Become a true match maker
Daffodils, fresh mornings and April showers - and for some pubs, the dreaded tax return deadline - all come to mind when you think of spring. But what's much more important is that April 2-8 is Beer With Food Week; the perfect excuse to spice up menus by matching beer to food, cooking with it and generally getting the customers excited about trying something different.
The Morning Advertiser initiative, sponsored by Greene King, is now in its second year and is a great way of providing your pub with a point of difference. If it goes well, you could always consider continuing to match beers with food after the week is over.
Greene King head of brands Justin Adams explains: "Beer With Food Week provides a great opportunity to celebrate the links between high-quality British beer and food. A great pint of well-kept real beer is one of the few remaining things that people can only get from the pub, and in many cases is a better accompaniment to food than wine. As such, it is a critical part of what makes a pub work. Greene King is proud to once again be sponsoring the week, and I hope pubs up and down the country will get involved."
The MA asked a number of licensees who took part in the event last year, what they got out of the week's activities.
Tips on how to
promote the week l Advertise particular beers with different meals on your menu
l Ask your chef to create some new dishes to complement the beers offered at your pub
l Organise a special event - a themed evening or a sampling event
l Introduce the concept of beer with food by offering customers a small sample glass of beer that complements the dish they have chosen
l Hold a beer-and-food-sampling event with your staff. Try different dishes on your menu with a range of different beers and encourage your staff to come up with descriptions for use on menus and blackboards
l Think about a staff incentive scheme to encourage bar and waiting staff to sell
more beer with food during the week
l Create a beer list as well as a wine list for your customers - include descriptions such as tasting notes, heritage and food-matching recommendations
