James Ratcliffe is co-owner of The Black Bull, Sedburgh, Cumbria, with wife Nina Matsunaga,
head chef and finalist on this year’s BBC TV’s Great British Menu. The Black Bull is an 18-room contemporary inn, restaurant and bar, with two AA rosettes and is included in the UK’s Top 50 Gastropubs. James’s hospitality career includes running a street food business, café, bakery and bistro before opening The Black Bull in 2018.
According to Opentable, single cover reservations have increased. Why do you think this is?
I think people feel more comfortable about the whole experience. We’ve seen a 10% increase in solo diners over the last year. They are a mix – lone parents dropping kids off at the nearby international school, influencers, business travellers, walkers and cyclists – we are on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Is it more socially acceptable?
The dining experience has changed. The Black Bull is more relaxed now than a restaurant of our level would have been back in the day. People want to go to a specific restaurant to try the food and if there’s no-one to go with them, they’ll go on their own
What are the benefits of catering for single diners?
Making the effort to dine alone means they really want to try the food and potentially have a larger spend per head. If a solo diner comes to your venue and has a good time, they’ll tell someone else and come again in a group. Sometimes with bigger parties they’re coming for each other not for the dining experience, they’ve come to meet each other and chat so the spend per head might be less, whereas someone who’s coming for the total experience tends to spend more money.
What is your advice for creating a great solo guest experience?
You’ve got to read the customers. There will be solo diners who want some stimulation, someone to talk to, so offer them something – a paper or something to read – maybe a book. We have books dotted round the pub for people to pick up. Some will want to be left alone, so staff need to tell if that’s the case. Everybody’s different – some people will look at their phone, other people will chat. Talk to them about the food and wine – as you speak to people, you should be able to tell whether they’re looking for more interaction. That’s the same with a couple or a group of four.
What are the biggest mistakes hospitality outlets make when Catering for single diners?
Making too much fuss over them – it can seem that you’re making a beeline for them because they are on their own.
Should solo guests be seated in a special place?
You don’t want to seat them at a table for six people and you don’t want them to feel uncomfortable. Don’t sit them in the middle of the room or hidden away in a corner. You have to select the right spot with a good view of the restaurant, although many solo diners spend time on their phone and at lunchtime, they bring their laptop. In some cases, you can sit them where they may strike up a conversation with someone
else, but it’s up to them.
