Namgrass Case Study: Alfresco Dining at its Finest

Restrictions have eased, the sun is shining and all that’s left to do is soak it all up at one of the many beautiful alfresco dining spots where our artificial grass has been laid to create the perfect outdoor dining experience!

Below, we highlight five hospitality venues across the UK that Namgrass and our nationwide network of highly skilled artificial grass installers have worked with, to help business owners transform unusable spaces into a beautiful green oasis, helping them to embrace the change needed to be profitable during the last year.

Only 38% of pubs and restaurants in England have outdoor space to trade. So, when the government announced that these already hard-hit establishments could reopen, but only offer outdoor service, many landlords were forced to think outside the box to keep their businesses afloat.

Not to be beaten, this hardworking sector wasted no time in reinventing their outdoor spaces. Car parks were transformed into garden dining areas, disused garden areas were converted into bubble-friendly drinking zones, and old storage areas were used to provide as much extra seating as possible.

As one of the UK’s leading suppliers of artificial grass, we were among other national suppliers of outdoor products who helped design and create inviting, much-needed outdoor spaces to welcome customers and drive business to this sector once again.

The One Bell, a public house in Dartford, is a beautiful Grade II listed building that dates back to the 18th century. They decided to repurpose the onsite, unused car park into a stunning family-friendly garden. So, we installed 200m² of  Whitby, a dark green, hardwearing artificial grass, and a best-seller within the Namgrass fake grass range. The One Bell will now be able to host many football fans in this large outdoor space which will come as no surprise, as the pub is owned by former professional footballer, Jimmy Bullard.

The Cliff House is an independent restaurant with a bar and rooms, located just outside the New Forest in Barton on Sea. It sits right on the cliff top with far-reaching views of the Isle of Wight and panoramic views of the Solent. This location is idyllic in the summer months however during the colder month’s customers are usually inside snuggled up by a roaring log burner. With the government’s guidelines preventing this The Cliff House erected a marquee to seat customers and we installed 100m² of our Exbury Bright artificial grass on top of their graveled parking area. Exbury Bright is a hard-wearing, vibrant green, densely thatched grass and as a busy family pub, its great likeness to real turf made it the perfect choice for both animals and children.

Sister property to The Cliff House, the Lighthouse is set back from the main beach area, although benefitting from the same amazing views. The lighthouse had only a very small, paved area outside which was having an impact on trade during the pandemic. Deciding to follow in the steps of their big sister, The Lighthouse asked us to install 100m² of the Exbury Bright artificial grass and with its deep pile and densely thatched luxury feel it has proved perfect for the busy tourist area. This has now increased the seating capacity of the Lighthouse and has given local families and visitors several relaxed dining options.

The Carters Arms in Wilmslow has recently had new owners who had plans to put the fun back into pub life with live music, karaoke, cask ales, and cold lagers. With the restrictions and strict government guidelines being adhered to the new management installed 120m² of Elise artificial grass at the back of the premises. Expecting a heavy footfall, this medium pile grass offers high-density coverage and works perfectly in high-traffic areas and commercial buildings. The initial investment has definitely paid off as The Carters Arm is an excellent fan zone for families and fans of football who flooded to it to enjoy the Euros.

The Grove bar and restaurant in Wilmslow was a new venture which opened at the tail end of 2020. Being a town centre venue, it was important to maximise seating both inside and out and local business BF Lawns installed 120m² of our Elise artificial grass. This medium pile,  high-density fake grass is the perfect choice for busy traffic areas and commercial properties. The Grove has transformed an unused tarmac car park at the rear and been able to operate safely during covid restrictions, plus, they have gained a larger seating area to host more customers, the clientele now benefits from an inviting beer garden with alfresco dining.

The hospitality sector has reacted to a real business crisis by showing creativity and innovation and helping to stabilise their sector by making permanent use of previously underutilised outdoor spaces. 

At Namgrass, we were pleased that we could help offer a long term, low-maintenance solution to these businesses by installing our luxury artificial grass, allowing them to thrive again.

Do you own a venue and think artificial grass could be perfect for you?

Get in touch today!