M&B rolls out Cornerstone

Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) is rolling out a new trading concept called Cornerstone after successful trials.

The company believes there may be as many as 60 sites in its estate that would lend themselves to the concept. Cornerstone was piloted in November 2005 and targets a more blue-collar customer base than Sizzling Pub Company.

The concept has passed its pilot and trial stages and is now being rolled out into a second wave of six sites.

One interesting aspect of the offer is the use of identifiable landlord and landlady figures on the menu - their faces appear in caricatured form.

Cornerstone evolves wet-led community pubs by creating much brighter and lighter outlets with subtle zoning that still provides a home for beer drinkers.

Its menu offers value-dining with price points pitched slightly below Sizzling Pub Company and Pub & Carvery, M&B's value-led carvery concept.

One pub, the Crown & Anchor in West Bromwich, has seen sales rise from £6,000-a-week prior to conversion to £18,000 a week - with food sales rising

to 20% of turnover. Corner-stone offers Sunday roast lunch for £3.99 with puddings costing £1.50 when purchased with a main meal.

A "Curry and Cobra" offer on Tuesdays costs £4.99 while a "Steak Out" night on a Thursday offers two steaks and a bottle of wine for £9.99.

The brand also has a cask-ale offer and a Segafredo-branded coffee offer. The new concept is the brainchild of M&B retail operations director Jeremy Skingley and director of marketing for locals, town and classic pubs Andy Portsmouth, overseen by pubs and bars division managing director Mike Bramley.

Portsmouth said that uninvested sites tend to see 100 customers accounting for 70% of takings.

Cornerstone sites see those 100 customers accounting for 35% of takings, with the number of customers using sites once a week rising from 200 to 600.