News & Media

How to make the most of the upcoming Lions’ tour

The Lions rotate tours around the big three southern hemisphere rugby union nations: Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. These tours take place once every four years, and as well as the quality of rugby on show, it is perhaps their rarity that makes them such a highly watched event.

Because the Lions are made up of members from England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland, the UK joins collectively to support the team. This means that pubs up and down the country can take advantage of the tour.

Although the likelihood of a positive result might not seem promising (the 11 previous tours to New Zealand have resulted in just one win for the Lions), support for our boys will be out in full force.

But wait, the games start at 8:35am GMT!  

Early wake-up call

You’re right, opening before 9am probably isn’t all too common in the industry. But on occasions such as this, it becomes a must, especially when the demand is there.

On the Lions’ last tour, there were 900,000 out-of-home viewers for the first test match. All of the games will be shown on Sky, so it’s an opportunity to reach out to those who only have terrestrial TV at home.

Lions’ fixtures:

June 3 v Provincial Union

June 7 v Blues

June 10 v Crusaders

June 13 v Highlanders

June 17 v Maori All Blacks

June 20 v Chiefs

June 24 v All Blacks

June 27 v Hurricanes

July 1 v All Blacks

July 8 v All Blacks

The Lions will be playing a total of ten games, including seven warm up matches. The matches that will attract the biggest crowd will, of course, be the three test matches against the All Blacks.

Ideas for game day

Although the games are on early in the morning, the good news is that all of the test matches are on Saturdays, meaning that, on the majority, you won’t be battling with work schedules as well.

Seeing as it’s early in the morning an extensive breakfast menu can be all it takes to get people through the door. You may not usually serve breakfasts but given the time of the matches, this is an important addition to make extra money from. These menus could also be themed to add to the occasion.

Unfortunately, not everyone is a morning person and many may opt to watch a rerun later in the day. In the modern day it can be near enough impossible to get around without hearing the results but if you make visitors aware, they can try to get by without hearing the score – doing so will create a similar match time buzz when you screen a rerun.

By cleverly timing screening the match at intervals throughout the day, you can coincide viewings with other food and drink times. Be sure to create designated rugby zones to make sure you don't alienate your other customers who aren’t as passionate about rugby.

Whatever your plans are, make sure you advertise them. Locals won’t necessarily expect pubs and bars to be opening early to show the tour so it’s imperative to spread awareness of your plans.

Bar furniture

If you are expecting plenty of visitors to turn up to watch the tour, having enough seating in place can make your venue more welcoming.  

Temporary, stackable banquet chairs can be useful for this tour specifically and are something that can be useful to have for future sporting events too. Browse our range of stackable chairs, perfect for storing away, here.

Watching sports, supporting teams and cheering on your country is a sociable thing to do, as it brings people together to enjoy the event, then celebrate or commiserate together.  Where better to do this than at your local pub?

Being prepared to host more patrons than usual is key for sporting events.  You don’t know when the majority of the local football team will decide on your pub for the next big match, or when work colleagues will decide on an after work social to watch the tennis together.

What pubs need for hosting sporting events

Firstly, it goes without saying that pubs will need a television screen and ideally, a really big one.  Around this, there should be plenty of room for people to sit, stand and put down their drinks.  No-one wants a pint spilled over their head when a room full of people celebrate a goal!

What pub furniture is available?

Adding additional pub furniture to your pub can be problematic if you don’t then have somewhere to store the furniture when it’s not needed.  There is the option of renting furniture for large events, but this is often far costlier than buying your own furniture, especially if you host more than a couple of events a year.

At Trent Furniture, we provide high quality pub furniture for pubs all over the UK at great prices.  We find that sports bars and pubs that host sporting events regularly prefer to opt for space saving or stackable bar tables and stools when adding additional furniture to a bar area or outside seating area to accommodate sports events.

Outside pub furniture for sports events

If your sporting event is going to be held outside, or if there is an overflow area, where people can still view the event on a large screen, outside pub furniture can be a godsend.  Here, investing in a decent set of furniture first time round, which is durable and waterproof, is crucial for longevity.

Something like this Monaco Black Wicker Stacking Chair would go great with a table like this Plaza Table – both of which can easily be stored away.

