Oriental Food - Traditional platters with a twist

Dave Howarth, trading director for Woodward Foodservice, suggests offering variants of traditional pub foods with a twist - such as pork, chilli and lime sausages, or chilli chicken sandwiches that "can add a modern feel to a menu, without alienating existing customers".

He says that duck wraps and dim sum selections or sharing platters are ideal as a quick bite during lunchtime and some items can also double up as a starter for the evening menu.

He says: "Dim sum, spare ribs and chicken skewers are all popular platter options that can also be served on their own with a simple dipping sauce."

For evening menus, he explains, Oriental main meals don't need to be complex. "Offer one meat, one fish and one vegetarian option and just a couple of sauces. It's simple, cost effective and provides variety.

"Alternatively, introducing one good quality stir fry can be enough to entice new diners, or even use it as a healthy option."

Darren Seaborn, development chef for Apetito Foodservice, says: "Aromatic but recognisable ingredients, such as chilli, garlic, soy sauce, ginger and lemongrass, can be used to great effect to create pan-oriental dishes that enable pub caterers to maximise the popularity of Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese meals without alienating any customers."

He says that, for example, dim sum or a spring roll can be transformed by taking an ingredient such as salmon, encasing it with asparagus and a hint of ginger in filo pastry, baking it as a whole, then serving with Wasabi and soy sauce emulsion.

This creates a distinct East meets West approach with minimal fuss for the pub chef - and meets the needs of the customer looking to try something different but not wanting to take a huge risk.