Blue sky dining

The smoking ban presents a big opportunity for licensees to maximise their food offer in outside areas of all shapes and sizes. Mark Taylor explores the great outdoors

Barbecues

Al-fresco dining in the summer invariably means one thing - barbecues. Whatever outdoor space you have available - from a courtyard to a large garden - there should be enough space for a barbecue. Wayne Cortilla, of the Royal Oak at Poynings, West Sussex, recently won PubChef's Battle of the BBQs competition. He says as long as a pub has a clean and tidy outdoor area, size isn't important when it comes to hosting a successful barbecue: "By keeping it simple and using quality ingredients, you can get away with simple home-made burgers or marinated chicken breasts."

Bar snacks

With a large, 130-seat covered dining area overlooking the river, al-fresco dining plays a major part in the success of the White Lion Inn, at Tring, Hertfordshire. Since the smoking ban began, the pub has extended its bar-snacks menu and reduced prices of dishes such as sticky ribs, hot wings and tortillas with chilli con carne to £3.50. Owner Darlyne Brooke says: "As smokers have to go outside now, we want to look after them by offering good-quality finger-food. Our new table-service option means that people

outside don't have to leave their seats."

Picnics

Pubs lucky enough to have a large garden or to be situated close to the countryside can increase their al-fresco food offerings in several ways. Will Nicholls of Somerset pub the Kings Arms, in Litton, has

introduced summer picnics for his

customers every day between 2pm and 6pm. Customers can pre-order from a ploughman's picnic menu, made from local Somerset ingredients and costing £7.95 per adult, and take their food into the garden or down to the river. The pub provides rugs for extra comfort. Customers can also pre-order online and collect their picnics at any time.

Tapas

Spanish-style tapas dishes are increasingly popular in pubs and are perfect for al-fresco dining. The joy of tapas is that it doesn't even require a chef in the kitchen to produce a plate of charcuterie, olives, dips and bread - so it can be served at any time without having to stick to the pub's usual serving hours. The keys to a great tapas offering are buying the best quality ingredients and presentation - for example, serving the food on wooden boards or slate, or in attractive,

rustic earthenware dishes. Tapas is also great for sharing and is especially popular with large groups of people.

Sandwiches

The great British pub sandwich is much-maligned and has suffered over the years, mainly as a result of many sub-standard offerings. Prepared well, a really good sandwich can still taste wonderful - and can be perfect for serving outside with a pint of beer or glass of wine. Creating a great sandwich isn't rocket science - all you need is good-quality bread and interesting, imaginative fillings. Keep it simple with classic salt beef and English mustard, cook up a sizzling steak sarnie, or add a twist with spicy Thai chicken. Serve the sandwich on its own or with a healthy salad garnish, chips or crisps.

Coffees, teas and pastries

A month prior to the introduction of the smoking ban in England, Jeremy Peel built a large al-fresco area at the front of his pub, Off The Wall, in Chester. Unlike many traditional cafés, the pub's new area opens from 7am, and service continues until 1am at weekends. Peel's customers are now using the pub instead of local cafés and the food side of his business has already increased. "The increase in our food margins is significant - and 80% of our customers who come in for a coffee or tea are regularly ordering pastries, breakfasts and

lunches," Peel says.

Pies

Pies have never been more popular - and they make for an ideal al-fresco meal. As they can be made in advance and simply reheated to order, they are also perfect for busy pubs. Bristol-based gourmet pie company Pieminister supplies a number of pubs with its broad range of pies. It also supplies mash, gravy and mushy peas: all are pre-cooked and simply need to be reheated for service by the bar staff. Some of the pubs Pieminister supplies have very small kitchens, so its products have become the perfect solution for pubs that didn't have a food offering before the smoking ban.

Hog roasts/suckling pigs

Once the preserve of village fetes and county fairs, hog roasts are an increasingly-popular option for pubs with large gardens. Depending on the size of the porker turning on the spit-roast, this has the potential to provide a special evening or lunch for about 100 people. Although you may have to hire the equipment, the cost of a pig isn't prohibitive, especially if you source it from a local farmer. And the actual cost of serving the meat in buns with home-made apple sauce presents a great opportunity to make a healthy GP.