Consumer insight: Times are changing

JUST IN case it¹s slipped your mind, next week sees the completion ­ or, depending on how you look at it, the start ­ of one of the most significant public health projects ever undertaken in the UK.

The public places smoking ban, already a reality in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, comes into force in England on July 1. With this final piece of the jigsaw in place, the pub trade is entering uncharted waters.

Where will all the smoking customers be after July 1? Hopefully, many of them will be in outdoor smoking areas provided by pubs. Less desirably, some of them will probably be at home smoking in front of their families, which is not exactly the outcome the public health lobby was seeking.

Just as interestingly, what will happen to all the people who currently insist they 'don¹t go into pubs because they¹re so smoky'? Any licensee assuming they will all be beating down the pub door come July 1 is probably being overly optimistic.

Food has quite rightly been identified as one of the big opportunities for the smoke-free pub trade. Alan Todd, catering development manager of Punch Taverns, says: "Pubs really need to embrace food to expand; it is the only area of growth in this market. Food is the future for pubs and the market is diverse, there is always going to be demand for all levels of pub food, from your local just serving bar snacks, to high quality gastro offerings."

A new report aims to help pubs understand what customers are looking for when they eat out. The findings of the Pub Grub Report, produced by Moy Park Foodservice, will give pubs plenty to think about. Along with licensees and pub menu development specialists, three groups of consumers were surveyed:

• Pre family: young people under 35 without a family
• Core family: adults with children at home
• Post-family: older generation, kids left home.

The core menu​

'Keep it simple' is a message that comes across very strongly in the report.

In fact, consumers actively distrust menus which seem to be too long or complicated, assuming that more dishes on offer means more pre-prepared food and poor quality.

Fewer items on the menu is associated with freshly prepared meals, individual attention and a greater level of culinary expertise.

Whatever the reality of the high quality of frozen food available to pubs, consumer perception is clear. As one customer put it, "a vast menu means it¹s going to be frozen or pre-prepared ­ they couldn¹t keep it fresh".

Even if the menu is smaller, it¹s clear that customers want more flexibility than most pubs apparently offer. While pubs may be quite happy to vary the accompaniments between dishes, customers don¹t see it.

This is clearly an opportunity for pubs. If Burger King can serve it 'your way' there¹s no reason why the average pub kitchen can¹t. Try breaking the menu elements down so that chips, veg and other side orders are listed separately from the centrepiece of each main course, which makes it clear customers can choose.

"Customers can be demanding, but if they want a different vegetable, let them have it," says Ben Bartlett, catering development manager of Marston¹s Pub Company and a contributor to the report.

The main reason customers choose a pub is its reputation. The food served has to be of a good enough quality to build a reputation, encouraging consumers to recommend the pub to their friends. Quality has to be consistent, and good menu planning will make this easier.

"I think pubs should change the menu between two and four times a year. You can adapt it monthly or even weekly, but a menu should be completely refreshed at least every six months," says Ben.

The specials board​

Keeping the core menu relatively small doesn¹t mean limiting choice if pubs use specials effectively. More than 80 per cent of consumers use the specials board as a source of interesting meals.

They see boards as offering new and interesting alternatives, with the featured dishes perceived as having added value. Specials boards are an opportunity to:

• up-sell products
• communicate offers
• trial new dishes and ideas
• keep the offer fresh without changing full menus.

Extended food hours​

Another way to offer flexibility is to offer food outside 'normal' kitchen hours.

"I see an opportunity for food in those quieter times, say mid-afternoon and after 9pm," says Ben. "You don¹t have to offer a full menu, instead use quality pre-prepared products." Sharing platters, cheeseboards, baguettes and burgers can fit into this kind of menu offer.

Emily Read, resource and development manager with the Mitchells & Butlers-owned All Bar One chain, says: "I think a big win for the right menu offer is to increase easy-to-prepare products. The key is managing customers¹ perceptions and expectations."

Healthy options​

There¹s no doubt that the smoking debate has put the pub trade firmly on the radar of the health lobby ­ and it would be optimistic to assume that there aren¹t groups out there who would love to see alcohol and food closely regulated too.

Whatever battles will need to be fought down the line, there is plenty pubs can do now to help raise customer perceptions. If people eat in pubs more often, they will want to see a wider choice alongside the established pub food classics. Two thirds of adults under 35 believe pubs don¹t offer enough healthy food, according to the report.

Emily says: "The growing demand for fresh and healthy food can still be met by a lot of pre-prepped food, as long as the customer perceives it to be healthy. Of course, there will always be a need for traditional, hearty pub grub."

Family​

Clearly, some people will be happier about taking their offspring into pubs after the smoking ban. Even those pubs which have resisted the family market up until now may want to reconsider in light of the potential loss of trade from smoking customers.

Ben says: "A lot of pubs have neglected families in recent years. So bring them back in and offer a specific children¹s menu with healthier options. Smaller portions off the main menu are also always a hit with the kids." Even if you don¹t have room for a play area, a box of toys or a stack of colouring books will help to create a child-friendly feel.

The Pub Grub Report was produced by Moy Park Foodservice. For more information and to register to access the full report online visit www.moy parkfoodservice.com/pubgrub by clicking on the link on the right