babies can poop, pee, vomit or spit up at any second, which makes the baby changing facilities pretty essential.
While some pubs will do the bare minimum, others will really go the extra mile to ensure both your and your baby's comfort during any unexpected visits. So it’s important to be wary of which pubs offer better facilities than others.
Ease of accessibility
Prams can be cumbersome, especially when narrow pub doorways or steps are involved. As such, it’s vital to assess how accessible each pub is.
It may have all the bells and whistles inside, stocked with the best craft beer range anywhere in the world.
But if it’s located at the top of a spiral staircase with no lifts available, it’s not exactly the best fit with a baby in tow.
Space
Space is super important when it comes to baby friendliness.
While babies may be relatively small in themselves, it’s always nice to have room to manoeuvre around in – whether that’s for trying to rock the baby to sleep or simply escape from other nosy punters.
Comfort and atmosphere
Babies can be incredibly unpredictable, so going somewhere they feel comfortable is very important.
This often relies on two key elements: the atmosphere of the pub itself and the friendliness of its staff and punters.
Nothing beats a nice, gentle pub which offers an array of friendly faces as soon as you walk in.
Gut feel (or Mother’s intuition)
Most maternal instinct focuses on protecting the needs of your baby, which is obviously incredibly important.
But it can also help you to distinguish which pub is better than another. It’s almost like a superpower where you just know in your gut whether a space is safe or not, or so my partner tells me.
How do I find baby-friendly pubs in Sussex?
Having all of these categories is one thing. But until you’re actually in the pub itself, it can be hard to know whether it’s any good or not.
That’s where we come in.
At Pubs with Pomme, we have been visiting pubs in and around Sussex for decades. And during that time, one of us (me) has been documenting everywhere I’ve been and offering pubbing advice via my other pub-focused channel, Off To The Local.
Since becoming a dad, I now want to share that advice through a new baby-focused, family-friendly lens. After all, just because I’m a dad doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy a pub visit from time to time.
So that’s what Pubs with Pomme is all about: sharing local knowledge about pubs for parents, by parents.
How does Pubs with Pomme work?
For each pub we visit, we rank them using the categories listed above. This then gives them a unique Parent’s Score out of 10.
At the same time, we also assess Pomme’s reaction to the pub, which forms Pomme’s Verdict.
All of this information is then collected as part of our Pomme’s Picks League Table, and will be followed by a detailed blog post about the pub with more information.
Keen to get involved yourself?
Don’t worry, we haven’t left you out.
If you’ve got any personal favourites, you can vote for them by using our Pommunity Picks voting form.
Here, you’ll be able to pick your favourite pubs for specific categories, including where you think is the best beer garden for families, the best pub for family roast dinners or the best brewery.
All of these votes are then collected and form our Pommunity Picks League Tables, which update automatically once you’ve voted.
The winning pubs then receive a special award at the end of each year, just as a little nod to celebrate their overall family friendliness.
Where can I find baby-friendly pubs in Sussex?
If you’d like to discover baby-friendly pubs throughout Sussex, including Brighton, Hove, Lewes, Worthing and beyond, use our pub finder.
By filtering through the categories available, you’ll soon be able to find the pub you’re looking for. It’s basically like Google Maps, but for baby-friendly pubs.
Alternatively, check out our league tables or blog for further inspiration and ideas for where to visit.
As things stand, Modelo Lounge is our personal number one pick… 🍎
