Is Butlins Skegness Sober-Friendly?

For our first holiday of 2024, me & my boyfriend decided to go to Butlins Skegness. I had been to a different Butlins with my family when I was younger but my boyfriend had never been before & I feel like it's an experience that every British person should have! So, that's where we decided to go. I can hear you shouting through your screen how bloody cold it would be so close to the beach in January but fear not, my readers, we had gloves and coats at the ready!

Butlins is a family holiday park that has three UK locations; Skegness, Minehead & Bognor Regis. It has accommodation on site and loads of family fun activities included. It also hosts a lot of adult only breaks too, which tend to be popular with hen dos and stag dos. Butlins peak time is of course the summer, as they're all near to beaches & make great seaside holidays. That's why we decided to go in January. It cost us under £60 for four nights in a Gold Apartment! (THIS IS WITHOUT ANY FOOD PACKAGES OR EXTRAS ADDED!) Now, for a couple with no children, this is a great excuse for a cheap piss up... but we are sober, so I was nervous that we might not find anything to do... however, that wasn't at all the case.

(Strawberry Mocktail!)

The first night of the trip, we spent most of our time walking around and trying to figure out where everything was from our door. One thing about Butlins is that you'll get lost many times trying to find your way from A to B! After a lot of exploring and trying to figure out where everything was, we sat down to a meal at the Papa John's on site. I was delighted to see that they had a few mocktails & sold them in pitchers which was a massive plus!! We had a Strawberry one, which was essentially Strawberry juice & sparkling water but it was nice & it matched my dress, so I was winning.

We also got some pictures at some of the iconic little spots around the park. We found the giant Butlins chair (it was unfortunately too wet to sit on), we also found the magic fountain that makes all of your holiday wishes come true & of course we found the sign!! If you're someone that likes to take lots of pictures for memories, instagram or to show your kids when they're older, Butlins has so many great spots to do so. I really loved these little photo opportunities because I enjoy looking back at things that me and my boyfriend have done together for that nostalgic feeling.

Our first full day was all about the beach baby! If you know me, you'll know how much I adore the beach. I find the sea to be so calming and beautiful. I am always begging to go to the beach whenever it is slightly sunny outside. Now, you could go out of Butlins & into Skegness to go to the beach or if you're looking to stay in the park, they actually have their own little section of the beach that is just for you! We went to the Butlins Beach section and it was surprisingly quiet, although I doubt its like that when the sun's shining. This is open 9am until 4pm, so you have lots of time to get your feet on the sand and to watch the many wind turbines that are in the sea!

(A tad windy!)

We found a pub near to Butlins and decided to have a spot of lunch there. There was only one NA beer there, so I went for a pepsi instead. The lunch was nice & there was shops next to the pub so we got to have a little look around them too. On the evening, we decided go go bowling & to the main bar. The bar only had NA cider, so that's what we got. To be honest, the selection of NA drinks was really poor, even in the two supermarkets on site, I only found one NA drink. The only thing that made me feel better is that we could take food and drink on site for our apartment and there were shops off site that did a range of NA drinks for us to enjoy in our room. I know that not everybody agrees with NA drinks but I was on holiday, I wanted to enjoy some and the selection was awful.

The only saving grace on the drinks front was that there was a Costa on site so the caffeine fix was catered for. In terms of other drinks of an evening, just your usual coke and pepsi served me well until we went back to the apartment.

(There were hundreds more stars in real life!!!)

One thing about me and my boyfriend is that we live for a midnight drive... no matter where we are. Skegness was no different. We went for a late night drive, to see all the big houses near the Butlins. Midway through driving, I looked up to see the clearest sky ever. It was FULL of stars. The picture above does it no justice. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, I had actual tears. It was stunning. I am so glad that I got to experience something so beautiful and breathtaking. I 100% suggest stargazing if you go. The sweetie that my boyfriend is, it was a big deal to him that I remembered this moment... so he got me this beautiful ring the next day when we went into the town center.

(From Pandora, if you want to get it too!!)

