Get in the picture

When you look out of the window of your hotel, restaurant, pub or bed and breakfast, when you raise the blinds of your office dining facility or open the door of your high-street coffee shop, what do you see? What do your customers see?

It will be a view of something, an aspect, a vista. It might be a landscape of rolling hills, craggy mountains or a peaceful rural community. Equally, it might be a picture of dramatic architecture, a cathedral or a relic of Britain's industrial past. It might be the skyline of a bustling city or the single tree in a town square.

A view is something that we all appreciate and remember and it is often one of the reasons, in hospitality, that makes a business successful, why customers return and why the all-important ambience of a place is favourable. A good outlook can influence a customer's perception of the interior that's behind. It is the ultimate hidden asset.

That is why Caterer is looking for the best view in the UK, as seen from a hospitality establishment.

In association with technology suppliers VisualOne and marketing website Withaview.com, we are searching for the view that is most likely to inspire customers (and staff). The winning property stands to win £1,000 and have the view painted by an artist. It's a competition not to be missed.

You might be preoccupied with the day-to-day challenges of running a business at the moment, but just take a moment to raise your eyes from the balance books and look outside. If you like what you see, grab your camera and send us a picture. And remember, good views don't depend on the rating of the establishment. A farmhouse guest room may have a better aspect than the top suite in a five-star hotel.

Views are for free, and every operator in the hotel and catering industry has a chance to win this competition. Get snapping now.

By Forbes Mutch, Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper