Al Fresco Mediterranean Style Seating

Plastic dining chairs have come a long way in the last few years - don't think grotty yellowing plastic patio chairs but instead al fresco Mediterranean style seating! Contract furniture is suited to hospitality outlets and eateries such as restaurants, pavement cafes and bistros, hotels, canteens and pub diners. The range of plastic dining chairs now available for contract furniture is funky, modern but still robust enough for day to day use in high turnover catering outlets. There is a great range of designer chairs online, which offers a style for every outlet.

Pavement cafes would benefit from some funky seating offering al fresco Mediterranean style seating for diners even in the UK! Encourage more visitors with an attractive and chic dining area for patrons wanting to relax at lunchtime or those looking for a luscious latte just like when on holiday in Italy.

Chairs, which are offered as part of a catering equipment range will be suitable for most dining occasions and will be built to last so offer great value for money for hospitality businesses. The chairs in the commercial furniture range are stackable so they are easy to store if needed, ergonomic so they offer a comfortable place to relax for customers and also UV protected so they won't fade away in the sun.

Thoughts For 2012

It's that time of year again - when some people try to predict what will be THE next big thing for 2012! Media writers and celebrities alike all try to draw on past experience and some inner knowledge to predict new trends for the next year. Some will be safe and certain, probably to increase the hit rate others will be outrageous all in the name of looking modern and 'with it'.

So 2012 predictions could be hinged on names of children - Lily Allen has just named her little one Ethel - so we could predict a run on traditional names like our elderly relatives have such as Mavis, Albert and Doreen.  Or inversely babies names may become more wild and nonsensical like Mustang, Popcorn and Edam, who knows?

2012 predictions for hospitality and catering may be much of the same as last year, whilst all businesses struggle to cope with the lull in trade due to the economic situation. Customers are still attracted to chains and big name restaurants and diners appreciate those restaurants who provide offers and special deals on hospitality. In fact it has become a little bit of a honey pot where vouchers seem to be the mainstay of some hospitality companies trade. So how can these chain pub diners,bistros and pizza restaurants offer customers a great deal without always having to offer discounts or voucher deals? I think that that will continue to be a challenge for all hospitality outlets in 2012 from hotels to restaurants and pub diners alike. Obviously this year we have many extra occasions to encourage trade for hospitality from the Olympics to the Queens Diamond Jubilee and making the most of these occasions will be the key for many restaurants and hotels.

There have been trends in retail that may also spill over to the hospitality industry where customers who are looking to dine out don't need vouchers or price busting menus for encouragement. Rather they are looking to be treated differently whilst dining or staying in a hotel. This may be a menu that offers something a little different from well cooked homely meals to the exotic dishes of holiday destinations. It may be value added in the form of little extras such as spa treatments, days out at visitor attractions or a locally inspired menu choice. Discerning diners and guests may just want to be treated to a little good old fashioned quality service alongside pretty table linen and affable staff.

2012 predictions may include an increase in tea shops on the high street (although this was predicted by some in 2011). Our nation has been taken over with all the trendy coffee shops and pavement cafes with a nod towards Italy and France. And so maybe this year our trends will be more home spun and time-honoured in theme with a trend towards traditional tea shops, pickles and preserves and make do and mend. A return of the traditional tea shop and afternoon tea and cakes would be welcome in my world! If you wonder how popular could it be? just pop along to a National Trust property and see for yourself.

Christmas Dinner Planning - need an app?

I recently saw an article stating that 1/3 of British adults don't know how to cook a turkey Christmas dinner. This I find quite hard to believe when we are inundated with cookery programmes on television and can freely browse internet sites with every possible description of dishes and recipes available. (Lets hope there were no chefs questioned either!)

 Is there an underlying issue with children not being given the skills to cook from home? I know that kids cooking has been removed from the school syllabus over the years. But these are life skills that our children need to take them into the future. I must admit my youngest loves cooking with me and he is quite adept at making lots of things. All my children have baked at home - nothing fancy but they know how to make cakes, pasta dishes, pastry and pizza. I think a lot of people struggle with timings. My daughter decided to cook a Christmas dinner for her and 8 others at uni the other day. Now she is quite an able person and has grown in independence over the last few months. However, on Sunday as I was rushing out to pick up the youngest from an activity I get a call asking what timings should I base my cooking on? And I think that's where most people fall down. They can cook dishes that require basic skills but the situation where you need to create a finished dish for a specific time  can create some worries. Another problem is you have to have all the components ready at the same time to serve up a delicious meal to all your waiting guests.

