Focus on Sunday roasts: what's your beef?

The Sunday roast is a British institution, much like the pub. So it should come as no surprise that roasts can be a profitable addition to any menu and one that pubs need to ensure they make the most of.

Only last month, managed pub and bar operator TCG revealed it would be rolling out its Sunday roast offer after great success at five trial sites where food sales rose by 20%.

Ben Levick, director of operations at the managed pub and bar operator (the majority of which, Stonegate recently announced it would be purchasing) says: “The Sunday roast is a perennial favourite, though we’re seeing similar trends here as in other menu areas: demand for ever higher quality ingredients, particularly on meat and produce, also the growing popularity of sharing foods such as our roast chicken served whole for two to share.”

However, roasts are not just for Sundays, according to Chris Brown, pub channel trade marketing manager at Unilever Food Solutions.

“We know from speaking to consumers there’s a strong case for offering roast dinners on more than just Sundays. In fact, 40% of those asked said that they wanted to see roast dinners on the menu every day (according to research of 2,000 consumers by Unilever Food Solutions).”

Underused cuts​

With consumers demanding higher quality food, how can licensees and pub chefs keep their roast dinners profitable without compromising on flavour and quality?

The most time-consuming part of a roast dinner is the meat and, to ensure margins are kept at a profitable level, the licensee’s relationship with their butcher is crucial.

Hugh Judd, foodservice project manager at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Beef and Lamb advises pub chefs to consider using more underused cuts of meat. Outside the Christmas period demand is lower for lamb racks, which then makes them a good priced option. He also cites mature lamb joints between 28 and 30 kilos as a well-priced choice  as they are too large to be stocked by major supermarket chains.

He says: “Talk to your butcher about mature lamb because it has just started to come in now and the prices on that will be really good.”

For beef, he highlights the King Arthur roasts, which are made from, chuck-eye steak, an under-used cut, which he says is “significantly cheaper”. “There are also mini-roasts that allow chefs to cook for smaller groups and couples, and keep the quality high,” he suggests.

Sharing meals​

Pork is one of the most versatile and cost-effective options, according to butchery development manager for AHDB Pork, Keith Fisher. He advises licensees to look at pork loin, leg joint and slow-roasted shoulder.

Fisher says: “Sharing joints are a novel way to attract families. For example, a pork leg can be stuffed and presented as a succulent roast, which can then be served to up to four people and carved at the table for added theatre. This is ideal for pub chefs because it is automatically portion-controlled and there is no waste from the joint.”

So once the meat is organised, what else is there to think about? Well, those with special dietary requirements, such as vegetarians and those wanting gluten-free, also need to be taken into account.

Andrew Pritchard is a partner at three Enterprise pubs, including the Hobnails in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, which serves more than 2,000 roasts a week through their carveries. Half of those meals are served on a Sunday. Roast dinners are served seven days a week, with pricing reflecting busy periods at £8.95 Monday to Saturday and £10.95 on a Sunday.

Alternatives to meat​

Along with the meat offers of pork, beef, turkey and the Sunday addition of gammon, all of which are cooked through the night and day in special ovens, the pub also offers a good vegetarian and gluten-free range.

“I am vegetarian myself and it is important to me that we have separate utensils, cookers and it is done 100% veggie,” he says. “We have quite a lot of vegetarian options on the menu but, as far as the carvery is concerned, we offer a vegetarian Wellington, potato gratin and cauliflower cheese.”

Serving fresh and local produce, from the meat to the vegetables, is an important part of the offer.

“We buy our potatoes direct from the farmers and then we steam them and roast them,” he says. “We even use two people six days a week just for prepping vegetables.”

He concedes that this approach of preparing fresh food is labour-intensive but, due to the high volume of roasts sold through the three pubs, it enables them to maintain gross profits. “What people want now is home-cooked food [when they eat out]. You can go to loads of pubs and get two meals for £10, but people just don’t want that any more.”

The gravy train​

However, local sourcing and doing everything from scratch can be a struggle for some pubs. If time is against you, making your own gravy is often a step too far, so food manufacturers can help by offering good-value options for licensees.

Maggi by Nestlé offers a gluten-free vegetarian gravy, which it argues has a much higher yield, making it a cost-effective option.

“We know pub chefs are very busy, often catering for large numbers with limited time, and, setting it apart from most simmer gravies, this one is very quick and easy to prepare, being ready in just two minutes. All chefs need to do is add hot water and allow the mix to simmer,” says Jason Rodriques, Maggi brand manager at Nestlé Professional.

Unilever Food Solutions, which sells gluten-free Knorr gravy paste, has been working with leading chef Phil Vickery to help operators offer more gluten-free options. Its gravy is made from real meat juices and is a quick option for time-pressed licensees.

And what about serving the roast? While some pubs favour the carvery option, TCG says the “theatre” of the serve — especially the whole chicken presented in a serving dish for sharing — is what has proved successful. “The strength of the new roast offer is in offering a limited number of options and doing them extremely well,” he adds.

Sunday pride​

Meanwhile, Nottingham pub the Larwood & Voce was announced the winner of the best place to eat a Sunday roast in the UK on 4 October in the Best British Roast Dinner competition sponsored by Unilever Food Solutions.

The Moleface Pubs site in Bridgford impressed judges, including prominent food critic Charles Campion, and saw off stiff competition from 440 other entrants to win.

General manager at the pub Amelia Balmer says: “We’re very proud — we’re quite well known around Nottingham — but we’re looking forward to this bringing in more people from around the country, which would be brilliant.”

Chris Brown at Unilever Food Solutions adds: “Standards were exceptionally high across the board and to choose between the five finalists was an extremely close call, but the Larwood & Voce just had the edge over the rest.”