Summer sun means packed beer gardens, so how do publicans keep their service swift and smooth outdoors?
It cannot be said that the British aren't prepared to risk the unpredictable weather to get down to the pub. All year round, pubs across the country are serving customers come rain or shine, and as the summer months approach, publicans will be preparing to deal with the busy few months ahead.
So, how are operators of some of the best pub gardens in the country making sure their outdoor customers are getting as good a service as possible? And what does operating alfresco mean for their food and drink offerings?
Service in pub gardens
When Jonathan Perritt and his brother bought the Stag pub in Belsize Park (their second site) in 2008, they inherited a serious outdoor garden. "We were searching for our second site at the time and thought it was a good opportunity to have a strong outside trading area," he says. "The business had a different look and feel when we acquired it, but we immediately went about rethinking and reinventing the garden space." At full tilt it can now hold around 300 people.
We stick to the classic serves – don't overcomplicate it… and get it out quick
Outside of London Barkby Group, the new owners of the Ebrington Arms in Chipping Camden, Gloucestershire, are looking to upgrade the large 60-cover outdoor garden in time for summer 2022. "There is a covered area with some tables and our new general manager is in the process of updating that area to include lighting and sound, so we will have some really quiet gentle music and some nice lighting," explains Rachel Cappuccini, marketing consultant at Barkby.
When it comes to operations, customer journey is key. "The key thing with alfresco dining at any establishment is customer service and I think there are a lot of people who don't get it right," Cappuccini says. As a result, the team are putting in place a separate ordering system and a completely dedicated team for outside service, with everything from order, payment, cutlery and glass situated outside.
"We're very aware of how irritating it is when you sit at an outdoor table and you want more drinks and nobody is there," she explains, noting that for customers at the Ebrington Arms, the walk up the garden and to the bar at the other end of the site is a long way. Staff will also be undergoing specific training so if they're asked a question about the drinks, they'll have answers ready.
At the True Pub Company (which runs 18 sites in and around London), director Gerard Flynn is also aware of making sure that guests are not forgotten. "The big thing with garden staff is that they are so used to being inside that they stay inside… Have someone out there or a QR code to make it as easy as possible for people to order in the garden."
Pub gardens in summer
When it comes to the food and drink offerings, sometimes an outdoor setting can have a huge influence on what comes out of the bar and kitchen. At the Ebrington Arms, the consideration of food travelling from the kitchen has had an impact on what they serve their guests both indoors and outdoors. "There are certain dishes that don't lend themselves to being walked from the kitchen all the way to the garden, that don't transport well," Cappuccini explains.
Similarly at the Stag, menus are decided on through the lens of having serve outside as well as the consideration that it has to be served to anything between 20 and 300 customers.
For Flynn, a summer menu means lighter dishes alongside food to share, especially when it comes to groups who might have come for the drinks but stay for the food. He also believes that having a food offering is a must, even if you can't make it yourself. "You have to do food… we have two places where we don't have kitchens and we tap into two operators locally so you can order it from the pub and have it delivered. With the likes of Deliveroo, there is no excuse."
Drinks-wise the summer is also a chance to optimise on popular sunny-weather libations. "If the weather provides, there is a natural swing to things like cider and lager and I'm sure, like most operators, you will serve much more rosé rather than Malbec – I suspect we don't buck too many trends in that department," says Perritt, who is also keen to regularly work with small batch producers who bring something different to the table.
For Flynn, giving guests what they want in summer drinks like Aperol Spritz or Pimm's is more important than offering something new: "We stick to the classic serves – don't overcomplicate it… and get it out quick."
Over the fence
Outdoor spaces also come with their own difficulties – the ever-changing weather being the most pertinent. The True Pub Company serves plenty of walkers and cyclists in the colder months so they've set up steel-frame stretch tent with removable sides and indoor furniture to make guests feel like they're in the pub. "It works really well and added an extra 90 covers – use all of your space," Flynn advises.
In 2020, the Stag added a giant stretch tent and heater to keep people dry and warm in chillier seasons, setting it up in October and removing it in March.
For Cappuccini, communication is key when it comes to keeping guests happy with unpredictable weather. "It's about ensuring customers understand that, should there be a sudden downpour, they won't necessarily get a table inside, even though we will try to accommodate them. It's just being a little bit flexible for customers, but at the end of the day, we know what British weather is like."
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