Smart Alec
Alec Howard MD of pubco and culinary consultancy company the Food and Beverage Group talks to Jo Bruce about his thinking on pub food Culinary consultant Alec Howard has made a mark on many a pub menu since he set up his practice nine years ago. His creative mind and passion for food have helped his company reach a point where it now turns over nearly £3m a year. The Food and Beverage (FAB) Group which is based in Berkshire works with clients to improve their food offerings through consultancy, menu development and training and will spend around 17 weeks working on projects, which will look at everything from positioning the brand, market analysis, menu creation, staff training and working in the business right through to the launch itself. Howard says it is a challenge to constantly come up with new ideas, but the bigger challenge is to make it work in the business. He believes that pub food has improved beyond recognition in recent years. He says: "In the last two years, it has been like working in a different industry. There are some fantastic meal experiences in pubs now. It excites me that more and more of the bigger companies are prepared to take more risks." Being a culinary consultant, you might expect Howard to rave on about different styles of cuisine, or flavour combinations as the next big thing, but his underlying philosophy on food is simple things done well. He says: "People think they have to come up with new flavour experiences. But I am just not sure that is true. It is a very dangerous place to be. Pubs should focus on authenticity, safe adventures people want to try something a bit different, but they also come for comfort, safety and quality. Show them something new, but not too new. Also personalise things; give people the option of creating their own combinations. People want to do things their own way." He also believes that sourcing can be a key driver. "Good sourcing is really important," he says. "Big companies are looking at central purchasing and questioning whether it is viable." Of course, being a culinary consultant means keeping up-to-date with all the latest trends and ideas. And Howard and his team will come up with new ideas as a result of looking at what is going on in other businesses, such as restaurants, bars and hotels as well as in the retail sphere. In addition, they look to the US and Canada for new ideas. But the FAB Group is also able to practice what it preaches and 18 months ago it merged the consulting business with pub start-up Eat Your Heart Out, founded by the former Taipan Taverns team. In addition to the five pubs involved in that deal it also manages another 17 pubs. As Howard says: "We are able to prove our expertise in our own pubs and restaurants." Indeed, one of the group's pubs, the Spring Inn in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, was one of the finalists in the Best Food Pub category of the Morning Advertiser awards, which were presented last week. The Spring Inn is full of those extra touches and good ideas that help a pub to stand out from the crowd. The menus at FAB pubs are certainly not over-complicated, with many classic dishes that are made to stand out through simple twists in the ingredients used or in the way the dishes are presented or served. For example, a Greek salad starter is presented in a glass deli-style jar on a board with bread, while fish and chips comes on greaseproof paper, with mushy peas served in an accompanying pot. Other interesting ideas on offer, marked up on blackboards behind the bar, include chips and gravy or mayo at £3, and bowls of marinated olives for £1. Howard who trained as a chef with Raymond Blanc, Alistair Little and Sean Hill and achieved a Michelin star in 1993 believes you need to be different on your menu, but not take things too far, so that both the chef and customer get it. He says: "We did beans on toast once, but using borlotti beans. It was a really good idea, but customers just didn't really get it. The dish has to work on two levels." But he says that it is adding new twists or touches to your menu, which helps to give your business personality. Howard says many pubs need to think more seriously about the gross profit they make on food. He says: "You have got to make a profit from food. They are quite a few exceptions, but generally speaking food managers need to make a GP of 60% onwards. They need to know what they need to make on dishes otherwise we are just kidding ourselves." Howard certainly believes that UK consumers can look forward to even better pub food in the future. He says: "Some brands will get better and better. Some big companies run good businesses already and these will turn into phenomenal businesses, other will fall by the wayside. But the difference between a successful and unsuccessful proposition is often not that great. It could be a small thing that makes the difference." Personally speaking What are some of your biggest bugbears about pub food? "Trying to be something that you are not, being too clever. Also, seeing we don't serve chips' on the menu. It is completely missing the point. The Ivy serves chips. Serving chips doesn't mean the quality of your menu isn't any good." Should every pub have some food offering? "There are some pubs that will never be about selling food as they are too small. We have a pub in Battersea where there is no capacity for doing a big menu, but we just offer rolls and chutneys on the bar. Every pub should have some kind of food offer, it helps add something to its personality." How many dishes should a pub menu offer? "As few as you can get away with. In general, the more serious you are about your food offer, the smaller the menu tends to be." What are some of the biggest threats to food pubs? "You can't stand still. Success is one of the biggest dangers, along with complacency. Don't think if it isn't broken, don't fix it. Break it. When you have got a successful brand, panic." Absolutely FABulous ideas l Chips with gravy or mayonnaise l Caesar salad sandwich l Fillet steak with a shepherd's pie crust
Greek salad served in a deli-style glass jar
Fish and chips: beer battered cod, home-made (yes that's home-made) chips with mushy peas. The mushy peas are served in a pot, and the fish and chips come on greaseproof paper on a basket Four Fab facts l ‑The company owns five pubs and manages another 17 l It is based in Reading, Berkshire
Last year, the FAB Group turned over £2.8m, of which about £550,000 came from consultancy fees
Clients have included Laurel, SA Brain, Greene King Pub Partners and Hall & Woodhouse
