But before you go down the familiar comfort food road, it’s worth considering whether any trends that emerged on pub menus over the summer might continue into the winter season, as well as exploring options to give a twist to your winter warmer dishes.
One trend that grew over the summer and looks set to stay as we head towards winter was a preference among customers for grazing and sharing dishes.
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The upsell potential of snacks
KP Snacks sales director Matt Collins explains Christmas represents a huge opportunity for pubs and bars as a staple of the festive season.
He continues... as many gather for social occasions, including work-dos with colleagues and festive family get-togethers, bagged snacks are perfectly positioned to drive sales for pubs and bars.
With 56% of customers saying they like to consume savoury snacks with an alcoholic drink[1], pubs and bars should stock the right products in the right formats to bolster their sales.
Products
Nuts grow in popularity across the festive season and KP Nuts is the UK’s number one Nut brand[2]. Offering nutritional benefits including a high protein content, KP Nuts deliver a permissible and delicious snacking option, with a broad range of exciting flavours.
Perfect when paired with a cold beer, the KP Nuts range was expanded with the launch of KP Flavour Kravers Flame Grilled Steak in a 21x50g pub card. The new product combines the best-performing SKU from the Flavour Kravers range with the popular pub card format.
Over the festive season, customers are more willing to trade up to premium snacks as they look to make trips to pubs and bars feel more special. Our premium hand-cooked crisp brand Tyrrells is the perfect choice for bringing extra fun and flavour to Christmas occasions.
With 91 Great Taste Awards across the range, Tyrrells crisps pair exquisitely with a variety of wines and ciders.
For more information, visit KP Snacks by clicking here.
[1] Mintel, Crisps, Savoury Snacks and Nuts, UK 2023
[2] N Nielsen IQ, Total Coverage, Total Value, MAT 10.08.24
Jamie Smith, group executive chef at Parogon Group, noticed this, with customers often ordering a couple of starters and a side rather than a main.
“It’s because guests want to experience and taste a variety of different dishes rather than just one. Also, people now eat at a variety of different times of the day rather than your stereotypical breakfast, lunch and dinner times,” says Smith.
In response, Parogon has expanded the options in its nibbles, starters, sharers and sides sections of its menus, believing that the grazing trend is “not specific to the summer”.
Food supplier Brakes has also noticed a swing towards grazing and snacking, which it predicts will continue into the winter, especially “with the growth of drinks-only led occasions”.
“More operators are including great-quality snacking options on their menus, often linking ‘happy hour snacks and drinks’ to drive footfall and increase the average spend per head,” explains Peter Innes, customer marketing manager at Brakes.
“Customers ordering wings, nuggets or tenders type dishes have increased (by 1 percentage point), growing sales for dishes that are perfect for accompanying a cold beer, and a game on the TV. There has also been a growth of tapas-style snacks and nibbles across menus, with a focus on quality and provenance, as customers look to link premium snacks with premium drinks.”
For any operator looking to put on a food menu for the first time, platters of cold meats and/or cheese are the perfect simple-to-prepare option, while at the same time tapping into the grazing and sharing trend.
What’s more, they can be customised for the time of year, according to pub supplier The Compleat Food Group.
Incredibly versatile
“Charcuterie boards are a consumer favourite, particularly for large groups and parties, and they are incredibly versatile as antipasti can be altered depending on the seasons. In warmer months, chorizo and jamón Ibérico are an excellent choice, but in winter months operators should take inspiration from the Alpine countries, prioritising hearty, rustic ingredients like French or Swiss cheeses alongside rye bread and seeded crackers,” says Howard Edwards, foodservice senior account manager at The Compleat Food Group.
Unearthed offers a wide range of antipasti and small-plate dishes ideal for charcuterie boards or creating a tapas style menu offering, including the likes of ‘saucisson with herbes de Provence’, and Vadasz’s red onion pickles or ‘garlic & dill sauerkraut’.
Another good option for building a charcuterie board is The Mad Butcher range of traditionally produced meat snacks including classic pork salami sticks, chorizo bites and salami bites.
Newby Groves, managing director at Sigma UK and Ireland, producer of The Mad Butcher range, says: “The pub drinking occasion can be further enhanced by the snacks on offer, especially those that support a sharing experience such as charcuterie. UK consumers’ tastes are becoming more sophisticated when it comes to seeking a snack to enjoy with a drink and this represents a huge growth opportunity for the on-trade.”
Largely due to environmental concerns, more and more people are going vegan or vegetarian and this is something that’s not going to change over the winter months.
Many chefs have been responding by getting more creative with their vegetable-based dishes, as well as seeking out better-quality meat alternative products.