This is when I go back to my home economics school days - we had to list our timings and plans for the whole meal from start to finish. That way you didn't forget the potatoes needed 20 minutes boiling whilst you were creating the dessert and so on. Perhaps people struggle with planning the meal to a specific time and so if they create a planner and work back from the time guests will dine it's possible that they will gain control of cooking Christmas dinner or Christmas lunch. Back to my daughter I rattled off times for turkey, potatoes, roasties etc then we worked from the time to serve up to the time for all the bits and bobs. She hastily scribbled it down and I got a text later saying it had all gone well. So if my daughter can prepare a meal for 9 people on this premise I think anyone should be able to adapt it to their Christmas dinner.

And for those people who feel they are well in control of that turkey dinner there is even an iphone or ipad app to help those who wish for something a little more exotic to create. The app is advertised as having 60 inspiring recipes such as roasted venison or Chocolate and Drambuie truffles.

Yummy as those sound I think we will stick to traditional turkey dinner in our house this year something that I can handle quite easily after the present opening and before the TV afternoon sit down. I also don't have an ipad or iphone  and so may be a little stuck with only an app! I can conjure up quite a funny image of lots of stressed out cooks with iphones glued to their hands wishing that they'd stuck to turkey,too. My personal best tip for having a stress free Christmas dinner ? With in laws and outlaws being invited to dine I've found the best policy is red wine - not for the gravy but for me! Happy eating!

Difficulty In Finding Glassware That's Unusual

I've been finding it difficult to find glassware that is that bit unusual for chic dining occasions. Glassware for pubs, bars and hospitality outlets tends to be serviceable and rugged rather than stylish. Most glassware under the catering equipment umbrella has to cover a range for beer glasses and wine glasses that are going to be used daily and placed in a glass washer many many times. They have to be of good quality, fairly stylish and possibly even CE marked to meet standards.

Sometimes when you dine,however you want glassware to be up to scratch with something more elegant to befit the dining occasion. Hospitality outlets such as up market bistros and restaurants and cocktail bars often have to have a slightly better class of glassware for diners and guests.

These hi ball style glasses are beautiful in their simplicity. The good news is certain glasses in the range are CE marked and all the glasses are strengthened glass for durability, but they lose nothing in style or looks. So win win for restaurants, bistros and corporate hospitality outlets.

Chutney Relish And Carol Singers

What a brilliant weekend - we had friends around on Saturday night for a meal. I just kept it simple with cold meat platter to start accompanied by pickles and olives. I did, however, make some home made chutney and onion relish. I didn't realise how easy it is to make. The chutney was delicious with a tangy taste as I used apples, onions and a blob of festive mincemeat from a jar. I found this recipe and did add a few twists of my own but it was really easy to do and looked so good in some kilner food preserve jars I bought online, served to the table. We had chicken casserole as a main and trifle to follow. I think it's really important when you do home entertaining to make a homely, nourishing but easy to make ahead menu. Then you can enjoy being with your guests and dining at home is relaxed and stress free. It was a lovely evening with some lovely wine, great company and a warming meal.

The menu was so simple that we even had chance to nip out to see a National Trust property. The Trust offers great days out in the UK for all visitors. They've really latched on to being family friendly over the last few years. I know when our kids were small we were definitely in the minority visitng National Trust with children in tow. They have loads more activities now for families to bring  kids along for a great time. We went to Coughton Court and toured the house, which was dressed for Christmas. The theme was a simple Victorian style affair with lovely paper cones and paper chains on the trees- very effective and charming in it's simplicity. We were also treated to a display form the local ladies choir who sang beautifully well known carols but with a different arrangement to give a twist to the songs. As we stood at the top of the wooden imposing staircase gazing down over the chandeliers, stately furniture and open fire we listened to the choir. It was truly magical and again so simple yet moving. I really felt as if I'd travelled back in time to a less modern and bustling era.

On Sunday we treated my lot to a meal out. We all met up from various areas of the country for a get together and chat. It was lovely to see everyone together as with most people we're normally so busy it's hard to get everyone to meet up. The meal wasn't the best and the waiting staff were a bit ignorant but we had a great chat exchanged photos and left with promises to meet up again soon. Next time we'll book at a better venue. Can't wait for next weekend to do some more National Trust visits - they have some really lovely Christmas events on at the moment.

Christmas Crafts

Oooh I'm so excited I've just got a couple of lovely books from the library with ideas for Christmas crafts for home. I can't wait to have a go at some of the things - they all look wonderful. The one book is based on a Scandinavian Christmas theme but there are some ideas that aren't too white paint and wooden benches!

