I don't know about you but I've always had mixed feelings about taking the kids to meet Santa. I know they love it when they are small but very often it costs an absolute fortune, you wait in queue for literally hours and it ends up being a massive anti-climax as your child hates the pound shop tat they are given as a gift.
It really has been a love:hate relationship in the past. The dreams I had in my head for that special white filled day where the kids smile the whole time and behave like angels often ends up with a meltdown and an early bedtime. Well, no longer there is now a fabulous solution that both adults and children can enjoy together.
A couple of years ago my husband and I took the kids to the Wyevale Garden Centre in Hastings for breakfast with Santa. We arrived at the cafe and found festively decorated tables already equipped with colouring packs for the kids and a candy cane to sweeten their arrival.
The full English breakfasts we were served were superb - high quality ingredients, a nice clean presentation and super tasty. The adults enjoyed a pork sausage, two bacon rashers, black pudding, fried egg, fried bread, hash browns, flat mushroom, grilled tomato, beans and toast. All served with a pot of tea or medium filter coffee, it was really good and for £7.99 is very reasonable. There is also a lighter option for the adults if you are not a breakfast person and you can enjoy a freshly baked pastry with a drink for £3.99.
The child price is £9.99 and this includes as much squash as they like, as well as a succulent pork sausage, scrambled eggs, a hash brown, baked beans and toast soldiers. This price is also inclusive of meeting Santa, a gift from him and the fun of decorating a Christmas cookie to take away with you. Of course a vegetarian option is available for both adults and children too. Here are the breakfasts we were served in 2013.
We spent a really enjoyable couple of hours breakfasting with Santa a couple of years ago and when the email popped not my inbox a couple of weeks ago to ask if we would be interested this year, I was tempted to say no as JJ is now 12 and the girls 8 and I thought maybe they were too old but just at the right time JJ came and read over my shoulder and told me I had to book. He loved it, this was his best Santa experience ever, which of course was great to hear, unexpected but very cool that my 12 year old still wants to enjoy the fun.
He is massive about cuddly toys and the staff at the Hastings garden centre went out of their way last time to secure him the gift he wanted. He still has the cuddly dog and I think he is secretly hoping they might have one again for this years Santa gift. I have warned him to keep an open mind! These are the gifts the three of mine received in 2013 and genuinly each one of them was very happy as they were allowed to choose their own gift to sut their interests.
We have booked to go on 23rd December once the kids have broken up from school and I think this will really set up the Christmas break to be a special one. I'm not going to tell the girls until much nearer the time though as they will get far too excited! JJ of course knows and it won't be long before he starts counting down the days I'm sure.
Many Wyevale Garden Centres around the coutry are offering the breakfast with Santa experience in their cafes. Also there is a tea with Santa experience too. Take a look on the website and see where your nearest centre is and each has its own dates and times that they are running the events, so have a good look. Each centre has its own take on the experience and will run it their own way but they expect it to be at least a 90 minute experience for the children and one that comes wthout any queuing and with tasty food - you can't beat that!
Disclousre: We are being treated to our breakfast with Santa experience in exhange for sharing again about the fun we had back in 2013. I have not been instructed what to write and I remain honest.
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