Ideas for driving food sales in your pub including a farmer's market, a classic food and wine night and events based around a name.
Grill nights
Where: Dog and Pheasant, Brook, Surrey, www.dogandpheasant.com
Idea: Weekly grill nights. Operations director David Gough says: "We held a one-off grill night earlier in the year during which our chefs cooked from the large inglenook fireplace in the restaurant area of the pub. It was such a success that we decided to offer one every Wednesday night.
"The dishes are priced individually and include 10oz pedigree sirloin of Sussex beef, marinated rump of Suffolk lamb, loin of Gloucester Old Spot pork, lemon and garlic black tiger prawns and lightly spiced Scottish scallops. The meat is supplied by our butcher, Osney Lodge Farm in Godstone, with much of it being locally reared. All dishes are served with local asparagus, grilled tomato, chips and leaves."
What we needed: "The grill nights are advertised externally on A-boards and internally on blackboards, including on the grill inside the fireplace where the cooking takes place. Obviously this doesn't cost us anything, but we have purchased additional refrigeration as it wasn't practical to keep going into the kitchen for more meat and not safe to keep the meat near the fire without it being chilled."
Business benefits: "We chose Wednesday night because we don't need to grow the business closer to the weekend and we felt that it was the right night to push, especially as the expectation was that the grill night would be a higher-than-average-spend-per-head event. We have been running the nights since mid-May and average around 70 covers each time, which is up by 45% on pre-grill night Wednesdays. We are also getting a number of bookings for private parties, to include the grill, because of its novelty factor."
Top tip: "Offer your regular starter menu with the grill to maximise spend per head."
Why do it: It provides a point of difference that boosts mid-week trade.
Farmers' market
Where: The Kingham Plough, Kingham, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Tenure: Freehold
The idea: Emily Watkins, co-owner and executive chef, says: "Our second annual spring farmers' market, featuring 21 stalls, was held on the Sunday of the second May bank holiday. It supports our small local suppliers by giving them the opportunity to sell directly to our guests who have eaten their products such as meat, vegetables and cheeses from our menu, and it attracts locals and visitors too.
"We showcase a wide variety of stallholders, from pig farmers and cheese-makers to brewers and distillers. Visitors love the hog roast and home-made ice cream stall, and the food demonstrations featuring sausage and cheese-making add interest. Entrance is free for visitors."
What we needed: "We market the event locally through posters and postcards, in regional press and via our email database. We provide shelter, power, tables (and bacon sandwiches!) for stallholders, who pay £30 towards marketing costs and marquee hire."
Business benefits: "This event attracts 1,000 to 1,200 attendees, raising the profile of the Kingham Plough as well as increasing awareness of stallholders and boosting sales. It is in the Kingham Plough's interest that our small local suppliers flourish as they are key to the success of our business. As one supplier said: 'We had a great time on Sunday, particularly helped by the fact that we were between gin and beer. We'd love to be involved in the next market'."
Top tip: "Bringing together and enhancing the success of suppliers and the satisfaction of our customers at a family-oriented event can only benefit everyone."
Why do it: Pub sales get a fillip and it benefits suppliers as well as customers.
Classic food & wine night
The idea: Ann Preston, licensee, Ring O' Bells, Thornton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, says: "Our recent British food, beer and wine evening celebrated the best of classic British cuisine, complemented by Yorkshire locally-brewed beers and quality English wines. We charged £24.95, including all beers and wines. This event was one of many we hold each month featuring quality wines from a specific country complemented by a gourmet menu authentically sourced, created and prepared by our award-winning chefs."
What we needed: "The specific menu must be researched in advance to ensure we use authentic dishes from the individual country, including sourcing specific ingredients. When the menu has been devised, our wine expert matches specific wines to each course. Wine-sampling is an important part of the evening, and promoting the event on our menus and our website is essential.
Business benefits: "Response has been tremendous and these events are so popular that we now run them over two consecutive Mondays, with our 60-cover restaurant full to capacity. They are excellent PR for the Ring O' Bells and have led to many new customers dining with us on a regular basis.
Top tip: "Collect a database of regular attendees. We use our website to inform customers of all our forthcoming events and enable online bookings."
Why do it: The themed evenings have been a most effective marketing tool.
Pantry items for sale
Where: Feathers, Hedley on the Hill, Stocksfield, Northumberland, www.thefeathers.net
The idea: Sale of pantry items in pub. Owner Helen Greer says: "We've kept it simple, stocking only home-made items such as ham hock and parsley terrine and black pudding, hams, cheeses, store cupboard items such as goose fat and Northumbrian flower honey, plus essentials such as milk and eggs. Most of the items we have in stock all the time, although a few need to be ordered in advance, such as cakes and some types of pate."
What we needed: "There were no set-up costs initially, but we are hoping to expand this side of the business so have invested in a vacpac machine and a colour printer so we can produce our own branded labels. We only advertise on our website and in-house on blackboards. It's mostly people who have tried our produce who want to buy to take home."
Business benefits: "Although the pantry does generate revenue for us, the main benefit is that it demonstrates the quality of our produce and is a good way of attracting more customers to the pub. By selling milk and eggs we are helping the community as there is no village shop. We are hoping the pantry will grow further, selling through a supplier's shops and, when our products are packaged well, through delis and other shops."
Top tip: "Keep it simple and only sell what you already have in stock so there is no extra work. Taking bespoke orders is time consuming and, therefore, expensive."
Why do it: Places the pub at the heart of the community by offering a local service.
Trading on a name
Where: The Lord Nelson Inn, Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, www.nelsonslocal.co.uk
The idea: Built as an ale-house in 1637 and called the Plough until 1798, the pub's name was changed to the Lord Nelson in honour of his victory at the Battle of the Nile. Landlord Simon Alper says: "Our Nelson connections help us boost trade in quiet months, with set-price dinners celebrating Nelson's birthday on 29 September and Trafalgar Day on 21 October. A three-course dinner,
with a wide choice of special dishes plus coffee, is available to pre-booked diners for £39.95, and both evenings feature shanty singers. Nelson's body was brought back from Trafalgar in a barrel of rum, but after a few days the barrel was almost empty as the sailors had been taking a nip of "Nelson's Blood" to bring them luck! Nowadays our customers can have Nelson's Blood or Lady Hamilton's Nip (drinks unique to the Lord Nelson