Top tips on how to introduce a food offer at your pub

Fiona Wells, Channel marketing manager, Brakes

More people are snacking on the run. Sandwiches come into their own for this trend - but they've got to be fresh and made with good-quality bread, focaccia or panini.

If your pub is limited in terms of space and equipment, it's amazing what you can still offer - for example, Steam and Dine products, such as mushroom risotto and pasta-based dishes, are made in a microwave but steamed for a fresh taste. Try microwaveable pies or buy a pizza oven.

At Brakes, we recently developed five different menus for various levels of pubs, and found that several dishes including sandwiches, burger and chips and steak and chips

re-appeared on the different menus. The perfect example is fish and chips - the menu at the lower-level food offering features basic fish and chips, while level five's version will be prime Leffe-battered cod with chips and minted peas.

Derek Baird,

development chef, Macphie, Consumers generally want quality, rather than quantity.

A well-presented, colourful dessert on a pristine white plate definitely benefits customers and your profits more than a large, poorly-presented portion.

Retro desserts with a twist, such as lemon meringue sundae and trifle crème brûlée, are making a comeback and are worth adding to menus.

All desserts should be easy to use and quick to serve up and finish. If using frozen desserts, dishes that can be eaten from frozen or have minimal defrost time are essential.

Most desserts are ordered on impulse, so they must have optimum visual appeal. Finishing touches, such as Macphie fruit coulis and sauces, can add real value.

Puddings such as sticky toffee and spotted dick have wide appeal, but lighter desserts such as crème brûlée, panna cotta and crème caramel are also very popular.

Dave Howarth, Trading director, Woodward Foodservice

Pay attention to making dishes sound as appealing as possible on your menu. Some customers won't visit your pub with the intention of eating but you can entice them to choose something tasty even if they only meant to pop in

for a drink.

Make the quality of dishes your priority, not the quantity - customers never forget a top-quality meal, so make sure food is prepared to the highest standard.

Include a balanced range of meat, fish and vegetarian choices with varying flavours.

Offer a wide choice of deliciously tempting side-orders to encourage higher spend.

Provide dishes that are substantial and satisfying, but don't go over-board - wasted food is wasted revenue and also a waste of time and energy.

Benchmark prices against local competition - serve meals that are higher in quality and value than other food outlets in your area.

Consider the whole package: dining out is an entire experience so remember to pay attention to ambience, service, décor and presentation to keep your customers satisfied and encourage them to return.

Tony Dumbreck, Managing director, Golden Crumb

As a new food provider, avoiding over-complicating your menu helps you deliver good-quality, freshly-prepared food from day one.

Using the best-quality products available leads to repeat business, while using the cheapest means you risk losing customers.

Portion control is vital to prevent staff giving away profits; portion size helps ensure that your customers can manage three-course meals. Too much starter = no dessert!

The golden rule is to keep it simple.