Center spreads
Getting lost is part of the holiday experience for the 3,500 guests at Center Parcs' Longleat Holiday Village. There are no straight lines here - paths, tracks, roads, streams and even the contours of the buildings curve.
Part of the fun includes searching for the 12 catering outlets, located in various parts of the complex, which is tucked discreetly into the surrounding 400-acre forest. "We want people to explore the area as they would if they were abroad, or going somewhere they didn't know," says Graham White, operations director. "We try to make the forest environment as natural as possible."
Dutch-owned Center Parcs, which was launched in 1967, is leader of the UK short-break holiday market, with three outlets in England and 10 in the rest of Europe. The site at Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire opened 14 years ago, followed by Elvedon in Suffolk in 1989, and Longleat, Wiltshire, in 1994. The total UK turnover for the three sites is £120m, of which 25% comes from the in-house catering service. Each site has about 300 catering staff.
Guest profile
The total turnover at Longleat is £28m, of which catering is £10m, with an average spend per head of £9 per day. Occupancy is high, never less than 91%, and the guest profile varies depending on the time of year. Christmas tends to attract three generations of families, including grandparents, while at New Year groups of friends are more common. Spring attracts families with children below school age, while in high summer older children and teenagers appear.
The variety of sporting activities offered on-site, including boating, horse riding, snooker, golf and bowls, is reflected by the range of food offerings available. "We want to offer a choice of activity for all types of guests, and this extends to the food as well," says White. "Although all chalets are self-catering, part of the holiday is about eating out and the meal offer varies according to the profile of the guest. Every catering outlet includes a children's menu, for instance.
Center Parcs' subtropical swimming pool, set under a giant transparent dome, mingles with a range of catering outlets, including Luciano's Italian trattoria and Chez Pierre French pavement café. Others include the sophisticated 80-seat La Sapiniere, a French restaurant serving dishes such as breast of guinea fowl for £16.50, and Huckleberry's American eatery, offering rack of ribs at £5.65.
Snacks such as roast tomato and basil soup with fresh bread at £3.75, are available from a Belgian-style Grand Café, while pancakes can be consumed at one of Center Parcs' own brands, the Pancake House, decorated in the Dutch style with blue and white tiles. Customers can watch their pancakes (£2.60-£4.65) being cooked to order on a pancake wheel specially developed for the company.
"The idea is for people to get away from everyday life, which is why we have only our own in-house brands such as Huckleberry's," says White. "Menus are the same across the three sites, though there are some variations. For instance, at La Sapiniere we allow seasonal differences, but this does not apply at Huckleberry's, where the customer has a fixed expectation of the menu."
Menus are changed twice a year after consultation with chefs and customer care groups. "We have to be open-minded and prepared to make relevant changes," White says.
Center Parcs' commitment to catering is evident in its rolling plan of investment. By the end of this year it will have spent more than £2m in 15 months on catering facilities at Longleat. Similar programmes are being carried out at the other two sites.
"Catering is vital to our operation, and we invest huge amounts on refurbishment here and all over the UK," White says. "We're constantly checking with visitors to find out what they want and to make sure the offer is up to date. It's part of our brand success that we're constantly investing."
A £200,000 refurbishment is being carried out at Huckleberry's to improve the children's play area, as well as a £100,000 extension of Chez Pierre. The latest addition is the Conservatory snack bar, selling iced organic teas and fresh fruit, part of a £1.2m extension to the Aqua Sana health centre. Like all the outlets, it has its own identity - in this case a terracotta tiled floor, Roman wall paintings, Lloyd Loom chairs and real orchids on the tables.
It contrasts dramatically with the 160-seat Sports Bar/Café in the Jardin des Sports building, with its circular bar and large TV screens. Here, customers can buy a range of meals, from humous with red pepper tomato oil, marinated black olives and pitta bread for £4.90, to fish and chips for £8.75.
Alongside, in an atmosphere hushed by efficient soundproofing, is the 120-seat Country Club restaurant, serving meals such as chicken stir-fry at £7.25 and mixed grills at £10.75.
On changeover day a pizza-pasta buffet in the Italian restaurant runs during peak arrival hours, costing £1.50 for children and £6.50 for adults.
Managing 12 catering outlets scattered throughout the forest has its own problems. "We have to ensure staff can be moved quickly from one area to another," says Mark Blunt, general manager. "This has been largely overcome by making them all multiskilled, which means they can move from one outlet to another at short notice. At the Jardin des Sports, for instance, leisure assistants are trained to work in the bar if there is a sudden influx of customers."
Deliveries are also carefully planned. "We have to make sure the right food and drink gets to the right place at the right time. This is a no-car area so we try to do it unseen, usually early in the morning with discreet deliveries later if necessary," says Blunt. "It's part of our philosophy not to let the guests see what is going on behind the scenes."
FACTS:
Center Parcs
Kirklington Road, Eakring, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG22 0DZ
Tel: 08705 200300
Founded: 1967
UK turnover: £120m
SAMPLE MENU AT LA SAPINIERE
Seared king scallops with spiced Puy lentils and curry, £7.50
Tian of fresh crab with avocado pear and pink grapefruit, £6.75
Twice-baked Stilton and pear soufflé with celeriac roulade and pear chutney, £5.25
Bourride of salmon, brill and monkfish with saffron mashed potatoes, £14.75
Tea-smoked duck breast with spiced plum compote, potato rösti and port wine sauce, £17.50
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 31 May-6 June 2001
