WHETHER you believe in the supremacy of nature or nurture, it was inevitable my little one was going to be obsessed with eating out. I don’t know whether to be proud or worried that one of his first full sentences was ‘want to go for a coffee?’
Recently kid-friendly restaurants have seriously upgraded, inspired by the kindercafe scene in trendy cities such as Berlin... such as Our Kid opening up in (where else?) Chorlton
In this job I’ve been lucky enough to take my little boy to a wide range of places to eat. There have been the posh places where the starchy maître d’ has melted into a puddle of baby-loving goo at the mere hint of dimple, and the hole-in-the-wall noodle bars with no highchairs and everything laced with super-hot chilli.
Despite the disparity, he has managed to take it all in his tiny stride so far and, until now, has behaved like a seasoned gourmand, studying menus with serious intent (upside down most of the time), filling in his face and then promptly falling asleep. Ah, like mother like son. But as the toddler years set in, I worry that not-so-delightful behavior is round the corner.
While restaurant staff are normally absolute gems with little children (they get their skills from practicing on the grown-ups), other diners are not as happy to be serenaded by tears, banging cutlery and wails for food. Families dining out can be an absolute anathema to non-parents, with running up-and-down cited as a top bugbear, but parents might be surpised to find that placating (some say anaesthetizing) with Peppa on the tablet is just as frowned upon. Apparently, when we are out and about, the Victorian model of seen and not heard (or even the Milford model of not seen and not heard) is still expected by some.
So can’t the little blighters, er darlings, just stay at home? Even some parents agree. One mum said to me, ‘I feel for other parents but when I’ve paid for a babysitter and managed to get a bit of lipstick on for once, I’d rather just have grown-up time, thanks.’
'Taking children out to eat is good for them'
In principle I’m a firm believer in the idea that taking children out to eat is good for them – it teaches them about different kinds of food in and different social expectations. It shows them that people eat together for more than just sustenance and a special meal is a way to celebrate. Plus, the world is not just made up of adults and it seems rather odd to be surprised when this is reflected in the clientele of a restaurant.
In practice, however, the stress of knowing other diners are ready to sigh and tut at the least little nugget-turned-Exocet-missile incident does take something away from the experience, and to be honest, parents don’t enjoy meltdowns over melted ice-cream any more than anyone else.
So what about so-called family friendly places? Well it is something of a relief to know that the other tables won’t get too pissed off with your parenting slips. For one thing they are too busy retrieving lost lovies and wiping up spilt juice to give a damn if your little one is crayoning on the tablecloth.
It used to be that places targeting families were rather hellish, serving only variants on the fish finger, chips and beans combo (not that there is anything wrong with that once in a while but kids like real food too) and decorated with garish novelty characters that were terrifying even to adult eyes, so god knows what nightmares they generate in teeny ones. However, recently kid-friendly restaurants have seriously upgraded, inspired by the kindercafe scene in trendy cities such as Berlin, where parenthood is not seen as instant exile from all things tasteful.
These joints serve great food while featuring play areas littered with the latest ergonomic wooden toys so that hip Mutters can relax with a coffee while their lieblings get on with the busy business of being a kid.
Our Kid founders Laura, Kate and Tess
Luckily you don’t have to get on Ryanair to experience such a sanctuary (kids on flights – well that’s a whole other article). A new family-orientated café and social space is opening up in Chorlton (where else?) that promises to be such a haven. Our Kid is opening up where the old Sweet Tooth Cupcakery used to be, retaining usage as a cafe but with plans to make it ultra-convenient for families by offering an all-day snacking menu that can be grabbed on-the-go or enjoyed in in a communal family space.
Tess Gee, one of the three mums who founded the brand, says: “There's a huge appetite for independent design-led baby and kids’ brands. Instagram is full of incredible imagery of modern family life and Chorlton is buzzing with young, vibrant parents who haven't lost the desire to feel stylish and socialise in places that reflect the latest trends. It's this vibe that we are bringing to life at the new Our Kid shop with cafe.”
She adds: “You don't always have a relaxing window of opportunity to eat with kids so we're making the space as convenient and easy as possible to be in with toys and books, secure buggy parking, perching benches and a very special design feature outside that we will reveal closer to the launch. Everyone is welcome, loads of neighbours from the surrounding residential area have stopped by to wish us well and we will be working with the likes of Big Fish Little Fish, Mamas Collective and Guilty Mothers Supper Club to offer a calendar of mini-happenings to ensure we are absolutely at the heart of modern parenting in Manchester.”
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The founding mums outside their new cafe shop on Oswald Road
Work on Our Kid is well underway
One thing more seasoned parents seem to agree on is that it is time to change expectations. One dad says to me – “it’s like a mini version of going on holiday with kids. What was once a very pleasurable experience is now very different. Trying to pretend that it'll be the same will lead to depression. A leisurely two-hour boozy lunch is a thing of the past. Best just to accept it.”
Whilst not quite so gloomy, Tess agrees that “we might not enjoy the same after-dark dinners and long lazy lunches now that we have children but we have found a brilliant network of daytime eateries in Manchester that satisfy our appetite in a slightly noisier, more pasta-based way!
“The likes of Chorlton's Lead Station, Croma and The Beagle are massively accommodating and have lovely kids menus and plenty of space for buggies and baby paraphernalia. Our boys were effectively weaned on Lead Station pasta and are on first name terms with the staff. It's great to have go-to places in town for a change and a more grown-up vibe. We love Koffee Pot for a weekend breakfast treat, Idle Hands for coffee and cake. Zieferblat is very welcoming if you need to stop-off to send work emails with kids in tow and you can't beat Bill's for tea.”
So having a kid in tow isn’t the end of eating out. Maybe I will take the little guy up on that offer of coffee after all.
Our Kid shop & cafe opens at 9a Oswald Road, Chorlton, on Friday 24 June.
