S&NPC: blue-sky thinking

Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company held five alfresco roadshows for 150 lessees around the UK to help them drive trade this summer. Jo Bruce shares some of the top tips from the events.

Summer is a key time for driving new customers and extra trade into your pub. Ben Bartlett, food development manager for Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company (S&NPC), hosted five roadshows in the company's pubs to give hosts and chefs ideas for boosting summer trade.

Sessions included a coffee-making training session with Terry Batham, barista trainer at Bazar Coffee; a masterclass on which meat cuts are most effective for barbecues with master butcher Viv Harvey; a summer menus demo with Mark Rigby, senior business development chef at Premier Foods; a barbecue class with S&NPC's Bartlett; a cider-tasting session with Bulmers; and tips on how to make your garden look good.

Getting yourself noticed is always a positive sign​

A chalkboard artist attended the roadshows to teach licensees how to make the most of their pub signage. "It is so important to have a good sign outside a pub," says John Neal, who runs his own company, JWren-Images.

"People spend thousands of pounds refurbishing the inside but, in most cases, the sign outside is the first thing potential customers will see. First impressions are made in seconds."

Neal says signs should be seasonal and change regularly with both pub and real-life events, or they will lose impact over time.

Colours can make all the difference on signage, adds Neal. Warm colours such as reds and oranges should be used to advertise food, and greens work well for salads. When advertising something like a disco, licensees are free to use any colours — the more vibrant the better. "It is subtle," explains Neal.

He says white is sufficiently versatile to be the only colour on a board, as shading can be used to make it look "fashionable".

Script is another important area. A statement such as "function room available" should be written in small, tight formal script, whereas "party tonight" should be in a large font in vibrant colours. Variety in lettering is important to keep attention.

Neal says it is vital to show effort has been made, so if a line is supposed to be straight, make it straight, and so on. "A simple white border can really help."

He adds: "If a sign is done well, it really does bode well for everything else."

Premier menu ideas​

Mark Rigby, senior business development chef at Premier Foods, demonstrated some simple menu ideas using Bisto bouillon and Sharwood's sauces.

Rigby suggests using bouillon in marinades for beef, lamb and chicken and developing flavour with the addition of Bisto bouillon.

Marinades included chicken fillets with Bisto chicken bouillon, yoghurt, lemon, thyme, garlic, cornflour and olive oil. Strips of beef sirloin were used with Bisto beef bouillon, smoked paprika, treacle and olive oil to give a depth of flavour to the meat. Lamb steaks were used with Bisto lamb bouillon, olive oil, brown sugar and mint.

Rigby also uses Sharwood's ready-to-use sauces to make simple marinades that work without adding anything else — and offer pub caterers consistency. Menu ideas included chicken fillet kebabs with Sharwood's tikka sauce, and king prawns with Sharwood's sweet chilli & garlic sauce kebabs. The Sharwood's sauces can be used straight from the jar with no cooking involved, and the king prawn dish took 20 minutes to create from defrosting the prawns to serving.

Sharwood's sauces are also used to create simple dips and dressings such as Sharwood's tikka sauce with mayonnaise, which can be used as a dip, salad dressing or burger topping, and Sharwood's mango chutney with yoghurt and cucumber.

Get your pub in bloom​

Gardening tips with Chelsea Flower Show florist Nichola Baker:

• If you don't have time to water, invest in some water-retention beads for your hanging baskets. During a hot summer, baskets usually need watering every day. With water-retention beads, you can leave the baskets over the weekend.

• You don't have to shell out on expensive stone pots. You can use a material called hypertufa that can be moulded into shape. It is made from sand, cement and compost. This also means pots are lighter and easier to move. Ask your local garden centre for more information.

• Tailor your plants to suit your outlet. Think about where baskets are going to hang and choose plants that will thrive in those positions. For example, fuchsias prefer the shade, while geraniums prefer the sun.

• Know the seasons. Bedding plants should be purchased in May and not planted before the middle of May to avoid late frosts. This includes lobelia and bizzie lizzies.

Grill thrills​

S&NPC food development manager and member of the Best of British Barbecue Team (formed in 2005 to dispense knowledge and take part in competitions), Ben Bartlett offered tips on getting your barbecue offer right:

• Use a gas barbecue and season the grill with olive oil and rosemary before starting to cook.

• Choose a sheltered spot to avoid cooling winds and bring the meat to room temperature before cooking, so it will cook through more quickly and drain fat better. He suggests marinating the meat overnight to tenderise it.

• Fill an aerosol bottle with apple juice and spray on any meat after cooking — it will caramelise the meat and keep it moist.

• Spice it up — by adding a powdered spice to your meat.

• If you are using coals, let them turn grey before you start cooking.

• Always have a bucket of water or fire extinguisher nearby.

• If you are grilling in the evening, make sure there is ample lighting.

• A clean grill burns better and doesn't leave a bad taste on food.

• When using wooden skewers, soak well in water before use.

• Marinate overnight — it's magic, but remember to baste the meat during the final 5-10 minutes of grilling with a hot glaze.

Dishes of the day​

Master butcher Viv Harvey offered these tips for getting your sales sizzling. He says: "It's about making a point of difference. Everyone can grill a sausage, so licensees have got to make their barbecues eye-catching but cost-effective, and capitalise on their outside space."

Harvey demonstrated several pork barbecue recipes including:

• Cut a boneless loin of pork into a big sheet and spread pork mince stuffing, chopped apricots and seasoning on to it. Roll up like a Swiss roll and skewer, then slice into portions. Substitute peaches, apples or black pudding for the apricots. Cut a pocket in the loin steaks and add apple sauce and grated Cheddar. Seal the opening with a cocktail stick.

• Create an indentation in the centre of a burger and add tomato paste, chopped peppers, grated cheese and oregano to create a burger-based pizza instead of using dough.

Harvey says all the dishes can be tailored to suit other types of meat, just choose fillings that complement it.

When rolling out the loin, trimmings can be used to make the stuffing, thereby cutting waste. If licensees do not have any knife skills, de-boned meat can be bought from a butcher.

Preparation takes time, but Harvey thinks punters will be happy to pay more because the food looks much more professional and not like something they could do at home.

"It's like taking fine dining into the garden," he says.

Winning ways to keep staff and punters happy​

Richard Macey, BII (British Institute of Innkeeping) Licensee of the Year 2006 and owner of the Fountain Inn, Clent, Worcestershire, shared some secrets of his success with roadshow attendees.

Macey says it is very important to sit down with your team once a week over coffee and croissants and discuss feedback, training needs and the pub's daily diary.

He also believes little extras can make a big difference to customers' experience, such as linen napkins, crystal wine glasses, quality cutlery and complementary toiletries.

In terms of motivating staff, Macey believes it is vital to invest in them and set short, medium and long-t