Dust off your disco balls and break out the sweets trolley, retro desserts are back. PubChef reports
Whether you were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar or a member of the YMCA, you will doubtless have fond memories of classic retro puds like trifle, knickerboker glory and Black Forest gateaux.
But retro puds are back in fashion, with pubcos and indis going mad for a bit of '70s and '80s irony.
McMullen pubco, for example, has introduced "The Prawn Cocktail Years" - a menu to celebrate retro favourites. Puddings include Black Forest gâteau, treacle sponge and custard and apple pie and custard.
The Larwood & Voce in West Bridgeford, Nottingham, has also introduced a retro night with '80s music, '80s TV and film fancy dress, and an '80s menu. Desserts to take you back include screw ball, chocolate mousse, fruit salad served in a water melon, profiteroles and Black Forest gâteau.
Chef patron John Molnar says: "We've found an old desserts trolley and these retro nights are a great way to link the bar and the restaurant. We give the staff £20 to go to the charity shop and get a costume, it's great for staff morale, too. We researched the puds on the net and re-create them in-house."
Pritchitts head of marketing Simon Muschamp says cream-based retro desserts can drive up profit margins. He says: "Ice cream and fresh fruit salads still hold strong appeal, but there is a definite resurgence in classic indulgent puddings. The 1950s through to the 1970s is not generally considered to be the heyday of culinary excellence, but many of the desserts that graced dinner tables back then like sherry trifle and Black Forest gâteau are hitting supermarket shelves once again."
Research shows that dessert offers represent incredible potential for licensees, with more than 75% of meals currently served in British pubs focusing purely on the starter and main courses.
Sharing is also still en vogue and although puds are on the indulgence list, the "two spoons" rule means sharing the calories and the guilt for most diners. David Grainger food development director, Atlantic Foods says: "Dessert platters have taken the US foodservice market by storm and have been a real hit with consumers.
"By offering a platter to share among diners it effectively circumnavigates the guilt factor, allowing customers to indulge as little or as much as they like, rather than commit to a large dessert. This is especially true with the female market, who have the 'if you will, I will' psychology."
Atlantic has introduced a range of 10 mini desserts called Go On! including Belgium chocolate brownies, profiteroles, bread and butter pudding, Belgium waffles and mini fruit-filled pancakes.
If customers really can't fit in a slice of cake, why not offer a desserts takeaway service? Orchid has sold 7,000 takeaway desserts since their pubs opened 18 months ago. The most popular sweet is chocolate fudge cake. Orchid staff get to try all the puds on the menu,
enabling them to tell customers about the offerings.
Summer lovin'
Although spring has sprung, it's a good idea to keep a few warm dishes on the dessert menu.
The first British cherries come into season in June so you could then introduce a Black Forest cheesecake or gâteau to the menu. Warm summery desserts include apple crumble with custard or cream - try adding mango to the filling and using granola as the topping for a point of difference.
Other summer favourites include traditional summer pudding, strawberries and cream, raspberry cheesecake, fruit salad, frozen berries with warm white chocolate sauce and vanilla panacotta with fruit coulis.
Of course, ice cream and sorbets are mainstays on the menu in the summer.
Criterion Ices sales manager Jim Valenti says: "Combining ice cream flavours makes a dessert all that more appealing - go for two, or three, or even four in one dessert. For instance chocolate, coffee and pistachio go really well together.
"To offer customers something a little different try a choice of yogurt ices. Fruit flavours combined with each other or with a "natural" flavour work well - raspberry and blackberry or mango and natural, for example, are great pairings. Yogurt ice is still quite a new concept, so patrons will see them as innovative and inviting - something a little different."
Jim suggests listing ice cream flavours rather than offering "a selection of ice creams" on the menu.
Mike Godwin, managing director, Schöller, says licensees should present ice cream as an indulgent dessert not an after-thought.
"The opportunity to sell more desserts is there for the taking," says Mike. "Try introducing innovation to the menu, with different flavour profiles and light desserts." New Movenpick flavours include rhubarb and coconut and lemon grass.
The perfect match
According to Metropolitan Coffee Company managing director Angus McKenzie, traditional puddings and pastry-based desserts match well with chai and comforting, milky coffees.
Angus says: "Contrary to popular belief, after dinner coffee served with cream, dulls the complexity of the coffee and does not enhance the enjoyment of a sweet pudding or dessert. In fact, a semi-skimmed milk will bring out the best in a coffee and complement the dessert too."
Very rich desserts work well with bitter, coffees from Indonesia, Ethiopia or Kenya to balance out the flavour profiles. You can even put your dessert in your coffee. A popular Italian favourite is affogato - ice cream floating in fresh espresso.
For a more contemporary touch, Angus suggests serving coffee with an offering of single or double cream mixed with a shot of whisky or other liquor of choice, or serving floral-flavoured sorbets can be served with a Ceylon tea or fruit infusion.
Try honeycomb ice cream with Camomile tea or blackcurrant sorbet with a berry burst fruit infusion.
Top tips from industry experts
Lora Simons
3663 marketing manager
Feature daily specials to tempt your customers into ordering desserts. Cheesecake is the most popular weekend dessert, so try putting it on the blackboard on a Saturday and Sunday.
Play the market to your advantage and target the correct customers. Women are the biggest consumers of desserts, so include female-friendly options, such as smaller portions and taster plates, or simply flag up on your menu that extra spoons can be offered for customers who'd like to share.
Offer luxurious versions of old favourites. Ice cream still holds a 20% share of the dessert market. Promote a coffee-and-cake dessert deal to OAPs - those aged 65 and over are the biggest consumers of cake.
Simon Muschamp
Pritchitts head of marketing
Use themes to sell more desserts. Get into the spirit of Wimbledon and offer lunchtime visitors strawberries and cream with a twist. Hull and slice the strawberries and then soak them in a drop of dry red wine before serving them with softly-whipped cream.
Later in the season why not try raspberries with whisky? Spread oatmeal onto a baking tray and toast in a moderate oven until it begins to lightly brown. Allow this to cool while you beat some cream into a light froth. Add a couple of teaspoons of whisky to the cream, along with the cooled oatmeal and vanilla sugar, and serve chilled with raspberries.
Add value to the nation's favourite ice-cream flavour - vanilla - by making a knickerbocker glory, or try mixing in honey, cinnamon, ginger or pieces of mango to add value to your ice cream. For kids, add sweets and chocolate chips, or let children add the extras themselves.
Promote desserts properly. It's not just about getting the wording right on the menu; use table talkers to show what puddings look like. Desserts are all about theatre and if you can give the customer an idea of what the dessert looks like, they'll be more encouraged to order another course.
Julie Zalesny
Vittles director
The majority of the Vittles portfolio can be served on their own, but licensees can incr