Family pubs: freedom of choice

There is a treat on the menu for all the family at the Fishes, in North Hinksey, just south of Oxford, thanks to an innovative range of catering ideas.

In the summer, the Peach Pub Company site holds barbecues and provides picnic hampers for customers to eat where they choose in the large beer garden.

Like all seven of the company's pubs, the Fishes is also involved in a healthy eating initiative with local schools. For every Caesar salad sold, 25p is donated towards healthy eating literature, awareness weeks, allotments and other activities for schoolchildren in the local area.

Peach co-founder Hamish Stoddart says the scheme, which aims to get kids eating their greens, has had a welcome marketing effect for the Fishes as a family pub.

"This connection with children through their schools has a knock-on effect on our family trade," he explains. "Parents take notice of what we're doing and it encourages them to try us out. That wasn't the reason for doing it, but it's an added bonus."

Rural location

While Peach clearly wants to educate kids on food, Hamish stresses he doesn't want to preach. The picnics and barbecues are emblematic of his wish not to treat them any differently from their parents when it comes to family meals at the Fishes.

Hamish explains: "We made a conscious decision not to have a kids' menu in any of our pubs. We don't think children should be faced with chicken nuggets and chips when their parents are tucking into something fab off the menu.

"Instead, we offer smaller portions of most dishes and our chefs are always happy to mix and match to come up with something the children really want to eat."

The picnic hampers (see box above) offered by the Fishes is one of the reasons the pub won The Pub Food Awards Alfresco Pub of the Year title in 2006. The site benefits from having three acres of grounds backing onto a tributary of the Thames, which makes it ideal for families dining outdoors.

"The Fishes is set in quite a rural location and it's a bit different from our town centre pubs," says Hamish. "The team has set out to attract families, especially at weekends, and one of the big draws is our garden. We have a little over three acres of land, leading down to the river.

"People order picnic hampers at the bar, borrow a picnic rug and head off under the trees to find their own spot. To be honest, we came up with the ideal solution to the problem of serving food over such a large area, but families love it. The kids can run around and play, while the grown- ups get on with the serious business of eating and drinking.

Family barbecues

"We also arrange family barbecues in the grounds. Customers pre-order them and on the day we have chefs on hand to set up the equipment and cook the food. It's very relaxed and great fun," says Hamish.

The Fishes also offers Sunday family roasts, which are pre-ordered and arrive ready-carved at the tables, with bowls of vegetables. "It's the kind of Sunday lunch you'd have at home, but without the washing up," says Hamish.

The hampers

Hampers for two. Cost: £22 each

Ploughman's basket​ - Lincolnshire Poacher cheese, coarse paté, coleslaw, pickles, salads, pork pie, baguette, Tyrell's crisps

Riverside basket​ - crayfish, anchovies, mackerel paté, pickled herrings, chutney, bread, whitebait and tartare sauce, caesar salad, new potato salad, Tyrell's crisps

Vegetarian basket​ - houmous, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, cream cheese, chutney, pitta, egg and cress sandwiches, mixed salad, nachos, guacamole and salsa, fresh fruit

Picnic boxes for one. Cost: £6 each

Egg and cress sandwich and chips

Coronation chicken sandwich on granary, with chips

Caesar salad, free range chicken, bacon and anchovies

Cold raised pie, pickled onions, coleslaw