British holidaymakers

SAFETY MELTING POT

Posted on August 2, 2022

SAFETY MELTING POT

Take a strategic site safety approach urges Ramtech's Tom Ambler...

WINTER AND SPRING are the ideal times to review a site and prepare it for the busier seasons.

 

Fire constitutes one of the biggest risks to the total loss of a park home, and with many sites often at lower capacity or closed during off-season, upgrading site safety and efficiency should be a top priority for site managers. Recent fire reports provide a stark warning to site owners, including how fire crews battled a large blaze at a Dorset holiday park, showcasing the chaos that fire can wreak.

Fortunately, no more than property damage was the outcome on this occasion but investing in the appropriate safety measures ahead of time, can help to reduce fire risk and help to stop a blaze quickly with the right detection in place. Preparing a site in advance of opening, by checking that the current fire safety system is working, is advisable. Any faulty wiring or machinery - particularly relating to power generators for homes or common buildings - as well as the threat of arson and vandalism should be front of mind all year around.

 

RAMTECH’S WES3 places the power in site owners’ hands

 

SHOW COMPLIANCE
Currently, holiday park site owners have a legal obligation to manage fire safety under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (“the FSO”). The act applies to all non-domestic premises including certain types of parks, such as those with common areas in leisure complexes, restaurants and guest houses. With park residents often mingling in these types of campsite community buildings, the threat to human life is very real.

Just a few years ago, there was an incident at a leisure facility on a campsite near Newquay, which resulted in extensive damage to several communal buildings including a swimming pool, sauna and gym. So, not only is protecting against fire a requirement under the FSO, it is also vitally important to avoid the financial implications, which can be huge.

 

A fire forces site owners into a massive rebuild operation, potentially putting them out of action for a season for more. A system, like Ramtech’s WES3, places the power in site owners’ hands. It’s an EN54-25 compliant connected device, that can be deployed at various points across holiday parks on stands.

It acts as an emergency response system, with automatic smoke and heat detectors responding to site incidents and maintaining 24/7 coverage through the CONNECT unit, otherwise known as the brains of the system. The WES3 is also IP55 rated, which means they are suitable for outdoor areas and won’t be affected by varying weather conditions. What’s more, the CONNECT system ensures off-site notifications can also be enabled, informing site owners and even alerting emergency authorities.

 

RECENT FIRE REPORTS provide a stark warning to site owners.

 

ROBUST FEATURES
While sites must ensure that fire safety is robust, other park management features that support the efficient and daily running of the park, are also welcome. This is where technology has evolved to help answer these added value requirements at the same time as emergency response needs. WiSE, for instance, is a reliable business information and monitoring platform providing real time alerts, data and information about security coverage. For holiday park operators, WiSE can also extend your existing security and fire system coverage, reducing the complexity and cost of enhancing your risk management systems.

The WiSE wireless security solution gives you peace of mind that your holiday park business and on- park properties are being securely monitored 24/7. Powered by long-life batteries and connected to a reliable radio technology, the system allows thousands of devices to be linked to a central base station that creates an instant alert via email, text or pager. WiSE is not dependent on SIM or WiFi to function, which is great for sites with little or no data or internet coverage.

 

WISE CAN ALSO EXTEND your existing security and fire system coverage.

 

Winter and spring are the ideal times to review a site and prepare it for the busier Easter and summer period. This should vitally include fire safety standards - as once peak season arrives, and the warmer weather attracts more visitors, the heat, coupled with popular campsite activities such as fires and barbecues, can be a real melting pot in terms of park accidents.

For more information on how Ramtech’s solutions can help protect holiday park sites, visit www.ramtechglobal.com

KEEPING YOUR CAMPERS HAPPY

Posted on August 2, 2022

KEEPING YOUR CAMPERS HAPPY

Neil Campbell, a veteran traveller, offers some friendly campsite feedback...

BOTH CANTERBURY AND HENLEY campsites have merited return trips. Pic. The Camping and Caravanning Club

 

As I scooped out the huge pool of rainwater in the middle of our collapsed inflatable tent with an old ice cream tub, I thought to myself “I absolutely love camping!” Ridiculous as this may sound, given that we were racing against time to bail out and re-inflate the tent before a fresh deluge, campsites always give you an adventure, memories to treasure and something to laugh about.

They are a truly analogue experience in a digital world, are eco-friendly, cheap and — especially after the pandemic — offer a huge dose of freedom. We have used campsites and holiday parks all over Britain, from the Isle of Skye to the Jurassic coast, from Snowdonia to Essex’s Mersea Island. And they have been infinitely varied — from little more than a farmer’s field with six pitches and a neighbouring bull (but a view of the Highlands) near Loch Ness, to brilliantly-run and comprehensively- equipped holiday parks in Norfolk.

