Pubs in England- Rules?
 

Our family will be visiting England in March. Just wondering since we will be having our kids ( aged 13 and 17) with us this time, will they be allowed to go with us into the pubs?
We actually don't drink but like to get our meals in pubs and we just don't know what the rules are concerning kids under age 18. Also, I know that there is some type of rule about tipping or not tipping? Any advice would be helpful!!

Thanks- Heather

It kind of depends if it's a pub or a restaurant,where it is and what time you get there.

When eating, the kids will usually be fine, some pubs don't like children to be inside after 9pm.

There are several family orientated pub chains that specialise in family dining.

We always popped in and asked the staff if we were in any doubt, but to be honest they don't like turning away custom so will usually try to accomodate.

As for tipping, it's not required. :-)

We were in England last year and saw children dining with their parents in pubs. but like Mucky said i think many do not like children there after 9pm.

Have fun!

As for tipping, it's not required>

I've never felt that it was in the zillions of pubs i've been in, but on Coronation Street, in the Rovers Return, most folks do say keep the change it seems or even will give some coin.

kids of this age will merit barely a glance.

from 14, kids can drink beer or wine with a meal in a restaurant.

from 16, they can have a shandy at the bar.

from 18, they can drink themselves senseless.

<<< some pubs don't like children to be inside after 9pm. >>>

In Scotland pubs have to be licensed to allow children in.

Teenage children dining with parents in English pubs have a far different experience to the US. I took my 16yr old son to DisneyWorld and he was not allowed out of my sight for a minute if there was alcohol in sight.
When he turned 21 we treated him to a 21st birthday in Las Vegas. The hotel put a band around his wrist, similar to newborn babies, so that he was able to go to the bar and order a drink on his own.
I am not advocating that this practise is the USA is by any means not warranted, but merely to point out British Pubs have a more relaxed approach.

There is no law or custom in the US that people must have bands around their wrists in bars. I'm sure he didn't have to do that, but I guess they thought it would be useful so he wouldn't have to be carded all the time. That is really a resort/hotel custom, not a US thing and not really similar to the situation in a small British pub. They do that in a lot of resorts in the Caribbean, for example, so they don't have to keep asking for age ID, saves a lot of time. They do it in huge resorts/hotels where there are a lot of young people who like to drink a lot (or people in general). They certainly don't do that in regular bars in just a regular city in the US.

Got it Christina. It was at the Mandalay Bay Hotel where they put the wrist bands on.

If you eat in the pub and receive service at your table, a tip will not go amiss. If you collect your food at the bar, then no.

It's a good question for a first time traveller. First time we landed in US of Disney, we received a rare old roasting from the people at Cracker Barrel. "I've got jeg lag, give me a beer". "I'm sorry sorry sir but this is a FAMILY restaurant".

Most pubs main lifeline in Britain is food and families eating food. The "boozing" only places are dying quickly. I think that it is a case of being sensible with your choices. Friday night in a city clearly is not going to be a good idea. Most pubs in the countryside will welcome families with open arms.

I agree with Lifeman!

I clicked on your enquiry keen to see what 'rules' there could possibly be concerning English pubs. As a person who frequents pubs and I am also English I'd say that each pub has different standards about what age children/teenagers are allowed in. For example we were turned away from a central London Pub. this summer because we had a 16 year old with us (four adults). Best advice- get an adult to pop inside and ask one of the bar staff. Tipping -never have!

I totally disagree with lifeman

We had a canadian visitor for a week and the last evening he took us the pub for a meal and paid by card, and was a bit shocked that they didn't put a tip on the bill, there was a very good humoured argument between him and the barstaff about whether he should tip and how much, he tried to give £10, and they refused and said if he insisted he could give £5 but would really prefer it if he gave nothing.

Remember that in pubs you have to walk up to the bar to order both food and drinks. Food will usually be brought to your table, drinks won't.

Some pubs like the kids to be gone by 9pm, and if your lkids are ina pub later than that be aware they may be exposed to languages and/or behaviour not appropriate for an adult - before anyone slams me I said 'may' not will. Pubs that have rules will normally have a sign on the door, one of my locals has this rule, kids of the premesis by 9 and last orders for kids food 8pm so they have time to finish eating.

Some pubs also have different areas where children are and are not allowed - usually they are allowed in the eating part but might not be welcome in the whole place.

If in doubt ask.

Oh and as non drinkers, cider in the UK is alcoholic, in some cases very alcoholic.

