REVIEW 12 - The Hove Kitchen

The Hove Kitchen

102-105 Western Road, Hove

Reservations & Enquiries: welcome@thehovekitchen.com or 01273 725495

Open: Tuesday – Saturday 9am-late and Sunday – Monday 9am-6pm

Overall rating for baby friendly dining - 5/5

The Hove Kitchen on Western Road, Hove is definitely what Hove mummies (and daddies) have been waiting for! This spacious café/bar/restaurant/play place occupies the vast space left by Barney’s and has attracted a totally new clientele. 

With it’s innovative menu, reasonable prices, baby-friendly policy and in-house play area it has something for every member of the family. Parents can enjoy something from the delicious menu, either a la carte or from a very reasonable 2-course lunch/early dinner for £10. After a lot of deliberating between Eggs Benedict, Ham Hock Terrine, Vegetarian Tapas plate or the Pie of the Day from the lunch menu we eventually opted for the vegetarian Potato Gnocchi, Creamed Savoy Cabbage, Chestnuts and Parmesan while my carnivorous companions each had the Hove Kitchen Cheeseburger with shoestring fries. Both were absolutely delicious and unfortunately left us with no room for one of their tempting desserts; the Champagne & Rhubarb Cheesecake looking particularly delightful. Next time I won’t eat such a late breakfast just so I can fit one in! Equally, the children’s menu was also quite reasonable although disappointedly not as imaginative as the adult’s selection, with fish fingers & chips; sausage & mash; and pasta, staple favourites.

My 1-year old was welcomed with a delight you don’t normally receive from such establishments – and Hove Kitchen aren’t silly – they know the clientele they’ll attract if Mums feel they can take their babies out for lunch and not be made to feel like they’re bothering other diners (and have somewhere to put their buggy too!). They happily supplied a high chair, heated up her food and provided a more than adequate baby-changing area - a load more facilities than some other places! And then to top it off, after lunch I could take my little one into the in-house play area for her to work off her lunch by chewing on some plastic fruit and sharing toys with other baby diners.

Overall, I liked the Hove Kitchen a lot – it’s a place where groups of parents and children can meet up over either coffee or lunch, provides them with all the facilities they need and makes sure that little one isn’t forgotten when it comes to food or fun.

Yummy Mummy tip – Take some extra toys to distract and entertain your little one at the table – plus some extra snacks; raisins, bread sticks in case baby’s food is too hot to eat straightaway.

Baby friendly - Yes very

High chairs - Yes 

Baby Changing - Yes

Quality of food -  Very good

Value for money -  Very good

Have you been there? Let me know what you think?

REVIEW 11 - Green Cuisine, Worthing

Green Cuisine

37 Rowlands Rd Worthing, West Sussex BN11 3JJ

Tel: 01903 211 338

Open Mon - Sat: 9am - 5pm

Overall rating for baby friendly dining - 4/5

Ooh, I found a little gem today. A very baby friendly restaurant in Worthing Town Centre, just a few minutes walk from Montague Street (The main shopping high street). Staff were super friendly and made us feel very welcome as soon as we came through the door. Plenty of room for highchairs and parking your buggies, and there is also a room out the back with some comfy sofas, for something a little more relaxed. 

Green Cuisine is most definitely the epitome of feel good dining and prides itself on being the 'ethical eaterie'. Their food caters for vegetarians, vegans, dieters and those who are unable to eat nuts or diary - to name just a few! The added bonus of course is their food is delicious. I had the 5-a-day meal for £5, which was amazing value. This was made up of a cup of homemade soup, 3 types of salads and a fruit salad for dessert. Kids meals are great value too - my little one had the veggie nuggets and veg and it also came out with popcorn, apple slices and cucumber - which was £3.50. He loved it and the staff made me feel completely ok that some of it fell on the floor...oops. 

