From festival goers to sunset weddings, there has always been demand for an outdoor catering industry.
Yet, due to the UK’s notoriously poor weather, these activities predominantly occur during summertime.
This seasonal favourability has longed forced mobile caterers to think creatively to stay relevant at the best of times, let alone in the challenging winter months, where outdoor events are a rarity.
In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic bought unprecedented challenges to the entire hospitality industry, forcing businesses to adapt like never before.
How the pandemic reshaped industries in the UK
Endija Zuika, Festival Manager for events company Premier Production Ltd said: “Covid-19 forced us to completely rethink everything.
“From logistics to hygiene protocols, especially in high-contact areas like catering.”
As indoor dining faced strict restrictions, outdoor catering rapidly became a vital solution for restaurants, food vendors and event organisers.
Statistics from insurance company Simply Business observed a significant rise in outdoor caterers over the pandemic, from 1,728 in 2020 to 2,714 in 2021.
Furthermore, they pinpointed a major rise in food market traders, growing from 864 in 2020 to a whopping 1,658 in 2021.
These dramatic 57% and 92% increases highlight the rise in popularity of outdoor marketplaces and as a response to the pandemic, existing market traders adapting quickly with new ones frequently appearing.
Alan Thomas, from Simply Business, said: “Our report showed optimistic results of new businesses emerging in the food sector.
“Self-employed jobs are also finally seeing a rise as we distance ourselves from the pandemic.”
The boom in outdoor catering
In response to rising covid-19 cases, the UK government implemented measures that directly impacted indoor hospitality venues.
These legislative frameworks compelled many establishments to adapt by offering outdoor dining experiences to sustain operations while adhering to public health guidelines.
There has been a 33% increase in restaurant expenditure and a 7% rise in food and grocery spending since the pandemic, according to an Office for National Statistics survey.
Chloe Massiah, Senior PR Manager at outdoor catering company Gozney explained the challenges they faced following the pandemic.
She said: “The pandemic was a challenge for us since events are a big part of the brand.
“From festival sponsorships to our owned events, we could only really engage in these types of events again once the restrictions had lifted.”
Challenges and innovations in outdoor catering
Despite a surge in businesses and saturated availability, the events planning industry faced their own challenges.
Zuika said: “Uncertainty was the biggest hurdle as constantly changing government guidelines meant we had to be extremely flexible.
“Financially, we took a hit due to reduced capacity, extra costs for health & safety measures, and increased insurance premiums.
“We also faced challenges rebuilding trust with attendees, suppliers, and staff – adapting quickly to digital solutions and retraining our crew on new health protocols required time and resources we hadn’t anticipated.”
Market research company IBISWorld recorded that by the end of 2024, there were 5,848 “Party & Event Planner” businesses in the UK, a 6% rise from 5,509 in 2023.
In an additional IBISWorld report, the number of “Party & Event Planner” businesses in the UK grew at an average of 13.5% a year between 2019 and 2024.
The future of outdoor dining in the UK
The shifts made because of Covid-19, albeit purposed for the short-term, have created permanent transformations that have re-shaped dining culture in the UK, sparked by new trends, consumer habits and improved accessibility features.
Massiah believes the changes made have impacted the UK festival and events industry in a positive way.
She added: “I think it’s made people more appreciative of events.
“I remember going to my first festival after the pandemic and being in awe of everything around me – getting there from the time of opening and staying until close.
“I wanted to make the most out of being at a festival surrounded by good music and good food.”
It is therefore no surprise that 2024 boasted the highest ever number of registered outdoor caterers across the UK.
There are now 7,068 outdoor catering businesses employing 30,176 people in the UK, according to an IBISWorld report from last month.
This is a steady 2.7% increase on early 2024, when there were 6,866 registered caterers.
Of these 7,068 caterers, IBISWorld analysed the dominating sub-industry that each one operates in.
Corporate function caterers make up nearly half, with another quarter specialising in weddings, 12% in private functions and 17% in other events.
Join the discussion