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Are you Summer Ready?

With the summer season very nearly on us, here's some tips to help you get your food-venue prepared....


Your customers will be looking for summery flavours and lighter bites. Add more salad options and try to source locally grown summer vegetables and salads for maximum freshness and flavour. Add Mediterranean and Greek seasonings for a summer twist. Stock up on our best selling summer cookies and cakes. Add to your soft drinks menu - a homemade summer punch in inexpensive, refreshing and will keep your offering unique.



2. Indoor Seating Areas

Ensure you have adequate indoor seating. On days when it's simply too wet to sit on the beach, customers will seek indoor sanctuary. Make sure you have enough ventilation - air conditioning or fans are a good idea and will keep your customers comfortable.

3. Outdoor Seating Areas

Pay special attention to these. If you are pushed for space, even the smallest set of bistro furniture will be put to good use, while customers make the most of any little opportunity to soak up the sun! If you are open into the evening, outdoor lighting improves ambience and gives a magical feel. It's a nice touch to add a blanket to outdoor chairs - they don't need to be expensive. Simple fleece or woven pieces of fabric that are easily washed and dried will do the job fine. Pest control is essential and can make or break you. Everyone needs to keep on top of rodents. Flies and wasps can deter customers - there are lots of options available. If you're by the coast, protect your customers from seagulls. There is nothing worse than preparing to take a bite to eat, only to have your food rudely snatched by a gull (been there done that!) It's important to offer shade to your customers. Whether a simple parasol, or a larger canopy, even little touches make a big difference.


4. Table Setting

Spruce up your table setting with a summer twist. If you're by the sea, a jaunty blue and white theme with a sea shell works well. For a more tropical twist, add bright colours and tropical flowers. For a country theme, adding lavender or eucalyptus foliage is a classic touch.


5. Beach Cafe Essentials

Running a beach cafe has a different dimension! Often, the weather is extreme - high winds and driving rain when it's bad, blistering sun without shade when it's good. All the above tips on shade, lighting and pests apply, but with added importance. If you have indoor seating, customers will bring in the beach (and leave some behind). A rustic ambience is easiest to maintain - if you can't fight it, embrace it!

Top Tip:

If you're very near the beach, we recommend providing a simple outdoor fresh-water tap for rinsing boards and beach wear. It's essential for surfers and once they're near your cafe to rinse their boards, they'll very likely order something. Win, win. Providing a space for customers to store their boards while they eat is a thoughtful gesture too!


Roll on Summer!

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Based in Exeter, Devon, Willow & Finch make gourmet cookies, brownies and cakes.  We've spent years perfecting our recipes, using quality ingredients and sourcing these locally where possible. You can send a friend a gourmet gift, beautifully gift wrapped, or treat yourself.  We also supply trade and wholesale cakes for cafes, coffee shops and other food outlets across the UK.

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