Other items on their extensive menu included Pan Fried Sesame Halloumi, Potato, Pea and Coriander Frittata, Sharing Plates for a Plougmans or Anti-Pasti. Who cares if there is no meat included! And to make you feel even better, when you visit for a take-out all packaging is eco-friendly. 

Although it is always good to take a small bag of toys out with you when you are dining, Green Cuisine have a little box of crayons and toys to keep your little ones occupied. It's a shame there isn't a baby change unit, but I was told that they would be installing one of these soon, which is great news. 

I would definitely recommend this funky little place and I am looking forward to going back to try more of the menu. You can check out their website for more details, as they also offer a lot more than food! They have a number of events and activities, including an after school children's cookery class, craft days, book clubs, kids parties, the list goes on! Visit Green Cuisine's Website for more details. 

Yummy Mummy tip – Every Monday 9.45 - 10.15am they hold a drop in Baby and Toddler Story and Rhyme Time for £3. 

Baby friendly - Yes very

High chairs - Yes 

Baby Changing - No, but they are getting one soon!

Quality of food -  Very Good

Value for money -  Fantastic

Have you been there? Let me know what you think?

Joanne from Kitty Rose Sales talks to us about her nearly new sales for Children's things!

Each month 'Yummy Mummy Reviews' will be chatting to a local parent with an interesting story. This month we are shining the spotlight on Joanne Wood from Kitty Rose Sales. 

If you have children under 8 years old, or if your children have grown up and you don't know what do with their unused toys, clothes and other items....read on!

Tell me a bit about you?

I have two preschool daughters and have worked in higher and further education since 2002.

What is Kitty Rose Sales?

Kitty Rose Sales are nearly new sales of baby and children’s items.

What made you start Kitty Rose Sales?

I launched Kitty Rose Sales in November 2010 following a number of months fussing over the amount of toys, clothes and things that were filling the house up.  I give some items to charity and had been ebaying clothes but the thought or ebaying toys was just to much to take (it was actually queuing in the post office that put me off!).  I asked a couple of mums if they would want to have a table if I set up a sale in the local church hall.  I had an amazing response and I soon realised that this sale would not be a one off.  The government are taking so much away from us all that to have the opportunity to bring some money back into the home, and to give people the chance to buy great quality items at super prices, just has to be brilliant.

What can you expect as a buyer at the sale?

Entry to a sale is £1 for an adult buyer.  Buyers can expect to see a great range of clothes from newborn to 7years, many toys, including electrical toys, soft toys and outdoor toys, for example slides and ride ons.  Larger items will be on sale, so many great buys of pushchairs, moses baskets, highchairs, and many more things.   There are also stalls selling new items, for the February sale this Saturday at St Mary’s Hall in Goring, Kids Love Earth will be selling science items and Claire Wilson will be selling wonderful craft items.  Beefit and Jo Jingles are also coming along to inform buyers about the groups they run locally.  SCOPE are coming to raise money for their charity too with a tombola and by selling children’s items.

What can you expect as a seller?

As a seller you will be provided with a large table and a chair.  Promotional materials will be distributed all around town and given to sellers to help raise awareness of the sale to local people.  During the first sale in November a couple of sellers made £85 in the 2.5 hours the sale was open.  It all depends on what you are selling, the quality of your items and how you price them as to how much you profit from a sale.  Your profit is out of my control but I do my best to promote the sale and get in as many buyers as possible.

If someone wants to sell, what do they need to do?

If someone wishes to sell at a future Kitty Rose Sale then they need to contact me either by email joanne@kittyrosesales.co.uk, phone 07899 677190, or by coming to the February sale and booking then and there.  Sellers of pre-loved items pay £10 for a table, with Trade sellers/Information stalls paying £15.

Where are the future Kitty Rose Sale events being held?

The next two sale date are:

Saturday 9 April, The Woodland Centre, Rustington from 10am to 12pm, £1 entry

Saturday 14 May, St Mary’s Hall, Worthing from 10am to 12.30pm, £1 entry

How can people keep up to date with events?

