Refurbishment: outdoor furniture
Al fresco fireplaces
Imagine your customers being able to relax outside on those cold, crisp evenings, listening to the crackle of wood and watching the embers glow, absorbing the warmth and cosiness of a real fire…
Nexo fireplaces have been launched in the UK by a company called Lazy Days Inside Out Living. With the pub smoking ban in mind, the aim is to extend those balmy summer nights to an all-year-round experience.
Built to last, they are are constructed from steel-reinforced cast volcanic pumice, clad with natural stone quarried on the island of Mors in Denmark. They are weather resistant and, according to Lazy Days, have even been installed in Siberia!
In addition to providing heat, the fires double up as cooking stations for barbecuing and grilling - cue roasted chestnuts and mulled wine in the garden this Christmas!
www.lazydaysliving.co.uk
Green screens
Just launched in the UK to help licensees provide attractive outdoor rooms for smokers, Green Screen is described as an "innovative hedging product that combines the benefits of a 5mm weldmesh security fence with ready-grown, lush green, hardy plant material".
Screens are delivered in 1.2m or 1.8m high by 1.36m long sections, in troughs that can be planted directly into the ground. For hard surfaces, wooden planters with auto-watering are available.
www.mobilane.co.uk
Outdoor ashtrays
One problem with al fresco smoking could be the accumulation of unsightly fag ends that could put customers off. In response, Cedar House has introduced a range of outdoor ashtrays.
They are stylish, slim tubes with a chrome-like finish, and have a small hole near the top which the smoker drops their cigarette butt into. It will extinguish itself inside the bin through lack of oxygen, so there's no need for stubbing out.
Butts are held in a separate weather-tight compartment. This hides them from view and makes it easier for staff to clean as the ash and butts stay dry and do not clog together or stick to the inside.
www.cedarhouseproducts.co.uk