Inside pub furniture for sports events

Additional furniture for inside a pub usually needs to take space into account.  A table like this Double Wood Poseur Table has plenty of space for holding drinks, without taking up too much floor space.  Pair this with a few Tall Shaker Stools and a group of people can easily enjoy a game without spilling their drinks.

Where to buy pub furniture for sports events

Whether you’re looking for stackable pub furniture, durable pub furniture or simply something that is cheaper than regularly renting pub furniture, we have a huge range of options that will help you to host sports events.  For more information, visit our website where we have ranges of pub furniture, bar furniture and event furniture for you to choose from.

What is shabby chic furniture?

The main characteristic of shabby chic furniture is that it looks slightly old and well-used.  This style of furniture is often homely looking, whilst still looking clean and stylish.

Where did shabby chic furniture originate from?

Perhaps the most common style of shabby chic furniture is French style shabby chic, which uses a lot of distressed cream or white furniture in a country living style.  This style is widely thought to have been created during the 18th century, during a time known as the Baroque period.

However, the term ‘shabby chic’ didn’t start making it into fashion and interior design magazines in the UK until the early eighties.

Techniques to shabby chic restaurant tables and chairs

Done well, any of the following furniture and decoration techniques can be classed as shabby chic:

• A mixture of white and exposed wood
• Distressed wood
• Pretty floral patterns
• Ornate designs in furniture and accessories such as lighting and mirrors
• Pastel colours or multi coloured, mismatched furniture

Buy shabby chic restaurant tables and chairs

To achieve a shabby chic look in your restaurant, a good place to start is with the restaurant tables and chairs.

Shabby chic chairs

Something like this Chiavari Stacking Chair is a great example of white, distressed wood.  This sort of style is often used at weddings, as it’s quite romantic looking as well as tastefully worn.

For a simpler style of shabby chic seating which is ideal for a DIY shabby chic project is this Washington Side Chair.  Try distressing the wood yourself using steel wool or sand paper across the edges and corners.

Shabby chic tables

Almost any wooden table can be made to look shabby chic if you paint it white and distress the wood afterwards.  What also works really well is to have a mixture of white wood and exposed wood, like this Shabby Chic Farmhouse Table.  In true Baroque style, all it needs to looks as though it could have come straight out of a French farm house is some bread and cheese!

Where to buy shabby chic restaurant furniture

Trent Furniture has a huge range of affordable restaurant furniture, which includes chairs, tables, stools, sofas and outdoor furniture for restaurants.  View our restaurant furniture pages to see our huge range of products.

You may not have realised but it has probably been a very long time since you last refurbished your café. Maybe you haven’t touched the décor since you opened, or perhaps you are just starting up and are looking for inspirational design ideas. If any of these situations sound like you then you are in the right place. Our start-to-finish guide will see you through an entire café refurbishment project giving you top tips to ensure a smooth transition from old to new.

First Things First – Choosing a Café Design

When refurbishing your café it is vital you have an idea of the finished look. By choosing your style early you can make decisions based on this throughout the rest of the project. Whether you are interested in vintage, American, modern or quirky, an early choice will reduce conflicting ideas in the future.

Here at Trent Furniture, we have a great selection of café and restaurant furniture from all ranges suitable for any budget. Search our products for design inspiration before making a move. Our pub sofa and coffee table packages also suitable for cafés to provide some home comforts for your customers or perhaps check out our cast iron table collection for a more ornate style.

Take Out the Trash – Removing Old Café Décor

The next step is deciding what pieces of current furniture and décor you wish to keep if any. Outdoor furniture, wall hangings, flooring and lighting are all things to consider as well as the obvious indoor commercial chairs and tables.

Make a mental note of what is staying and what is going or, better yet, store it elsewhere until it can be collected for recycling or reselling. Alternatively, you may even decide to keep a few pieces and up-cycle them to fit into your new space.

Now that you have a clean slate to work with your creative juices will flow and work on the new café design can begin. 

Three’s a Crowd – Space Saving Café Furniture

Assess your available space before making rash decisions. Plan a new layout for your seating areas, bar area and maybe even a waiting area, ahead of buying. Ensure you have designed your layout so that customers are left with enough personal space to help maintain their comfort. Squashing too many tables and chairs together can leave a bitter taste in the mouth of your customers and could put them off returning.

If you wish to entice more customers into your business consider space saving furniture such as our Berwick Buttoned Back Bench. Placed together with long or square tables you can seat more customers without the squeeze.

