The Hen House

My wife and I have been taking our daughter to the Hen House for 4 years (she just celebrated her 4th birthday here!) We all look forward to coming every single week and cannot fault it. There is always a warm welcome and it has become a second home for us. Thank you for all the memories! There’s too many to list but a particular highlight was the birthday party we just had here. From the food to the staff and everything in between, it was the best day ever. We appreciated it so much! Thank you all so much and a particular thank you to Vicky and to Una for making this soft play cafe a home from home! We will see you again very soon :)

· via Google

Booked Friday afternoon (yesterday) on Thursday, got a call on Friday morning that they'd be closed on Friday afternoon cos of a staffing shortage, and from Monday for summer camp. Caller mentioned they'd be open today so I asked to be booked in this morning. Get there at 9.45am and after we've been there about 20 minutes, one of the team come to say they have a private event at 11.30am so we need to leave before then. And then I'm asked to pay and it ends up being £13.97. So essentially we paid £11 for an hour because baby and I were out of there before 11am (one of the team was starting to tidy up so it made sense to leave). I don't know how I feel about not being told they'd be closed at some point today and having to pay full price (9am to 3pm) for what ended up being an hour.

· via Google

We visited for the first time this morning and overall, were impressed. As well as your standard soft play equipment, it has some different, interesting aspects such as a light up floor, a wind machine and an ‘under the sea’ porthole. My three year old really enjoyed himself. The coffee was good and there was a decent selection of snacks available. However, we were disappointed to find out that we had to leave by 11.45 because they had a party in the afternoon. For myself and my 3 year old, I had paid £15.77 (there is a £2 surcharge for arriving between 9 and 10.45) but there was no indication upon booking that we would only be able to stay until 11.45. We arrived at around 9.45 so thankfully had two hours of play time but we were hoping for longer. Some families arrived much later than us and were very disappointed. The website says: “Your soft play booking gives you unlimited play time during our core opening hours (9:00am – 3:00pm*). Simply let us know when you plan to arrive so we can ensure a comfortable experience for everyone. *Occasionally, you will not be able to stay until 3pm due to private parties. If you’re planning on a long visit, please call ahead to make sure we have space.” On party days, I think it would be much fairer if the company stated, when you booked, the time that you would have to leave. That way, families know to plan accordingly and are not left feeling disappointed. I also feel that a reduced rate for party days would be fairer.

· via Google

I was really disappointed with my experience at The Hen House. To start with the venue was incredibly difficult to find, even using sat nav as it sent us in circles. We spent a long time walking around in the pouring rain trying to locate it, and my friend became so frustrated that she gave up and went home. I still arrived ten minutes before the class yet missed the beginning as there was no announcement or indication that the session had begun in another room. After the class, I asked about using the soft play and ordering food. I was told it would cost £5 for just 30 minutes and told not to order any hot food because it would take around 15 minutes to prepare, leaving little time to eat. I ended up ordering a children's sandwich for £7 instead. My son only had around ten minutes to actually play because I had to make sure he finished eating before our time ran out. To make matters worse, the food was extremely poor. My son, who normally eats anything, refused it, and after tasting it myself, I understood why as it was poor. As we were finishing up I was approached and told twice that our 30 minutes had expired and that I had to pay extra. I explained that we were just about to leave and was asked again if I wanted to pay extra. I felt pressured to hurry him out and even asked ‘I’ll get him out now then shall I?’ to show my frustration but was ignored. It was particularly frustrating given that the venue was practically empty. The staff came across as unfriendly and lacking in empathy, and the overall atmosphere felt cold and unwelcoming. Instead of a relaxing outing with my child, the whole experience was stressful and rushed from start to finish. In total, I spent £27 on what should have been an enjoyable morning but instead left feeling disappointed and upset. Soft play venues should be places where families feel welcome and can spend quality time together, not places where they're watching the clock and feeling hurried out. Sadly, based on this experience, I wouldn't return or recommend The Hen House.

· via Google