Ben Francis, head chef at Oakman Inns’ the Cherry Tree pub in Olney, Buckinghamshire, has witnessed a marked increase in customers looking for meat-free options on the menu.
“We use Symplicity products, a fantastic meat alternative: they use a process of fermentation to enhance the flavour of the vegetables without the need for lots of additional processed powders and flavour enhancers,” says Francis.
“It’s very important that alternatives are of a high quality and will please the most discerning of meat eaters.
“Vegan and vegetarian options shouldn’t be a second thought, or a weak offering on your menu. Our aubergine Parmigiana sells out every time it’s on the specials menu, and it isn’t solely eaten by vegetarians.”
[It’s] a great dish and cost effective for ourselves and our guests.
Jamie Smith at Parogon Group agrees pubs should pay just as much attention to the quality of their vegetarian/vegan dishes as the rest of the menu, so that they have broad appeal across their customer base.
“I like to create vegan/vegetarian dishes that even the biggest of carnivores would enjoy, and I take a lot of pride in creating them as they are more challenging,” says Smith.
“Cauliflower, I feel, is an underrated ingredient. I have put ‘tempura salt & chilli popcorn cauliflower with sweet potato & ginger puree and a sticky sweet soy & ginger sauce’ on at one of our sites, which is a great dish and cost effective for ourselves and our guests.
With the flavours and textures of the dish, you wouldn’t be disappointed ordering it if you were a non-vegetarian.”
With consumers’ tastes becoming ever more adventurous, pub chefs have been looking far and wide for menu inspiration; the flavours of Japan and south-east Asia, the Middle East and north Africa were increasingly seen on pub menus over the summer.
Peter Innes from Brakes says: “Korean barbecue and katsu curry were some of the most regularly occurring descriptions on menus from a global cuisine perspective, along with items from the Middle East and north Africa, such as flatbreads, houmous, baba ganoush, and other dips and spices.”
He predicts customers’ tastes for exciting flavours will continue to grow this winter, so chefs should try to incorporate some exoticism into their menu options.
“We expect to see chefs exploring slow-cooked dishes to make the most of the flavoursome cuts of meat that need a bit more care and attention but still using more exotic spices. Think of preparations like drier rendang style curries or carefully prepared Filipino adobo (see recipe) for the more adventurous and skilled cooks,” says Innes.
“Exploring these cuisines in this way, chefs can prepare in advance, using cheaper cuts of better-quality meat and meeting the need for provenance, without breaking the food cost. The dishes can also be simpler to serve, potentially reducing labour cost.”
Don’t stick to UK dishes
Of course, there’s no denying that hearty, warming, comfort-food dishes never go out of fashion in a British pub in the winter, so these should definitely be on your menu.
But you don’t have to just stick to classics from within the British Isles.
Scott Smith, head chef at the Oarsman in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and the Crown at Bray, Berkshire, says: “Bistro food, styled on the Lyonaisse Bouchons, such as warming braised dishes and pies are a perennial favourite as we go into winter.
“Trotters with smoked back on beef dripping toast; classic fish soup with rouille, Gruyere and croutons; or venison faggots with pickled pears, all have that hearty, warming feel that people are looking for when the rain is falling sideways.”
The Compleat Food Group’s Edwards also expects to see more hearty, traditional dishes from continental Europe on pub menus this winter, alongside British classics with an element of premiumisation.
He explains: “In the winter months, consumers crave hearty, filling food, which is why the first trend we will see in the coming months is nostalgic comfort foods with a premium twist. Additions can be as simple as drizzling truffle oil over vegetables in side dishes or pie-fillings, or upgrading to an all-butter crust.
“This winter, we will also see more pub operators taking inspiration from continental European cuisine. Operators looking to maximise sales this winter should offer classic French dishes such as coq au vin and boeuf bourguignon, which add a new dimension to a menu while maintaining a sense of familiarity for consumers.”
Article continues after recipe below
Recipe card: Plaice Milanese by Ben Francis, head chef at the Cherry Tree in Olney
Ben Francis explained: “A comforting autumn/winter dish with a fresh vibrance from the tartar butter sauce. It’s low prep, low cost, ticks plenty of boxes for fish lovers, and is easy to deliver amidst the most pressured of services. This dish is always a firm favourite when it hits our specials menu.”
