Brewer's Fayre Half-Term Family Fun

This half term holiday, Brewers Fayre pub restaurants will be offering loads of family activities to keep the whole family entertained from themed arts and craft activities to mini discos - there's lots going on around the country.

We checked out our local Brewers Fayre resturant - The Weather Vane in Bracknell - to get a taste of what is to come over half term. At the table, Lara and Holly really enjoyed solving puzzles and colouring in their Beano-themed activity books. At some of the Play at Brewers Faure sites around the country, you'll find their recently refurbished Beano themed soft play areas where your children can work up an appetite before their meal while you chill out with a drink!

 

For extra entertainment during Half Term, Brewers Fayre will be featuring fun discos on both Friday 19th and Saturday 20th February at selected Brewers Fayres (check online to see if your local restaurant is taking part). The Toddlers disco will run from 9.30am – 3pm while the Kids disco will run from 3.30- 7.30pm at a cost of £3 per child.

When it comes to food, its easy to see why Brewers Fayre are a UK family favourite. We were all spoiled for choice from the kids Beano menu, the regular adult menu packed full of pub classics and of course the daily Chef's Counter which features a different themed food every day of the week including a Pizza Parlour, Burgers & Hot Dogs, Mexican favourites, Curry Night or a special Sunday Roast. The Brewer's Fayre daytime value offer runs from 12 - 6pm Monday to Friday and means guests can enjoy two starters for £2.50, two mains from just £10.99 and two desserts for £2.50, so eating out during the holidays is certainly affordable.

Lara and Holly both tucked into the roast dinner at the Chef's table and even had room for a dessert afterwards - Lara chose dipping doughnuts with chocolate sauce and popping candy, and Holly devoured a Cadbury chocolate ice cream Sunday. With full tummies, Lara and Holly were delighted to leave with a Beano balloon.

Look out for half term activities at your local Brewers Fayre restaurant.  I was really pleasantly surprised by our recent trip to Brewers Fayre in Bracknell - particularly with the staff who were friendly and attentive.

The #JingleEffect - a festive family meal at TGI Fridays

We had a really wonderfully festive day today.  One of those days which really gets you into the Christmas mood.

After swimming lessons and Rainbows this morning we headed over to Reading for a spot of Christmas decoration shopping and a festive meal at TGI Fridays.

TGI Fridays had invited us to experience their festive fun this Christmas.  Their children's menu has received a festive makeover with options for both smaller appetites (The Little League) and larger appetites (The Major League) from just £4.99.  The most fun thing on the festive menu being a gloriously exciting Rudolf milkshake topped with whipped cream, chocolate eyes and a big fat cherry for a nose.  The girls LOVED this chocolate milkshake.

For grown ups you can ask for the #JingleEffect menu which has also had a bit of a festive makeover but we stuck to our favourites - I chose a very yummy burger topped with pulled-pork, choose and BBQ sauce.  Lara's major league meal of meatballs, pasta and garlic bread was a portion big enough for an adult... and she very nearly ate it all!  Holly chose Chicken Tenders with crudites, waffles and beans.

The girls both received a fun pack to keep them entertained while they waited for their food - the pack contained Christmassy puzzles, colouring pictures and festive facts.  While we were waiting for our food, the girls got busy colouring in their #JingleEffect bells with their own designs and, as we left the restaurant, they hung their bells on the big Christmas tree at reception.  

We thought the staff and food at TGI Fridays in Reading (Caversham Road) were perfect - we had a fabulous lunch and it really set our weekend off to a wonderful Christmassy start without losing that American style.  The best moment of the meal was when Lara pointed out that there were black music circles on the wall of the restaurant... they would be vinyl records my dear!

After lunch the girls had a quick nap before we went shopping for a Christmas tree.  We surprised them with a visit to see Father Christmas - the girls were soooooo excited and totally enthralled by the magic. In the evening we decorated our tree together.  It is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

Lara and Holly Test Out the New Little Chef Menu

If, like us, you are hitting the roads for a few days away over half-term then you're likely to spot a Little Chef restaurant on your travels.  We got a chance to try out the brand new Little Chef menu which features lots of dishes you might not have expected such as Bockwurst hot dogs and a very yummy-sounding sirloin steak and red onion sandwich.

