Business boosters Ideas for driving food sales at your pub

Wedding fairs

Where: the Granville @ Barford, Barford, Warwickshire

www.granvillebarford.co.uk

The idea: The Granville has recently become popular as a venue for wedding and civil partnership receptions, so owner Val Kersey decided hosting a wedding fair would be an ideal way to promote the facilities the pub has to offer prospective brides and grooms. Using the dining room and connecting marquee the Granville's first wedding fair featured 18 local exhibitors.

How it works: Exhibitors ranged from bridal wear, cakes, stationery and photography to flowers, marquee hire, car hire and a disco, with Val limiting the exhibitors to one per category to avoid conflicts of interest. Complimentary canapés and buck's fizz were provided by the pub to demonstrate the range that could be prepared for a reception.

Business benefit: The fair ran from 4pm until 10pm and attracted 50 visitors. Val says: "The main benefit for us was to showcase the pub as a venue for receptions, but also for parties and other functions. We had enquiries on the day and have a couple of wedding reception bookings for next summer. The event also raised awareness of what we can offer to exhibitors, some of whom had not visited before. A number of them ate here during the fair and said they would certainly be returning," she adds.

Top tip on making the idea work: Ensure you choose reputable exhibitors who are well known locally — their names and reputation will help in attracting visitors.