Catering

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOOT

Posted on March 13, 2024

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOOT

CAR BOOT SALES have proved so popular for Suffolk’s Stonham Barns Park that they will now take place on two days weekly.

The traditional car boot season is about to launch and can offer steady extra revenue for appropriate sites as well as increased footfall for on-site attractions and catering. Traditional car boot sales are about to restart at Stonham Barns Park – one of Suffolk’s premier leisure, retail and holiday destination in Suffolk – and due to their popularity, they will not only take place on Sundays but on Thursdays too!

While weather dependent, they are the perfect place to sell any unwanted possessions and buy a bargain or two at the same time. The Sunday event is boosted throughout the spring, summer and autumn seasons by the shows and events held at the venue’s Mid-Suffolk Showground but, is one of Suffolk’s most popular Sunday Car Boots. The event is outdoors where sellers can just turn up and sell on the day.

Covered stalls are available enabling sellers to guarantee a main field position and these can be pre-booked to avoid having to bring tables to sell from. Says organiser Simon Tilley: “The atmosphere of the sale is fabulous, and the event is extremely popular with the local community and visitors to the campsite, holiday park and retail and leisure village.’ He continues:

“We have built an amazing following at Stonham Barns Car Boot and decided to offer an additional day for sellers and buyers. “We pride ourselves on the organisation of the event and the public love that it is offers sellers a stress-free day - without having to put up with buyers climbing into cars. It’s the perfect place for new car booters to bring their goods to sell. The Car Boot attracts absolutely everything imaginable from antiques to children’s toys. It’s a real weekend go-to.’

A DECADE OF DESTINATIONS

Posted on May 11, 2023

A DECADE OF DESTINATIONS

Celebrating Holiday Park SCENE's tenth anniversary...

Flip the rewind switch on the time machine to 2013 and we find British Prime Minister David Cameron publishing a draft European Union Bill aimed at holding a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union by 2017. It was the year that former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher died, following a stroke, while Catherine, now Princess of Wales, gave birth to George Alexander Louis at St Mary’s Hospital, London.

On the sports scene, Andy Murray became the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936; defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia in straight sets. Rising temperatures led to health warnings being issued, for Southern England and the Midlands, in the UK’s first prolonged heatwave since 2006. The weather continued to be challenging as, at the end of October, what became known as the St Judes’ Day storm, brought with it gusts of 99 mph at The Needles on the Isle of Wight.

2013 also saw the launch issue of Holiday Park SCENE, a new print and on-line magazine, packed with fresh ideas and a must-read for anyone who runs or works in a holiday park sector. The Holiday Park SCENE team set out its ambition to work as an extension of destination management teams. These core aims have stayed entrenched in the magazine’s mission statement to inform and inspire UK holiday destinations, boosting visitor experiences and reaping rich returns on investments.

For more than a decade now, Holiday Park SCENE has offered the inside track on the latest market news and reports covering all aspects of holiday park management. We have brought you behind the scenes news on destination businesses that are performing well as generously, they shared their experiences. But most importantly, we have talked to the people who matter – people who add the experience, energy and enthusiasm to keep raising standards across all areas of the UK and Eire holiday park sector.

With the help of our knowledgeable writing team over ten years, we have covered subjects as varied as holiday lodges, glamping, hot tubs, catering and entertainment. The Holiday Park SCENE team has looked at some of the latest options from camping to glamping and investigated the potential for health and wellness as an added value income for business, not just in the summer but all year through.

Over the course of its first decade, Holiday Park SCENE has held hands with some of the biggest names in UK holidays from Butlin’s to Parkdean and from Park Holidays to Hoseasons. Throughout ten busy years, that have simply flown by, the magazine has featured more than 250 destinations and well over 1,000 businesses within the magazine. Holiday Park SCENE has been granted a ten-year long front row seat as the boost in staycations and investment in family time saw the holiday sector enjoy a sustained boom period.

A fountain of inspiration, Holiday Park SCENE supported the networking opportunities at some of the industry’s leading trade shows and event to find out what they can offer businesses in the way of fresh ideas as well as new products and services. Holiday Park SCENE has frequently relied upon some of the UK’s leading parks to share their tips for an effective entertainment programme that will keep guests coming back for more through play and on-site attractions.

We have discussed the e-marketing revolution with the rise and rise of social media which we warned you would ignore at your peril. The New Year is often the traditional time to re-evaluate our business goals. An opportunity to take stock of the previous 12 months and resolve to make a difference for the year ahead. We examined the Winning Ways of maximising the potential of amusement and arcade game attractions.

The holiday park industry has always been ahead of the field when it comes to preserving the business development balance with Mother Nature. David Bellamy was a holiday park ambassador when it came to highlighting the eco-factor, building in green spaces and protecting nature. Holiday Park SCENE has reflected this with frequent looks at everything from eco-friendly accommodation and energy-efficient business choices like heat pumps and electric vehicles.

