With Scotland’s gutters still filled with melting slush, it may seem a little premature to be planning for summer – but switched on operators around the country have been doing just that.
None more so than Brian Dobie of The Pear Tree in Edinburgh’s Old Town, custodian of what is ‘very probably’ the capital’s biggest beer garden (although Brian concedes that there may on occasion have been ‘repurposed carparks’ that bested him on numbers, if not ambience).
With 54 tables and 440 seats outside, and a total capacity approaching 900, Brian must plan ahead to host this sizeable alfresco population, not least for their well-being during the anticipated long summer days under the Scottish sun.
“As ridiculous as it sounds right now, we are looking at stocking up on suncream – we hand out complimentary lotion at the bar, and encourage customers to take advantage of it,” said Brian.
“After a few pints, people can forget that they are exposed to what can be quite strong Scottish sun, so it’s our job to remind them – and source quite a lot of suncream in suitable packaging.”
But when does summer start? For Mr Dobie in Edinburgh, its April 1st: “The Pear Tree’s real fire gets lit on October 1st and put out on March 31st. From then on, we are on a summer footing.”
But up in Aberdeen, all eyes are on a slightly different date – the May Day bank holiday.
In the city’s Belmont St, Siberia bar manager Nicole Roy reckoned that May Day was usually the ‘biggest day of the year’ in the north-east, when a large part of the population would seize the excuse to hit the town: “And we are one of the best places to be!” she declared.
“With 30 to 35 tables outside, fixed seating on the majority of the terrace, and panelling covers, we are set up to host a big crowd. We have access to a sound system so will be putting on live DJs for May Day. After that, the plan for the summer is to open the place up to more events – pop up days with suppliers, and things like a cocktail masterclass. Our outdoor space is a real asset.”
Down in the Dumfries and Galloway village of Moniaive, Craigdarroch Arms Hotel owner and operator Tim O’Sullivan told SLTN that his outdoor space had proved vital for getting back into business post-lockdown, and he was now “watching the forecasts for a chance to get our tents back up”.
Boasting a good sized beer garden that has become the main venue for Moniaive’s annual folk music festival, as well as a popular spot for local weddings and celebrations, recent years have seen the Craigdarroch enhancing that offering with investment above and below.
“We learnt a lot from Covid,” said Tim. “When lockdown lifted in 2021, the government gave us a reopening grant of £8k, and we spent the lot in the garden.
“Underfoot, we put in astro-turf, which has held up well since, and replaced our old marquees. With the fake grass, we don’t need to put down boards inside the marquees during events, and we’ve fixed the problem of people walking mud into the main hotel. For clean up, all that grass needs is an occasional once-over with a powerful leaf-blower.”
Up in Edinburgh, Mr Dobie’s outdoor maintenance regime is complicated by his principles, as he won’t serve drinks in anything but proper glasses – a quality choice that interacts badly with his garden’s traditional cobblestones. “If glasses get dropped, they don’t bounce,” he concedes, “and it’s a nightmare to sweep up in between those cobbles. After a big day, that can mean four people out there in the morning for an hour. That job gets more popular in the summer,” he added.
For his customers’ comfort, Brian’s garden is home to six high quality parasols from German manufacturer May, supplied and fitted by Benholm at a cost of £36,000, which serve equally well as sunshades and umbrellas.
However, while these stand firm against rain or shine, any wind over 20mph is an existential threat: “We will sometimes have customers getting onto us to ‘put up the umbrellas’, but we have to tell them, if there’s a wind blowing, it isn’t happening. They are great parasols, but they aren’t indestructable.”
Chilly customers at Moniaive’s Craigdarroch have benefitted from the arrival of a handful of second-hand woodburning stoves, now sited around the garden on secure plinths, each with a stash of logs. Tim explains: “When people are out there at night, if they are feeling the chill, those stoves are a useful feature, and very popular. Along with our existing firepit, on event nights, it makes for a very welcoming space.”
In common with The Pear Tree, the Craigdarroch Arms has embraced the possibilities of a big outdoor screen, particularly for sporting events: “One of the first things that led us out of lockdown was screening international rugby in the outdoors area, using a screen we’d acquired for the hotel’s boutique cinema,” said Tim.
“This summer, we plan to get that screen into the marquee again for the Champions League and the Rugby World Cup.”
But Tim won’t be buying in extra cider. “It’s maybe a Moniaive thing, but it doesn’t sell well. I would expect to sell a bit more Carling during the summer, but the customers we bring in for things like the folk festival are here for local beers regardless of the weather. Last year we sold 36 nine-gallon kegs of local real ale over the festival weekend – and we might top that this year, as the festival was planned for the weekend preceding the coronation, so it’ll be getting that extra Monday Bank Holiday.”
By contrast, Nicole at Siberia is ‘very conscious’ of the imminent uptick in demand for sunshine bottle brands like Corona, Kopparberg and Old Mout, and will be betting on Inch’s as the operation’s draft cider leader. “We are also going to be offering frozen Daiquiris out of our slushie machine, which was provided by Vimto – those are a real favourite with our student crowd.”
In Edinburgh, Brian is braced to sell ‘a LOT more cider’ to his predominantly student customer base, with Strongbow and its Dark Fruits variant on tap, alongside a seasonally refreshed selection of beers. Then his focus will shift to the latter half of the summer, when his venue will offer the biggest free comedy line-up of the Fringe. Last year The Pear Tree accommodated seven stages around its environs, and no less than 77 acts, all free of charge, first come first served.
“People can fling money in a bucket if they enjoy it, but the idea is to offer some top comedy to guests who might not be able to afford the ticket prices elsewhere. So long as they are in here, whether queueing for a show, enjoying a show, or relaxing afterwards, we’ll be selling them drinks and handing out suncream!”
