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A landlord has banned under-18s from his London pub, blaming ‘entitled’ parents for their children’s disruptive behaviour.
Egil Johansen, who runs the Kenton Arms in Hackney, has ruled out the entry of under 18s over a lack of supervision from adults.
The pub had previously implemented restrictions on the attendance of adolescents, allowing them only until 5pm if supervised by parents.
However, continuing issues have resulted in the venue now prohibiting entry of children at any time.
In a statement from the Kenton Arms, the pub highlighted that the decision “isn't about children themselves”, but was instead about “the level of supervision needed in what can be a very crowded, busy space.”
“Ultimately, we're not able to take on responsibility of other people's children. Despite clear signage and reminders from staff, the problem has persisted,” they added.
The venue said they wanted to maintain their focus on “serving good pints” and keeping a “relaxing atmosphere” in future.
The decision comes shortly after the William the Fourth pub in Leyton introduced a 7pm ban on youngsters in a crackdown on poor behaviour.
The Nags Head in Walthamstow also administers a child-free policy.
Mr Johansen had previously criticised a sense of “entitlement” from some customers over the behaviour of their children, reminding them it was a “pub, and not a playground” in a statement online.
“We've had kids running around unsupervised, a couple of accidents, and parents blaming the pub instead of keeping an eye on their little ones,” the venue stated.
Mr Johansen added that the behaviour had only worsened since 2015 – although was unsure on the cause.
Children are generally allowed in pubs until around 7-9pm, assuming they are supervised by adults, although this is at the discretion of management and licensing conditions.
Opinion on the decision is split, and comments on the Kenton Arms’ social media announcement have been turned off.
The full statement
An update from The Kenton: A few months ago, we shared that we were reviewing our policy around children in the pub.
After careful consideration, we’ve made the decision that The Kenton will now be an over-18s pub at all times.
We want to be clear that this isn’t about children themselves, it’s about the level of supervision needed in what can be a very crowded, busy space. Ultimately, we’re not able to take on responsibility of other people’s children. Despite clear signage and reminders from staff, the problem has persisted.
As a small, drinks-led pub, our focus is on serving good pints and maintaining a relaxed atmosphere for everyone.
This wasn’t a decision we took lightly, but it’s the most practical way for us to run the pub safely and support our staff.
Thanks as always for your understanding and support.
Team Kenton x
