Ferry pub grub pupils shock
Dec. 8th, 2008 03:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
suzyscottdotcomFerry pub grub pupils shock
Parents of Grove Academy pupils are to be written to by the school’s headteacher after it was revealed schoolchildren have been visiting a local pub in Broughty Ferry for lunch (writes Alan Wilson).
The Ferry Inn has become a popular eating place for both senior and junior pupils, and the sight of uniformed teens sitting in the bar area is a common occurrence. The pub is also selling takeaway food to younger pupils from a side entrance.While it is understood the pub is not acting in breach of its licence, local Councillor Rod Wallace says he is unhappy with the situation, while council officers have visited the pub to speak to manager Philip Stewart.
The matter was brought to the attention of the Tele after a Broughty Ferry resident, who asked not to be named, was astonished to see a queue of youngsters on the corner of King Street and Gray Street.
“There was a sign up round the corner saying ‘schoolchildren queue here’, which I couldn’t believe I would ever see at a pub,” the resident said.
“I saw the kids queuing at the side door of the bar — it’s first-year pupils upwards, usually eating chips and cheese or something like that.
“I nearly crashed the car when I saw it and I thought, ‘that can’t be right’. When I was in the pub, I saw an A4 sheet showing a school lunch menu.
“I know children can go into pubs for meals, but I thought they had to be accompanied by their parents.
“It might be legal for older pupils to go into the pub as long as they aren’t drinking alcohol, but I would question whether school pupils should be being encouraged to go to the pub for their lunch.
“I can’t believe the school would approve of their pupils going to the pub at lunchtime.”
Cllr Wallace confirmed he had raised the issue with licensing officials and added, “Even if they are perfectly entitled to go to the premises, I’m not too happy about it but I can’t do anything about it if it’s legal.
“This is not being controlled by parents and I wonder if the parents even know. I would like to know what the parents’ attitudes would be if they were informed.
“Schoolchildren in uniform going into pubs unsupervised for their lunch doesn’t really seem right — this then becomes their way of life.
“I think the parents should be made aware and I would like their comments on it.”
Ferry Inn manager Philip Stewart explained he was doing what any business should in the middle of the credit crunch — trying to attract as much trade as possible — and stressed he was acting within the terms of his licence.
He said he had been liaising with council officials on Friday about the situation after contacting the council to take advice when the service first began.
He said, “I phoned the council’s support services and they told me that, as long as the pupils were over 16, they were able to come into the pub and have a meal as long as they didn’t try to buy any alcohol.
“Two officials are now looking further into it and I’m waiting for them to come back to me, so I don’t know what the position is now.
“We identified a market when we saw queues of kids at takeaway food shops and that’s why we started it.
“All I do is work 60 hours a week to keep the pub from shutting down — as some other pubs have shut down in Dundee — and we’re working within all the rules and regulations.
“The younger kids aren’t even entering the premises, and we serve them mostly chips and cheese from the side door. We serve delicious food at reasonable prices and anyone who is legitimately entitled to partake in that is more than welcome.”
A spokesman for the city council said, “Licensing Standards Officers from the council have been taking a look at the situation. The school always advises pupils to behave as good ambassadors for the school when they are out at lunchtime. The headteacher will be writing to the parents of senior pupils to make them aware of this development.
Parents of Grove Academy pupils are to be written to by the school’s headteacher after it was revealed schoolchildren have been visiting a local pub in Broughty Ferry for lunch (writes Alan Wilson).
The Ferry Inn has become a popular eating place for both senior and junior pupils, and the sight of uniformed teens sitting in the bar area is a common occurrence. The pub is also selling takeaway food to younger pupils from a side entrance.While it is understood the pub is not acting in breach of its licence, local Councillor Rod Wallace says he is unhappy with the situation, while council officers have visited the pub to speak to manager Philip Stewart.
The matter was brought to the attention of the Tele after a Broughty Ferry resident, who asked not to be named, was astonished to see a queue of youngsters on the corner of King Street and Gray Street.
“There was a sign up round the corner saying ‘schoolchildren queue here’, which I couldn’t believe I would ever see at a pub,” the resident said.
“I saw the kids queuing at the side door of the bar — it’s first-year pupils upwards, usually eating chips and cheese or something like that.
“I nearly crashed the car when I saw it and I thought, ‘that can’t be right’. When I was in the pub, I saw an A4 sheet showing a school lunch menu.
“I know children can go into pubs for meals, but I thought they had to be accompanied by their parents.
“It might be legal for older pupils to go into the pub as long as they aren’t drinking alcohol, but I would question whether school pupils should be being encouraged to go to the pub for their lunch.
“I can’t believe the school would approve of their pupils going to the pub at lunchtime.”
Cllr Wallace confirmed he had raised the issue with licensing officials and added, “Even if they are perfectly entitled to go to the premises, I’m not too happy about it but I can’t do anything about it if it’s legal.
“This is not being controlled by parents and I wonder if the parents even know. I would like to know what the parents’ attitudes would be if they were informed.
“Schoolchildren in uniform going into pubs unsupervised for their lunch doesn’t really seem right — this then becomes their way of life.
“I think the parents should be made aware and I would like their comments on it.”
Ferry Inn manager Philip Stewart explained he was doing what any business should in the middle of the credit crunch — trying to attract as much trade as possible — and stressed he was acting within the terms of his licence.
He said he had been liaising with council officials on Friday about the situation after contacting the council to take advice when the service first began.
He said, “I phoned the council’s support services and they told me that, as long as the pupils were over 16, they were able to come into the pub and have a meal as long as they didn’t try to buy any alcohol.
“Two officials are now looking further into it and I’m waiting for them to come back to me, so I don’t know what the position is now.
“We identified a market when we saw queues of kids at takeaway food shops and that’s why we started it.
“All I do is work 60 hours a week to keep the pub from shutting down — as some other pubs have shut down in Dundee — and we’re working within all the rules and regulations.
“The younger kids aren’t even entering the premises, and we serve them mostly chips and cheese from the side door. We serve delicious food at reasonable prices and anyone who is legitimately entitled to partake in that is more than welcome.”
A spokesman for the city council said, “Licensing Standards Officers from the council have been taking a look at the situation. The school always advises pupils to behave as good ambassadors for the school when they are out at lunchtime. The headteacher will be writing to the parents of senior pupils to make them aware of this development.