Last weekend we visited Little Chef at Wisley South on the A3 near Guildford.  Inside, this Little Chef has a mixture of sit-down restaurant and cafe-style sofas and bars for if you simply want to pop in for a cake and a hot drink.  There is even a takeaway area.  But, when we're travelling as a family we usually like to take a long, leisurely break so we sat down in a booth and relaxed to enjoy out lunch.

The girls each ordered a main meal and a drink from the children's menu which was filled with classic children's favourites such as macaroni cheese, pizza, chicken goujons and of course, a Little Chef breakfast.  The children's menu offers a main course and a pudding for only £4.98.  Lara chose an awesome pancake option for pudding which included a classic Little Chef thick pancake with pots of chocolate sprinkles, chocolate drops and chocolate sauce for you to make your own pancake creation!

Mr. B. and I were both spoilt for choice on the new menu.  Mr. B. went for the all-time Little Chef classic, an Olympic Breakfast with all of the cooked breakfast trimmings you could ask for.  I chose a breakfast burger and oh my goodness, did it hit the spot.  I have clear memories of a bad burger experience at a Little Chef restaurant many many moons ago and this burger thankfully blew all those memories away - it was a thick, meaty burger made with crumbly real beef mince packed into a slightly sweet cob roll and topped with bacon and egg.  Healthy?  No - but perfect after a late night  with friends the day before!

The food quality at Little Chef Wisley South exceeded my expectations (although I did wish that my girls had got a little more adventurous than fish fingers and chips!).  I thought the customer service was a bit slow with staff struggling to meet the demand but, as I always find at Little Chef, the chef themselves really impressed.  The cooking area is open to view and I could see a single member of staff meeting the demands of the full lunch time rush.

To finish, Mr. B. and I shared one of the new pancake stacks piled high with fresh banana and toffee sauce.  Unfortunately, we noticed too late that ours didn't come with the expected ice-cream.  I think that chef maybe was a little too under pressure!

Our Little Chef adventure was never going to push any culinary boundaries but I think the food was good for a roadside experience and bettered my expectations. I felt the restaurant itself could have done with an extra member of staff to keep on top of the orders, and keeping tables and floors clean.

You can find out if there is a Little Chef on your half-term travels using their restaurant finder.

Disclosure: We were sent a contribution towards out meal.

The Sun Inn - Family Friendly Eating in Hampshire

As a family, we love to eat out.  Sometimes for a special treat, sometimes just as a means of release from the fast pace of life.  Our girls come with us 99.9% of the time, regardless of whether we are eating in a smart restaurant, or a local 'caff'. This weekend we were invited to test out the family-friendliness of The Sun Inn, a gastro pub near Dummer, just outside Basingstoke in Hampshire.  It was a brilliant meal out and I have a special discount offer for Mellow Mummy readers...

Our first impressions were great - it was astonishingly easy to get to, just a minute from the M3, junction 7.  In fact, if you've ever driven on the M3 near the A303 turning, you've probably seen the Sun Inn down below you!

Last week The Sun Inn launched their new seasonal menu and we were some of the first people to try it out.  I loved the great gastro-pub balance between classic pub dishes (such as fish and chips, pork ribs or beef burger) and more "restauranty" main meals; we visited at lunchtime on Saturday where there was also a range of sandwiches available, and my, did they look good!

I was most impressed by the children's menu which was just a mini version of the main menu.  Lara and Holly were both drawn to the idea of mini meatballs for their starter which arrived with a dipping bowl of ketchup.  It is a long time since I have seen Holly eat with quite as much enthusiasm - a big hit.

Myself and Mr. B. found it hard to choose a starter, there were so many tempting dishes.  In the end I chose a very delicate hand-made butternut squash and sage ravioli served with a red pepper and carrot broth.  I though the dish was elegant and executed to a very high standard, though I did find the sage and squash flavours a little lost in the strong red broth (though I wouldn't have sacrificed the pasta... it was perfect).  Mr. B. enjoyed his roasted pork belly but was most wowed by the smoked apple puree - both dishes were served with micro-leaves such as rocket which may sound very chef-y but it was quite comforting to see these growing in the greenhouse behind the restaurant after our meal!

