Meeting the needs of your outdoor diners

This means diners wishing to sit outside and enjoy their food in the sunshine is on the increase too. The outdoor trend can be great for business, the summer weather tends to put customers in a good mood and sees people wanting to spontaneously get together. And, a couple of drinks in the sunshine can soon turn into a sharing platter or main meal.

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Getting your outside offering right

There’s a lot that goes into a successful alfresco offering. Ensure your garden, patio or outdoor seating area isn’t simply an afterthought and prioritise keeping it clean and tidy. Think about its layout and comfort and the views on offer, what can you do to make the most of this? It’s also worth considering who’s most likely to sit outside, often this is families with small children, who find keeping children confined inside a stressful task. So, make sure you’ve made the area safe and appealing to make life easier for your family diners. It can be easy for staff to forget about clearing plates from outdoor tables, so make sure your team are fully briefed on keeping service levels outside consistent with inside. Outdoor areas and furniture can need extra care and cleaning at the end of a busy day, so it’s worth bearing this in mind and building in the necessary time to ensure it’s always looking its best.

Above: Creative Green Melamine Bowls

Is your crockery up to scratch?

Outdoor dining can be more demanding on plates and dishes, with staff usually having further to carry food, with more obstacles in their way and outdoor surfaces tending to be rougher and more uneven than indoor tables. So, when it comes to serving up food alfresco, it’s a good idea to invest in some durable crockery. Melamine is a great material to choose for outdoor dining, it’s knock and chip resistant, and extremely hard-wearing. It is also dishwasher safe and complies with all food safety standards for hygiene.

Think Creative...

One brand leading the way when it comes to melamine is Creative, who have over 35 years of combined industry knowledge in the melamine food display arena. All of their melamine items are designed in-house in the UK, and the Creative logo is proudly embossed on the bottom of every single product. Creative products feature unique silicone feet as well, meaning they are recognisable and non-slip - making them ideal for outdoor use.

Above: Creative Red Melamine Bowls

For summer, we like the vibrant Casablanca range from Creative. This original assortment of glazed melamine bowls mimics the look of real ceramic while delivering all the long-lasting product benefits and durability of melamine. They are available in two bold colours and are perfect for displaying a wide variety of fresh produce in an alfresco setting.

Summer style with Dalebrook

Getting your outside offering right for summer dining isn’t just about practicality, it’s also about the look, feel and style of your offer. Bold, contemporary crockery can play a big part in this, setting the scene and helping to create a relaxed atmosphere. A brand we like for its strong summer style and ultimate practicality is Dalebrook. As the first company to bring melamine food display products to the catering industry, Dalebrook has a strong heritage. Their product range includes display stands and boxes, melamine display dishes, platters and crocks, ticket holders and utensils.

Above: Dalebrook Wood Bark Platter

There’s no sign of a slow-down in the demand for sharing platters and these can be especially popular with groups dining outside. To help you achieve that rustic chic look for summer, Dalebrook has a beautiful Wood Bark Platter, which takes its inspiration from real wood, but is actually an easy-to-clean, durable alternative. Showcasing the product’s unique bark texture, the platter boasts an authentic wood-like look and texture – with the added benefits of being made from 100% melamine material. This fun, quirky platter adds a different dimension to any serving situation and looks particularly good outside.

Dalebook’s colourful Casablanca range is also ideal for stylish outdoor dining. This Melamine collection features a distressed, crackled texture in three stunning summer colours. Available in nine convenient sizes, it’s the perfect backdrop for vibrant summer food.

Above: Dalebrook Casablanca Range

The outdoor dining checklist:

Follow this checklist to make sure you’re meeting the needs of your outdoor diners…

• Make the most of your available outdoor space, maximise the views and plan the layout carefully

• Don’t compromise on diner comfort, ensure your outdoor furniture is durable and easy to relax in

• Choose durable, knock and chip resistant crockery and serving platters for your alfresco orders

• Think about whether you need to make your outside space more family friendly and safe for children who may be likely to get up and run around

• Take extra care of outdoor furniture and accessories, it’s easy for them to become dirty or shabby looking in a short space of time if not properly cared for and cleaned

• Keep service levels consistent with indoors – ensure you have plenty of staff on and all are briefed on regularly checking outside tables

• Outdoor dining doesn’t just have to be for summer, create a chic cosy space outside for winter with stylish blankets, heaters and a warming menu of hot drinks like mulled wine

How do you cater for alfresco dining? We’d love to see your pictures, recipes and ideas. Follow us @BunzlLockhart.