If you do UK cottage holidays, can I ask you...?

[VeryFoolishFay]

..If the offer of a hot meal on arrival day would be of interest?

I've just taken over the housekeeping/management of a rural family sized holiday cottage about half a mile from me. The owner lives in London, he is a very nice older man, always arranges a nice bottle of wine and flowers and a welcome card - likes to offer a personalised welcome via the manager.

We have day jobs but my DH and I are keen cooks, run an occasional pop up restaurant etc. We have food safety certs and a 5* hygiene certificate for our own kitchen. We have a Facebook page that could be checked out.

We were thinking that for those who have a long journey, there might be an appeal of a home cooked casserole in the fridge ready to be heated up etc. We are miles from any shops at all, although there is a decent, fairly pricey local pub.

A few months ago, we were asked to provide a 3 course special meal for a multi generational family group staying at a different local holiday let. We cooked it mostly at home, served it and cleared up again. It went well - great feedback. Would love to do it again.

Has anyone tried this at a holiday let? If you haven't, is it the sort of thing that you would be interested in? To me, it offers the ease of eating out but with no taxis, babysitters or expensive restaurant wine...but I'm probably biased!

I would be grateful even if it wasn't my absolute preferred meal. I wouldn't make it a surprise because people often have either personal plans or specific dietary requirements .

I've always self catered for year and would expect a loo roll in each loo on arrival but have never had shower gel or shampoo supplied.

I wouldn't fancy using a large bottle used by others and I think individual tiny bottles / packets is probably going against the tide, packaging wise, these days.

I'd far rather have enough loo roll, dishwasher tabs, washing up liquid to last a week than lots of edible stuff TBH. A small paper wrapped bar of soap at each basin is much appreciated too.

Sounds fabulous. We go to Cornwall from Surrey and always shop when we get there. There's nothing worse than getting to the cottage and unloading then having to go straight out again.

The best cottage we stayed in left a homemade cake as well as the usual milk etc. It was amazing and definitely the right kind of food to have in a welcome pack. How odd to suggest it isn't.

We always take couple of Look What We Found ready meals (no need to keep them cool on the journey) and hope to enjoy the cake/biscuits and tea left by the cottage owner.
If you @VeryFoolishFay offered a small selection that visitors could choose from when they make their booking , that would be fab. They can either take you up on it or make their own arrangements.

Op I'd definitely like to have this option! We usually go to places with no food delivery or nearby pubs and with two small children logistics are difficult.

I'd far rather have enough loo roll, dishwasher tabs, washing up liquid to last a week than lots of edible stuff TBH

This is how I feel too. I seem to be in the minority of not caring about welcome packs. Some tea, coffee and milk possibly but I always take enough for the first couple of days anyway.
However, in the remote areas I normally go to I'd love the option of ordering a cooked meal for the first evening.

I'd never expect personal toiletries.

No I wouldn't want that. It's too fussy and having people around and eating what they'd cooked wouldn't feel comfortable. I'd feel as if I was at their home when I just want to do my own thing.

If it's that remote then people will bring food or check pub serving times and I think £10.00 a head is expensive. I'd stick with the welcome pack and milk in the fridge

And no. I definitely wouldn't want a cake sitting there. But yes to the toiletries, loo roll and cling film! I always forget that. Ice cubes in the freezer is a nice touch too

We self cater a lot and it isn't something I'd want. We take a cool bag full of favourites for our first night. I've seen the option of ordering in home cooked meals but for the cost, we'd rather go out for a meal and feel 'on holiday' if that makes sense?

I would like the option to pre-order food for the first night/morning too. Not uncommon in certain french holiday homes to offer an evening meal.
I really appreciate things like dishwasher tablets and toilet paper being left.

I remember one Welsh place on babyfriendlyboltholes that offered their own "properly cooked" frozen meals. It was a huge plus for us, especially in a remote location - it removes one of the big downsides of the more rural cottages. But in practice it cost as much as eating out, and ultimately we didn't book there. We chose a different cottage closer to town. It might be that people who want to be catered for aren't going to go for the isolated properties anyway so you might not be widening your market as much as you'd think.

Personally, the first night is the one that's easiest to bring something of our own, so the appeal for me would be the other nights more, and I am maybe a bit stingy to pay what you'd need to charge. Once you are putting food in the oven yourself you want to pay less than if you're in a restaurant, because it's less of a break.

