Diners ordering any meal that comes with chips are entitled to any number of extra portions of either plain or spicy chips.
When staff check back on customer’s main courses they ask whether diners would like extra chips, which are then presented in an extra bowl. One manager estimates that around 70% of people are going for at least one additional portion.
“It has been doing quite well,” said Olly Green, deputy manager of Redhill Beefeater in Surrey. “Probably seven in every 10 people go for at least one more portion. The average person will just have one more bowl, although we did serve one man who ate 15 portions.”
M&B brand Toby Carvery offers bottomless custard with its fruit crumble (£3.60) and the company’s Crown Carveries has bottomless ice cream as a dessert option, but it is believed this is the first time a pub operator has provided bottomless chips.
A side of chips is £1.99 and diners can order 6oz or 9oz portions. The extra portions of bottomless chips are a bit smaller than normal ones.
“I think around 35% of diners go for extra portions,” said Saule Saparna, deputy general manager of the Horsham site in West Sussex. “Some people just don’t want to eat that many. It tends to be younger people who go for extra chips.”
Beefeater has also introduced bottomless Pepsi, Diet Pepsi and Lemonade across selected outlets. “Families and adults love it,” said Saparna.
The company also offers bottomless softs at its Taybarns sites.