 

WE LOVE TO MAKE the most of on-site opportunities like pond dipping. Pic Kelling Heath

 

MAKE OR BREAK
But the good ones all have several things in common that can make or break a camping holiday. From a veteran camper’s point of view, what is an ideal campsite? A speedy check-in process is a massive bonus and gets the holiday off to the right start, particularly after a long journey with everyone a bit grumpy. Most of the form-filling of checking-in and payment can be done online in advance, so it should be a straightforward matching of you to your pitch number and off you go.

Our most recent trip, to the Graffham campsite in Sussex in June, had check- in down to a tee — we didn’t even have to leave our car, and were checked in and being shown to our pitch within a minute or two. The staff greeting you are also critical — a cheery welcome makes a vast difference and costs nothing. And if the numbering of pitches is clear and the directions to facilities are easy to understand, you’re off to a good start. An early check-in and late check-out time is always good.

 

If the previous occupant has left by mid-day, there is no reason why the new one shouldn’t arrive at 1pm — really, what needs to happen in that hour? It makes a big difference if you have set up camp and are sitting down with a cuppa by 4pm rather than toiling at 6pm when painfully delicious barbecue smells start to waft around. Compare this to a lengthy check-in at 3pm, surly or indifferent staff and a confusing layout, and the difference between a well-run campsite and its opposite is clear.

I’ve also developed something of an allergy to “sign-usitis”: signs with information or warnings are fine in moderation, but a plethora of signs with rules outlawing a long list of activities have me wondering if I’m a customer or an inmate. One rule I am keen on, though, is quiet after 10.30pm — camping can be tiring! I’m glad to say that the vast majority of sites these days are well run — word gets out about the bad ones, and they tend to go out of business.

 

GOOD DRAINAGE is key if the elements conspire against you.

 

ON THE LEVEL
Pitches obviously vary hugely, and campers have different expectations depending on what type of campsite and what level of pitch you have booked — but the cost and the pitch should match. A normal-size grass pitch is not the same as a jumbo pitch with electricity and a water tap. But it is reasonable to expect all pitches to be clean, newly mown if appropriate and — my pet bugbear — decently level, or the means to make it so (such as stones to level up a motorhome, as we were able to use on a campsite in Skye).

At Graffham we had a secluded forest pitch with electricity, and it was level and large enough both for a tent and pop-up gazebo — we also had a lovely soundtrack of birds. In terms of proximity to facilities, I think a one or two-minute walk is fine — and we always take our bikes, so that can speed things up. No-one wants to be pitched right next to facilities. I would never want a pitch within earshot of washrooms — we’re talking hand-dryers and hairdryers, and with screening it’s possible to keep them out of everyone’s eyeline too.

 

HELPFUL SIGNS ARE FINE, but too many can leave you feeling a bit put upon.

 

It hardly needs to be said that facilities need to be kept clean and appropriately equipped, that is just a fundamental of a decently-run campsite. If there are coin-operated hairdryers, that is probably worth mentioning at check-in, and if there have to be time-limited button-operated showers, please can that be at least 20 seconds and not less than ten? This seems like a fairly lengthy wish- list, but campers do return to well-run sites. We’ve been back to Kelling Heath holiday site in Norfolk a couple of times over the past decade, and I remember it well from a trip when I was ten — several decades ago!

It’s a large holiday site, well-run and friendly with a great shop, and close to the coast, cycling routes and a steam railway. It’s also a fabulous site for kids, with acres of space. Canterbury and Henley campsites have also merited return trips — as well as being great sites, they are close enough for a weekend trip, and just a short drive or walk into the city. We’ve also done quite a few one-off trips to campsites for particular reasons — at Bala, in Snowdonia, we were doing an outdoor activity week including zipwiring, kayaking and coasteering, so a quiet and peaceful campsite with a great view was ideal at the end of each day.

 

A SPACIOUS, SHADY and secluded pitch — with added birdsong.

 

PREMIUM SPACE
At Norman’s Bay in Sussex, we wanted to be right by the beach. Of course, there is a premium on space at seaside sites, but this was well run by friendly staff, with a good shop and — heaven-sent given its coastal location — a visiting fish and chip van. It also had a railway station within ten minutes’ walk for car-free trips to Hastings and Brighton. Camping is pretty cheap at any time of the year, and so is great for young people — dare I mention the word “festivals”?