When I lived in the UK I never tipped in a bar. If I was friendly with the bar person then I would buy them a drink. But if you are vacationer you would never get to know someone that well.
So no tipping.

You'd be amazed at how fast and how WELL some people can get to know somebody when they've been drinking!

Dukey1 LOL
Shame some on this forum don¡t havea drink when psoting here.

Cheers Old Chap!
<img src=http://smilies-gifs.com/beber/25beber.gif/>

Sorry sashh, you found the one pub where tips were refused! They preferred it if he gave nothing--what largesse and well paid pub staff. Most staff in pubs are paid along the same lines as staff in restaurants--not much!

If you're too tight to tip, then don't tip but if I get good service then I'll acknowledge it.

I'm happy to be corrected, but I'm not sure that anyone under 18 is allowed alcohol of any description (including that of a shandy - usually made up of half bitter / half lemonade).

lemonade being sprite, not lemonade as north americans would expect it...

from wiki

Children under 5 must not be given alcohol unless under medical supervision or in an emergency (Children and Young Persons Act 1933, Children and Young Persons (Scotland) Act 1937).[57][58]
The minimum age for the purchase of alcohol is 18. People aged 16 or 17 may consume wine, beer or cider on licensed premises (pubs/bars/restaurants) with a table meal. In England & Wales, an adult must order.[59] In Scotland, no adult is required to be present.[60][61] The legal age for the purchase of alcohol from an off-license (store/supermarket) is 18 (The legal age to buy liqueur chocolates is 16 (however this is rarely enforced)).

Under the BBPA's Challenge 21 scheme, customers attempting to buy alcoholic beverages are asked to prove their age if in the retailer's opinion they look under 21, even though the law states they must be a minimum of 18. Many supermarket and off-licence chains display Challenge 21 notices stating that they will not serve persons who look under 21 without ID.

There is also a new "Challenge 25" scheme being rolled out in some parts of England and Northern Ireland.

Purchasing alcohol on behalf of a minor is illegal in Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales. This means acting as the young person's agent.[62][63]

1) Don't sit waiting for table service, it won't happen. Grab a table and look for a number on it somewhere, then go to the bar and order what you want. If there is no table number, they might give you one with the order, otherwise give a vague description of where you are (in the garden/over there/round the corner). Collect your drinks there and then, food will be brought to the table.

2) Don't tip barstaff. If you feel really friendly, offer to buy them a drink. They will usually say 'I'll have it later' and just keep the money. If you really want to, you could leave a tip for the food on the table but you don't have to.

3) Ordering food - sometimes there is a special place/till to order food at, look for a sign, otherwise just go to the bar.

4) Bar staff try to serve people in the order they arrive at the bar. They have pretty good memories, but if it's busy you'll have to help yourself a bit. Get some money out - a note - and casually lean on the bar holding the note up. Don't wave it about. This shows you are waiting to be served rather than just standing at the bar with a drink/your mates. Make eye contact with a barperson and smile at them, they'll remember you and come back to you. Don't try to push in - if someone else was there first and they accidentally come to serve you, you are expected to gesture at the other person and say 'they're before me'.

5) Look for specials written up on blackboards around the walls as well as the printed menu.

6)Most pubs will be ok with the kids, if not, they'll have a sign on the door saying 'No under 21s' or something. This is mostly city pubs. Real youngsters are not welcome after about 9pm, but yours are old enough to stay if they behave themselves and the pub doesn't get too leary for them. Country pubs are more family friendly. Your oldest can have a beer/wine/cider with the meal if you buy it.

Don't sit waiting for table service, it won't happen. >>

unless you are at one of the pubs which have a "restaurant" section in which case you will get table service. and then a tip would be appropriate, but it needn't be lavish.

just to confuse you even more, some places have table service but will take orders at the bar too. for the same tables.

unless it were a real "adults only pub", if someone asked me to leave with a 16 year old in tow, there would be 4 adults not going back.

as for the supply of alcohol to children [defined as " an individual under the age of 16"] S145 of the licensing Act of 2003 reads as follows:

(4)A person (“the relevant person”) commits an offence if—.
(a)he buys or attempts to buy alcohol for consumption on relevant premises by an individual aged under 18, or.
(b)where he is a member of a club—.
(i)by some act or default of his, alcohol is supplied to him, or to his order, by or on behalf of the club for consumption on relevant premises by an individual aged under 18, or.
(ii)he attempts to have alcohol so supplied for such consumption..
(5)But subsection (4) does not apply where—.
(a)the relevant person is aged 18 or over,.
(b)the individual is aged 16 or 17,.
(c)the alcohol is beer, wine or cider,.
(d)its purchase or supply is for consumption at a table meal on relevant premises, and.
(e)the individual is accompanied at the meal by an individual aged 18 or over.


which means that a 16 or 17 year old may drink alcohol in a pub/restaurant with a meal if the alcohol is beer, wine or cider, so long as someone aged 18 or over is with them.

i hope that's clear.

ann

Thank's for the education, I know our rules will be different to laws for those who were conquered by the Emperer Hadrian but I am enlightened to find that under 18s can drink with a meal. I was aware of the LA 2003 but not this. Very strange law IMHO.