The town center was just like any other and had a great range of shops. It also had lots and lots of fish and chips shops and pubs. The pubs again had a limited NA selection but one of them did have Heineken 0% on tap and we love to see that. The pier is also really close to the town center so if you're going at peak times, there is so much to do, from the cinema, to the beach, to bowling and arcades.

(Heineken 0%)

Speaking of arcades, there were a few on site at Butlins & we won so many tickets. I also won a panda teddy from a claw machine, which I was ridiculously excited about. Next to the main one, there was also a huge sweet shop (to serve those no drinking sugar cravings!!!) There was a huge range of games at the arcades and contactless cash withdrawal too... which probably means you'll spend more money but made it easy to get the money out. Thinking about it too, what you're not spending on alcohol, you can spend on more fun arcade games instead! Trust me, some of them (like the connect 4 basketball game,) were a work out!!

(He is always beating me at arcade games!!!)

Another honorable mention, in terms of activities, is the swimming. Me and my boyfriend are water bugs and were most excited for swimming. Unfortunately the main pool was shut BUT we still got to have ago on the water slides and that was a lot of fun. Other activities there that we didn't do include; ice skating, mini golf, climbing, archery, outdoor football, bike hire and there were also other food places that we didn't get around to either. Butlins is very big, so I would suggest doing some research into the food and activities before you go, so that you don't miss anything!

On our last day, we got some milkshakes from the diner and then headed for some well needed rest, ready for the drive we had ahead of us the next day. The restaurants on site were expensive but they were part of the experience, so we didn't mind spending a bit more to go to them. They aren't necessarily a must though. When you book, there are options for food package add ons at the Butlins restaurants, so do check them out if you're wanting food on site but don't want to pay the price for the independent restaurants that they have there. Also, remember that if you get an apartment, you can cook yourself!

So, what got me through this trip without ruining my sobriety? Let's talk about it.

First of all, treats. I am not a sweet over savory girlie usually. However, since becoming sober, the sugar cravings have been intense. I try not to give in all the time at home because sugar is another bad habit that I don't want to use as a replacement... however, on holiday I wanted to allow myself some treats. The sweet shop was my favourite place if I found myself craving a drink or wanting something nice.

(A bag big enough for my book collection!!!)

Distractions! There is so much to do at Butlins, that I barely got a chance to even think of having a drink in the first place. There is so much to see and even if you don't wanna be around the areas where they serve alcohol, you can find things in all different places. Remember this is a place marketed towards families, kids don't drink. Release your inner child and have some genuine sober fun!!!

My best friend. As always, my boyfriend is my biggest cheerleader. He helps me through the tough times always. Going away with someone you love/your loved ones/your best mates, makes things just that little bit easier. They know you and they know your struggle. A real one will be there with you and for you.🤍

Overall, we had a great time. I know Butlins isn't everyone's cup of tea but we had a great time. I come from a big family where I'm the oldest of all of the siblings, cousins, grandkids, etc... so there being a lot of families with young kids, didn't bother me at all. However, if this would bother you, I'd suggest doing an adult weekend, although from what I'm aware, they're very alcohol centered. (I'm gonna double check that with my dad because he is going go one this weekend!) As I said before, if I were you, I'd do some research into the food and activities before going (some may need to be booked in advance) and I'd really recommend getting an apartment instead of a room, if possible!

Butlins Skegness is approved by us, a sober couple. It is sober-friendly. It provides many distractions, and being able to bring your own drinks on site is a big plus. My only disappointment is the lack of NA drinks from the bars and restaurants on site. Other then that, it is a great little getaway for us sober folk!

Boyfriends Comments;

Being at a place that is centered around families made it easier to stay sober and to wake up with a clear head, ready for more activities bright and early. The NA drinks selection on site was disappointing though. Overall I had a great time.

That is all from me and mine today!! Thank you for being here and for reading about our Butlins holiday! If you want to contact me or to follow my journey some more, you can find me on threads and insta as @imsoberpositive !! I would love to connect with you, to know what you think of these blogs and what you would like to see next.

Until next time,

Keep going & remember, one day at a time.

-P x

imsoberpositive