If you’re on a budget, it is perfectly possible to get a basic grass pitch for a tent for £12-17 per person per night, and with a coolbox it’s fine. If you go slightly out of season, you can still get great weather but lower prices, perhaps in or around summer half-term or mid-September. Larger sites with a wider range of facilities such as swimming pools do cost more, as is reasonable — you do get what you pay for. We paid about £20 per person per night (pppn) at Graffham in June and at Norman’s Bay in August, for instance, but for a basic pitch without electricity at Bala in mid-September it’s about £12pppn.

I’ve found it worth joining one of the camping, caravanning or motorhome clubs, both for their reviews and online communities, but also as a source of expertise — and for easy booking. The AA’s camping guides I’ve also found to be reliable, and I’ve used pitchup.com and Cool Camping as well to book. I will say that a set of good photos and an accurate description can often swing a decision to reserve. We tend to go away for four or five nights if we’re tent camping and go a couple of times a year. That feels like the right length given that camping is quite intense — you’re outside most of the time, and at the mercy of the elements. When we’ve motorhomed we’ve gone for one to two weeks, as you’re more self-contained and setting up and touring is easier. You even get a decent bed!

WISH YOU WERE HERE – Brighouse Bay Holiday Park in Southern Scotland

Posted on February 16, 2022

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Picture postcards from Brighouse Bay Holiday Park in Southern Scotland…

 

Southern Scotland’s Brighouse Bay Holiday Park in Dumfries and Galloway has been named by the AA as the best campsite in Scotland. The family-run business near Borgue beat hundreds of other eligible parks in Scotland to the title when it was announced in November.
Awards given by the AA – based on guest reviews and a “secret shopper” visit by inspectors - are regarded as the Oscars of the holiday parks industry. The seaside park’s facilities, services and levels of hospitality all went under the microscope – and each was found to meet or exceed the AA’s highest standards on every level.

 

 

As well as welcoming campers and the owners of touring caravans and motorhomes, Brighouse Bay provides a number of other accommodation options. They include luxury holiday lodges to own and to hire, some with private hot-tubs, plus cosy glamping lodges which are especially popular with young families.
A member of the prestigious Best of British group of independent parks, site facilities include an 18-hole golf course with spectacular coastal views, and a leisure complex which features an indoor pool, bistro, bar and family entertainment.
Activities available on the park include a mountain bike pump track and, during the summer, pony trekking for all ages as well as an all-tide slipway for boat owners.

 

 

Not that Brighouse Bay is any stranger to awards for it has been graded 4 stars by inspectors from VisitScotland and won a number of environmental accolades. These include the David Bellamy Conservation Award at its top gold level, achieved for over 20 successive years in recognition of its many wildlife initiatives.
It also gained an additional award last year for its work to conserve hedges and woodlands, plus wildflower areas which provide vital foraging for honey bees and other pollinators. The park is also undertaking an ambitious rewilding project in areas of the grounds which will help provide additional wildlife habitats.

Brighouse Bay
Tel. 01557 870 267
www.brighousebayholidaypark.co.uk

IDYLLIC RETIREMENT

Posted on February 16, 2022

IDYLLIC RETIREMENT

Priory Court is a private and separate gated park home village…

 

THE GROUNDS of Priory Park are beautifully landscaped and include a lake.

It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic location in which to relax into retirement than Priory Park - a mixed residential and holiday park - in coastal Suffolk.
Visitors and residents enter the park through automated security gates before venturing into 115 acres of private, south facing parkland, surrounded by rolling pastures and ancient woodland that flows gently down to the water’s edge.
The beautifully landscaped grounds feature immaculate lawns, lily ponds, wildflower meadow, woodland walks and panoramic river views across the River Orwell, a tidal estuary that leads out to the charming seaside town of Felixstowe. The Priory Park estate has been owned and run by the Little family for over 40 years.
“My Father, Peter, purchased Priory Park from Ada Buckingham in June 1981,” explains Priory Park Owner James Little. “Known as Alnesbourne Priory at that time, it enjoyed a mixed reputation and after years of neglect was a far shadow of what you can see today.
Over the past forty years, our family has poured three generations’ efforts into transforming potential into reality and creating the fabulous haven Priory Park is today.”
James and his wife, Lisa, have lived at Priory Park since 1986, first in a Pinelog Virginia and for the past 20 years in the house they built in the grounds. Priory Park has also been home to their two children, Jake and Sophie, who have both worked at the Priory during school holidays in their younger lives.
With Sophie now of to university and Jake continuing to take on more responsibility in the family business that he has worked in for the past five years, the future of Priory Park looks secure for future generations of the Little family.

