Menu trial: Stack up sales
The Old Cock Inn is a village pub in the spa town of Droitwich, Worcestershire.
The Marston's tenanted pub specialises in home-made food, with a wide customer base. Julia Saunders has been head chef at for the last two years.
As with many other pubs, the challenge for the Old Cock Inn in this economic downturn has been trying to get customers through the door to spend their money. With 60 per cent of sales generated through the food side of the business, the challenge for Saunders has been focused on coming up with new opportunities for the pub.
This has included offering a take-away service, including sandwiches for office workers at lunchtime, and keeping the menu fresh with frequent changes.
Capitalising on the current popularity of burgers, the pub recently ran a trial of the Stack Attack menu from Moy Park Foodservice. This allows customers to assemble a burger form a choice of varieties and accompaniments.
Saunders says: "Before the trial, burgers were a top seller, along with lasagne, steaks and seafood."
Along with its own homemade beef burgers, the pub already served the Moy Park Foodservice spicy bean burgers as a vegetarian option. "I always used to make my own bean burgers, but they tasted as good as home-made."
The stacking offer was a hit with younger customers in the pub, with burger sales up 20 per cent and at least half of them including a stacker option. Customer feedback was good, with regulars enjoying the ability to customise their burgers. Saunders was also pleased with the ease of preparation and presentation of the Stack Attack menu: "It is very easy, you just follow the instructions and you can't go wrong."
The trial has also given Saunders some new suggestions for the pub menu: "I'd like to offer some of the stacker options in a slightly different format, using the tempura vegetables on a platter menu and the cajun mushrooms with dips as a starter."
Register at Moy Park Foodervice for free tailored POS via Moy Park's Menu Makers or call 0800 085 2749.