 

For their main course, both Lara and Daddy chose fish and chips.  The title does it a dis-service. Beer-battered fish (made with local ales), crushed peas, tartar sauce and the most amazing triple-cooked chips.  Lara is a big fan of the triple-cooked chip and finished off every morsel of her food.  I would say that the silence from both her, and Daddy during the meal just went to show how much they enjoyed it.

Holly chose a handmade burger from the menu, also served with those crispy, chunky triple-cooked chips.  Their children's meals were part of a fixed-price two or three course menu with three courses costing £11.95.

I chose a main course from the A-la-carte menu to really see what all the fuss about head-chef  (and landlord) Gordon Stott was all about.  My Roasted lamp chump with wild rice, broccoli veloute, buttered curly kale, honey poached figs and star anise reduction was one of the more expensive dishes on the menu (£17.95) and was a flavour combination unlike anything I've ever tried before. I thought the partnership of star-anise with the wild rice and lamb was very clever (and not something I'd have been brave enough to try myself) and the figs paired with lamb is definitely a combo I want to eat again.  My lamb was tender and tasty but could have been improved by a bit more colour or caramelisation during cooking.

Our meal was finished off with a selection of Hampshire ice-creams.  Mr. B. and I were both a bit too stuffed to really appreciate the stunning dessert menu... I'm now regretting not having tried the "Taste of the Fair Ground" which featured candy floss, popcorn, doughnuts, marshmallows and candy apples.

We really enjoyed our meal at the Sun Inn and felt the dining area was well suited to children with easy access to the toilets or through the small bar to the sizeable garden which features countryside views, large grass areas and an excellent wooden play area.  On days when the children weren't in tow, I think we would also have enjoyed sharing a bar meal in the comfy sofa areas inside the Sun Inn.

SPECIAL OFFER: If you book a family meal at The Sun Inn, Dummer between now and the end of October, kids can eat free if you quote Mellow Mummy when booking.

• One free child per one paying adult. 
• Please quote 'MELLOW MUMMY' when booking.
• The offer is valid until October 31st 2014.
• Children can eat at any time during restaurant opening times.
• This offer is not valid with any other offer.

On a Sunday you can enjoy a roast dinner at the Sun Inn (along with a smaller selection from the main menu).  You can find out more about the Sun Inn near Dummer over on Facebook, twitter and on their own website.

New Zizzi Bambini Menu Review #ZizziBambini

Last week we were away on holiday. On our return, we celebrated the end of a wonderful holiday with a brilliant family meal out at our local Zizzi italian restaurant to try out their new children's menu - The Zizzi Bambini menu.

The new bambini menu is quite phenomenal value for only £6.75 for three courses.  The girls started off with a light starter of dough sticks, cucumber and carrot sticks which helped keep them occupied while we devoured our own sharing platter of bread and olives.

The Bambini menu is all about creativity.  From the very moment you walk in, your children are encouraged to get arty, not only with their food, but with their placemat and hat.  The girls were supplied with a pot of Crayola Twistables with which to start drawing on their menus (a picture of the Mona Lisa on one side, and puzzles and a colouring competition on the other).  Alongside these fun, chunky crayons there was a sheet of stickers each.  Lara used her crayons and stickers to create a picture of her ideal Zizzi restaurant in a sunny field and, of course, we entered her drawing into the monthly colouring competition so she is in with a chance of winning a free family meal and a Crayola goody bag.

When it comes to the food, your kids can get creative too.  The menu offers a "design your own" pizza option where your children are given a few pots of different fresh toppings that they can use to decorate their otherwise plain pizza.  The girls were given slices of ham, cherry tomatoes and pitted black olives and had great fun placing them on their pizza - Lara created this happy holiday face.

I think we were all a little surprised that the toppings were raw - I think we were expecting the girls to have a chance to put the toppings on their pizzas before they were placed in the oven but in fact the pizzas arrived ready cooked.  Holly didn't seem to mind but I think Lara was as surprised as we were.

The DIY element of the meal didn't stop with the pizzas though.  Holly's dessert was a set of mini vanilla ice cream cones which she could decorate using sprinkles of chocolate popping candy (or "candy pop" as her big sister calls it).  This was quite phenomenally messy.