TIP-TOP STYLE
Ensuring Priory Park is kept in tip-top condition is very much a team effort. James explains that the family is assisted by a team of 15-20 staff depending on the time of year:
“As you can imagine, keeping a 115-acre estate - the buildings, roads, infrastructure, flora and fauna - looking at their best involves a lot of effort from our teams. Thankfully we have great staff, most of whom have been with us for many years, who are all proud to be part of Priory Park.”
Within Priory Park, Priory Court is a private and separate gated park home village for residential use. Catering for the fifty plus age group, with no resident children, Priory Court comprises 100 bespoke bungalow-style homes. South facing and terraced with attractive brick walling, each home has its own private drive and generous landscaped plot.
Priory Court offers the best of both worlds for residents. They enjoy the security of their own private community whilst being part of a larger whole and benefiting from the grounds and facilities of the rest of Priory Park.
Within the grounds of the Park there are tennis courts, a heated outdoor pool, a nine-hole par 31 golf course, a popular Clubhouse bar and restaurant in a building dating back almost 1000 years, numerous woodland trails, and direct access to the shore of the River Orwell.
The homes within Priory Court are complemented by wide drives, grass verges and Victorian style streetlamps. With a wide range of homes, each is positioned at different heights and aspects to create an attractive, unregimented environment.
The variety of homes and the individualised nature of each was a conscious decision as James explains:
“Priory Court has been completely redeveloped over the years and we have sold homes from all of the main park home manufacturers. The redevelopment was all about customer choice which we felt would also make for a more interesting development. On the holiday home side of things, we have tended to work in the same way and have examples of most of the mainstream caravan and lodge manufacturers represented.”

HOLIDAY HOMES
The Little family were pioneers in the UK lodge market in the mid-80s and the holiday home side of the business caters for privately owned caravans and lodges where use is strictly limited to owners and their families. James says that “this enables us to maintain high standards and ensure the Park runs in a particular way.”
He continues: “There are several different holiday home planning consents within the 115 acres. At the moment we have 170 holiday homes in situ including our flagship Friars and original Abbots developments but do have planning for a gradual increase which over time will provide space for a further 125. As we have always tended to see development more as gradual evolution, this should keep Jake busy for the next twenty years!”
Four years ago, the Little family purchased a neighbouring small caravan park business to secure Priory’s boundaries. For now, and notwithstanding the rigours of running a business during Covid times, the focus is on maintenance and upkeep of the existing buildings to ensure all is in good order before starting the gradual redevelopment of Orwell Meadows. In time this will provide 40 new caravan holiday home plots which may well become a further lodge development, subject to planning in the future.
According to James, the Little family run Priory Park “in a low-key fashion without much fanfare.” It’s a very customer-centric business.
“Our aim is to be the best we can, providing a secure and exclusive environment for our customers to enjoy. We try to make the most of what nature has given us with the beautiful setting and treat our customers how we would like to be treated ourselves. Ultimately it is all about the people; without our customers or staff there is no business!”

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

Posted on February 16, 2022

AN INSPECTOR CALLS

AA unveil latest national destination gongs…

 

SOUTH EAST ENGLAND regional champions were Swiss Farm Touring & Camping, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

 

Returning for the first time since 2019, the AA has unveiled its UK’s top campsites and caravanning UK destinations with the announcement of the 2021 Caravan and Camping Award winners in a virtual ceremony.
This year’s Campsite of the Year for England, and Overall Winner, was revealed as South Lytchett Manor Caravan & Camping Park, Poole, Dorset. Brighouse Bay Holiday Park, Brighouse Bay, Dumfries & Galloway took the prize for Scotland and Pencelli Castle Caravan & Camping Park, Brecon, Powys won the top award for Wales.
In addition to regional campsite categories, other awards included Holiday Centre of the Year, which was awarded to Park Foot Caravan & Camping Park, Pooley Bridge, Cumbria and Glamping Site of the Year, which went to Concierge Glamping, Chichester, West Sussex, which previously won Regional Campsite of the Year South East in 2019.
“We are delighted to announce the winners of the Caravan and Camping Awards 2021 and have the opportunity to celebrate those sites offering holidaymakers the highest quality camping and caravanning experiences,” Simon Numphud, Managing Director at AA Media.

 

 

“As the hospitality industry has reopened over the past few months, we have seen British tourists exploring the UK more than ever, enjoying incredible campsites and caravan parks across the country. We hope that our latest Caravan and Camping Guide helps them discover even more fantastic holiday destinations, including our wonderful winners.”
All Caravan and Camping Award winners are featured in the 54th edition of the AA Caravan and Camping Guide 2022, the ultimate guide to the UK’s best camping and caravanning destinations.
Each site included in the guide have been visited by one of the AA’s experienced Campsite Inspectors, grading sites from one to five Pennants, based on their facilities and hospitality.
Only the parks of the very highest standard are awarded the coveted Platinum Pennant award. Each entry within the guide includes location, ratings, contact details, directions, prices, opening times, facilities and a description to help select the right site for your needs.