I admit now I've skimmed most of the above posts, so apologies if I've missed something I should have read.

My 17yo son works in a country pub (in the Cotswolds) which serves good food. He cannot work behind the bar and actually pour drinks until he is 18, but he can carry drinks to tables.

Mostly, alcohol is served at the bar but if a customer wants a top up my son will take the order, the bar person will fulfill it, and my son then carries it to the table.

The initial food order is generally taken at the bar but the wait staff look out for customers sitting at tables, menu in hand, who might wish to order at the table. The dessert menu is usually ordered at the table unless the customer particularly wishes to return to the bar to place his order.

Tips are not expected but are gratefully received by the wait staff. Individuals do not keep their tips, it all goes in a communal pot which is divvied up.

Funny thing is, this is now almost a 'gastro-pub'. 30 years ago it was a real 'spit-and-sawdust' place. You'd go in at the front door into the Smoke Room where there was also the Off Licence window. Here there really was sawdust on the floor and spittoons full of fag butts and the rest (!). To the left was the door into the Public Bar where MEN would go to play darts and drink serious dark beer! There was a separate door outside on the right which led into the Lounge Bar which was where WOMEN aka LADIES were supposed to go and drink sweet sherry. I once caused much ado by ordering a bloody mary in here once Sunday evening! Here there were shiny red plastic seats and a single bar electic fire which was only lit if a LAYDEE was present. I think this room was used only a few times a year!

But now it's a real fancy place. Note they say 'Children are welcome, but are expected to blend in and behave appropriately'.

http://www.blackhorseamberley.co.uk/

yanumpty,

before the 2003 Act, the law in England and Wales was, I think, as set out in my first post - beer, wine and cider with a meal from 14 upwards.

the 2003 Act TIGHTENED the law up.

not sure why you find this strange - IME [and lots of my clients are alcoholics] it is not generally the kids who are having a small glass of wine with a meal with their parents at age 16 who end up binge drinking at 18.

but perhaps you Scots are different in this, as in other respects?

[i might look up the Scottish licensing Act later, if I'me really bored!]

We were just in London and I highly doubt if your children will be turned away from any pub. We took our kids to a pub in Chester (northern England). We did ask because we had a large group of teens with us. They didn't drink alcohol, but I am sure they would have been served if they wanted to be.(They were all 17 except for one who was 16.)

My DH tipped a bartender in a small pub and bought the other guy at the bar a drink. He being the happy american now had two best friends. LOL DH doesn't drink very much because he takes heart medications, but he had had a few and was enjoying himself. He would have tipped with or without the drinks in him because that is just what he does, but it was funny to watch him interacting with these two local guys.

ann

It's not a situation I have yet to encounter. We have a small child so no issues with him. When I was 16 I know I used to drink in pubs alone, we were all tall and looked way over 18. We probably viewed it as a "well everyone speeds law". I have never been away of the specifics regarding drinking under 18. thanks for the information.

Bellini

There is a huge difference between nightlife in towns and in the countryside. As far as families are concerned most country pubs will welcome children. Generally, in cities families eat out in restautants, pubs tend to be more bar type affairs dominated by under 40s who are say drinking after work. There are accepttions but these are the generalities.

It's not a situation I have yet to encounter. We have a small child so no issues with him.>>

yanumpty, i know it's a cliche, but before you know it, he'll be all growed up and buying you a pint.

"yanumpty, i know it's a cliche, but before you know it, he'll be all growed up and buying you a pint"

After I have given him £20 going into the pub.

>>After I have given him £20 going into the pub.<<

You won't have put him to work down the haggis mines already?

back again.

yanumpty - the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 [not much on telly tonight!] has a similat clause [S105 (5)] to the english legislation, allowing service of beer, wine, cider and perry [illegal this side of the border, or at least not specifically permitted though it would make a nice point for a defence] to "young persons", by which i take it they mean 16 & 17 year olds.

not so strange then.