Make the most of outdoors

Marston's Pub Company is running roadshows aimed at giving its licensees ideas to maximise the al-fresco potential of their pubs. Lucy Britner went along to the Rutland Arms in Newark, Nottinghamshire, to find out more

Develop green fingers

Gardening tips with gardener and Charlie Dimmock-lookalike Dawn Davie.

1. If you don't have time to water, invest in some water-retention beads for your hanging baskets. During a hot summer, baskets usually need watering every day. With water retention beads, you can leave the baskets over the weekend.

2. You don't have to shell out on expensive stone pots. You can use a material called hypertufa that can be moulded into shape. It is made from sand, cement and compost. This also means pots are lighter and easier to move. Ask your local garden centre for more information.

3. Tailor your plants to suit your outlet. Think about where baskets are going to hang and choose plants that will thrive in those positions. For example, fuchsias prefer the shade, while geraniums prefer the sun.

4. Know the seasons. Bedding plants should be purchased in May and not planted before the middle of May to avoid late frosts. This includes lobelia and bizzy lizzies.

How to market your food business

PR and marketing tips with Ben Bartlett

PR ideas

The main objectives of marketing and PR are to make customers aware of your existence and your offering. Advertising works, but it's very expensive.

Try to organise an event that is a little unusual and contact your local newspaper to let them know what you're doing. If you are part of a pub company or brewery that has a PR company, talk to your BDM about how you can use them. Marston's licensees are all allowed to use PR company Vital, free of charge.

Look at the type of people that come into your pub. Target the market you are interested in, rather than spending too much time and money trying to target everyone.

Using PR

Set some challenges for yourself. Tell the local radio station that you think your barbecue is the best in town, for instance. Invite a critic to come and write a review.

Ask your customers to write in to magazines and newspapers to tell them how great your pub is. You could do this by leaving response forms on the table - you can even provide them with the stamp and the envelope.

Send a menu and a picture of the pub to travel and food guides.

Advertising

If you are going to pay to advertise, make sure you're advertising a good deal, not just the pub. For example, introduce a discount offer, but only for a limited period of time. For instance, do a two-for-one offer for two weeks. But avoid getting a reputation as a discount dining pub.

Contact your local transport company - adverts on the sides of buses are usually quite cheap.

When setting up your pub website, make sure you use key words in the summary of the website that will be picked up by the search engines. For example, if your pub is on the way to Alton Towers or near a landmark that attracts tourists, include this as people will type things like "pub near Alton Towers" into Google.

Case study

Al-fresco ideas from BII Licensee of the Year 2006 Richard Macey, of the Fountain Inn, Clent, West Midlands.

Macey's tips

Don't see the smoking ban as a problem,

see it as an opportunity. You can't buy

atmosphere in supermarkets.

1. Advertise real ales, food and wine lists on waterproof banners placed outside.

2. Back up your prices with good service.

3. Serve drinks in the right glasses to show customers you care.

4. Train staff to up-sell. If customers order drinks, ask if they also want crisps, olives or bread and oils.

5. Make sure staff know what dishes taste like, then they can describe them.

6. Train staff to recommend a beer or wine to go with the dish.

7. Look to the Continent for inspiration. Most places in Europe offer table service.

8. Turn your pub inside out. Make sure customers are comfortable outside; this way they can stay there for a long time.

On the menu

Starters

Shrimps bezule - crispy fried shrimps tossed with mustard seeds, curry leaves and green chillies, paired with Little Creatures pale ale. This hoppy, fruity pale ale, a cross between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Torrontes, is an exhilarating, citric contrast to the fish.

Main courses

Lamb rogan josh - tender lamb pieces cooked in a traditional masala, paired with Worthington's White Shield IPA: the hops provide a resinous contrast to the food.

Desserts

Baked yoghurt with black cherry, served with mango kulfi, paired with Thornbridge's Jaipur. On the nose, this IPA is sweet and citrus-tinged. In the mouth, taste builds from soft and smooth to hops and honey with a bitter finish, contrasting well with the pudding.

Fountain INN factFILE

Weekly turnover: £30,000 on a good week.

Smoking policy: The pub has been no smoking since 1 January 2005 and experienced a 20% increase in turnover.

Al fresco: 17 tables on a decked area.

Service: Outdoor table service over summer 2006 generated an extra £2,000 a week.

The technology: Wi-fi touch-screens that link up to the kitchen; roughly £145 each.

Top tips for outside dining

Ben Bartlett offers some simple ideas on making al-fresco

dining work at your pub

l Make sure you advertise the fact outside the pub that you have an external area or garden.

l Consider offering table service outside.

l Make sure you have signage outside indicating how customers can order food - for example, do they need to order at the bar?

l Ensure your outside areas are as clean as the inside of your pub and that you provide comfortable seating and parasols.

l Stock a good choice of ice creams.

l Invest in wine coolers so customers are encouraged to buy a bottle.

l Make sure you have enough staff serving outside so that customers are not forgotten.

l Make sure the pub staff serving outside are clearly identified by wearing a uniform, or ensure all staff are in the same style of clothing; for example, smart white shirts, or casual black T-shirts.

l Key dates such as Ascot and Wimbledon are ideal times to maximise al-fresco events.

l Sharing platters are easy to prepare. Try a Greek platter of olives and feta, or an Italian platter of tomatoes, cheeses, and cold meats.

l Other recipes worth trying include pork, apple and sage kebabs; bacon and tarragon chicken; minced pork, sage and bacon koftas.