The Bellflower Garstang, Lancashire

The Bellflower Garstang, Lancashire

Another pub with a strong outdoor seasonal trade is The Bellflower in Garstang, Lancashire, one of the winners of the 2023 Community Pub Hero Awards. “We more than double in capacity when the sun comes out,” says Marston’s licensee Heather PorterBrandwood. “We have 170 covers inside the pub compared to 182 in the garden.”

With the full menu available indoors and outside, staff flexibility is key to managing the sudden spikes in demand that good weather generates. “We normally do a few more salads and light bites in summer, and we get more social groups ordering grazing dishes, but there are also those who still want the mixed grills, burgers and pies.

“We’re lucky with our kitchen team, they’re able to manage the volume of food that comes out. The majority of the team are cross-trained, so the kitchen can come out front if we need it, and the front-of-house team can go in the kitchen.”

Regularly swapping staff between inside and outside service during shift helps to ensure no one spends too much time in the sun, with suntan lotion also provided as a staff welfare measure.