Everyone can keep up to date with sale dates and table availability by:

• Joining the Kitty Rose Sales Facebook page
• Following Kitty Rose Sales on Twitter
• Or by checking the website at www.kittyrosesales.co.uk

What is the future of Kitty Rose Sales?

I am hoping that Kitty Rose Sales will become a regular event for our community across Sussex, with buyers and sellers knowing that they are coming to or taking part in a quality event.  I aim to run regular sales in six towns, so far I am covering Worthing and Rustington and investigating Shoreham.  If you would like to suggest a town for a regular sale spot please get in touch so I can start to investigate.  I would love to hear any thoughts that you have on my sales and any feedback, especially if you come along this Saturday, I’m so excited to see what I will have managed to create!

Thanks Joanne. Good luck with the sale on Saturday!


Saturday 26th February 10am - 12.30pm, St.Mary's Church Hall, Sea Lane, Worthing

Please leave any feedback for Joanne in the comments box below, or get in contact directly.

Don’t forget to also follow Yummy Mummy Reviews Baby Friendly Dining to get up dates on the best places to take your little ones to lunch in and around Worthing. 

Facebook Page for Yummy Mummy Reviews

Follow Yummy Mummy Reviews on Twitter 

Or visit our website

REVIEW 10 - The Black Horse, Findon

The Black Horse, Findon

High Street, Findon, West Sussex BN14 0SX

Tel: 01903 872301

www.mountainrangerestaurants.co.uk

Overall rating for baby friendly dining - 4/5

The Black Horse Restaurant and Bar is off the A24 on the Findon By Pass, just on the outskirts of Worthing. It's part of a popular local chain called Mountain Range. The owners have been inspired by Mountain life and hospitality and the decor is traditional with a modern twist, with wooden beams, chunky wooden tables, comfy seating and stone fireplaces. In the summer you can sit outside on the patio to the front of the building, it is nice but it’s next to the car park and there isn't really much playing space – something to bear in mind if your little ones are on the move!

Parking is easy as they have their own car park. This tends to get filled up quickly during busy periods, but the surrounding streets are free to park. You probably won’t need your pushchair, which is good as there isn’t much space for them in the restaurant. 

As soon as we walked in we were greeted by friendly staff and were given a high chair as soon as we got to our table. The restaurant staff were polite and attentive throughout our meal. The menu carries the theme of the Mountains such as the Alps, Himalayas and Rockies and all the food is prepared using locally sourced ingredients. Their specialty dish is the ‘Hot Rocks’, which is your choice of meat, fish or vegetables served on a very hot granite stone for you to cook, they also serve a cheese fondue. Fun, but probably not a great idea with little hands at the table, but there is plenty of choice for everyone -  gourmet burgers, pizzas, pastas, steak, fish and a range of salads. We had the mussels, which came with homemade fries – delicious! We’ve eaten here before and the food has always been lovely. Kids menu is a bit pricey at £7.50, however there are side dishes at £1.50 each, so a few of those would be ok for your babies and toddlers. It would’ve been nice if they had crayon sets for the toddlers and young children, as there isn't much room for them to walk around so you’ll need to keep them occupied. 

The baby change area is large and clean, so top marks for that. Overall, top restaurant for baby friendly dining. 

Baby friendly - Yes

High chairs - Yes

Baby Changing - Yes

Quality of food - Very Good

Value for money - Good

Have you been there? Let me know what you think?

COMPETITION TIME! Win a £25 voucher towards a meal at The Muse, Arundel.

Win a £25 voucher towards a meal at The Muse, Arundel.

For your chance to win, all you have to do is write on the Yummy Mummy Facebook wall, in no more than 50 words, why you deserve the £25 voucher for the lovely Muse Restaurant in Arundel! 

You can nominate your partner, mum, dad, friend or even yourself to win! The closing date is 31 January 2011. The two best nominations will be put to vote by our Facebook friends and the person with the most votes by 7 February 2011 will receive the voucher! 