 

CARBON BUSTERS

Posted on February 16, 2022

CARBON BUSTERS

Leading holiday parks share their green credentials…

 

THE QUIET SITE is located near the shores of Ullswater in picture-perfect Lake District countryside

 

When it comes to combating climate change, the holiday park industry stands loud and proud above most other sectors when it comes to carbon neutral investment.
Before you undertake your carbon footprint assessment, there are some outstanding examples from our peers who are putting their green credentials into action.
You will be well advised to follow their example and add your eco-friendly performance to this year’s marketing themes as customers love nothing more than investing in a planted-friendly holiday.
For instance, The Quiet Site, a family’s holiday park on Ullswater, in the Lake District, has been celebrated at the recent COP26 climate change conference for its fight against global warming.
The park, in Pooley Bridge, was highly commended for its carbon neutral initiatives, and hailed as a Hero of Net Zero at the UN conference’s awards ceremony. The award is part of the Together For Our Planet campaign which recognises original and creative actions taken by small businesses to cut their own greenhouse gas emissions.
Park owner Daniel Holder and his family travelled to the COP26 awards ceremony to receive the judges’ commendation from Andrew Griffith MP.

 

 

CLIMATE HUB
More than 160 businesses entered the competition, making a commitment at the UK Business Climate Hub to achieve net zero by 2050, in line with the Government’s own climate commitment.
The Quiet Site was highly commended in the small business category for demonstrating a range of measures taken on their journey to net zero. These included prioritising nature by planting wildflower meadows and native trees, building accommodation that generates more energy than it uses, and opening a zero-waste shop.
“All businesses need to become Heroes of Net Zero if the world is going to have an impact on climate change,” said Daniel.
“Our journey has been fascinating, bringing technologies and techniques together in a unique energy mix to enable us to be carbon neutral.
“We started introducing sustainable practices twenty years ago, not because we wanted to save the world but because the initiatives we introduced were based on elegant engineering and made good business sense.
“Our focus is now to enable our customers to visit us without using private cars. Great holidays don’t have to cost the earth,” added Daniel.
The Quiet Site won over the competition judges by not only reducing its own energy consumption and environmental impact, but also encouraging customers to be more environmentally friendly.

 

DEVON-BASED COFTON HOLIDAYS has been recognised for its rewilding efforts.

 

QUEEN’S AWARD
The business provides quality holidays in the heart of the Lake District, offering pitches for tents, camping, motorhomes and a variety of glamping options. Earlier this year, the park became Britain’s first holiday park to win a Queen’s Award for sustainability which was presented by Her Majesty’s Lord- Lieutenant of Cumbria, Claire Hensmen.
Not to be outshone, multi award- winning South West holiday park Cofton Holidays has scooped the Environment and Sustainability award at the Western Morning News Business Awards 2021, recognising its sustained conservation efforts during the pandemic.
Set within 80 acres of glorious Devon countryside, Cofton Holidays has been a family-run holiday park for over 40 years. Guests return year after year to enjoy its beautiful and convenient location, extensive facilities and wide choice of accommodation types for all the family.
Visitors to Cofton can choose from a range of holiday homes, cottages and lodges in the heart of the main park, or cottages and apartments on the estuary-view Eastdon Estate. Cofton also offers a choice of pitches for touring caravan holidays including hard- standing and RV pitches.
Cofton Holidays offers a variety of accommodation to suit all guests including luxury lodges, dog-friendly cottages, Georgian-style apartments, modern holiday homes and camping and caravanning pitches. Facilities include an indoor pool heated by a biomass hub with a splash pad area and hydrotherapy loungers, a gym, restaurant, pub, steam room, sauna, fitness studio, soft play area, playground, sports wall, outdoor pools and much more.
Guests also have access to five coarse fishing lakes, miles of cycle paths and nature trails that take visitors through woodland to the golden sands of Dawlish Warren beach and nature reserve.
Sustainability and green initiatives have always been at the top of the agenda for Cofton Holidays, but its rewilding project really took of during the pandemic. With 20 years’ worth of David Bellamy Conservation Awards under their belts, the team saw lockdown as the perfect opportunity to give the park back to Mother Nature.

 

WINNING THE ENVIRONMENT and Sustainability Business Award has been a fabulous achievement for the Cofton team.

