BABIES WHO LUNCH
Think you can’t dine in the city’s top restaurants with your baby in tow? Think again. Babies Who Lunch takes mums and their little ones to some of the best restaurants across London. BWL was set up by Emma Carter while on her maternity leave and to date they have eaten in some of the top restaurants as well as hosted many cultural outings.
WLM recently caught up with Emma:
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m originally from Scotland but have been South of the Border for more years than I care to admit! I live in Putney with my ten-month-old son, Noah, and my fluffy Finnish Lapphund, Usko. I’m a lawyer by profession, working in-house.
What inspired you to start Babies Who Lunch?
It began when Noah was two weeks old and I wanted to get out and explore London with other mums. As someone who loves dining out in London’s restaurants, I saw that there were lots of private dining rooms and that these would be a great space to use for parents and babies to enjoy lunch. I started a Facebook group called Babies Who Lunch and Explore London and posted on some parent Facebook groups. In a matter of days I had a few hundred members, and I organised our first event at Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Oriental a few weeks later. I really wanted to show London parents that you could still do most of the things that you did before becoming a parent, like fine dining and a tour at a museum. The idea is that you are among fellow parents so you can relax and have some adult time but without needing a babysitter. We have had almost 50 events since February—I think Noah has to be the best dined and cultured baby in London! I was really excited and proud to find out that we have been chosen as a finalist in the Mumpreneur Awards 2014!
What makes Babies Who Lunch unique and how does it work?
There isn’t anything out there quite like it—at least that I know of! How it works is all the food and cultural events are listed on the website www.babieswholunchlondon.com. You can book directly using PayPal or a credit/debit card. All the information about the event and how to get there is set out. For our cultural tours you can usually purchase either a buggy space—taking your buggy on the tour with you—or a babywearing space (carrying your baby in an Ergo, wrap, BabyBjorn, etc.). Once you have booked for an event you will receive all the details and then you just need to turn up and enjoy!
What are your three top tips for eating out with babies and toddlers?
It’s hard as the tips vary depending on the age of the baby! When they are still very little, take advantage of the fact that they tend to sleep more frequently.
Otherwise my top three tips would be:
- Be prepared, look at where you are going and how you are going to get there, and make sure you’ve packed the essentials—it definitely reduces stress levels.
- Even the best-behaved baby can have an off day; you might feel like you’re the only parent who has ever had a screaming baby, but you certainly aren’t! Just remember you can always step out for a minute and calm both the baby and yourself down.
- Remember to keep everything out of little hands’ reach! And no matter how tidy you are, there will be mess—but everything can be wiped up so don’t worry about it.
What are some of your favourite restaurants and outings so far?
My favourite restaurant has been Pollen Street Social—the food is fantastic, you get lots of little extras and it is a lovely private room. Last time we were there I was lucky enough to meet Jason Atherton himself, who was lovely. We just enjoyed a tumble down the rabbit hole this week with the Mad Hatter Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel, which was very special. On the tours we’ve been to some of London’s top landmarks—including the Tate Modern and National Gallery, which have been really great—but it’s the more unusual places we’ve visited that would be my favourite. We had a brilliant tour at the Spring Kensington Olympia Antiques Fair and we will be touring their Autumn Antiques Fair in November.
