Farm Drop
Where: Clissold Arms, East Finchley, London
Website: www.clissoldarms.co.uk
Twitter: @clissoldarms
The idea: Customers order produce via the FarmDrop online shop and then collect it from the pub on the weekly ‘drop’ day.
How it works: The produce is supplied by local independent producers and currently includes breads, meat, vegetables and fruit. Producers deliver the produce to the pub for customers to collect.
Marketing: The initiative is promoted via flyers and posters around the pub and on social media, as well as being featured in the pub’s newsletter.
Be prepared: The farm drop is hosted in the pub’s garden in fine weather, otherwise on its heated indoor terrace. Orders can be collected between 6pm and 8pm every Wednesday.
Pay-off: Supports local businesses, which in turn, boosts the local economy. Promotes the pub’s community-focussed values.
Key benefits: Attracts people who may not normally come to the pub. Generates additional revenue as customers often stay for a drink or dinner when they collect their order. Provides the pub with an income as it receives 10% of sales.
Advice: Lessee George Karageorgis says: “Develop relationships with local businesses and customers as connections are a very important part of this project.”
Best outcome: 212 members have signed up to the pub’s scheme during its first three weeks.
Magic and pizza night
Where: Merry Harriers, Hambledon, Surrey
Website: www.merryharriers.com
Twitter: @Joolsjms
The idea: A close-up magician performed magic at diners’ tables.
How it works: For £20 per head, diners enjoyed dough balls and pizza whilst a magician performed four tricks at each table. There was also a parlour magic show at the beginning and end of the night.
Marketing: The evening was promoted via the pub’s website and its monthly event calendar which is emailed out to the customer database.
Be prepared: The pub stayed with its usual dining room layout, adding a side room set as a mini-theatre for the start and finish shows. A pizza menu was offered to appeal to the families amongst the audience. A local Magic Circle member was also booked for the performance.
Pay-off: Offers customer something different which generates good publicity for the pub. Attracts families back in, following a quieter period of weekend family trade during the exam season. Promotes the pub’s relatively new pizza offering.
Key benefits: The evening ran at just over 75% capacity, generating additional footfall and revenue.
Advice: Owner Colin Stoneley says: “Involve families by having an early start time for the event and choose a magician who will appeal to all ages.”
Best outcome: Takings were up by over £1000 on the previous two weeks.
Brazilian menu
Where: Killingworth Castle, Wootton, Oxfordshire
Website: www.thekillingworthcastle.com
Twitter: @thekillingworth
The idea: A Brazilian menu, to celebrate the start of the World Cup championship, was offered as part of a series of monthly food nights held at the pub.
How it works: Guests were offered a three course themed menu for £26 per person. The pub departed from its predominantly craft ale and wine offering to give diners the option of trying Brazil’s national cocktail, the Caipirinha, before dinner. The cocktails were available at an additional charge.
Marketing: The monthly food nights are promoted via social media and on the pub’s website where the themed menu is available to view.
Be prepared: Traditional Brazilian dishes were researched and included lightly pickled silver mullet with chorizo, fish and shrimp stew and chargrilled chicken in Xingu beer. Background Brazilian music added to the ambience.
Pay-off: Provided a departure from the pub’s more regular food nights, which include Spanish, game, fish and French themes, allowing the chefs to use their creative skills. Captured guests’ imaginations and allowed them to celebrate the start of the World Cup in a different way - customers entered into the spirit of the evening by wearing Brazilian football jerseys or brightly coloured clothes.
Key benefits: Food nights drive trade on a traditionally quieter evening. The events are always a sell-out generating extra revenue for the pub.
Advice: When offering a more unusual menu, give customers a choice of dish. Owner Claire Alexander says: “Although most people loved the pickled raw fish starter, it wasn’t to everyone’s taste.”
Best outcome: 68 covers sold