Bringing the inside out

Licensees need to order their garden equipment now if they're planning changes ahead of the smoke ban. Andrew Burnyeat reports on the options

A small section of British industry is very worried at the moment. Suppliers of garden furniture are

concerned that licensees will wait until the last possible moment before ordering what they need to make the external areas of their pubs smoker-friendly.

The fear is that there simply won't be enough furniture and equipment to meet demand. Prices will rise, and pubs could end up waiting months until they get what they need - by which time, many glorious summer days could have come and gone.

Nick Barnicoat, managing director of outdoor furniture manufacturers Tabula Trading Company, says: "The impression we're getting is that people are only just starting to address this.

"The garden has been the Cinderella area, full of cheap chairs, unbalanced pine tables and littered with fag-ends, whereas the pub interior boasts warmth and good lighting. It's about time that changed. There is a lot you can do without going bonkers on price."

Barnicoat believes licensees need spend no more than around £1,000, and that the investment will be recouped quickly.

He adds: "I do worry that licensees will make plans and then find they just can't buy the products they want. They might have to wait for months. It's silly."

Seeing the light

Another worry is that pubs will be left high and dry if their outdoor plans hinge on a

planning application.

Cindy Pettit, director of outdoor lighting company Illuminated Pots (CME Imports), suppliers of large illuminated garden planters, advises licensees to consider a back-up plan. She says: "The focus being put into external areas this year, above all other years, means that simply cutting the grass and placing benches outside will no longer satisfy customer expectations."

She warns that there are a lot of planning applications in for smoking solutions at the moment.

"There is no guarantee that these will all be granted, so people need to have strategies in place, in case they do not materialise.

"Our pots do not require planning permission and can be used to enhance smoking

areas or to create mood zones, or provide lighting for outdoor dining areas.

"Gardens will need to be an extension of the lovely environment inside, to encourage customers to stay longer."

The company's lighting solutions can be used to create a soft, ambient light to add a great atmosphere to a garden area, courtyard or patio. This additional lighting can also help to make such areas more female-friendly.

Back-up plans

Tony Reynolds, owner of Shading By Design, which designs, builds and furnishes external areas for pubs, says: "Some people are doing more than they need to. They see it as an

opportunity to remodel their garden, rather than simply responding to the legislation.

"Other pubs are looking for a cheap, quick fix, and that's not the way to go. It's a false econ-omy to put some carbuncle outside your pub."

Reynolds also believes it's vital to have a

reserve scheme in case your planning application falls through.

Removable parasols, screens and wooden bases mean customers can still smoke, though the equipment has to be wheeled away at night to comply with planning regulations.

Reynolds says: "Awnings are not always suitable. They protect from what's above you, but if the wind is howling down the street, they

offer no protection at all."

Keith Jobson, marketing manager at Westmead Contract Furniture, says: "We have been impressed with how well prepared some of the pub groups have been. Many have produced guidebooks for their tenants and a number of them have held roadshows offering advice and contact with suppliers." 

Get the basics right

Jobson reports that they have been getting a large number of enquiries from individual licensees about canopy shelters and cigarette wall-bins.

Jobson adds: "By addressing the three basic essentials of seating, heating and shelter, you can avoid making your smoking customers feel like outcasts."

Westmead recommends a wall-mounted electric infra-red heater with a motion sensor, so that they only come on when needed. Very popular in Ireland and Scotland, these heaters are rain-proof and typically cost only 10p per hour to run.

"As for shelter, don't make the mistake of buying domestic gazebos," Jobson warns. "They are very cheap for a reason. They are designed as temporary sun shelters, not for rain." A good quality shelter with a five-year canopy guarantee can be bought for less than £2,500, including furniture, heating and cigarette wall-bins.

If space is very limited, it is important to try to provide some form of basic shelter from the rain. "Even if there is no space for a shelter, the bare minimum you should try to provide is

a rain-proof patio heater and a cigarette

wall-bin."