Kokova Magazine

Recent news has ruffled some feathers. Parental feathers it seems. Landlords have starting banning children from their pubs after certain times, or altogether. Is this due to lifestyle changes over the last few decades or simply down to bad manners?

Banning children from pubs seems to be a growing trend - or necessity. After the failure of an interim measure (banning children after 5pm) Egil Johansen, the landlord of the Kenton pub in Hackney, has finally had enough and banned children completely.

"It was like the wild west. If you had an hour, I could talk you through so many scenarios."

Egil Johansen

Back in the 1970s the UK pub scene was still influenced by traditional, gender-segregated spaces. Social changes were beginning to break down those barriers, but women were often separated in the saloon or lounge bar rather than the public bar, which was traditionally dominated by working-class men. Children were left outside.

Taking your children into the local pub was never an option when I was growing up. My siblings and I spent many a night sat in the back of my dad's old van, with a bottle of pop and a packet of crisps to share between us. No toilet breaks, no noise allowed, just sit and enjoy the treat and wait for my parents return. They were never in the pub for more than a quick drink on the way back from a day out and frequent checks were made. It was a working-class norm and we never questioned it.

Jump forward a few more decades and in the 2000s more pubs were becoming food venues, inviting families into restaurant areas where children could finally join their parents in for a meal. This led to the addition of paper placemats and crayons to keep the little ones occupied. And eventually, aside from the odd farmer and his dog, pubs were not only brimming with families and children but you also had to negotiate their pet dogs.

Now some landlords are fighting back, banning children from coming into their bars altogether after certain times. A few more have gone one step further and are banning dogs too, or limiting them to certain areas. Is this an unwarranted over-reaction, or a sensible decision due to social and lifestyle changes across the UK.

In Europe, many families dine together, go to bars together, and take their children out socialising of an evening. The stark contrast is their children are often well-behaved and have impeccable table manners. In the UK, many parents leave their parental responsibilities at the door, alongside their control over the family dog.

It seems that some pubs are already happy to report that they are reaping the rewards from their decisions to either ban children or limit their entry after set times. Mandy Keefe and John Forge reopened The Wheel Inn in Westwell, near Ashford in October 2024, and promptly excluded under-14s. Stephen Boyd, owner of The Alma in Crystal Palace has banned children under-10. William The Fourth, Leyton, banned children after 6pm in November 2025 but has extended this by an hour now to 7pm. We are certain that this is going to be a growing list as more pubs and venues follow with exclusions. However, others are welcoming everyone to the bar and are adamant that they have no plans to seclude or exclude any patrons, no matter what age. This should start to give pub-goers more choice depending on their preference.

Up until 1995, England and Wales had laws that prevented anyone under the age of 14 from entering pubs, but with modern regulations like the Licensing Act 2003 allowing establishments to set their own policies regarding children, there is greater flexibility. However, this does not mean that landlords are duty bound to provide these options - however unpopular.