You have to be a member of the Yummy Mummy Baby Friendly Dining page to enter. (To join just click ‘like’ under the profile picture). 

Go to Facebook now...Yummy Mummy Reviews Baby Friendly Dining

Check out the Muse Restaurant

Terms and conditions

1. Open to adults aged 18 years or over and must be UK residents, excluding employees and their immediate families of The Muse Restaurant and family of Yummy Mummy Baby Friendly Dining. 
2. The closing date for entrants will be 31 January 2011. The two finalists will be chosen on this date and the voting will open up until 7 February 2011. The person who has the most votes will be the winner and notified about claiming their voucher. 
3. The voucher must be used by 31 July 2011 and excludes Saturday evenings. Valentine’s Weekend (Friday 11 -14 February) Easter Weekend (22-25 April) and Mother’s day (Sunday 3 April).
4. The voucher can be used on food and drink items from the main menu only at The Muse Restaurant and cannot be combined with any other special offer. If the bill is under £25, change will not be given. 
5. The prizewinner will be responsible for additional payment if the bill is over £25. 
6. The prize is non transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.
7. Yummy Mummy - Baby Friendly Dining reserves the right to withdraw, change or cancel this competition at any time.
8. Promoter: Yummy Mummy - Baby Friendly Dining and The Muse Restaurant, Arundel. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yummy-Mummy-Reviews-Baby-Friendly-Dining/156533757725054

REVIEW 9 - The Muse Restaurant, Arundel

The Muse Restaurant

8 Tarrant Street, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9DG

Tel: 01903 883477

www.themuseonline.co.uk

Overall rating for baby friendly dining - 4/5

Neatly tucked away in Tarrant Street, just off the main high street in Arundel The Muse is a family friendly and independently owned restaurant. They serve freshly cooked traditional and Mediterranean style cuisine. There is a very varied menu, as a sample, you can choose from tapas, lamb shanks, vodka marinated salmon and there are plenty of delicious vegetarian options too. The great thing about The Muse which genuinely is a family friendly place is on a Sunday the roast dinners for kids (under 10) eat FREE!. Also, toddlers and babies eat free at any time when an adult meal is purchased - if only more restaurants adopted this idea. Although there isn't a kids menu, you can choose exactly what you want your little one to have - which is great! For babies, you can get a jug of hot water to heat up their food. There is plenty of room for your pushchair and high chairs are offered too. 

The staff are friendly and attentive, creating a really nice atmosphere. They are also open for breakfast and you can also hire the restaurant for parties or and will cater for large parties if you wanted to celebrate a special occasion. 

Yummy Mummy Top Tip - I would pre-book and let them know you want to reserve a high chair so it will be all ready for when you arrive. Oh, and try the humus - it's really good!

Baby friendly - Yes

High chairs - Yes

Baby Changing - No

Quality of food - Very Good

Value for money - Good

Have you been there? Let me know what you think?

REVIEW 8 - The West Cornwall Pasty Company, Worthing

The West Cornwall Pasty Company

South Street, Worthing, West Sussex

Overall rating for baby friendly dining - 3.5/5

The is a really handy place to pop into when you are out and about in Worthing Town. Ideally located at the site of the Old Ship Pub in South Street, where the front looks like an old ship. Inside you'll find seaside and pirate memorabilia, which looks great and there is plenty of room for your pushchair too. There are wooden highchairs for your little ones, but no baby changing which I was quite surprised about, especially being a chain and the fact there is a disabled toilet with plenty of room to fit one!

I'm not an expert in pasty tasting, but would say that The West Cornwall Pasty Company is up there with the best of them. They also offer wedges, sausage rolls, cakes and crisps - probably not the best place to kick start my January diet. But they also do a good cuppa and all types of coffee. 

Yummy Mummy Top Tip - Treat yourself and try a pasty - they are pretty good!!

Baby friendly - Yes

High chairs - Yes

Baby Changing - No

Quality of food - Good

Value for money - Good

Have you been there? Let me know what you think?