It was the English author Somerset Maugham who said, “The only way to eat well in England is to have breakfast three times a day.” Maugham died in 1965 and therefore missed out on the British food revolution that took place over subsequent decades – not just in the quality and variety of the food that we eat, with previously exotic spices and vegetables becoming standard ingredients, but also in our increasing fondness for eating out.
The Great British national dish
Although the British had shown a liking for exotic foods in our taste for Chinese restaurants – the first one opened in London in 1908 - the revolution really took off in the 1970s, with Indian restaurants popping up on every high street, culminating in 2001 in the then British foreign secretary Robin Cook’s claim in a speech on British identity that chicken tikka masala had become our “national dish”.
A country of multinational cuisine
As incomes rose and our lives became busier, leaving us less time to cook, eating out became something normal rather than a special occasion, with pizzerias, Italian eateries and Thai restaurants spicing up our high streets. And the British weather has played a role, too: the long hot summer of 1976 led to a drought and a potato shortage – with the result that the British discovered pasta as a substitute. (For some, it was a revelation to find that spaghetti doesn’t have to come from a tin.) Meanwhile the arrival of the gastropub has perked up thousands of pubs.
And mealtimes themselves have become less clearly defined. Breakfast can drift into brunch, which becomes lunch, which stretches through the afternoon to become dinner. Our eating habits are regulated not by the clock or by set mealtimes but by when it suits us to eat. We have become a nation of casual diners; going out to eat is no longer the big deal that it used to be – for many, it’s part of everyday life, often with children too.
Which brings us to today, when, according to a 2015 survey by the online restaurant booking service OpenTable, the British now eat out on average 1.5 times a week, with a typical spend per person of up to £53. And analysis from the market research group NPDsuggests that by 2017 the British could be spending £54.7 billion on eating out. So, how can your restaurant be sure to get a share of that spending and help keep Britain a nation of happy diners?
Set the scene first, deliver satisfaction later
Surveys suggest that first impressions are vital. And if you want to make a good first impression on your customers, the most important factor is cleanliness and hygiene: the restaurant needs to be spotless, ditto the tables, staff clothing and uniforms. It’s interesting to note that a 2014 survey by the UK government’s Food Standards Agency showed that people are less impressed by hygiene certificates than they are by the general levels of cleanliness that they can see for themselves.
Then there is the welcome. It’s essential that this is warm and friendly. This is your restaurant’s first point of contact with a customer, and if it goes badly, your customers might not come back – however much they enjoy the rest of the experience. So: smile! Talk to them. Let them know what’s happening – if there’s going to be a delay in finding them a table, be realistic. Phone conversations are important, too. Phone calls need to be answered politely, and – crucially – quickly. Today’s customers have short attention spans and little patience, so they will hang up if they don’t get through within the first few rings. And your website needs to be smart, attractive and easy to navigate. Increasingly, customers prefer to make their bookings online, so it’s important to offer this facility.
The environment itself needs to make a good impression. Is it cluttered, messy, poorly arranged? What about the colour scheme? These things matter. On the one hand, customers might find the sight of row upon row of identical tables and chairs daunting, but on the other hand, a haphazard clutter of furniture can be similarly offputting. So you might wish to create a mixture between the two.
Designing for first impressions
There is no law stipulating that all your restaurant furniture should match; mixing things up can create a more homely, “organic” atmosphere. A sea of metal chairs and bare wood surfaces can look somewhat sterile, so it would pay to add touches of warmth – napkins, maybe tablecloths, candles, walls decorated in comforting colours, framed prints. It’s also worth bearing in mind that although today’s trend for “open” restaurants with lots of hard surfaces, bare floors and open kitchens looks very cool and metropolitan, such places can be offputtingly noisy. And while music is fine, it shouldn’t drown out conversation.
Eating out has also become a family affair. So you should have a ready supply of high chairs and cushions, as well as a children’s menu. It’s worth bearing in mind that many parents do not want to fob their children off with children’s “junk” staples such as fish fingers and chicken nuggets, so take care over planning your children’s menu, and be prepared to offer children’s portions of your adult men (at a lower price, of course). Children like to pick: so, cherry tomatoes, chopped carrots and peppers, cucumber, mini-pizzas and suchlike will go down well.
Bake off blasé or traditional burgers
Which brings us to the main attraction: the food itself. The huge popularity of TV programmes such as Masterchef and The Great British Bake Off shows that we are now a nation with sophisticated palates. We are not daunted by sourdough pizzas, “deconstructed” dishes, quinoa, foams and savoury ice-creams. At the same time, the classics are still popular; the rise of the London chain Dirty Burger shows that there is still a huge appetite for a well-cooked burger with proper ingredients served in cool surroundings. But whatever you serve, make sure that it’s fresh, honest, and appealingly served. Don’t over-complicate your menu; British diners are savvy enough to know that a restaurant can’t realistically offer a huge range of dishes without the aid of a microwave – so slim it down to a hard core of high-quality options. (And bear in mind, too, that there are a lot of eaters out there who are vegetarians and/or gluten-free.)
Finally, there’s the vexed issue of Trip Advisor. Some restaurateurs can’t bear it, as it brings out the British tendency to smile and say “Yes, everything’s fine” while they’re at the restaurant – and then write a vitriolic Trip Advisor review afterwards. But it does offer a chance to find out what people think of your restaurant’s offering. And most good restaurants will post a mollifying response on Trip Advisor to the more serious complaints, and perhaps offer to put things right.
Take your brand message to the web, and stay positive!
There are some restaurant owners, though, who react angrily to critical Trip Advisor reviews. One such is Jason Tanfield, owner of the Mexican-themed restaurant Chimichangos in Middlewich, Cheshire. He has become famous for his rude ripostes to online critics. When one diner complained about the burritos at Chimichangos, Tanfield posted a reply: “The burritos are oven baked hence being crispy on the outside. KFC do soft burritos try that next time.” And when another customer complained about rude staff, Tanfield hit back: “The staff are not rude it’s your fault.”
Author: David Cheal