Entertainment Shows At Butlin's 2014 (Review)

I'm going to be honest.

The word 'Butlin's' seems to bring about a reaction in most people akin to 'marmite'; you either love it or hate it. In Butlin's case it seems that people have a stereotypical image of the type of holiday that they will have, yet when they actually experience what the Redcoats have to offer very few continue to have the image of knobbly knee competitions, Hi-de-Hi style entertainers and dodgy chalets with pencil thin walls and lino floors.

And I think one of the aspects of Butlin's which astounds people and leaves them wanting more is the entertainment.

The Skyline Gang 2014

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Circus Skills With The Skyline Gang (Review)

There is such an abundance of activities and shows taking place during a stay at Butlin's that no-one could ever claim they couldn't find something to do! Sports clubs, outdoor games, funfair rides, soft-play, swimming, indoor funfair, bowling, a pool hall, shows for all ages and all tastes, the list goes on an on.

However, there are a few activities which take place which are quite easy to miss; the crafting sessions are one, and the other is a circus skills lesson with The Skyline Gang.

Circus Skills with The Skyline Gang 2014

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The Hotels At Butlin's, Bognor Regis (Review)

Part of the reason why I'm so keen to continue returning to the Butlin's at Bognor Regis is because it is the only one of the three resorts which has hotels. I like the luxury of the hotels, and when I'm on an energetic holiday like this I like to feel a bit pampered, not having to worry about the housekeeping side of things. Add the dining package into the mix, and the holiday couldn't get much easier.

Butlin's stripes

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How To Make Car Journeys Easier!

I love Spring and Summer, not least of all because of the fun weekends away we have interspersed with holidays around our fine country. We don't go further than around three hours away, and while I'd like to blame that on The Boy, it's actually me that is a dreadful traveller.

When Butlin's sent us an emergency travel kit to aid 'the long and whining road', I chuckled. There are some PR pitches which are spot on quite frankly, and this is one of them.

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Scoop Ice-Cream Parlour (Butlin's)

One of the aspects of our holidays in Butlin's that we enjoy most is the food. There is a wide range of restaurants to choose from during the week there is something to suit all tastes and ages. We tend to eat in a different restaurant each night and I can honestly say that we've never had a bad meal.

One recent addition to the eateries at the Bognor Regis resort is Scoop, an ice-cream parlour serving real Italian gelato.

Scoop ice-cream parlour - Butlin's, Bognor Regis

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Butlin's Term-Time Breaks: 'Just For Tots'

I hate January.

And February.

Although that last one isn't completely true, once we get to half-term then I can see a light at the end of the tunnel, with the approach of Spring and the warmer and brighter weather. However until then, everything is that bit more gloomy and grey. The bright lights of Christmas seem months ago instead of only a matter of days, and the promise of Summer is too far in the distance to even contemplate.

Obviously I am not the only one who thinks this as there are a plethora of holidays being booked at the moment; many families looking abroad to book some sunshine, etc.

However, as far as I'm concerned, you'd be hard pushed to find a better resort-style holiday than the Butlin's resort in Bognor Regis. I don't just say this because I am an ambassador for them, I genuinely feel that they are an excellent provision for good family fun. And the resort in Bognor Regis is set in the sunniest place in Britain, why go abroad and struggle with flights when you don't need to?!

We first started going two years ago and experienced the wonders of the Winter Wonderland, we were fortunate to return twice last year, once on our review break and once for an ambassadors' weekend. We actually weren't intending to go to the ambassadors' weekend, but had such a great time that we booked it on the way home in the car!

Butlin's has a wonderful mix of self-catering accommodation and hotels, entertainment for all ages of the family, and restaurants to suit all tastes. They are also very clever to offer breaks for specific types of groups, for example you won't find stag or hen parties on a dedicated family weekend, likewise families can't book on adult-only weekends. Every effort is made to ensure that both types of parties can relax in the appropriate environment.

New to the Butlin's packages this year are the 'Just for Tots’ little breaks. These are breaks held during term-time, to ensure families of pre-schoolers can escape the holiday rush, without older children dominating the facilities. These breaks provide little ones the perfect environment to show Mum and Dad just what they can do; everything from the accommodation and food right through to the entertainment and activities have been designed solely with younger children in mind. Stars such as Thomas & Friends™ and Angelina Ballerina™ will be part of a ‘free-to-play’ entertainment schedule where shows are repeated throughout your break with timings to suit early-risers and early bedtimes.

