Wetherspoon has received first place in the ‘Out to Lunch’ league table on the previous two occasions (2021 and 2019) on which it has run.
The Out to Lunch league table, compiled independently by the Soil Association, surveys 20 top family restaurant chains. The table is compiled with the help of more than 100 children and parents who anonymously sample items from children’s menus across the UK.
Restaurants and pubs are judged and scored on a range of criteria: family friendliness, healthy options, food’s quality, value, sustainability and ingredients’ provenance. Wetherspoon is very proud of this achievement and, in ensuring that its children’s menu is of the highest standard, continues to work closely with the Soil Association.
Two of your five-a-day
Wetherspoon understands the importance of children receiving enough fruit and vegetables in their diet to receive all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients required to grow and stay healthy. Wetherspoon has pledged that every one of its children’s meals will be served with at least two portions of fruit or vegetables, with many meals containing more than this.
As well as any fruit or vegetables contained in each dish’s ingredients, each meal is served with a choice of a banana, a bag of apple slices or a strawberry Bear Yoyo fruit snack.
Nutrient declarations
To ensure full visibility and to enable parents to make informed decisions about meal choices which they make with their children, Wetherspoon has highlighted clearly, on the menu, the Calorie and salt content (as well as sugar content, where relevant) next to each meal.
All of the meals are in line with Public Health England’s Calorie and salt-reduction targets.
Parents can also check full nutritional information for all children’s meals, as well as full ingredients and allergen declarations, on Wetherspoon’s pubs’ customer information screens.
Smaller appetites versus larger appetites
Wetherspoon recognises that appetites can vary considerably, depending on a child’s needs and age. That’s why the pubs offer two meal size options: the first menu section is for ‘smaller appetites’ and aimed at children aged two–six years, while the ‘larger appetites’ section is aimed at those who are six and over.
All meals in the ‘smaller appetites’ section fall under 400 kcal each, whereas meals in the ‘larger appetites’ section are under 700 kcal each.
Vegan and vegetarian options
Wetherspoon offers great options for children who follow a vegetarian diet and also understands the health and environmental benefits associated with eating more plant-based meals.
Wetherspoon offers a range of meals suitable for vegans. These include five-bean chilli, served with Mexican rice, jacket potatoes, served with either Heinz baked beans or five-bean chili, roasted vegetable vegan pizza, Quorn™ nuggets and vegan Quorn™ sausages.
Our Quorn™ sausages and Quorn™ nuggets are made from mycoprotein – a natural plant-based source of protein which is high in fibre and also low in saturated fat.
KEY INGREDIENTS
Chicken
Wetherspoon’s chicken nuggets and roasted chicken breast are always whole breast fillet, never formed or reformed.
The chicken served in Wetherspoon’s pubs is purchased from approved suppliers, with Wetherspoon undertaking regular farm and site inspections. Chickens are reared cage free, in an enriched environment, with space to perch and explore and the freedom to express normal behaviour. Chickens have access to clean water, and their feed includes sustainable soy, with policies which ensure that it is not coming from areas of existing or farmed rainforests, primary forests, high-conservation-value lands, high-carbon-stock forest areas or illegally deforested areas of the Amazon Biome.
Fish
This is a half-size version of our famous larger adult portion, freshly battered in house by hand. Our cod (or haddock served in a small number of pubs) is all certified as MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) approved. Fish and seafood labelled with this certification come from a fishery which has been independently assessed regarding its impact on wild fish populations and the ecosystems of which they form a part. Those fisheries which are MSC certified are those fishing sustainably.
Sausages
All pork used in Wetherspoon’s pubs’ sausages is sourced from only UK and Irish farms with higher welfare standards. These are made in small-batch sizes by an independent and family-run business.
Eggs
All shell eggs used in Wetherspoon’s pubs are free-range eggs which are RSPCA assured.
This means that the hens laying the eggs and allowed ample space to roam as freely as they like, with RSPCA welfare standards in place, ensuring good practice in the care and welfare of laying hens at all stages of their life.
Any egg used as an ingredient in our products is free range, eg in the batter used for our freshly battered fish.
Tomato & mascarpone pasta
This pasta contains 10 vegetable types and accounts for two of a child’s five-a-day in just the small bowl of pasta alone, with only 264 kcal (that’s without the fruit option which accompanies it). The vegetables in this dish are aubergine, leek, red pepper, courgette, carrot, onion, spring onion, butternut squash, tomato and garlic.
Children’s desserts
We have worked closely with Beechdean and developed a small ice cream pot which contains 14.3g sugar. This falls below the Public health England standard for a child for a single 120g portion of ice cream, so makes it a suitable treat for a child to enjoy. It uses Beechdean’s famous vanilla ice cream, swirled with raspberry sauce and topped with mini chocolate chips.
As a healthier dessert alternative, Wetherspoon’s pubs also serve a portion of strawberries and blueberries. This counts towards yet another portion of fruit. So, with this added to a meal, children are consuming a minimum of three portions of fruit and vegetables, in total, for their whole meal.
Children’s drinks
All children’s drinks contain no added sugars. The only sugar contained in these drinks are naturally occurring sugars from fruit.
Wetherspoon offers Pip organic smoothie and Pip organic juice, both made using 100% organically grown fruit and vegetables, with no added refined sugars and no added flavourings, colourings or sweeteners. Each carton provides one portion of a child’s five-a-day.
All Wetherspoon pubs offer an unlimited supply of tap water for children and customers of all ages.
For additional children's games click here