Traditionally, a kitchen refurb is said to be the most expensive investment a pub makes. Although with many pubs currently being quoted vast sums for a few paving slabs, a couple of windbreaks and a patio heater, the garden may soon be claiming that title.
The smoking ban is making many licensees take a fresh look at their food business as well as their outdoor areas, and kitchen spend remains high on the trade's agenda. While there is undoubtedly scope for many pubs to improve their food trade overnight, clearly there is not going to be enough business for everybody straight away.
Peter Backman, managing director of consultancy Horizons, says that on a typical day last year, Britain's pubs served 325,500 meals, more than they did the year before and a figure he forecasts will increase to 418,000 meals a day over the next couple of years.
"That means that with the average revenue of £5.50 per meal, each pub can expect to see its food takings grow by three per cent a year," he says.
Peter adds a note of caution to those figures by warning that no pub is 'typical', with 21,000 pubs serving fewer than 200 meals a week and many of them serving far fewer than that.
"But pubs in England and Wales currently doing well on food have no guarantee that any shortfall in wet sales will be met by an increase in food sales." he says.
"The only pubs that can reasonably expect to increase food sales after the ban are those that are currently doing no or little food sales. They would be starting from a very low revenue base."
Which sounds like good news in one sense, although these pubs are also the most likely to be in need of investment to introduce a food trade. It may be tempting to try to do this cheaply, but this can often prove to be a false economy.
Watch out for cowboys
Malcolm Hoskin, of bar and catering equipment supplier Blue U, believes that, as is the case with some pub garden cowboys, there are many companies sensing a cheap buck can be made touting budget imported equipment around the UK.
"It concerns us that a large number of these products, arriving from Asia and in particular the Far East, are poorly manufactured using inferior components. This inevitably results in equipment not lasting, and falling short of the expectations of the customer," says Malcolm.
"This is particularly evident among refrigeration items, where inferior components may be used in freezers and chillers, resulting in a unit struggling to operate at the required temperature."
In some cases warranties being offered are on a 'back to base' deal, which passes on to the customer the responsibility and cost returning of goods to the importer for repair. "This has not been uncommon on certain small appliances in the past, but it surprises us that products such as dishwashers are now being offered with these warranties," says Malcolm.
The start-up cost of equipping a kitchen can easily tempt licensees to take the cheap option of trying to run a professional food operation with domestic cooking equipment.
Keith Warren, director of the Catering Equipment Suppliers Association (CESA), says the difference in build quality means pubs should always use commercial equipment.
"Domestic fryers can't produce volume, domestic fridges are not built to withstand constant opening of the door and domestic microwaves may not heat frozen food through thoroughly," he says. "There is a sound reason for choosing commercial kitchen equipment every time."
Falcon Foodservice Equipment's marketing manager Barry Hill says manufacturers of commercial cooking equipment have always recognised that pubs with a modest food operation can't justify buying heavy-duty kitchen equipment. Keeping the cost of equipment manageable with a view to driving up food sales in a pub has prompted the company to develop the light-duty Falcon Pro-Lite range series.
"The range has all the items of cooking equipment a pub needs for an entry-level kitchen system - fryers, grills, bains-marie, grills and griddles - but it is done at a price that bridges the gap between domestic and heavy-duty professional," says Barry. "The pub not used to a busy food operation gets professional performance at a price not much beyond domestic prices"
Sticky problems
Also warning against using domestic kitchen equipment is Peter Rigby, sales manager for Meyer Commercialware, which makes pans for the professional kitchen. "Domestic non-stick coatings are very lightweight and the pan will need replacing very quickly," he says. "We have just launched heavy-duty non-stick coating on stainless for really long life. Buying professional cookware rather than domestic is the only route to go."
Extended licensing hours can also mean additional revenue opportunities for publicans, including serving breakfast and mid-morning coffee. Many of the larger pub chains are looking at bake-off-from-frozen oven models, which are an easy, low-skill option to provide freshly baked breads and pastries. This can be an inexpensive option for many independent pubs too, says Nicola Franklin, marketing manager at Williams Refrigeration. "While finding the right bake-off oven is essential, it is vital to also invest in correct refrigeration," she says. "If you already have an established food operation, it is likely that your kitchen refrigeration is already in place, but many pubs previously reliant on wet sales are now introducing food for the first time, and refrigeration is essential.
"Manufacturers such as Williams are now producing light-duty commercial fridges, which are less powerful than traditional commercial models and consequently less expensive, but are ideal for lower-volume catering sites such as pubs."
John Savage, foodservice director at Foster Refrigerator, says: "This year we are starting to see a greater interest in refrigeration from the pub sector as it is turning its attention to how it can best use catering operations once the smoking ban comes into force. We are expecting this trend to continue as the start date of the ban comes closer.
"The equipment that we are seeing more demand for includes storage refrigerators and freezers such as our popular Slimline and Gastro Pro cabinets, as well as the Prep Station, which is ideally suited to pubs that typically serve sandwiches and salads on their lunchtime menu."
Stay on top of health and safety
Pubs need to be mindful of the requirements of the new Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) regulations. Refrigeration equipment is fundamental to assuring food safety and complying with health and safety legislation. Domestic models are unable to cope with the extremely high ambient temperatures, the constant opening of the fridge door, the potentially high levels of dirt and grease and the knocks and bumps that are common in commercial kitchens.
John adds: "Also worth highlighting are the cost savings publicans can make from buying energy-efficient refrigeration equipment. Look out for equipment that is registered on the ECA Scheme, which offers 100 per cent tax relief on the purchase price in the first year. Features such as self-closing doors, automatic fan cut-out and smart temperature controls that allow the fridge to automatically adapt to cope with how it is being used also lead to energy savings."