Name game

Consumers want more information on food provenance. But how far do licensees need to go with providing information on menus? Humayun Hussain reports

Growing interest and concern from

consumers about where their food comes from means it's time for pub caterers to let their menus do more talking.

Many gastropubs have long championed the origins of produce used on their menus, detailing names and locations of suppliers and farms from which produce is sourced.

But some operators are now going

to increasing lengths to highlight the origins of their produce.

Elite Pubs, which runs three pubs in Kent and East Sussex, even has a video on its website showing images of the farms, fields and waters where ingredients on their menus are produced.

Next to the price of each dish on their menu, the owners of Suffolk restaurant Sutherland House, in Southwold, Suffolk, even publish the exact number of food miles travelled by the main ingredients.

Operators including Nigel Haworth's Ribble Valley Inns and the Michelin-starred Olive Branch, in Clipsham, Rutland, even feature maps detailing the area from which specific ingredients are sourced for their menus. Haworth's Three Fishes, in Mitton, and the Highwayman, in Burrow, both in Lancashire, also feature photographs of regional producers on the pub walls.

But pubcos are also becoming increasingly menu-transparent, with operators including Chef & Brewer, Marston's Pitcher & Piano, Hall & Woodhouse and JD Wetherspoon all profiling the origin of their produce and suppliers more significantly on their menus.

Chef & Brewer's latest menu includes statements such as "our steaks are cut from 35-day matured British beef", while Pitcher and Piano uses descriptions such as "grilled Scottish salmon", "Derbyshire pork and apple sausages" and "British chicken-breast burger".

Hall & Woodhouse uses the inside flap of its menus to convey supplier details, while JD Wetherspoon offers a food-facts booklet, available on request, to convey sourcing information to customers.

Of course, making your menu more transparent is not just a fancy thing to do - it also makes good commercial sense.

As Tom Kerridge, chef/owner of the Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers, in Marlow, Bucks, says: "Customers want to know the source and quality of an ingredient.

"Demonstrating this on the menu shows care, which in turn elevates your business by inspiring customers. It gives them a talking point, more reasons to eat at your pub - and of course, brings repeat business."

Cliff Nye, owner of the White Horse, in Brancaster Staithe, in Norfolk, and the Fox, in Willian, Hertfordshire, agrees.

He says: "Naming the regional source and producer is definitely one of a menu's best assets. Ensuring the menu's transparency gives it greater credibility and status. I include certain suppliers' names because I know they are reliable. And as they benefit from our menu promotion, we reap the benefits of a closer relationship with them."

Of course, offering customers com-

prehensive information about food provenance on your menu without overloading them by turning it into a version of War and Peace requires good judgement.

Naming the farm and country of origin of a producer is best conveyed concisely in the menu description: "Wild Scottish halibut with Bourguignon garnish"; "Crown of Hambleden estate pheasant with caramelised chicory"; or "Hand-picked Norfolk mussels in coconut, lemon grass and chilli cream".

Rather than including provenance in menu descriptions, you may prefer to give brief, specific information at the end of the menu, such as: "All our meat is British" or "Our seafood comes from Brixham".

Jay Shubrati, of the award-winning Inn at Kew Gardens, in Kew, Surrey, says licensees need to be careful

not to go overboard with menu descriptions.

He says: "There's a fine line between menus being informative and snobbish. Some menus convey an assumption that the reader will have knowledge of all the regions and producers mentioned, which can easily alienate customers.

"I believe in selective menu transparency. Certain regional names are important where quality is immediately associated with an in-

gredient - for example, I'd say 'Dorset crab', 'Scottish smoked salmon' or 'Gloucester Old Spot pork'."

At the Marquess Tavern in Islington, north London, some menu descriptions include the areas or suppliers' produce from which ingredients originate, including "Braised Herdwick lamb shoulder with lavender, carrots and pink fir apple potatoes" or "28-day-hung forerib of Yorkshire beef".

But making menus more transparent can only be a good thing in the long run, says Tom Kerridge.

"Giving recognition to producers and suppliers shows that a pub is very much in tune at the grass-roots level. Saying "Denham Vale fillet steak" is much more effective than "fillet steak", and "Scottish mackerel" has more impact than "mackerel". As long as customers are happy with this style of menu-writing, we'll continue," Kerridge says.

The case for greater menu transparency is compelling. Research shows that a majority of consumers believe that meat served in pubs, restaurants and other catering outlets should have its country of origin displayed at the point of purchase (see above).

These findings, coupled with the added threat of mandatory labelling in future, is the reason the Meat & Livestock Commission (MLC) continues to urge caterers to embrace its voluntary best-practice guidelines for labelling the origin of meat on menus.

MLC foodservice trade manager Tony Goodger says: "In the past four years research has shown that consumer concern about the origin of meat served in foodservice outlets is growing. We have been campaigning for pubs and restaurants to recognise this and respond to increasing customer awareness of the importance of food provenance and assurance.

"As pubs are the preferred choice of venue when eating out for many UK consumers, chefs and operators need to meet their demands."

May the source be with you!

Honesty is the best policy

Research by the Meat & Livestock Commission shows more than 60% of consumers believe meat served in pubs, restaurants and other catering outlets should have its country of origin displayed at the point of purchase.

If you don't want to name where your produce comes from on your menu, consider making a list of producers available on request or use a blackboard to list key suppliers such as your meat, seafood and cheese producers.

The Meat & Livestock Commission website www.meatorigin.co.uk provides information and advice for caterers looking to adopt a policy of menu transparency.

Spirit's new Chef & Brewer menu conveys information about producers to consumers in a brief statement on the front of the menu and in brief sentences at the top of each menu section.

A sample Chef & Brewer menu states: "Our steaks are cut from 35-day matured British beef and we use British farm assured chicken and outdoor reared pork."