Serves one
Ingredients:
- 1 small whole plaice (300-400g), dark side skinned, trimmed and gutted
- 60g butter
Milanese coating:
- 55g panko breadcrumbs
- 1 lemon
- 5g dried oregano
- 1 quarter tsp of garlic powder (optional)
- Salt & pepper
Tartare butter sauce:
- 10g fresh dill
- 10g fresh tarragon
- 10g fresh parsley
- 20g capers
- 25g gherkins
- 50ml chicken or vegetable stock
To serve:
- New potatoes
- Spinach
- Seasonal vegetables of choice
Method:
• Start by making the breadcrumb mix: zest the lemon and mix with the dried oregano, garlic powder and panko breadcrumbs, and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Melt 15g of the butter and brush liberally over the top of the plaice fillet and evenly coat with your breadcrumb mix.
• Put the fillet on a lined oven tray and cook in the oven at 180 degrees for 10-13 minutes, depending on size and thickness of fish.
• Whilst the fish is cooking, place a pot on a high heat and bring the stock to a simmer.
• Roughly chop all of your fresh herbs and the gherkins.
• 3 minutes before your fish is done, add all the herbs, gherkins and capers to the stock. Bring back to a simmer and then add the remaining butter, stirring well over a high heat until larger bubbles have appeared and your sauce has emulsified.
• Spoon sauce onto a fish plate, put your cooked plaice fillet on top and it's ready to serve.
• Serve with garlic roasted new potatoes and wilted spinach or any other seasonal vegetables of choice.
At Star Pubs, warming, traditional dishes will definitely be the mainstay of menus this winter, but with an eye to the “premiumisation trend”.
Karl Watts, Star Pubs’ food development manager, says: “Going into winter, there is a move to more hearty meals with a high carbohydrate content. These are often nostalgic, taking us back to school dinner types of dishes such as pies and sponge desserts.
“Stews and slow-cooked dishes provide great winter comfort appeal and are relatively inexpensive to produce as cheaper meat cuts can be used.”
Of course, the Sunday roast is a year-round staple on many pub menus but, in the winter months, its appeal grows and so, therefore, does the imperative to get it right.
Get it right and it will do wonders for your trade and profile.
The Cherry Tree’s Francis recommends paring back the rest of your menu on Sundays to concentrate on producing the perfect roast.
“Customers are very opinionated when it comes to the roast, it’s so important to get it right. If you produce a bad Sunday roast, this can trash your reputation locally but, on the flip side, get it right and it will do wonders for your trade and profile,” he says.
Pubs are increasingly recognising the need to elevate the Sunday roast experience with many London pubs in particular offering the likes of “whole beast roasts” whereby you can see the theatre of a whole lamb or hog on a spit and choose your cuts and sharing platters where a single joint with all the trimmings is brought to the table.
Francis believes the “alternative style Sunday roast” will be a growing trend this winter, as will “creativity with Sunday roast side dishes”.
He adds: “Be creative with the sides: people love a side dish on a Sunday. Braised leeks, cauliflower cheese and root vegetables of all kinds are always well received.
“If you are doing roasts, strip back the rest of your menu and really focus on the Sunday dinners – the quality will be better and the chefs will be eternally grateful.”
Recipe card: Adabong Baka (Beef Cheek Adobo)
This recipe from one of Brakes’ business development chefs is for the Filipino national dish of Adobo.
Essentially a meat dish cooked down with soy sauce and vinegar, with a big hit of garlic and pepper, it’s an easy-to-prepare winter warmer that will bring interest to any pub menu.
Serve with sticky rice and bok choy, or with a fresh Asian style slaw in a Filipino-inspired taco.
Ingredients:
3kg beef cheeks
For the marinade (adobo):
1-litre water
250g apple cider vinegar (or cane vinegar)
500g dark soy sauce
150g soft brown demerara sugar (or palm sugar)
100g chopped garlic
6-8 large bay leaves
1 whole star anise
8-10g black peppercorns
Instructions
● Trim and dice the beef into large chunks (depending on how you would like to serve)
● Mix the marinade ingredients together, ensuring the sugar is dissolved
● Mix the beef and the marinade together & marinade overnight (min 8 hours) in the fridge
● Remove the beef from the marinade, and pat dry
● Strain the marinade into a container to be used for the sauce and set the peppercorns and bay leaves aside to be used later
● Sear the beef in batches ensuring a good caramelisation, placing it into a suitable braising dish
● Once the beef is all seared, set aside and add the strained marinade into the pan and bring to the boil
● The juices from the meat will coagulate on the top of your pan. Skim these off and strain the liquid through a muslin onto the seared beef, adding the bay leaf and peppercorns back into the dish
● Wrap up with tin foil or close with a lid and place in the oven at 150C for 3 hours or until the beef is soft and tender - allow the beef to cool in the liquor
● Once cooled, carefully remove the beef from the cooking liquor and place to one side
● Reduce the cooking liquor until you have the desired consistency and flavour, if needed thicken lightly with cornstarch
● When done, add back the beef and serve with your side of choice.
