In the ever-evolving world of hospitality, staying ahead of trends and maintaining best-in-class service is key to long term success. Comprehensive training is essential to this to improve staff knowledge, from nailing the basics to recreating experiences consumers can’t get at home.
In fact, data shows that 76% of hospitality professionals are open to engaging with brands and training1 and 65% of consumers are open to staff recommendations2, while consumers are also increasingly seeking more memorable experiences and look to bar staff for their knowledge.
Introducing Mix with Britvic…
Designed to strengthen the mixed drinks landscape across the on-trade, Mix with Britvic is an industry-leading digital training platform. Containing all of the knowledge and inspiration the industry needs to inspire and upskill hospitality professionals, Mix with Britvic helps outlets create more memorable mixed drinks that not only consumers will love, but bartenders will enjoy making.
The platform spotlights five of Britvic's core brands that can help outlets to create more than 10,000 serve opportunities, from morning coffees and smoothies, through to evening cocktails and mocktails.
- London Essence Company
- Mathieu Teisseire
- R. White's
- Britvic
- Pepsi
Furthermore, it offers the chance for bartenders to receive an accreditation, which is in partnership with the British Institute of Innkeeping (BII). After completing a specialised module and quiz, those who are successful will receive a certificate to signify their expertise in mixology.
Unique to Britvic, the platform has also been created in collaboration with a team of brand ambassadors, Hedonist Drinks, who are trained mixology experts with years of experience in the hospitality sector.
‘How To’ video guides
The platform also features educational videos on everything from how to build the perfect serve, through to advice on straining and garnishing.
The key to maximising your outlet's drinks offering is understanding that it's not just about cocktails and mocktails. Your venue needs to provide a wide range of expertly served drinks – ranging all the way from spirits and mixers to coffees and soft drinks.
Our ‘How To’ guides help elevate mixed drinks by equipping bartenders with the information and skills required to do so. Forming part of the knowledge section of the Mix with Britvic platform, you can access these comprehensive video tutorials on mastering your techniques with the expert mixologists at Hedonist.
Choosing the correct serve for the time of the day
The Mix with Britvic platform is equipped to teach about the various serves for each period of trading, nailing the basics and to help elevate them to the next level. From the ingredients and glassware needed, to preparation method and tips of garnishing alongside food pairings, allergens and recommended prices.
What's more, there is an interactive clock to select a chosen time of the day. The platform then provides details of the perfect serve for the user’s chosen hours.
Mornings and early afternoon serves
To ensure you're meeting the demand from the breakfast and brunch crowd, coffees, milkshakes, smoothies and lassis are the perfect additions to a menu. But, simply having the standard options on the menu isn't enough anymore, consumers want something above and beyond what they could create at home. This is why it's key to be equipped with the right knowledge and recipes to upgrade serves and provide an unforgettable experience.
From a latte to a cold brew, having an extensive coffee menu with elevated offerings including syrups and toppings, is a great way to encourage your consumers to trade up and treat themselves to a more premium option. What's more, you can drive this further with the endless variations of serves within each of these categories – from a spiced honey mocha to a cherry cappuccino.
The same goes for smoothies. Maintaining a varied and exciting smoothie offering allows you to broaden your target market, appealing to those seeking healthier, fresh or simply delicious options, including banana chocolate praline, frutti, orange sun and more.
Milkshakes are the perfect way to elevate your menu from regular serves to a deliciously bold recipe, such as a Yuzu, created using Teisseire Yuzu, Teisseire Vanilla, Plenish Coconut Milk and coconut sorbet.
Late afternoon and evening serves
As after-work drinks evolve into dinner and digestifs, your menu should shift into serves that can carry your customers into the evening.
Cocktails, mocktails, highballs and lassis, popular with the 3pm-6pm after-work crowd, remain relevant in the evening, too. But between 6pm-9pm long mixed drinks and flavoured beers come into their own.
What better way to get your customers to stay longer than by offering long drinks that are designed to be savoured, yet remain operationally simple for bar staff to execute? In long drinks, Britvic recommends three serves suitable for any menu; gin and tonic, whiskey and ginger ale, and a screwdriver (vodka and orange juice). Each of these serves are prepared with 50ml of spirit to 200ml of a mixer and garnished with either a lime wheel or orange wedge.
Mocktails play an important role for ensuring the nights go on longer for non-drinkers’ and their friends. In fact, 5.2m fewer UK adults are drinking alcohol compared to 20213, leading to a rise in the number of alcohol-free visits to pubs, bars and restaurants, which now take up more than 1 in 3 visits to the on-trade4. Therefore, it is more critical than ever for operators to offer a variety of low and no ranges to meet this demand and cater to all demographics.
Here, Britvic’s recommendations similarly shine. For example, topping 25ml of Mathieu Teissiere Elderflower with Britvic Raspberry Pink Tonic creates the refreshing and effervescent Garden Path cocktail, its light pink colour is sure to dazzle consumers. For something a little spicier, mixing Earl Grey Tea, lemon Juice, Mathieu Teissiere Ginger and R Whites Lemonade creates the floral and fiery Ginger Snap.
What’s more, mocktails are the difference between this audience buying a simple lemonade – or even heading home, making them must-haves for any discerning bartender’s menu. Not only do they ensure consumers are still provided with a whole host of interesting flavours and options, but they also ensure that they don’t feel like they must compromise on their experience and enjoyment.
Visit mixwithbritvic.com to discover how Britvic can elevate your drinks menu and drive profits all throughout the day.
[1] CGA by NielsenIQ, Global Bartending Report, September 2023
[2] KAM Plant to Plate 2023 Tracker (December 2023)
[3] KAM Low+No 2023: The Customer Perspective
[4] KAM Low+No 2023: The Customer Perspective
