A plate in the sun
Lucy Britner talks al-fresco trends, tips and tasty bites
As soon as the sun gets his hat on, dining out becomes dining outside. Whether you are arranging a full-on family fun day with grand plans to cater for 300, or you've got a 10-cover decked area, we've got a few ideas to help you on your way.
The most important thing is that your offer needs to be clearly communicated to your customers. This doesn't necessarily mean posting big notices everywhere or printing loads of different menus. If you intend to continue table service outside, set the tables up in the same way as the restaurant.
If you don't, then present people with cutlery when they order food at the bar or devise a cutlery-free menu with burgers, hot dogs and pizza.
Summer service
Townhouse Restaurants managing director Malcolm Binnie talks about his two Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises and British Waterways pubs — the Boathouse in Auchinstarry, north Lanarkshire, and the Wheelhouse in Falkirk.
Outside covers: 150 at each venue
Summer turnover at the Wheelhouse: £50,000 a week
The offer: Both sites open at 9am and the outside areas are packed with people enjoying morning coffee with chocolate shortbread or breakfasts and brunch.
Binnie says: "Coffee is a really important part of our trade — we make more money on coffee than we do on beer. Coffee is worth about £100,000 a year to us.
"Enjoying coffee outside is all part of Continental culture and it is becoming very popular here."
Most popular lunchtime dishes include filled ciabattas served with chunky chips (£7.95); fish goujons, pea purée and chips (£8.95).
Early evening tables are peppered with people enjoying a glass of wine and sharing platters or nibbles. "Rosé, sparkling rosé and Prosecco and Champagne are popular summer tipples," says Binnie. "To take pressure off the kitchen, front-of-house staff serve olives and bread and oils. It saves time."
Popular dinner dishes include salmon and dill salad with crème fraîche; cray fish salad; and Italian deli boards.
Service: Binnie says that just because people sit outside, it doesn't mean they want a lower standard of service. "Our restaurant effectively doubles in size during summer. It is really important to ensure you are prepared for the busiest time. If the weather fails and you're over-staffed, it's better to take the hit than to deliver poor service.
"There's always cleaning and stock-taking that can be done if you have too many staff."
There are barbecue plans for the summer and Binnie says he intends to maintain price points by not devaluing the offer.
"Our burgers will be home-made and the chicken is free range and organic. We will aim to get about £6 for a burger — it'll be served with some great dressed salads."
Barbecues
There's some serious cash to be made on the grill. If you're new to food and plan to stick to the basics, there's no reason why you can't still make the offer special. According to consumer research group TNS Worldpanel, Britons enjoy over 95 million barbecue occasions a year — in a market worth £6.7bn. An estimated £310m of that is spent in pubs.
National BBQ Association president Brian George says: "Outside is the new inside as consumers now expect much more. Catering professionals and licensees should explore more adventurous recipes to appeal to their customers' appetites and maximise income and margin opportunities, as you can get a higher return from a swordfish steak than a sausage, or a brochette than a burger."
Licensees Phil Jackson and Yolande Rankin at the Leopard, in Burton-upon-Trent, have a large al-fresco dining area with a full canopy and barbecue. Favourite barbecue dishes include lamb chops, spare ribs and steaks. They use HP BBQ sauce from Heinz Foodservice to enhance dishes and bring a taste of al fresco to the sandwich menu. Jackson says: "It is a great all-rounder. We use it to garnish burgers, enhance fajita sauces, and for marinating and grilling cuts of meat, or for barbecue chicken-melt sandwiches."
BBQ giveaway
Atlantic Foods is giving away a top-of-the-range barbecue grill and a year's supply of their products, to celebrate cooking al fresco. One lucky winner will win a grill worth over £700 and a year's supply of Atlantic Foods' products, including barbecue sauce, dressings and glazes, burgers, chicken and ribs.
For a chance to win the kit and for full terms and conditions simply email gemma@jellybeancreative.co.uk quoting "BBQ Bonanza Morning Advertiser Reader Offer" by 13 May. For more information visit www.atlanticfoods.co.uk or call 01252 846500.
Quick recipe
Hungarian paprika chicken
with BBQ corn on the cob
Serves 10
5 tbsps Hungarian paprika
10 garlic cloves — finely chopped
5 tsps ground black pepper
3 tsps ground cumin
2-3 red chillies — finely chopped
120g butter — melted
10 chicken thighs and drumsticks
80ml Heinz BBQ sauce
3 corn on the cob
Mix the spices, garlic and chillis with the butter. Place in a plastic bag with the 10 chicken thighs and drumsticks and marinate for two hours. Cook the chicken pieces on a medium-hot barbecue for about 35 minutes; alternatively, cook in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 for 30 minutes, turning occasionally. After 15 minutes
of cooking, add three corn on
the cob, cut into three, and
brush with the Heinz BBQ sauce, turning frequently.
Combat menus
Bank holidays, school holidays and Sundays are prime "day out with the family" time.
If you're going to be mobbed, it's a good idea to scale down your menu completely and focus on a few core dishes.
Peach Pub Company's
Lee Cash says: "Cut dishes down to two components — one of which should be prepared before service.
Think roast chicken and couscous or steak salad."
Hog roasts
The Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board, which incorporates the British Pig Executive, has a whole load of promotional material — including bunting, a guide to the hog roast, empty-belly posters and stickers.
Foodservice trade sector manager Tony Goodger says: "Whether you're looking for an immediate increase in sales, to stimulate quiet periods, increase customer satisfaction, reward loyalty or encourage repeat visits, a themed hog-roast event will give you the foundation to achieve your objective."
The profit potential
Hiring of hog roast unit: £100
19kg gas bottle: £12
Pig cost (130lbs) £100
350 buns at 10p each: £35
350 portions of apple sauce at 5p each: £17.50
Total cost: £264.50
Income from selling 350 buns at £3 each: £1,050
Profit: £785.50
Goodger's safety tips
n Wash hands before handling raw meat
n Even though you're cooking outside, ensure food is stored safely and at the right temperature
n Light your barbecue or roaster well in advance
n Wash and disinfect cooking utensils in between handling raw and cooked food
n Present food as soon as it is ready
n Perishable food that has been left out for more than a couple of hours should be thrown away
n Cover leftovers and store in the fridge
n Eat leftovers within 48 hours.
