A branded new approach - Big-name drinks brands can drive food sales at your pub...

Big-name drinks brands can drive food sales at your pub, according to a leading drinks supplier.

We asked three chefs to list leading spirits brands in their pub menu descriptions - but were they a sales hit? Max Gosney reports

Brands are big business. From flash suits to fast cars, customers will pay a premium for the right name. This product power could also be a money-spinner when applied to pub menus says culinary alcohol company Thomas Lowndes, part of Allied Domecq.

Promoting a particular branded alcohol in a dish can increase sales and profit margins for caterers, according to Thomas Lowndes.

The company launched a campaign to promote the culinary power of its drinks portfolio in February.

A series of seminars held across the UK championed the use of brands, including Tia Maria, Lamb's Navy Rum and Grand Marnier as key ingredients in foods ranging from ice creams to stir-fries.

Branded boost?

Thomas Lowndes' aim is to promote a simple message to caterers, says head of sales John Meyer. "Branded alcohol can add value to your sales and build profits," he explains. "I challenge chefs to think of another ingredient that can have a bigger influence."

And large leisure operators seem to agree says John, who points out: "We've had some encouraging signs from one pub company and several foodservice suppliers.

"They realise that if you take a brand like Courvoisier, with its high profile, and add it to a menu, then that's going to have a powerful influence on what a customer orders."

Kitchen Test

Armed with samples of Courvoisier VS Cognac, Malibu rum and Teacher's whisky, three chefs teamed up with PubChef to put Thomas Lowndes' theory to the test.

The trio of Michael North, head chef/proprietor at the Goose in Britwell Salome, Oxfordshire, Gareth Eddy, head chef at the Old Custom House in Padstow, Cornwall, and Neil Clark, head chef at the Linnet in Great Hinton, Wiltshire, each created a starter, main course and dessert dish using the three spirit brands.

The alcohol-inspired recipes were then placed on the menu for a week each as either a branded or unbranded option and sales duly recorded.

The results

After totting up sales the three chefs reported back on whether the branded dishes had delivered. The Goose at Britwell Salome, Oxfordshire, registered a narrow increase in sales of branded dishes against their unbranded counterparts by 39 to 37 covers.

However, the concept did cause confusion says Michael North. "People wanted to know why we had mentioned a particular brand. They didn't really see the advantage gained by using Courvoisier over a standard Cognac in a sauce."

The customers' concerns were well founded, according to Michael. "I think it's very difficult to base an entire dish around a single brand," he explains. "In my view it's the type of alcohol, for example Pinot Noir with coq au vin, that appeals to a diner."

The traceability of ingredients carries more importance to customers than a specific type of alcohol, says the chef. "For the pork and Courvoisier starter we would have sold many more by detailing the farm where the meat was sourced. Customers love the sense of something local."

Branded dishes performed strongly on the menu at the Old Custom House in Padstow, Cornwall, where they delivered a 28% boost in sales. Gareth Eddy says: "It definitely had an effect. Customers are more likely to go for a dish if it features a spirit they like the taste of."

Chefs could even charge extra for branded dishes without damaging sales, according to Gareth, whose creations included steamed Fal River rope-grown mussels with Courvoisier, fennel, leeks and saffron. He says: "People are willing to pay more if it's a premium product."

However, even sauces made from the finest French Cognacs or Portuguese ports would flounder without proper staff backing, explains Gareth. "The more you get behind a dish the better it sells. We gave our staff the chance to taste all the branded dishes so they could offer good feedback to customer queries."

The approach explains why the pub witnessed the largest difference for branded against unbranded dish sales, says Gareth. "Brands may give you an advantage but only when combined with proper staff training will you see a significant difference."

There was little to choose between branded and unbranded dish sales at the Linnet in Great Hinton, Wiltshire. Overall figures showed branded alcohols enticed only four more diners.

The trend is unsurprising, according to Neil Clark. "I can appreciate people ordering a certain whisky or Cognac at the bar but when it comes to food a brand is not as influential."

But chefs should not clear the kitchen of whisky or rum just yet, according to Neil. "Using alcohol in a dish can be a winner with customers and all of the dishes we did went down well. I just don't think that branding is crucial to our customers."