Beyond the basics
Simple food offers can help maximise profits and guarantee repeat business. Andrew Burnyeat explores their potential
This month, we're going to take an in-depth look at four basic catering concepts - pizza, coffee, afternoon tea and deli boards.
All are relatively simple to deliver and none requires complex equipment, heavy investment or specialist staff.
So let's dive straight in with a look at pizzas.
PIZZA night
How it works
Customers get two pizzas for the price of one on a Tuesday night, for example.
What you need to make it work
Stone-baked oven
Pizza-trained chef
Ideas for promoting offer
Point-of-sale in bar; leaflet-drops to local businesses and residents.
Case study
The Station, Hove, East Sussex
Sammy Etchelle runs a pub a few short steps from Hove railway station in East Sussex.
Tuesday night is pizza night at the Station, when customers get two large (12-inch) pizzas for the price of one. On any other night they would pay £7.50 for a pizza, and Sammy is quick to point out that on a Tuesday evening the Station offers better value than Domino's.
The Station has extended its business to include the take-away market, but Sammy has ruled out deliveries because of the petrol and insurance costs involved.
Pizzas vary from basic margaritas to fajita pizzas to one made with crispy duck, hoisin sauce and cucumber. Vegetarians are well catered-for with a goat's cheese and nuts pizza and another involving mixed peppers, courgettes and onions. The Florentina has a mixed topping of egg, spinach and parmesan.
The Station's pizza dough is made on-site by four pizza-trained chefs. But its manager explains that training to make pizzas doesn't have to become a complicated affair.
Sammy says: "We started our pizza nights several years ago and continued them because they proved so popular. It's very important to get the basics right, and then you can make a pizza with anything you think might work. If it doesn't, it drops off the menu quickly."
She adds that providing the right drinks offer is part of what makes the venue so successful. The Station carries Kirin Ichiban, San Miguel, Kronenbourg and Beck's Vier, and a wine list which goes from basic house prices up to £15 a bottle for a wine such as Chablis.
A price offer on wine runs during the rush hour every day of the week. The Station is a busy and popular meeting-place for commuters, who are happy to pay £7 for a bottle of house wine.
The Station is part of the Spirit Group, which has two other pubs running similar offers in London and Guildford.
Sammy says: "People like pizza - it's a tasty, convenient meal which provides good value for money.
DELI DEAL
How it works
A series of themed deli boards is available at £7.50 per board or £1.50 per item. Themes include seafood, charcuterie, cheese and antipasti. Customers can also create their own board or choose a mixed house board.
What you need to make it work
Good bread is vital as its quality must match fresh deli ingredients. Delis are served on bread-boards for an authentic look. A good selection of pickles and mustards is required.
Ideas for promoting offer
The offer is promoted within the pub and
word soon spreads about how they work. Advice on portion size should be offered to help groups order according to their appetites and party numbers.
Case study
Peach Pub Company
Peach Pub Company owns seven pubs in the south Midlands, each of which has run the
deli-board offer since the company launched.
The idea was to allow the pubs to appeal to diners outside normal dining times, or offer the chance to snack, tapas-style, instead of sitting down to a traditional pub meal.
Deli boards have proved popular with the after-work crowd, who tend to prefer to stand around, chat with friends and eat finger-food accompanied by a couple of pints of beer or glasses of wine.
Peach founder Lee Cash says: "The thing about the deli boards is that they are extremely flexible. They can be a starter or a main meal.
"There is enough variety to ensure that customers can create their own flavour matches and don't feel bored."
"One of the things we have found is that when customers order them for the first time they have no idea just how filling the deli boards can be, so our staff are available to advise them about this as the purchase is being considered."
Indecision as customers place their orders can risk irritating other people waiting to be served. However, new customers soon become accustomed to the system and the boards have proved popular. The margins are not as high as those generated by some dishes on the pubs' main menus, largely because of the ingredients and prep times.
The pubs make their money on accompanying drinks sales as the tasty foods lend themselves to a wide range of beer and wine.
TEA Time
How it works
A tiered offer includes tea, sandwiches and scones at £4.95, with finger cakes for an extra £3. Strawberries and cream is available at £2.95. Champagne or sparkling rosé can also be included in the afternoon tea menu.
What you need to make it work
A good selection of teas and coffee is essential but there's no need to over-complicate it. For example, it seems unlikely that many people would want to drink green tea in a pub. Style of service is something to consider as afternoon tea is a luxury offer rather than a necessity, so proper cutlery and items such as cake-stands can help to create an authentic feel.
Ideas for promoting offer
If you're the kind of destination venue which attracts tourists, it's a good idea to contact tour operators, especially those targeting elderly people, among whom afternoon tea is extremely popular.
Advertising your offer on chalk-boards and
banners can help you to attract trade, as can
interior chalkboards.
Case study
Greene King pubs, Cambridge
Greene King area manager Melanie Hair says that several of her Cambridge-based pubs have driven trade during previously quiet afternoons by offering a structured afternoon tea proposition.
Her pubs include the Granta, on the River Cam, the Anchor and the Eagle.
The idea originated as part of a multi-faceted project to drive food sales outside traditional meal times. Some of the pubs have begun serving food later at night as part of the same strategy.
The afternoon tea offer at the Granta attracts coach-loads of tourists, many of them including groups of older people, because the coach company knows that the pub can cater for them effectively.
The riverside pub's garden offers pleasant views and the pub can take upwards of £4,000 on a summer's day, partly as a result of the afternoon tea offer.
Manager Richard Warrington, who runs the Granta with Michelle Spokes, says: "It keeps many people in until dinner, although some disappear after their afternoon tea."
Melanie Hair adds: "It's also a good way to ensure that people continue to visit the pub after the smoking ban comes into force later this year. We have been looking at ways to offer food as the ban approaches. And people are coming out to the pub later in the evening as a result of the new licensing hours."
COFFEE break
How it works
Pubs are in a great position to move into the coffee market as they are now able to open earlier in the mornings. They can also undercut expensive coffee chains on price and offer more comfort for customers.
What you need to make it work
Equipment needs to reflect the offer - for example, crockery can be upmarket or simple and stylish. A good coffee machine is a fine idea, but these can prove incompatible with the best single varietal bean coffees.
Ideas for promoting offer
Coffee is ideal for commuters on their way to work or for shoppers during the day.
External chalkboards are an effective method of promotion, an