If you sell alcoholic drinks and would like to create an area dedicated to this, perhaps a poseur table against a wall with a range of surrounding backless stools will create the atmosphere you and your customers’ desire.

Caution: Wet Paint! – Choosing New Café Décor

Furniture isn’t the only step when it comes to café design. While your customers are waiting for their meal to arrive their wandering eyes will lie upon the walls and surrounding décor within your premises.

Staying within your chosen style, decide on paints or wallpapers that reflect the atmosphere you wish to portray. Dark colours accompanied by low lighting will offer a cosy space to relax but may make your café look smaller.

Using light, pastel colours can portray the ever popular shabby chic style whereas quirky patterns and bright colours may create a retro or American diner type feel. Your choice of furniture should further complement this design through the use of different materials and finishes.

Adding the finishing touches is usually where creativity comes to light and decorative wall hangings can play a big part in the refurbishment project. Clocks, photographs, paintings and ornaments can all leave a lasting impression on your customers.

Walls decorated with accessories from guitars to famous quotes can be a great distraction while they wait for food or drinks or allow their mind to relax with a more minimalistic design. Whatever your decision, it is important that you have a clear idea of your style to ensure there are no conflicting ideas.

The Great Outdoors – Top Quality Outdoor Furniture

On a hot summer’s day, there is nowhere better to be than outside. The UK rarely basks in delightful sunshine so when it does your customers will want to take advantage.

Providing your customers with a safe and comfortable outdoor area can be as important as ensuring your indoor space is inviting. While planning your refurbishment take a look at your current outdoor area and decide if this also needs an update.

We understand that due to the British summer outdoor furniture needs to be weather resistant as well as comfortable and therefore we have incorporated this into every outdoor design. However, if you do not wish to leave your furniture outdoors all year round, our range of outdoor stacking chairs is the perfect answer. This space-saving outdoor furniture is light-weight and durable so great for easy moving.

Money, Money, Money – Café Design with a Budget

As with every refurbishment project, costs and a budget play an important part of the process. Luckily a full café refurbishment doesn’t have to be expensive and Trent Furniture offers a range of different products for all budgets.

We even have selected furniture packages tailored for full and part refurbishments, ideally suited for small and large cafes and restaurants. Our quality furniture can be trusted to survive the intense usage that can occur in busy establishments, so you can relax and so can your customers.

Trent Furniture can provide something for everyone. With such a large range of product styles, colours and designs, we have something for everyone and all budgets. Our variety of café table and chairs, as well as sofas, stools and benches, are a sure way to help bring your ideas to life.

In the face of Brexit, British holidaymakers are favouring UK based holidays rather than venturing abroad as a way of saving money in 2017.

A turbulent 2016 has meant that British beach resorts and popular rural locations are preparing for a busy summer with millions more expected to have a holiday at home this year, compared to last.

According to research from Travelzoo, 37 per cent of respondents are considering the United Kingdom for their main holiday in 2017. In 2016, 29 per cent spent their holidays in the UK. The findings are supported by Sojern, a Travel marketing group that have found a 23.8 per cent rise in the number of British holidaymakers searching and booking between October 2016 and January 2017.

Why are Brits staying in the UK?

There are plenty of reasons why more are deciding to holiday in the UK: the slumping value of the pound, the price of holidays abroad for families going out of term time or maybe the penny has dropped about just how beautiful the country we live in is.

Most popular UK holiday destinations:

• Cornwall
• London
• Devon
• Blackpool
• Isle of Wight
• North Norfolk 

With an influx of holiday makers flocking to holiday parks and hotels in the UK, it’s vital for the businesses to take advantage of the new customers and make sure that their accommodation’s décor doesn’t look worn and dated.

Paying close attention to detail could be the difference in a new visitor becoming a convert and continuing to holiday in the UK or fleeing the country as soon as they’ve got enough money saved up.

It should be the goal of holiday parks across the UK to change perceptions and provide an enjoyable stay for families, to keep them coming back and referring friends and family.

Holiday park furniture

Holiday Parks require a wide range of furniture, whether it’s for the rooms themselves or the restaurant/bar and public entertainment areas. As leading suppliers of the hospitality and leisure industry, Trent Furniture supply high quality, durable furniture for every need. 

Browse our full range of holiday park furniture here.