To finish off the meal the girls were both offered a little choccaccino which is basically hot chocolate.  We loved that it was presented in a glass insulated mug, just like the grown-ups drinks and Lara loved it so much that she has seconds.

The entire bambini menu at Zizzi was perfectly suited to my two girls.  Real food.  Mini versions of the grown-up's dishes but with that added level of excitement to keep them interested for the entire meal.  We were in the restaurant for over 1.5 hours which is unheard of for us because normally the girls lose interest and start misbehaving but this night was different because they had great food and lots of puzzles and colouring to keep them occupied.

Of course, Zizzi isn't all about the kids and both Mr. B. and myself enjoyed out meals too - I had great fun with my dangling chicken Spiedini skewer which was served with yummy Tuscan potatoes and Mr. B enjoyed his ENORMOUS rustica pizza.  It was a brilliant evening, really relaxing and enjoyable and we will definitely be going back to Zizzi soon.

 

Inspire your kids creativity this summer by trying out the new Bambini menu. You can find your local restaurant here. Share your kid’s creations using #ZizziBambini on all your favourite social channels.

Disclosure: Out meal was supplied by Zizzi for the purposes of the review.  It was blimming awesome though!

Getting Kids Cooking - Pizza Making With The Pros

A couple of weeks ago Lara and Holly were lucky enough to spend the day learning how to make pizza with the pros at Pizza Express. To celebrate the launch of the new Pizza Express Picolo menu for children, Lara and Holly were taught how to stretch their own pizza, cover it in unctuous tomato sauce and select their favourite fresh toppings. I have to say it was one of the best days out we have had - the two girls absolutely LOVED it. The excitement the girls found in creating their own pizza followed by the pleasure they showed when it came to eating their own creations really demonstrates how much children enjoy getting involved in the food they eat.

The new Pizza Express menu features little versions of some of the adult pizzas on the menu (as well as some new in-house pasta dishes) but the beauty is that children are now encouraged to chop and change the toppings on their pizza to ensure that they get something they really want to eat... the imagery on the menu really focuses on the fresh vegetable toppings and I must say that both Lara and Holly tried toppings I would never have dreamed they would enjoy! The pizzas are slightly lower in salt these days too which means I was comfortable letting Holly, at just under a year old, join in with our family meal out.

Take a look and see how much they enjoyed the experience! My favourite photo is of Holly eating the no-added-sugar raspberry sorbet!

Eating Out With Babies & Toddlers – Gadgets That Make Life Easier

As you know, I'm particularly keen on encouraging people to eat out with their babies and toddlers. I strongly believe that the social experience of a special meal away from home shouldn't be reserved for adults only. I know lots of parents are put off the idea of eating at a restaurant with their child for a number of reasons, most commonly the embarrassment of them misbehaving, but also the stress of getting them to sit still and I often hear mums complain about the cleanliness of restaurant high chairs. I thought I'd do a summary of some of the great gadgets that exist to make your life easier when eating out with a baby or child and which address some of the common concerns.

The Fabric Highchair

   

Regular readers will know that I really, really rate my Totseat (around £22) washable, squashable highchair. It has been with us the world over and has been particularly useful in parts of the world where restaurants don't commonly provide highchairs. We have used the Totseat right through from when Lara was first able to sit unaided, right through to toddlerhood. It is washable and fits on any chair, anywhere so I know that when I go into a restaurant it doesn't matter if they don't have a highchair available, or if they are all really manky – I will always have somewhere for Lara to sit. You can buy the Totseat online from lots of great retailers including My Funny Bunny and Hippychick.



We recently tried out the Koo-di Pack-It seat harness (around £10) which is, if anything, even more compact than the Totseat. It folds into itself so you don't risk the possibility of losing the carry case. It isn't quite as flexible when it comes to the numbers of styles and shapes of chair that you can put it on (our own dining chairs were too tall for it), but most restaurants (such as Cafe Rouge, above) have pretty standard shaped chairs so this would rarely be a problem. It is also washable and it is so tiny when folded that you'd have to have a pretty good excuse not to have one in your changing bag at all times. Koo-di seat harnesses can be found at Amazon John Lewis, Asda, and Mothercare among other retailers, (a complete list can be found at Koo-di's own website. The Koo-di Pack-It is suitable from 6-30 months although our reviewer felt that even at its tightest setting, the Koo-di seat harness was a little baggy for her (larger than average) 7 month old so, as always, you should exercise caution when your child sits in a highchair - particularly a fabric highchair on an adult's seat.