Some of the facilities available are standard during Butlin's breaks anyway, particularly the bespoke meals by Annabel Karmel which are available in the restaurant. However added to that are 'Pushchair Porters' to help parents transport their toddlers and belongings from the car to the room with minimum fuss, and nap-time buggy walks (customised quiet route maps to help little ones drift off through the landscaped gardens and out along the beautiful beaches that neighbour the resorts).

Additional features of the 'Just for Tots' breaks are:

  • Drop-in style activity sessions and shows that are repeated throughout the break – so it doesn’t matter how long your little ones take to get their shoes on or finish their breakfast.
  • Butlins will be offering “learn-to sessions” so everyone can see their little ones achieve big things like learning to swim and ride a bike.
  • Wake-up activities every morning for early risers and bedtime stories with favourite characters to end the day.
  • A pool party for pre-schoolers in Splash Waterworld with the big rides switched off and replaced with water toys to create a calmer atmosphere for your ‘water babies’.
  • All their favourite TV heroes under one roof to cuddle and watch in specially designed shows that are shorter in length (perfect for easily distracted toddlers)

The first ‘Just for Tots’ short breaks will take place from April 28th at Butlins Bognor Regis and Skegness, with 4-night Monday to Friday breaks running across all resorts (Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness) until September this year.

For more information visit www.butlins.com.

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Butlin's Bognor Regis: The Restaurants

One of the many things that appeals to me about the Butlin's Resort in Bognor Regis is the wide variety of food available across the many different restaurants on site. As a part of our Butlin's Ambassador's break in The Ocean Hotel we received the premium dining package, which included breakfast in our resident hotel each day and then a choice of five different restaurants for an evening meal; Turner's, South Coast (within The Shoreline Hotel), The Deck, Papa John's and The Beachcomber Inn.

Premium dining voucher

The voucher is collected each morning from the butlers in the entrance of The Ocean Hotel, and completed with details of the chosen restaurant (if already decided upon) and the number of adults and children.

The key thing to note here is that it does not save money; it is not a discount voucher. What it provides is the opportunity to prepay for the dining options at the time of booking, rather than have to factor it into spending money. I think it's a truly efficient way of budgeting for the holiday, almost like a wristband at an all-inclusive resort, but with more subtlety. As the voucher is worth £13.50 for adults or £6.75 for children, it covers the cost of most two course meals on the resort. We had to pay one or two pounds extra when eating in The Beachcomber (but only because we actually had three courses), and an additional £10 (approximately) to eat in Turner's (further explanation later).

The Beachcomber Inn

I particularly like this pub-restaurant for its casual and relaxed atmosphere. Unlike a few of the dining halls, it doesn't feel like it caters to huge quantities of people, although that is more to do with the organisation as I didn't see an empty table on both occasions that we ate here.

Serving a wide selection of traditional pub meals, along with family favourites and modern light dishes, The Beachcomber Inn is a great choice to find something for everyone. Decorated in light wood with plenty of lighting, the pub is friendly and lends itself well to parties of all sizes.

The Beachcomber Inn

Most main meals average out around the £8-10 bracket and we ate:

  • Gigante Asparagus Pasta (V) £9.25
  • Pasta Carbonara £8.45
  • Chippy Chips £2.00
  • Battered Whole Onion Rings £1.95

The Boy chose from the 'Pick'n'Mix Meals' menu which costs £3.50 per meal, and provides children with the visual option of choosing a potato or rice dish, a vegetable portion and then a fish, chicken or sausage selection. This menu is designed for the younger child, there is the Shipmates' Favourites for £4.99 which provides a range of more adventurous meals for older children. It's worth noting that there isn't a vegetarian option on the 'Pick'n'Mix' menu, but there are two pasta or noodles dishes available for older children.

Turner's Restaurant

The result of a collaboration with Brian Turner, Turner's Restaurant is a welcome addition to the Butlin's family and the jewel in the culinary crown. I had first eaten here in December 2010 when it had first opened, and was impressed with the ambience and quality of service then, so looked forward to returning with my family and seeing how well equipped it was to deal with the demands of a four year old child.

The main difference between Turner's and the other restaurants on site is that it is more adult in its vibe. Of course children are welcomed and there is an excellent children's menu with good home-cooked meals listed, akin to the food they would eat at home. However, it is waiter-service with everything cooked to order (not mass produced prior to opening) and therefore it's not really the place to let children chill out away from the table. If I was paying a fair price for a quiet, grown-up meal, I wouldn't appreciate it.