 

REWILDING PROJECT
Enhancing the park’s carefully considered planting, extensive woodland, wildlife-friendly hedges, wildflower zones and on-site bug and bee hotel, Cofton has planted additional hedges, shrubs and trees to strengthen wildlife corridors across the site, bringing nature to the doorstep of its visitors. Wild deer, buzzards, butterflies, hedgehogs and a range of fascinating migrating birds can all be spotted thanks to the biodiversity on site. As well as planting perennial flora to attract more insects and pollinators, new hedges provide enhanced nesting environments and food for a variety of birds and bats.
A further scheme that gave Cofton the edge over its competitors is its £60,000 investment in 16 electric car charging points. No other business in the South West has more electric vehicle charging points in one location.
Added to that, Cofton has invested in 144kw of solar power units for the park’s 12 luxury lodges, an electric vehicle for housekeeping, an outdoor lighting review, and the planting of 36 mature trees, making it one of the region’s leading sustainable holiday parks.
Helen Scott, Director at Cofton Holidays, is thrilled with Cofton’s success: “Winning the Environment and Sustainability Award at this year’s Western Morning News Business Awards is a fabulous achievement for us.
“It’s testament to the hard work the team have put into our sustainable initiatives this year, and strengthens our reputation as a holiday park that puts the environment at the forefront of all that we do.”

 

DEVON-BASED Cofton Holidays has been recognised for its rewilding efforts.

 

MOTHER NATURE
Helen continued: “Throughout lockdown, we concentrated all our efforts on making improvements to the park. It was the perfect opportunity to enhance the natural landscape whilst our guests were away, ready for them to marvel at Mother Nature’s handy work once they returned.
“Our sustainability efforts have been recognised by a number of award bodies now including iTravel, VisitEngland and VisitDevon, but this is by no means the end to our investment in green initiatives.
“We will continue to nurture our local environment, fulfilling our sustainability commitment with plans to review our outdoor lighting to reduce light pollution overspill, investing in more charging units for guests staying at the cottages and participating in the tree planting scheme which will celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
“As the recent climate change summit, COP26, has highlighted, it’s more important now than ever before that businesses take responsibility for operating in a sustainable way that will protect the environment for future generations. We take this seriously at Cofton and will continue to do all that we can to protect our beautiful corner of South Devon.”

 

 

CARBON BUSTING
Skelwith Fold, an Ambleside holiday park, has cut the green ribbon on a new office complex which can generate all of its own energy – and still have some to spare.
The 3,000 square foot building adjoins the park’s existing offices and has been designed for total self- sufficiency, powering everything from air-conditioning to espresso machines.
Its secret is a bank of high-efficiency solar panels on the roof which will deliver up to 14 kWh per day, even under the gloomiest winter skies.
Skelwith Fold’s Henry Wild says the two-storey complex has taken the park a huge step closer to its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2024:”We wanted to see if we could make the building entirely carbon neutral, and found this was possible by using the latest solar technology to generate electricity.

 

SUSTAINABILITY AND GREEN initiatives have always been at the top of the agenda for Cofton Holidays.

 

“Even in use seven days a week, the building will still produce surplus power to harness elsewhere on the park and further reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. With the help of other solar panels elsewhere on the park, we are nearing our goal of all our buildings being self-sufficient in energy.
“I also hope that within two years we will create a state of carbon neutrality, and guests will be able to enjoy totally green holidays, even after their journey by car to the park is taken into account.”
The new building’s sustainable credentials are further enhanced by the use in its construction of recycled timber from larch trees grown in the park’s 130-acre grounds.
Skelwith Fold was forced to fell more than 200 larches last year after the Forestry Commission found them to be suffering from a fungal plant disease called Phytophthoras. Many of the areas left by the trees are now subject to an ambitious rewilding scheme.

COMPANY CONTACTS

Cofton Holidays
www.coftonholidays.co.uk

Skelwith Fold
www.skelwith.com

The Quiet Site
www.thequietsite.co.uk

ON THE MENU

Posted on February 16, 2022

ON THE MENU

Common sense options for your on-site food servings…

 

KEEP THE CUSTOMERS happy with a wealth of catering options to suit all tastes.

 

According to a YouGov survey of Britain’s most popular dishes, roast chicken just overtook fish and chips at the top of the taste bud pops.
For the record, both share 85 per cent of the adult popularity vote, with the all-day English breakfast hot on their heels at 83 per cent.
In an ever-changing world, it is good to know some of the old traditions still have staying power.
But ignore the march of not just new eating habits but preferred ordering techniques at your peril. It is no good sitting back and watching your residents receive their Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats deliveries bypassing your on-site restaurant and take away options.

If Covid taught us anything it was to be flexible with our hospitality business and to embrace new ways of creating business. That means reaching for the clouds with an assortment of your own bespoke APPs to boost business including holiday cabin deliveries.
Personally, while juggling the grandchildren and their bingo cards, I loved ordering my holiday park drinks from my table via an APP only to have them arrive at the table within minutes.
Statistics provides the power to make knowledgeable decisions about our on-site catering. In another survey, OpenTable found that the average British person spends over £4k on dining out each year – that’s a quarter of some people’s annual income.

