Grand Opening of Play at Brewers Fayre in Bromsgrove Review

Reviewed by Judy Cera

It was all happening at the grand opening of Play at Brewers Fayre in Bromsgrove! Some special guests were there to celebrate the opening of the new soft play area – Dennis the Menace and Gnasher were joined by Santa Claus at this fun filled event.

We joined Dennis and Santa at 10.30am and my children – Ben aged 7 and Toby aged 11 – went straight to the play area. Other activities on offer included face painting and a quiet room with colouring sheets for those children who wanted something calmer to do. We also visited Santa who gave a gift to the boys with the help of his delightful helpers – two lovely little girls dressed as elves who took their role very seriously, rounding up the children to make sure nobody was left out.

The staff were very friendly and made us feel welcome. The venue was clean and tidy, and was nicely decorated with balloons and posters of Dennis the Menace. The soft play area was divided into two sections – one for children and one for older children. The older children’s area featured a wiggly slide which could be reached by a high set of steps. Although not huge, the play area was interesting and varied enough to keep the children busy. A little later a fire engine arrived in the car park and the children (and all the mums!) went outside to have a look.

At around midday we were all shown to our tables for lunch. For our main courses I had quiche with jacket potato and salad, Ben had a burger and Toby had pizza with mushrooms and sweetcorn. We had unlimited soft drinks. My quiche had a pleasingly deep filling, however it could have done with a few more minutes in the oven as it was not quite set all the way through. The jacket potato was a little hard inside so that too could have stayed in the oven a little longer. The boys were pleased with their meals which came with chips and baked beans. The portion sizes were good – the kid’s pizza was big enough to satisfy a hungry eleven-year-old. For pudding I had caramel apple Betty – a delicious take on apple pie with a crumbly caramel topping. Served piping hot with lashings of custard it was just the thing for a frosty winter’s day! Toby had a fruit salad which I was pleased to see was made with fresh fruit, and Ben had a chocolate brownie which came with a scoop of ice-cream. Santa and Dennis the Menace mingled with the diners during lunch. The service was good and the staff were always pleasant and helpful.

There were two sets of toilets – one just inside the doors and one near the play area. They were very clean, however the ladies’ toilet near the play area only had two cubicles which I predict may not be enough on busy days with lots of little children full of unlimited soft drinks!

I would recommend this venue to families with young children who want something to entertain the kids while they are waiting to eat. It is close to the M5 so could be a good place to break a long journey – a child friendly alternative to a motorway services where the children can use up a bit of energy after sitting still in the car for a long time.

All in all the event was lots of fun and the venue was great for families. It was easy to find and has a good sized car park. I am taking off half a star because of the slightly undercooked main course.

Rating: 4.5/5

For more information, to view menus or to book a table click here or call 01527 834 700.

Brewers Fayre, Birmingham Road, Bromsgrove, B61 0BA | 01527 834 700