I've always been into simple stuff at Christmas and now it seems the world and his dog have jumped on the bandwagon, too. I suppose as the economy tumbles lots of people look for cheaper and more simple ways of doing things. I think it's a shame that we can't think like that all the time. When my kids were little we got out card and glitter, glue and paint and made lots of simple things to hang from the ceiling. In fact we went so mad some years we resembled a Christmas Grotto! Kids love that kind of thing, don't they? And to be totally honest so did I - that's what I miss now my kids are grown up. There doesn't need to be a fortune spent on decorations and baubles and shiny bits of plastic. Christmas is about simple things like laughing and playing and sitting watching a movie with popcorn and fizz and time to sit and cuddle.

I'll let you know how I get on with the Christmas crafts and if I can figure out how to do it I may even pop some piccies online!! I saw a great idea the other day - cut out some white snowflakes and hang from a mirror with different lengths of fishing line. It gives the illusion of the snowflakes 'floating' down the mirror - beautiful!

Weekend at YHA Salisbury, Wiltshire

Me and the other half stayed in Salisbury the weekend, at the YHA on the very edge of the city centre. We decided to visit Wiltshire as we'd been before to Salisbury and quite liked the area. Wiltshire is not one of the areas of the UK that springs immediately to mind as a holiday destination. But perhaps we all need to think outside of the box to enjoy more of the UK. We travelled down on Friday and visited a little known spot called Maud Heath's Causeway near Chippenham. In fact you could quite easily drive down parts of the causeway without knowing it. A very tuned in lady, Maud created a pathway that was raised away from the roadway track. In an area where walking would have been difficult for pedestrians she ensured that villagers could walk safely and without strife to and from the villages hereabouts. She also left a sum each year for it's upkeep and longevity.

From here we went to Lacock Abbey, which is a National Trust property nearby. The abbey itself is charming - a great place for photos -indeed it and the village has been used for many films and TV programmes. We were lucky it was one of the quieter days and so we were able to enjoy the village and a nearby walk in relative peace. There's also a great museum onsite.

Our last stop of the day before it got dark was the canal at Devizes where the Caen Hill flight of locks is part of a string of 29 for boat users allowing them to climb the 2 mile long steep hill. This mammoth feat of engineering is impressive as each lock has a large reservoir of water to each side for berthing boats. Knowing that this can take 5 to 6 hours to navigate reinforces in my mind the tenacity of barge owners.

We stayed in the YHA at Salisbury, which was comfortable and convenient for most of the attractions hereabouts. The staff were really friendly and  we met other visitors who were all sociable and had some good tales to tell.

We had a fantastic day walking from Amesbury to Stonehenge - if you get the chance do walk to Stonehenge it makes it so much more rewarding. If you haven't been to the monument it is wedged between two very busy A roads - this has been a bone of contention for many years and still looks as if a suitable solution is not close at hand. How we can have allowed the pillage of this area by creating a road network around it is beyond belief but nonetheless it exists. We followed a walk in the AA walks guide for this area, which was an excellent  route but we did veer off the course to pop to see the stones up close at Stonehenge. The first view of the stone circle over the brow of the hill is enchanting and well worth the walk!

On our way back we went to Avebury and explored the stones in the low lying fog, which lent an added dimension to the walk. The whole area surrounding Avebury is splattered with prehistoric  monuments,barrows, mounds and sites. In contrast to Stonehenge you can wander freely around the stones, the village and the sites hereabouts. Getting up close and personal with the stones and being able to walk into the long barrow at West Kennet is wonderful. No matter what you think these sites were used for it brings a sense of awe and wonder when you think that these monuments have been around for thousands of years and were built at a time when automation was non existent. We were extremely lucky to visit the Avebury Manor as part of the National Trust site, which reopened this weekend. It has recently had a makeover by the BBC and as such has been 'stage dressed' by them to suit various periods of the manor from history. This process is being shown by the BBC on Thursday at 9pm BBC1 and will be great to watch after visiting the actual manor. You could spend all day at Avebury, as indeed we did. The dressing of the manor, whilst not wholly authentic in age is exquisite.  This should come as no surprise, knowing the resources and skills of the BBC, but it is really worth a visit. Children will love it as they can touch and sit and play snooker and even listen to a real gramophone record.

Our stay in Wiltshire was short but very enjoyable - we really must go back there's so much to do and see that really a few weeks probably wouldn't do justice to it!