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.

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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?

REVIEW 7 - FOOD Restaurant, Worthing

FOOD Restaurant

6 New Street, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 3BT

Tel: 01903 227780

Open daily: 11.30am - 12am

Overall rating for baby friendly dining - 4/5

This is a great place for baby friendly dining. Located in the Worthing town centre, FOOD is a well presented restaurant and is very spacious so plenty of room for pushchairs and all the bags you need to carry when you have a baby in tow! The staff were very friendly and attentive, ensuring we were all ok and we had everything we needed, including the all important highchair. 

They have an Express Lunchtime Menu (served 12pm-5pm) which is £6, or you have the option to order from the main menu. You can choose from roast pork, fish & chips, steak, coconut rope mussels or Mexican nachos to name a few. The lunch special is great value and the food is really good. For the little ones, they have a children's menu for under 10's. It is £5.50 and you'll get a main course, drink and ice-cream which is a bit pricey. There isn't a vegetarian option which I was a bit surprised about. 

Overall, FOOD has a great relaxed atmosphere and definitely embraces its family cliental whether you are looking to celebrate a special occasion or a quick lunch. I give it a thumbs up for baby friendly dining. 

Yummy Mummy Top Tip - Recommend you book as it can get busy!

Baby friendly - Yes

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 6 - The Booted Bantam, Worthing

The Booted Bantam

6 Stanford Square, Warwick Street, Worthing BN11 3EZ

Tel: 01903 208141

Opening daily: 7.45am - 10pm, 7 days a week

Overall rating for baby friendly dining - 3/5

The Booted Bantam is a fairly new restaurant in Worthing and is the home of the spit roasted chicken. The size of the restaurant looks quite deceiving from the outside, but it extends back quite far, which means there is enough room for your pushchairs! It is great to see something a bit different in town and the dining experience really works. They offer an extensive menu; whether you are looking for a hearty breakfast, a slice of cake and coffee, sandwich, wrap or burger. Or you may opt for their signature spit roast chicken with a range of sides including macaroni cheese, Caesar salad and potato gratin to name a few! They also have a number of vegetarian options too. The food is presented well and it was really nice! 

The Booted Bantam promotes itself as a family friendly restaurant. They offer parties for children under 10 and there is also a 'design your own ice-cream' competition which is great for older kids, but for us with babies and toddlers I was a bit disappointed for a couple of reasons. There's a disabled toilet which has plenty of room for a baby change unit, but there isn't one, so you will have to change your little ones on the floor. The other reason, is the kids menu is £7.50 which is really overpriced, compared to other restaurants in town which are more around the £5 mark. My meal only cost £7, so I wouldn't expect to pay more for my little one's lunch. The portions are good, so I was able to share mine. It was a shame as it has the potential to be a very 'baby' friendly place. 

We dined on a Saturday lunchtime which was a bit hectic, but it was a full house so it was understandable. The staff were really friendly and once we ordered the food it came out really quickly. I am definitely going to go back, but would probably opt for a mid-week lunch when it is a bit quieter. I would imagine it has a great atmosphere in the evening too, so am looking forward to trying it out with friends. *Calls up babysitter*

Yummy Mummy tip – From 8.30-11am you can get a a hot drink and a bacon or sausage bap for £1.85, plus as many refills as you like! Now that's good value. 

Baby friendly – Yes, kind of. 

High chairs - Yes 

Baby Changing - No

Quality of food - Very Good

Value for money - Yes

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