Turner's Restaurant

Main meals at Turner's are priced between £10-12 with fish and steak obviously priced slightly higher, starters are around the £5 mark with pudding priced similarly. There was a meal deal available at the time we went, with two or three set courses available for a set price. We ate:

  • Roasted Tomato & Sweet Pepper Soup with Rarebit Toast £4.95 (starter)
  • Macaroni Cheese with Slow Cooked Cherry Tomatoes £5.25 (starter)
  • Aubergine & Spinach Rolls on Braised Cannellini Beans £11.75 (main)
  • Turner’s Own Burger Steak with the Best Chips £11.50 (main)
  • Marmalade Bread & Butter Pudding £5.25 (dessert)
  • Peanut Butter Cheesecake £4.75 (dessert)
  • a glass of Pinot Grigio Rosato del Veneto £4.15 (175ml)
  • Golden Macaroni Cheese £3.00 (children's starter served as a main)
  • A Selection of Ice Creams £3.00 (children's dessert)

I enjoyed the meal and thought that the vegetarian option was  an exciting alternative to the standard pasta dishes available. My husband also enjoyed his burger, but he did admit that he wasn't overwhelmed by it and therefore slightly disappointed. The portion of macaroni cheese that he had to start was larger than The Boy's main meal of macaroni cheese, which unfortunately solidified and went cold quite quickly and he was unable to finish it due to this. The meal was pleasant enough but it didn't complete live up to the expectations that a 'celebrity restaurant' has. I also had expectations of near silver service from a restaurant of that calibre which has a maitre'd to seat people. Our waiter was quite clumsy, not very attentive (we actually asked a different waiter to serve us) and didn't bring the food at the same time.

Would I go again? Probably, but I'd be very selective of our meals to ensure we had the best value.

Papa John's

Everyone enjoys a pizza restaurant and Papa John's has to be one of the easiest places to eat at on the Bognor Regis resort. There is an all-you-can-eat lunchtime buffet available before the evening rush as well, which we partook of on our first evening there. We missed it by half an hour on our second stay, and I will admit that the speed of service wasn't as fast as I'd hope for with a fast-food pizza restaurant.

Papa John's pizzas

The pizza menu is good quality with a wide range of meat toppings, although the range of toppings for vegetarians isn't very exciting. We ate:

  • a Garden Party pizza (medium – 11.5") £12.95
  • a Chicken BBQ pizza (medium – 11.5") £13.45
  • a ham and cheese pizza (children's) £3.45

The pizzas are tasty, it's worth noting that they are American style not Italian based, but I'm not completely convinced that they are worth the prices. Of course, prices are more than in Pizza Hut for example, as it is the convenience that inflates the price. However, as my pizza in this fast-food restaurant cost more than my main meal in Turner's, I think my tip is to eat here during the all-you-can-eat buffet time.

The Deck Restaurant

The Deck was our favourite (and easiest) place to eat throughout the week. Yes it's busy (it's the main restaurant for The Wave Hotel) but I actually really enjoyed the friendly, chatty environment listening to family parties having fun, laughing about their day.

There is no menu at The Deck, because it is a self-service restaurant with the all-you-can-eat philosophy. And there is something for everyone here; from salads to freshly cooked to order pasta, roast dinners to hot dogs and chips, stir-fries to mushy peas! The selection is immense and it is all really good quality.

The Deck Restaurant

 The pasta station is a genius touch; each dish is cooked freshly and to order. The selection of children's meals is excellent and it is laid out so that older children can easily help themselves to the goodies. Desserts included formal gateaux and tarts, alongside rice pudding, fruit and an ice-cream machine which sent children into raptures.

After a packed day of activities, The Deck is the place to come and relax. I would visit this restaurant every night of the week and never tire of the range of food available.

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Summertime At Butlin's

When we were lucky enough to stay at Butlin's in Bognor Regis at Easter time, the best attraction during the week was the old-fashioned funfair that had recently been installed. With a helter-skelter, flying chairs, carousel, dodgems and various other traditional rides, the fair was a focal point of fun which had children swarming all over it.

Butlin's spent over 200 million improving their three resorts, and the funfairs which were introduced were one of those improvements.

Butlin's Funfair

Over the Summer season, Butlin's have recognised that one of their other greatest assets is the magnificent shows that they put on every day. To supplement the normal shows, Butlin's is introducing a Big Top Circus from 19th July until 2nd September including Russian and south American artists.

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