 

HAVEN HAS LAUNCHED its own Academy to train chefs for its 40 plus holiday locations.

 

EATING OUT
The study also revealed that Brits eat out 1.5 times on average per week and spend about £53 per meal. We are now seeing the evolution of industry trends, fuelled by the population’s growing appetite for eating out.
Increasingly, all-day eating is becoming the norm. Set meal times are a thing of the past – people want to be able to grab a bite to eat at any time of the day in a casual and informal environment.
Why limit yourself to just on-site customers when you can build a reputation and extend your reach throughout your geographic area. South West Holiday Parks teamed up with an award-winning Devon restaurant business as part of an overhaul of its leisure facilities at Coast View Park. The new ODE&Co restaurant welcomes park guests as well as the general public.
Visitors to the 120-seat venue can enjoy sour dough pizza cooked in a wood-fired oven from an open kitchen and prepared with impeccably sourced ingredients including organic flour and 100% buffalo mozzarella from Laverstock farm in Hampshire.
ODE&Co also takes advantage of the fresh seafood available on its doorstep, serving local catch, crab, lobster and grills. Locally sourced beverages include craft ales from Two Beach Brewing Co, organic and bio dynamic wines, local ciders on draft and soft drinks.
The restaurant has panoramic views of South Devon coast from the newly created inside and outside seating areas. The restaurant will also offer take away and delivery services using electric vehicles.
Catering to a wide range of budgets and tastes can create challenges for operators – particularly when you’re looking after diverse needs and expectations on the same site, from campers in tents to guests in luxury holiday lodges.
It’s an issue they recognise at the award-winning Tyddyn Isaf Camping and Caravan Park in Dulas, Anglesey.
The Anglesey campsite has been owned and operated by the Hunt/Mount family for 45 years. Long before a restaurant was created on site, however, food was still on offer, thanks to a very forward-thinking purchase of a pizza oven.

 

SERVICE WITH A SMILE is always appreciated. Pic. Golden Sands Holiday Park.

 

While guests can enjoy a casual meal in the restaurant, there are also options available for those who want to dine alfresco.
Thinking outside the box and a firm believer in supporting local businesses, Tyddyn Isaf partnered with The Great Orme Brewery to create their own range of four local ales and a craft lager.
Catering surely is a complicated business. Add to those complications the challenge of recruiting and retaining good staff and you will know that making money through on-site catering is not for the faint-hearted.
Hospitality and catering professionals met recently to discuss apprenticeships and their role in reducing the severe people and skills crisis in hospitality and catering. The common issues were recruitment and ensuring a path of continuous professional development.
Food prices have gone up at their fastest rate in nearly 30 years - but there is worse to come, experts have warned.
Soaring food costs and the energy bill crisis drove inflation to 5.4% in the 12 months to December, up from 5.1% the month before, in another blow to struggling families.
The last time inflation was higher was in March 1992, when it was 7.1%. And with gas and electricity costs set to rise further in the spring, analysts predict it will reach that level again.
As one of Britain’s leading family holiday companies Haven own and operate 40 award-winning family holiday parks throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Haven appear to be opting for do-it-yourself solutions, covering their catering bets with options for extreme ends of the food chain.
Holidaymakers heading to Lincolnshire’s coast could have another option for their meals with a number of jobs being advertised at a Burger King in a holiday park.
Numerous jobs are being advertised for roles at a restaurant in Mablethorpe - but the fast food chain is yet to confirm whether it will be being built.

 

ENSURE FIXTURES and furnishing suit your target market and menu offering. Pic. Hubbox

 

HOME GROWN
Haven is also introducing an opportunity for budding chefs to receive on-the-job skills and experience training as part of its new Haven Chef Academy.
This new training academy will provide fundamental learning experience for 200 specially selected trainees who will be inducted into an 18-month development programme with access to world class kitchen facilities, working alongside professional chefs as well as having a personal talent coach and mentor. Once initial training is completed, trainees will be placed at one of Haven’s coastal parks across the UK to embark upon priceless on-the-job training.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone who is eager to get into the food & beverage industry,” said Anne Blyth, Talent Director at Haven. “This carefully curated programme will be hugely beneficial to all those selected, giving applicants the tools they need to begin a fantastic career and get that essential on-the-job training which is very hard to come by these days”.
Successful applicants will start their time at Haven Chef Academy with an initial accelerated eight week learning programme that will provide them with a sound start into the industry with several tailored masterclasses and live demonstrations leading into an on-the-job learning structure. The selected trainees will be lucky enough to be earning whilst learning at one of the best places in the leisure industry – plus they will gain a professional industry recognised apprenticeship qualification through Haven’s training partner Lifetime.

