Pub food: business boosters
Doughnuts on dessert menus
Where: the Bell & Bear Inn, Rowley Regis, West Midlands
The idea: National Doughnut Week was the perfect reminder of how pubs can cash in on one of the nation's favourite treats. Licensee Stephanie Corcoran trialled Moy Park's mouth-watering, profit-making doughnut range, including choc mini doughnuts and large cinnamon doughnuts for two weeks. "The new menu was a great success, proving quick and easy to prepare, with outstanding quality results."
What we needed: Moy Park Food Service offers all the necessary sweet-trolley PoS on its website, such as menus, posters and flyers. Pubs can register at www.moyparkfoodservice.com or call 0800 085 2759 for free tailored PoS via Moy Park's Menu Makers.
Business benefits: Adding Moy Park's doughnut range to your desserts menu offers great profit-making potential. The basic cost of a doughnut platter for four was £2.54, while menu price was £7.95, giving a potential profit of £5.41; an almost 70% increase. Corcoran explains: "Customers particularly liked the idea of sharing desserts, as people are often too full to have a whole pudding. The bite-sized doughnuts are perfect to liven up popular puddings and were a huge hit, especially when served with a hot drink."
Top tip: Encourage staff to push the donut menu, and promote it with eye-catching PoS.
Why do it: Easy to make and great for sharing so encourages extra spending.
Hog roasts for outside cooking
Where: the Camelot, South Cadbury, Somerset, www.thecamelotpub.com
The idea: Owner David Catton says: "Hog and lamb-roasting is the most economical way of catering for large numbers. It has that 'wow' factor and creates a great talking point. "We offer both an outside and on-site catering service, from cooking and carving only, to everything-supplied; meat, sauces, stuffings, salads, desserts."
What we needed: "We have built up such a good reputation that most of our enquiries are the result of recommendations. However, our website generates about half a dozen bookings a year, and hog-roasting is mentioned in our general pub advertising. Set-up costs totalled around £5,000, which include the roaster, good quality knives, a mini marquee for cooking in inclement weather, and a trailer for transportation. Ongoing costs include consumables, gas and staffing costs for larger events, although it is mainly a one-man show. I also have a fully qualified butcher as a stand-in if required."
Business benefits: "We started offering hog roasts more than 12 years ago. We cater for 35 to 40 roasts a year, which generates about £25,000 gross income. This could be increased, but we tend to turn down jobs outside our 'catchment area' as we still have a pub to run. We also attract a number of customers to the pub as a direct result of serving them high-quality food at a hog-roasting event."
Why do it: Offers an economical approach to event catering.