A foldable washable highchair such as the Koo-di Pack-It or Totseat can be life-changing. That might sound over-the-top but really, it opens up all sorts of new avenues for you of days out, or visits to restaurants or cafes you would otherwise consider off-limits. Jojo Maman Bebe sell a number of foldable highchairs – one of great interest to me is their wipe-clean pocket highchair which might save on washing the highchair after pretty much every use!

The Travel Booster
Foldable highchairs are fab but they do suffer from one down-side. Adult chairs are often very low and toddlers who want to eat at the table can struggle to reach their plates. I often get around this by sitting Lara on a cushion and then strapping her in.

  

Another solution is the travel booster seat such at this one from Polar Gear (around £22) which you can buy from Jojo Maman Bebe or Amazon. Suitable from around 1 year old, we've found the Polar Gear booster to be really well designed and effective. It straps to the seat with clip-on straps, one of which can also be used as a carry-handle (the others do tend to get in the way a bit when not in use). The seat is wipe-clean and is a good size so, unlike many travel highchairs, it will be suitable for toddlers right up until their are old enough to sit in an adult chair. The Polar Gear booster comes with a folding changing mat but we think it works well as a wipe-clean placemat to keep the dining table clean.

Amazon also sell the similar Munchkin Travel Booster (£19.99) which has the added bonus of storage space inside the booster pack to put a drink, or baby wipes.



The Tray Cover
Restaurant highchairs are not always the cleanest of things. Its hard enough keeping your own highchair clean so the last thing you want to do when you get to a restaurant is to start cleaning away other children's muck from the tray. I've seen some fairly disgusting ones in my time and have had to put in a lot of elbow grease to shift the crusty bits of baby-gack before letting Lara take her seat.



Tidy Trays (£15) have a neat solution to the problem. The Tidy Tray is a light fabric washable high chair tray cover that you can take with you anywhere. It simply slips over the tray of the restaurant's highchair meaning you're in control of the hygiene at mealtimes! Jojo Maman Bebe sell the Tidy Tray but for a full list of stockists, check out the Tidy Trays website.

The Hygeine Solution


And, if you are happy to use the restaurant's own highchair but would rather it were a little more sanitary then can I recommend these wipes from Tommee Tippee (£1.99 for 30). I know that they are called teat and teether wipes, but I now keep a pack of these biodegradable wipes in my changing bag and use them on highchairs and changing mats when I'm out and about.

Colouring Pencils In Restaurants – A Rant

Dear restaurant owner, please ask before offering my child colouring pencils or crayons at the dining table. It isn't allowed at home, so why would it be allowed in your restaurant?

Lara has been dining out with us at restaurants since she was 3 weeks old! At 19 months she is now old enough to sit up at the table with us and enjoy a meal (quite what foods she gets to enjoy depends on the 'children's menu' available but I shall save THAT rant for another day). Over the last few of months, every time I have taken Lara to a restaurant, she has been presented with some paper and coloured pencils... this is doing my head in.

Lara enjoying a meal out when she was 8 months old!

Like all toddlers, Lara can be a bit of a handful when she is hungry, and if she gets bored she sometimes needs some entertaining. I understand the thinking behind the presentation of coloured pencils to children, I really do, but I just wish that restaurateurs would ask me before supplying 'entertainment' for my own children. I want Lara to grow up to know how to behave at the dinner table and to join in with the pre-dinner chit cat with the grown ups. Dining out is as much about the social occasion as it is about the food. I don't want Lara to be the troublesome kid causing havoc, or the child who ignores everything going on around them. I don't want her to be absorbed in colouring pencils, or a personal console, or even a cuddly toy... I want Lara to join in with us.

That isn't to say that I would always refuse the offer of colouring pencils in a restaurant. No, sometimes I need all the help I can get to keep her calm until the food arrives. But, once the crayons have arrived, there is no going back and even food can sometimes be ignored in favour of frantic scribbling. For this reason, Mr or Mrs waitress, kindly ask me before plonking the colouring pencils down in front of my child. Thank you.