In This Issue
"Every single thing we do is driven at the moment by trying to manage the risk to customers and staff"
Four tips to maximise your garden centre on a budget
Hillier to Open New Garden Centre at Syon Park Estate
British nurseries are amongst the most eco-friendly on the planet, not that you’d know from watching Gardeners’ World
Restaurant gets star billing at redeveloped centre
GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards are back!
Change at the top for family-run Highfield Garden World
Sales jump by 20% to record mid-November levels
Plants are selling at record levels during Lockdown 2
Container issues continue to escalate at UK ports 
HTA launches Sustainability Roadmap to guide UK horticulture towards leading edge of sustainable business practice
The Most Jumperful Time of the Year Fundraiser starts tomorrow!
Work starts on site for largest Dobbies in South West
Possible Christmas tree shortage due to Danish mink cull
Henry Bell clinches deal with Future Marketing Group
Janssens Greenhouses – over 70 years of heritage
Garden centre gets new appearance thanks to Smiemans
GTN November issue now on-line
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Garden centre customers find happiness in houseplants in October
Two-thirds more gardening this Autumn – Wow!
End of season pot bargains and houseplant care star
HTA reacts to new December tier arrangements
Gonks fly through tills as Christmas sales jump up
A Christmas feast for your garden birds
The best of last week's
A Perfect Storm Hits the Garden Market
Sales fall by 5.5% in Lockdown 2
“The Smart Show must go on…line!”
Five creative ways to enhance your takeaway service during lockdown
Profits up at Notcutts in year to February 2020
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
British Garden Centres open their 58th centre at Thatcham
Barton Grange Christmas 2020 - Exclusive GTN Xtra Photo Tour
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to the GTN Bestsellers printed weekly newsletter
All the latest news from the world of pet products
Back to business for industry exhibitions
Tong donates stock to South Yorkshire dog rescue charity
Send us your news and great ideas

Contact us with your news.

Email trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call the GTN News team on 07973 504214


Five creative ways to enhance your takeaway service during lockdown

With catering operations currently restricted to takeaway only under Covid-19 lockdown, here are some creative steps you can take to adapt your existing service to make the most of your catering potential at this time. This advice is supplied by the Catering Design Group.

 

1. Think outside of the box…or shed, caravan or kiosk. Consider adapting an existing structure by adding a hatch.  Any unique structure you may have on site, from a rustic shed to a horse box or a quirky shepherd’s hut, could potentially be used for takeaway or serviced options. This will give you an easily accessible facility that won’t cost much but will add value and support social distancing. Use your brand colours, attractive signage and outdoor lighting to add ambience and personality. 

 

2. A window of opportunity.  Turn existing windows into serving hatches to support social distancing,increase footfall and maximise revenue. See some examples here how the walls around a window opening can be transformed with paint, props and a little imagination to create an attractive feature.

 

3. Walk the talk. Control queues and maintain social distancing by taking a more innovative approach to floor signage.  Floor arrows and floor flows are quirkier and have more visual impact than a simple dot or white arrow. These can be tailored to your brand so that they are less generic and form part of the design. Also consider a one-way traffic system and temporary changes to entrances and exits leading to the window or hatch. 

 

4. The great outdoors. Your outdoor spaces have never been so valuable. Now is the time to maximise all-weather outdoor seating spaces so that they are ready for post lockdown business. Think about adding outdoor heating, eco-friendly lighting, planting and screening so that you are prepared for the increased catering covers that your on-site Christmas attractions will undoubtedly bring. 

 

5. Invest in good design. Creating a great customer experience calls for a professional design approach where every aspect of a garden or farm centre catering facility is assessed. Bespoke design that reflects your unique brand and ethos can be transformative in terms of future revenue and repeat business.

 

Catering Design Group (CDG) is one of UK’s leading restaurant and commercial kitchen design companies, offering a full design service to clients throughout the retail,  leisure, hospitality and education sectors. http://www.cateringdesign.co.uk If you would like to know more about how CDG can support your vision, contact Steve Hutchings, director of CDG on 07736 479342 or email steve.hutchings@cateringdesign.co.uk

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