 

TAKE A REGULAR STOCK CHECK of your restaurant offerings to ensure it is suiting your customers. Pic. Cofton Holidays.

 

“Emerging out of several lockdowns where the appetite for jobs have been slim, this is an immense opportunity for those who are struggling to get back into the hospitality industry,” said Joe Hurd, celebrity chef and Lifetime Ambassador. ”These opportunities are hard to find and as no prior experience is needed applications are open to all who are hungry to start their culinary career and gain from the expert tuition on offer.”
WITH millions of British holidaymakers heading for holiday parks in the UK this year, one of the major attractions for most visitors was that the cooking would be done for them. Catering is the vital ingredient of the holiday park business menu.
From high-class restaurants to family-friendly pizza cafes, the choice on offer at many locations is vast. Quality food and good surroundings are key to the restaurant enjoyment factor with staff service and excellent menus par for the course in these competitive times.

 

 

HAVEN CONTINUES UK INVESTMENT

Posted on February 15, 2022

HAVEN CONTINUES UK INVESTMENT

 

HAVEN ARE MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE at the Allhallows Holiday Park near Rochester.

 

Haven has announced a huge investment in its Allhallows Holiday Park near Rochester creating top drawer venues for both activities and entertainment.
Expanding on the Park of the Future project first introduced in 2019, Haven is now taking this concept to Allhallows creating both a new Adventure Village and Marina Bar and Stage.
The Adventure Village will provide a host of thrill seeking fun for the youngest and oldest of holidaymakers. The Adventure Village will have a host of other activities from the Multi Use Games Area to Kart and Bike hire as well as sand play and outdoor play areas.  And if you’re bringing your four- legged friend on holiday they can run of some extra steam in the Bark Yard.
A new standalone building, the Marina Bar and outdoor stage, will provide a state-of-the-art venue that can accommodate 920 guests providing more opportunities for guests to enjoy a range of day and night entertainment.
“The new developments are such an exciting development to the park,” says John Coltman, General Manager at Allhallows Holiday Park. “With the work over the next few months bringing us both a new Adventure Village and a Marina Bar and Stage, we will have something to offer all our guests and owners and having seen the work at other parks it really will be something that is quite unique to the area.
The Adventure Village will be completed ready for Spring 2022 whilst the Marina Bar and Stage will be open in Autumn 2022.

ECO-FRIENDLY BESPOKE SPLASH PADS

Posted on February 15, 2022

ECO-FRIENDLY BESPOKE SPLASH PADS

Innovators in splash pad design, The Splash by Kingcombe Stonbury, with over 20 years experience in splash pad design and installations have launched their advanced, interactive Eco Splash product range, designed to provide a more environmentally friendly solution for splash pad water usage.

This tried and tested system that conforms to PWTAG, can save up to 50m3 of water per day; a huge water saving over the annual demands of a busy attraction.
Not only does it offer improved sustainability, the cost-saving benefits to running this advanced system are hard to ignore.

The Splash are specialists in providing bespoke, interactive water play equipment that is a win, win for holiday parks. The tried and tested product range is manufactured in the UK and is a cost-effective solution to water play.

In-house design offers endless opportunities for high quality bespoke play equipment, tailored to each customer needs. Popular design themes with above ground and in-ground features, as well as shaped water shifters, include seascapes, countryside scenes, space adventures, aquatic animals as well as dinosaurs and schematics based on historic periods such as Medieval times.

If your current splash pad needs updating, The Splash can design and manufacture features that will fit on your current base, saving significant time and expense on the refurbishment on your splash pad or paddling pool. Talk to the sales team to find out how switching to Eco splash could benefit your holiday visitor offering.

The Splash
enquiries@thesplash.uk
https://thesplash.uk

 

 

 

 

HEAD EAST PROMOTES WALKING ROUTES

Posted on February 15, 2022

HEAD EAST PROMOTES WALKING ROUTES

 

HOLIDAY PARK VISITORS Can enjoy enhanced outdoor experiences through the Head East scheme.

Head East is designed to raise the profile of Norfolk and Suffolk’s outstanding cultural offering and to boost the gradual recovery, adaptation and re-stabilisation of the region’s visitor economy in the wake of the pandemic.
Led by the New Anglia Culture Board, the year-long targeted cultural tourism campaign aims to promote and build a national profile of the East as a ‘must see’ UK cultural destination.
The original campaign was focused on 2020, but the pandemic triggered a strategic re-focus.
A €23.3 million project is promoting new walking experiences by the Interreg EXPERIENCE Project.