Gardens go Dutch: Licensees turn to Grolsch's Dutch initiative as way to improve outdoor areas
A touch of Dutch is sprouting in pub gardens around the country - and we're not talking tulips. Premium lager Grolsch is linking up with licensees to put up Dutch beer gardens.
Dave Preston, brand director at brewer Coors, explained how the idea emerged from numerous visits to Grolsch's home in Holland.
"The Dutch seem to enjoy their beer differently to the way we do," he said. "Outdoor areas are clearly differentiated and bars make the most of them."
Grolsch's gardens combine large, good quality umbrellas with metal terrace screens. "It's all quite simple and the branding isn't too overt," said Dave. "The idea is to both extend the trading area and to premiumise it."
About 30 Dutch gardens have already been built and another 30 sites have been identified. In some cases new trading areas will be produced as the screens can be assembled to create a semi-permanent wall and make it possible to take the trading area further into the street.
"The best sites are those with high pedestrian traffic," said Dave. "They get the brand seen and they get people to stop at the outlet."
Canalside pubs are ideal, and one of the most successful installations so far has been at the Canalhouse in Nottingham (pictured above).
The pub opened two years ago and relies heavily on a large waterside garden which can seat 150 people.
"Our trade doubles between April and August," said licensee Chris Bruce. "For some reason people like to sit by the water in the summer, especially in the evenings."
But the Canalhouse has to compete with four other outlets along that stretch of the Nottingham and Beeston Canal - the only waterside area in the city - including the giant Via Fossa next door. That's where the Dutch beer garden has come in useful.
"Grolsch approached us to stock the brand and offered to build the garden to help to promote it," explained Chris. "We have got four large umbrellas that take up about a third of the whole garden and it has certainly raised our profile. It catches the eye and draws people in. With a few pubs around to choose from, it makes it apparent that we've got a nice garden here.
"It's well used, too, especially when the weather is a bit so-so. The screens act as wind breaks."
The modular system for the Dutch beer gardens mean that each one can be made to fit the particular outlet. "The screens link together like Lego and we can make them for 30 people or 300," said Dave. "Each one will be different."
In most cases, the cost of installation and maintenance will be split between Coors and the licensee.
Bass Museum offers a marquee of distinction
If you're stuck for ideas for what you might do with your garden, you could do worse than turn to the Bass Museum for inspiration.
Not every pub will have space for a 400-capacity marquee but, as they say, it's not size that counts, it's what you do with it.
The museum in Burton on Trent, Staffordshire, is already famous for hosting more than 60 weddings a year, but the giant tent means it manages to fit in much more during the summer months.
A casual visit might find 70 schoolchildren test-flying model aircraft. Or a concert from the BBC's Music Live festival. Or a Robot Wars exhibition. Just about everything, in fact, from business conferences to beer festivals.
As the venue's business manager Darren Robinson points out: "Since we installed the tent last year it has certainly added to our versatility in staging events. It is a great flexible space that adapts so quickly."
Installed and maintained by supplier Owen Brown, the green and white marquee stays up from April until September.
Darren would like to have it all year round if he could, but the local council has insisted that it comes down for the winter. Another problem - which may be encountered by publicans - is that the tent requires its own public entertainments licence.
"As far as safety is concerned it's treated as a normal building," said Darren. "Emergency vehicles have to have access all the way round, for instance.
"And every time we have a bar, we need an occasional licence. We could have extended the permanent licence we have for the museum bars, but I discovered it was quicker and cheaper to do a batch of occasional licences at once - we did 27 to cover us for the summer."
Beer quality, especially with cask ales, can be a problem at outdoor bars, but the museum has run a python containing six separate lines from its cellar to avoid the need for a remote cooler. Other problems include finding the appropriate kinds of furniture for the variety of events and keeping the inside of the tent clean. "People don't treat a marquee like they do a proper building," said Darren. "It's as if it's still really outside."
Similarly, security is a consideration if you have equipment in there overnight. "It's best to have someone keep an eye on it," he advised. "We pay people to sleep in it the night before a beer festival. Alarms don't work because the slightest movement in the wind will trigger them."
Tents on this scale don't come cheap. The Bass Museum spent £54,000 including £10,000 for specially commissioned flooring. You could buy a couple of small pubs in Wales for that. Then there is another £3,000 a year to pay for service and winter storage.
But, said Darren, "it's already beginning to pay for itself".