Could you also sell the meals to a wider local market? Especially in an area without takeaways... Local residents and/or other holiday cottages

We have spoken to other cottage agencies and we do Sunday lunches and evening events at home occasionally.

It's not a major business push, more that we like cooking for people and a few extra pounds are always welcome.

We won't ever be able to compete with larger establishments or frozen meals because it's so labour intensive but it is what it is, and it sounds like some people like the idea and some don't. Which I suppose is what I expected. But the feedback is very useful.

I would definitely take you up on this! We normally cook something and bring it to the rental in a slow cooker but it would be one less thing to think about.

I would definitely take you up on this! I love staying in holiday cottages on my own as I am a writer and like to disappear somewhere quiet (unfortunately for me, a lot of the cottages available are for lots of people and out of my price range). I bring food with me, but the option of having home cooked meals would be brilliant and I'd really enjoy it. The option to order groceries to be delivered to the cottage in time for arrival would be great too. I do like the welcome packs people sometimes provide, but in areas which are remote and there isn't a big food shop it would be great to be able to get all of the food needed delivered. This might be helpful for anyone who isn't coming by car or who struggles to carry things.

I think offering some sort of meal service would be good given your isolated location. £10 a head sounds quite steep, though! I would pay £10 a head for adults but not children - pub meals are around £10 per adult for a main course (well, between say £8 and £15 mostly apart from really expensive places) but kid meals tend to be more like £5-7. The other benefit of eating out is that people can all choose their individual preference, not have to all have the same thing.

Also, I expect you can make a large lasagna for about £5 (not including labour) and you can certainly buy a lasagna in Tesco for under a fiver, so while I would pay for a home-made one if it cost say £10-12 (for the item, not price per head), I wouldn't pay £20-40 for it for a family of 2 adults and 2 children. If I were you I would charge by the item, not per head.

Alternative: offer to leave sandwiches/pasties/pies/quiche etc for a set fee?

No, sorry OP I would not be interested in this service. But I may be a little funny about food like that.

If we estimated we were going to arrive later than meal time at the destination we would plan to stop en route and have a meal and get the basics of what we might need for the next morning to get us by - milk, bread, cereal etc

I have seen the photo, I am hungry, and I have reported you for posting Cake Porn, OP.

You strike me as a feeder, rather than someone who is in this to make a fast buck. I like that.

Also, I expect you can make a large lasagna for about £5 (not including labour) and you can certainly buy a lasagna in Tesco for under a fiver, so while I would pay for a home-made one if it cost say £10-12 (for the item, not price per head)

I couldnt make a large lasagne for about £5. Ours will serve 6 generous portions and possibly even 8. Everything is made from scratch; I use at least 500g fresh mince, red and green peppers, onions, celery carrots, stock, fresh herbs and red wine for the meat sauce, plus cheddar and milk for the sauce, with more cheddar on top. And then there's labour; I have to buy the ingredients, cook and clear up and then deliver it.

You can certainly buy a lasagne in Tesco for under a fiver but you aren't comparing like with like.

I don't mind not doing it for much but I'm going to actually subsidise it; it wouldnt come anywhere the NMW for anything I prepare so it's as well that I have a day job!

I guess what you are prepared to pay depends on what kind of food you like to eat.

My DS worked in a pub kitchen (the same one up the road that charges £15 for a main course) and would tell me about Tesco apple pies being cut into four, covered in tinned custard and being sold for £5 a portion.

I like to have as much home prepared food as I can and that's what I like to make for other people. I like to be really proud of the food I serve.

And some people like that too and are happy to pay for it and obviously, it doesn't work for others.

My DM can't believe I can sell just baked large muffins on a cake stall, still warm with fresh blueberries and vanilla bean extract for £1.50 a time when she get can 4 little ones, filled with hydrogenated vegetable fat, at Tesco for a pound. I suggest she pops down there but she's more than happy to eat mine, just doesn't want to pay for them!

Cross post - have definitely outed myself as a feeder of the worst type!

I can see I have missed a few words out of my post; I meant to say I don't mind doing it for not much financial return but I don't want to be actually out of pocket!

I would love it - agree with the suggestion to make sure it is a full meal (bread, salad etc).

For guests with younger children, I'd also welcome the option of having a little meal box, the kind of "pick 5 items" sort of thing. So maybe a ham sandwich, piece of fruit, little bag of crisps, yo yo etc. Something very unchallenging!

Oh god no.