Coin Cuisine

[Coco]

Just thought I'd do a straw poll on people's views of having something like this in a B&B.  When the GdF lady came to assess us last year she suggested that we put one in as it encourages people to stay for longer if they can prepare their own food somewhere.  Personally, I have always been against the idea.  We don't really want to encourage people to eat in their rooms - they make enough mess with tea and coffee, ring marks, stains on bedspreads etc!

So I put the idea completely out of my head until today.  We are in the process of moving into our new kitchen in our barn extension and over the winter we will be converting the old kitchen/diner into a proper dining room.  This means that the sink/drainer and fridge, which are the only things still left in the old kitchen will be taken out and I have no further use for them.  I know this sort of thing, second-hand fetches virtually nothing but both are in excellent condition and I was pondering today what to do with them, when the thought of the coin cuisine crossed my mind again.

It's still not an idea that I'm in love with but would reconsider if others think it makes a big difference to their income vs guests that never go out/that ruin the rooms with stains etc/make it a much bigger cleaning job at the end of the day.

Any thoughts from anyone?

[Miki]

Never entertained it Coco and at the end of the day....bookings are king and full is full I guess.

Yes, it will mean some more work, a few of  our friends have a

kind of corner kitchen and others we know let people in their kitchen,

we do not. Are we right ? Are we wrong, well as ever, we let the

bookings speak for themselves. If people were to ask in any numbers as

to whether we have the availability of somewhere to cook, make a

sandwich, make a hot drink, then the old alarm in the head would ring

but it is very rare indeed that we get asked that question.

We make a fridge available and Tina will make quick meals using the microwave for guests babies.

At the moment I am reading an ongoing discussion on a French forum, on

what they feel the differences between a Gîte and a CdH should be. The

feeling seems to side on the fact, that if you offer that kind of thing

in a CdH, then the person should have booked a  gîte in the

first place.

I am laughing at the moment, thinking of what the dear old Blackpool

landlady would be making of all this and what people are expecting

sometimes in a standard B&B. I say standard (which I am happy to

place us among) because in todays B&B market and 4 epis Manoirs etc

now not rare, there are some immaculate and expensive places about, who

offer nearly everything that a top hotel might offer.

I am not sure if it will get you extra bookings to be honest, evening meals will of course.

[Coco]

Well I'm glad to see that an experienced CDH (and GdF member to boot!) feels the same.  This has always been my attitude - if they want to cook for themselves they should have hire a gite!  I know you get quite long-stay French visitors too, which is what the GdF lady was trying to persuade me I would get with a coin cuisine.  We have a microwave that we let people heat up baby food and bottles in and when we've had people staying with young kids we've let them use our kitchen facilities to make a packed lunch but that's as far as I would want to go really.

[Rob Roy]

This has just brought back memories of a night we booked into a CdH - myself, husband and three teenage boys. The charming French lady showed us a coin cuisine where we could prepare some food, and we were welcome to sit out on their terrace. We were delighted as everyone was starving, so off we go to the nearest supermarket and got pizzas, fruit, bread etc.only to get back and find there was no oven, just a hob (I could have sworn I saw an oven originally [8-)]) As it was all we had to eat, I went very red faced to the proprieter and asked if she could heat up our pizzas in her kitchen[:$][:$]. She was very charming and did so, even providing the hot pepper oil for the pizzas, which we had not seen before then. We had a lovely meal, and really appreciated the help from our hostess.

However, back to the original question. We have stayed in several places over the years where we could prepare food (quite by chance, we didn't know when we booked), but all of them also provided a small dining area too, so I think that then begs the question - are you a CdH or a Gite? Personally I wouldn't want to have a coin cuisine - although we have offered the use of a barbeque to guests if they want it - and if you are offering evening meals then you are doing yourself out of possible revenue. 

[Pads]

As some one who has travelled quite a bit , and stayed in a lot of local b&bs, I have always wanted to have somewhere to make a salad or a simple meal, also to try local ingredents cooked the way i like them cooked, Im a veggie and also like my food cooked healthly(not loads of salt fat oil ect) so i dont want to go out to eat at resturants every night,, its some times nice after a hard days walking around exploring in the heat to come back have a shower and make a simple meal and sit in the garden or out side your room in peace and relax. you could open and close the kitchen at certain times to stop people hanging around all day. also having a place out side to sit and eat would stop food being taken into rooms

This is something i would pay a little extra for and it would be a place i would certainly return to when in that area again.

Also another thing i have always thought would be a good idea would be a laundry room(use a coin meter so as not to worry about electric bill)

you could charge for this, some where to wash and iron my clothes would be fantastic.

Im a b&bs dream guest i clean as i go and try never to be a pest and go out early and dont come back till tea time, but i do understand there are some filthy people out there. so a simple sign saying if its not left as found there will be an extra charge usally makes people clean up!!!!!!!!! well sometimes 

regards

[zeb]

I really think it will give you lots of extra cleaning to do Coco, and feel that if folks want to prepare their own food indoors they should go self-catering.

However, just an idea, what about a summer kitchen where the barbeque area is, or is this a complete no no up north? It would be in the open but under a hanger or something like that, with utility sink, workbench, fridge underneath for guests use and BBQ. Just tell guests that it's available for theim to use in good weather but they have to provide charcoal and keep the area clean.

They are very popular around here in 16. Folks could always make themselves the odd salad there, cremate their own burgers if they want and sit at the garden table to eat. They then won't be tempted to take it back to their rooms.

[Lachouette]

The last owners of our place installed one, and in the two and a bit years we've been here, it's hardly been used at all for cooking a meal, much to my relief.  We get French and UK guests, and the French ones appreciate having a fridge to park their picnic stuff in and wash up their plates, and the UK guests like to be able to make a morning or late afternoon cuppa and keep beer cold!

We offer table d'hôte and most guests eat with us.  If I had to redo the place, I'd keep the fridge, sink and microwave (useful, as others have said if small people stay) but would do away with the mini-hob.  I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to make space for it, if there hadn't already been an obvious place to put one. I'm pleased to say, most people clear up after themselves.

Jan