Keeping in touch with restaurant trends

After the slowdown in recent years the restaurant trade is beginning to pick-up and to some extent table linen sales are beginning to improve.
Raj Ruia, managing director at textile supplier Richard Haworth, says that the recovery wasn't instant but the hospitality industry is now far more robust than before as it has seen steady progress over the past 18 months. His company had a good year in 2013 and he believes that 2014 will prove even better.
He says that increased tourism may be helping but UK consumers are undoubtedly eating out more than before. People like to treat themselves and going out for a meal is the popular choice.
At Lissadell-Liddell, the table linen specialist in the Vision group, sales director Jimmy McCullough says that London restaurants are certainly seeing a high level of business and while outside the capital business is not quite as buoyant, it is still increasing.
However, the impact of this eating out upturn on textile and textile rental markets is mixed.
Certainly restaurants need to make a good impression on their guests and good looking table linen can be a big part of this, as Raj Ruia points out. He has seen restaurants transformed by an investment in new table linen.
But while the overall demand for table linen may be good, the trend for less formal dining is also having an effect as restaurants move away from full settings and some may be opting for paper napkins to cut costs.
Ruia counters the cost argument by pointing out that as diners will often see the paper product as a throw away they will use two or three during a meal, so this option is not as cheap as it may seem.
Chris Kingsford at Tonrose says that a further trend has been the use of a "glass-cloth" type of product as a napkin. This was started by Jamie Oliver but others are following. This is noticeable in the "gastro dining" sector where the emphasis is on good food and service in a relaxed atmosphere. So although table settings are less formal, cloth is still preferred over paper. He feels it is important that textile rental companies respond to such trends.
At Linen Connect, sales director Richard Yates says that customers have two main requirements with regards to table linen. Pricing must be competitive but customers still want the high standard of service the company offers.
McCullough at Lissadell-Liddell points out that standardisation is important for the textile rental sector to allow the laundry to be both highly productive and efficient.
As a result most table linen is white, either plain or with a standard pattern such as satin band. The main materials are cotton and, increasingly, polyester, particularly spun polyester, such as the group's Alpha, which has a cotton-like feel but retains polyester's easy-care properties.
Rod Nutter, commercial director at sister company Hilden, agrees that laundries want products that offer performance and value. Polyester is certainly doing well but five-star hotels are still seeking out "the crisp, starched feel that only 100% cotton can offer". Plain or satin band designs are the most popular but traditional ivy leaf is losing favour.
Andy Jamshidzadeh, director at D G Textiles, is a strong believer in the value of cotton, which he says is still selling well. Cotton products are available in satin band and ivy leaf patterns. Satin band, which is seen as upmarket and more fashionable, is the best seller. White is still the preferred choice accounting for around 70% of sales but the pastel shades of ivory, beige and lemon are also doing well.
He acknowledges the growth of spun polyester products and the company does offer these but most of his customers still prefer 100% cotton or 50/50 polycotton products.
Jamshidzadeh acknowledges the trend for less formal settings and this has certainly boosted napkin sales. He is selling these in high volumes and they are proving his best seller but he says this is at the expense of a decline in other table linen.
Linen Connect's Yates says there is still decent demand for 100% cotton but there is a definite demand for spun polyester, which can be washed at low temperatures, has good
stain-release properties and is durable.
In terms of style, the demand is for plain-coloured spun polyester or for 100% cotton in the satin band or ivy leaf patterns.
So the company is seeing good sales of its two 100% cotton ranges, Rafael (satin-band) and Da Vinci.
In addition its Forta spun polyester collection is seeing sales increase year-on-year and its traditional all-polyester Cezanne Stuart Rose range is also attracting excellent sales.
Ruia at Richard Haworth says that textile rental laundries want a good return on investment.
The company can meet this requirement with its Signature Plus spun polyester and Amalfi 100% polyester products.
Both are designed to retain shape, dimensions and colour as well as for good results in washing.
Signature Plus, which has the look and feel cotton, is the most popular range and is available in 33 colours including grey and pewter shades, which are becoming increasingly popular. It is designed for excellent stain release,
Amalfi was introduced to provide a slightly lower-priced option and is available in white, black and ivory.
In the textile rental sector, Robert Adams, managing director of White Knight Laundry Services is very positive about business in the sector. The company has seen an increase in its hotel business and many of these customers have restaurants.
Speaking about the practical issues that textile rental services face, he says that loss and misuse is still a concern. Napkins in particular are often misused. They are often used to polish cutlery, leaving a grey mark that is only visible after washing. They are also often used to mop up a spill and can frequently get "lost" either because, being small, they have been picked-up or thrown away or they are too dirty to be worth washing.
White Knight does try to discourage misuse by offering specific cleaning cloths.
The company offers both a dedicated and a pool service. At present most customers want dedicated stock but the pool stock is a recent introduction and White Knight is noticing a shift in its use.
Adams too has noticed the trend for "tea towel" style napkins. These have been popular in the USA and are now "on trend here". White Knight offers a range which is a 100% polyester (so it is easy to process) but has the look and feel of cotton. It is available with black, red, green or blue stripe.
Its full table linen range includes white 100% cotton in satin band or 100% polyester in plain, rose or ivy leaf styles.
The casual dining trend has certainly been noted by Westlane Linens, which reports that napkins have been selling particularly well but the company does feel that with the economic recovery, both restaurants and hotels will want to differentiate themselves and so this may mean some return to full settings.
It does say that table linens as a whole have been a top seller. Westlane started in this sector by offering a cotton product in ivy leaf and satin band designs but later introduced a spun polyester range which has caused cotton sales to slow down. It is now developing its spun polyester range and feels that this will help laundries as the products will last longer. There will be a lot of development in this area.
The company feels that the essentials for the textile rental sector are quality, prompt reliable delivery and then price.

THE "WOW EFFECT": Richard Haworth reports that vibrant colours such as turquoise are being used. Some restaurants will use two bright shades together to give a "wow" effect that differentiates the restaurant