The first rule of marketing is that it is not good enough to be good. You have to be perceived to be good. So Holiday Park SCENE urged you to pick up your bucket and spade with a heap of tips and ideas that will enable your business to stand out from the crowd. We looked at the increasing use of automated control systems to dramatically reduce the risk of human error in the management of holiday park swimming pools. Holiday Park SCENE has regularly tackled the thorny issue of security with features like Lock Down.

We frequently carried advice on how holiday park destinations can maximise the potential of their water leisure offering, with the addition of splash pads, flumes and water play equipment. We urged you to put up the ‘do not disturb sign’ as we invited you to relish this packed edition with a wealth of inspiring initiatives and ideas to weave into your future business planning.

Probably our most popular and ‘stand-out’ cover of the first ten years, the September 2019 front cover featured one of the life-size wooden horse sculptures now on permanent display at two holiday destinations. More soaring temperatures had accommodation booked to full capacity and then some rain which had the happy visitors spending more on site activities, arcades and in the bars and restaurants. We regularly urged decision-makers to take time away and weigh-up the highs and lows for the season.

What worked well? What could have worked better and what short and long term improvements can be introduced. As well as our regular tips from fellow operators, we brought you timely features like Fashion Statements with the case for quality investment that some argue is crucial for the holiday park sector. We shared the catering thoughts of three holiday park businesses with their Recipe For Success. We also took a look at minimising hassle and maximising sales with our look at on-line management systems in, Click Here.

Like the rest of the sector, Holiday Park SCENE was eagerly anticipating the peak summer season ahead. There had been a general feeling of optimism and positivity in the air with early bird bookings up considerably, even on 2019’s high-flying figures. Then the small matter of COVID 19 hit. Not just the holiday sector but the entire plant. Official figures confirm the travel and tourism industries contributed 6.7% of all gross value added in the UK in 2018.

Since then, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic impacted the sector heavily in 2020 and into 2021, with government restrictions both in the UK and worldwide preventing tourism for large periods of time. Within the UK, unnecessary travel was first discouraged on 16 March, before a nationwide lockdown was announced on 23 March. Travel was again impacted by the second and third English lockdowns in November 2020 and January 2021 and travel corridors were suspended on 18 January 2021.

Heavily into a stop-start-stop-go scenario, government measures helped in the retention of key staff with some timely business funding initiatives. Restrictions-permitted, the industry’s quick-thinkers took an opportunity to rethink and reinvest in facilities, while the customers were forced to stay away. Holiday Park SCENE reported on the top holiday accommodation trends and revealed the UK’s most popular holiday park destinations while raising the emerging issue of on-site e-charging.

Bonkers busy we knew, but we encouraged managers to locate a quiet cupboard or handy hidey-hole, to escape to, as they soaked up the packed ideas and inspiration throughout the latest edition of Holiday Park SCENE. With the pandemic truly behind us, we challenged business development planners to create an action list with at least five short and long term goals that will help you future-proof business.

The Holiday Park SCENE team pulled out all the stops to keep you abreast of industry trends; sharing good practice with a lodge-full of ideas on maximising the boom in the UK holiday sector. With nearly half of all businesses reporting cyber-crime security issues as well as crucial advice, you could not afford to miss in Lock It Or Lose Out. As we set out on the second decade of reporting on the vibrant UK holiday industry, we feel proud and privileged to work alongside some exceptional businesses and some outstanding people.

We will continue to recommend a pack of sticker notes to mark those pages that you would like to share with the team and to contact some of the advertisers that make Holiday Park SCENE possible. Three cheers to the first ten years as we toast the second decade yet to come!

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.

 

 

Serving Up Success

Posted on September 14, 2016

Serving Up Success

Switched on park operators are upping their game to compete in the lucrative food and beverage market…

When Cofton Country Holidays in South Devon embarked on a major redevelopment of the leisure facilities on site, a key aim was to improve the restaurant and bar areas. Pic: Fruition Creative Services.

When Cofton Country Holidays in South Devon embarked on a major redevelopment of the leisure facilities on site, a key aim was to improve the restaurant and bar areas. Pic: Fruition Creative Services.

The UK’s restaurant scene has never been so appetising. In fact, a study by OpenTable found that the average British person spends over £4k on dining out each year – that’s a quarter of the average annual income. The study also revealed that Brits eat out 1.5 times on average per week and spend up to £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.
Many restaurant outlets are also stepping up their investment in the coffee market, driven by our thirst for coffee outside the home. Even fast-food operators are improving their offerings to get in on the highly lucrative coffee shop culture.

SWITCHED ON

Now switched on park owners are upping their game to compete in the increasingly competitive food and beverage market place. South West Holiday Parks has teamed up with an award-winning Devon restaurant business as part of an overhaul of its leisure facilities at Coast View Park.

The park, located in Shaldon, underwent a major refurbishment to make way for a brand new restaurant, pool, gym and spa facility. The new ODE&Co; restaurant opened earlier this summer and welcomes park guests as well as the general public. “The park wanted to move away from the traditional ‘hi-de-hi’ style holiday venue, to offer guests a more high-end lodge park with improved facilities,” explains Sales and Marketing Consultant Jim Gandon. “The new restaurant is one of the main elements of the renovation project and the response we have had since it opened has been amazing.”

Visitors to the 120-seat venue can enjoy sourdough 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.

“Catering facilities can really make or break a holiday park, that’s why South West Holiday Parks felt it was essential to get advice from the experts before investing in the new restaurant,” says Jim.
“The park’s location is a hotspot for tourists and Tim Bouget, owner of ODE, is a renowned chef, so it’s a perfect fit.” 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.

BALANCING ACT

We are now seeing the evolution of industry trends, fuelled by the population’s growing appetite for eating out.

We are now seeing the evolution of industry trends, fuelled by the population’s growing appetite for eating out.

It’s important to remember that the quality of the food needs to be reflected in the design and layout of the restaurant, to create the ultimate dining experience for customers. When Cofton Country Holidays in South Devon embarked on a major redevelopment of the leisure facilities on site, a key aim was to improve the restaurant and bar areas.

The park worked with design company Fruition Creative Services to create a welcoming environment for guests in the bar and carvery area on the ground floor and the breakfast server on the upper level.

“There are two elements to the design process that need to be addressed in all projects,” explains Mark Green, Director at Fruition Creative Services.
“What it looks like to attract customers and how it functions to ensure customers have nice time and come back or stay longer.

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On The Menu

Posted on November 28, 2014
pizza

From high-class restaurants to family-friendly pizza cafes, the choice on offer at many locations is vast.

On The Menu

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.

Butlins pride themselves on top-quality restaurants with a total of 58 eating and drinking outlets and venues at their three seaside locations – Bognor Regis (West Sussex), Minehead (Somerset) and Skegness (Lincolnshire). These range from pubs, bars, buffet-style restaurants, ice cream parlours, pizza and pasta restaurants, fish and chip restaurants and even a restaurant run by TV chef Brian Turner.

chips

Hendra Holiday Park’s takeaway was named ‘Seasonal Fish & Chip Operator of the Year’ at the Seafish National Fish & Chip Awards earlier this year.

As with other resorts, holidaymakers book either self-catering holidays or the option to buy a dining package, which allows guests breakfast and dinner in their buffet restaurants. With 1.5 million guests a year, around 600,000, equating to 45 per cent, choose to buy the dining plan option. “Catering is an area of the business that we’re investing in heavily,” says James Silverstone of Butlins. “Character meals are available at all resorts – for example breakfast with Billy and Bonnie Bear.”

Haven Holiday Parks, part of Bourne Leisure, have worked hard to make the restaurant experience a memorable one across their locations. Fish and chips shares a quintessentially strong association with the seaside, so with a great level of investment in their fish and chip shops, Haven have increased the quality and experience of its venues to help celebrate the seaside and the UK’s favourite dish. Theme events have also been added to provide choice. Haven’s mid-week and weekend carvery is very popular, whilst Curry Night and Steak & Grill evenings provide added variety.

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Tasty Breaks

Posted on December 19, 2013

Butlins offers a total of 58 eating and drinking outlets and venues at their three seaside locations.

Tasty Breaks

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.

In May Jeremy Marks was appointed food and beverage retail manager for Center Parcs’ Woburn Forest, which will open in spring next year.

Jeremy has more than 25 years’ experience and will be responsible for the F&B and Retail offering available to short break guests at the Village.

Jeremy worked for Wagamama for more than eight years, then Giraffe for six years and was instrumental in creating the Giraffe burgers and cocktails brand which was launched in 2012, introducing funky burgers, music and cocktails across the UK.

With a wide range of restaurants, cafes and shops, Center Parcs’ Woburn Forest will offer a variety of cuisines ideal for families on a short break. Jeremy will be responsible for food and drink development, menus, food and drink products, restaurant and café staff, F&B operations - as well as health and safety.

Says Jeremy: “At Woburn Forest, like the other Center Parcs, the cafes will offer a relaxing, cosy space to enjoy a beverage and a light bite with family or friends.

“There will also be a wide variety of restaurants, with delicious food to try including Italian, American, British, Indian and Dutch (by this we mean our much-loved Pancake House) and a modern, fun, exciting environment.

“There will also be a brand new restaurant - The Shearing House. This restaurant will be a relaxed, contemporary restaurant serving classic British cuisine. This restaurant has a very local link as it gets its name from Woburn’s history as an area famous for sheep shearing.”