HAVING a baby in tow needn't stop mums and dads from enjoying a meal out. Restaurants, cafs, hotels and pubs with dining areas are falling over themselves to make sure all the family are welcome.

Most places now have high chairs, an increasing number have baby changing facilities, and of course many though not all eateries are smoke-free.

I asked around for tips and many parents seem to have found their favourites.

One dad loves Marks & Spencer coffee shop for a lunchtime snack while shopping. "Our baby, Sean, is always made welcome, and there's plenty of room to get the buggy in."

The High Wycombe store's food services manager Tania Connolly emphasises that babies are always welcome: "We provide high chairs, bottle heaters, kids' juices and snacks. So are kids welcome? Absolutely, we love them up here."

Most of the chains have positive policies for babies. At Pizza Express in Amersham I was told: "We get lots of babies and toddlers brought in during the daytime and they're always welcome."

Indian and Chinese restaurants are less likely to be geared up for youngsters, though The Ivory on London Road, Wooburn Moor, has a high chair and an area in the ladies' room for breastfeeding, and will provide kids' meals like nuggets and chips while parents enjoy an Indian meal.

One issue is whether staff will heat up baby's bottle or pured food. With health and safety issues increasingly a factor, most have policies to cover possible hazards.

Dan Collett at The Harvester at Holtspur explains: "We welcome all age groups, and yes, of course we will heat baby food if asked.

"We do ask though that if they give us a jar of baby food to microwave, it comes in a sealed container.

"If they bring in home made baby food, we prefer not to heat it in our kitchen but will provide hot water while reminding them that there's a danger of scalding."

The most baby friendly eating place I came across was John Lewis in High Wycombe, which was as packed as a playgroup with little'uns in high chairs when I visited one lunchtime.

It was soon clear why. The caf here has a kiddies' food counter offering jars of organic baby food (free of charge if you order an adult meal), vacuum flask bottle heaters, free bibs, and for older kiddies a food parcel where you select from a range of goodies to suit your child's taste.

There's also a good sized parents' room with nappy-changing facilities and a curtained-off area for breastfeeding. Everyone I spoke to thought it was brilliant.

As one mum pointed out to me, it's not just the equipment that counts when taking baby out to lunch. It's whether the staff really do welcome the hassle of kiddies coming in.

January 23, 2003 12:30