What You're Doing: Mother's Day special

BigHospitality has been in search of some of the more unusual and innovative ideas being run by restaurants, hotels and pubs this weekend to find out how they're intending to grab the Valentine's trade.

With just over a week to go until Mother's Day, we look at what restaurants, hotels and pubs are doing to bring families through their doors on March 14 to make the most of Mothering Sunday.

Kids zone

Park Plaza Sherlock Holmes hotel in London will be creating a Kids Zone at its Sherlock's Grill restaurant on Mother's Day where parents can leave their children under the supervision of trained child minders who will keep them entertained with face-painting and games. The restaurant will also be serving a special £25 three-course Mother's Day menu (£12.50 for children under 13) with dishes including sweet red pepper and roast tomato soup with basil dressing, North Sea smoked haddock and salmon fish pie, with fine green beans and banana and toffee crumble with vanilla ice cream.

Sunday special

St. James’s Hotel and Club’s restaurant Seven Park Place, usually closed for business on Sundays, is opening exclusively for Mother’s Day this year. It will offer a three-course roast dinner for £29.50 (£45.50 including specially selected wines) and a surprise gift from REN Skincare for every mum. The hotel is also giving children wanting to treat their mum's to an overnight stay a special rate of £215 per room including breakfast.

Ribs and photos

The Chicago Rib Shack has teamed up with Venture Knightsbridge to give all diners booking a table for Mother's Day the chance to take part in a complimentary photo shoot with the photographic studio worth £149. The Knightsbridge restaurant will also be hosting children's entertainers and the popular ‘paint your own pig’ competition over the course of the day.

Flowers and chocolates

The Restaurant at St Paul's will be supplying both lunch and presents for diners to treat their mothers with this Mothering Sunday. Head chef Candice Webber has devised a £30 three-course menu with dishes including Chalk Farm smoked salmon, shallot and soda bread; a traditional roast of Brookland Farm free range chicken with purple sprouting broccoli, leek and lemon puree; Cornish plaice, mussels and clams and rhubarb, vanilla and hazelnut tart with clotted cream, that will be preceded by an English sparkling Forced Rhubarb Bellini. Every mum will also be given a hand tied bunch of spring daffodils and homemade chocolate truffles to takeaway.