Making the most of sharing foods
Sharing foods have enjoyed a rise in popularity over recent years. Sheila McWattie looks at 10 different ways to pull the groups in
Top tapas
Chef-proprietor Tim Abbott, at the freehold Pigs in Edgefield, Norfolk, ensures that nothing featured on the menu goes unused.
He says: “Our ‘iffits’ — a Norfolk version of tapas — go down well with big family groups, as customers can share the dishes and try a little bit of everything.”
There are all sorts of different iffits (£6.95 for two or £11.95 for four), with the most popular being the dirty beef dripping with sea salt; and toast and corned beef hash with brown sauce and onion jam. The pub also sells a lot of crispy pig’s ears with tartare sauce and half English muffin rarebit with apple chutney.
“They are served in little pots on attractive wooden boards and bring our menu an extra wow factor,” adds Abbott. "They are popular with diners and around 75% order from the Iffits menu for their starters, often to share among a table, with many guests choosing a selection as their main meal too.
Making connections
Cultural bonds are strong when it comes to sharing food, and Brighton’s Fiddlers Elbow, an InnBrighton pub run by Penny O’Reilly, encourages this with an Irish platter.
“Friends gathering at the Fiddlers Elbow often love to share food, whether it’s tasting their friends’ meals to see what to order next
time, or all dipping into one big plate,” says O’Reilly. “It’s a fun experience.”
The Fiddlers’ sharing platter (£10) is a loaded chopping board of flavours including Camembert, Irish blue cheese, Brighton Sausage Company’s pork & Guinness chipolatas and veggie sausages; Irish corned beef and cabbage; boxty (a traditional Irish potato pancake); home-made onion rings; relishes, olives, salad leaves & crusty bread.
A recent and popular menu addition, the fresh, home-made platter introduces customers to tasty local produce.
Feasting treat
Feasting is a major attraction at the freehold Wheatsheaf Inn at Northleach, Gloucestershire. The feast menu price depends on the number of guests.
Marketing assistant Jessy Harrison says: “We wanted to create a dining experience featuring sharing food as the central focus of the evening, which would bring everyone together in a relaxed environment.
“Guests who he
lp themselves can feel more at home, without having to worry about cooking or washing-up.
“The most popular menu choice is usually a gourmet selection of fruits de mer or charcuterie followed by suckling pig.
“Our 18-cover private-dining room has bags of character, including antlers and Victorian portraits.”
The private-dining room is always reserved from Friday dinnertime to Sunday morning, with two or three functions throughout the week.
Sweet success
Natasha Bandali, owner of Flirtease cocktail lounge and dessert bar in Wembley, north-west London, has noticed more people opting for its extensive sharing dessert range. Pancakes, waffles, crêpes and sundaes are among the sweet treats on offer.
“People can’t choose just one,” says Bandali. “It’s always fun to watch our customers debate the options. When this happens we always suggest a sharing dessert such as our warm strawberry crêpe, wrapped round two scoops of natural vanilla ice cream, topped with strawberry slices and drizzled with rich chocolate sauce and a hint of maple syrup (£4.95).
“The best part is collecting plates and watching two friends, colleagues or lovers fight over the last bite. Nothing brings people closer than sharing a meal from the same plate and it’s better when it involves a dessert.”
The real deal
Grant Winters, who has run El Panzon, the food franchise at award-winning live-music venue Hootananny in Brixton, south London, for several years, learned his craft making burritos in New York when he started dating a waitress.
“We serve two large tacos or a large quesadilla, which people love sharing, for £5. It’s real comfort food,” says Winters. Dishes are accompanied by Monterey Jack, sour cream, salsa and guacamole.
“We don’t charge for guacamole and customers choose their preferred level of heat. Our two top-selling sharing dishes are our ‘small plate’ — nachos, hand-friend corn chips and beans — and fresh, triple-cooked chicken wings.
Both are designed for two to four people. At £5 per plate, with several people sharing, it is a bargain.
“For many, it’s an introduction to real Mexican food.”
Crowd-pulling paella
Barman Neil Wilkie makes the paella that helps build the reputation of Harry’s Bar & Kitchen, an Arkell’s lease in Newbury, Berkshire.
“We make at least 70 portions on Fridays or Saturdays in summer and it sells right out,” says Wilkie. “One night we served 300.
“Years ago in southern France we watched restaurants serving paella and decided to do it properly, with rabbit, chicken and seafood, including at least one massive king prawn per portion, mussels and squid, plus saffron and garlic. The starter of bruschetta with chorizo, marinated onion and basil salsa, plus watermelon, are included for £15, and few have space for dessert.
“The benefits come from its theatre and ease of cooking, and our customers love sharing paella on our terrace. We build loyalty by offering a regular Friday dish — often curry in winter — as a satisfying start to the weekend.”
Sharing steaks
Steak nights are a cornerstone weekly event for many pubs. To help the freehold Phoenix Inn at Hartley Wintney, Hampshire, stand out, Andrew Ryder, chef and co-owner of the Punch lease, introduced sharing steak using Châteaubriand — half a kilo of prime fillet costing £24 per person — and côte de bœuf — a whole rib of beef — around 1.2kg — at £21 per head.
The steak, from Herefordshire steers at Grange Farm in Hurst, Berkshire — 12 miles away — is matured for at least 21 days.
Ryder says: “We source the highest-quality seasonal ingredients and cook them as simply as possible. The meat is chargrilled and rested, then displayed on a board with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes, and presented to the customer before it’s carved and served with chips, salad, and peppercorn, garlic butter or Béarnaise sauce.
“The sounds of appreciation as we arrive are very satisfying and the theatre elevates the offer, firmly placing our Thursday steak nights on the map.”
Fondue focus
The Blue Tiger Inn, at Ilsington Country House Hotel, near Newton Abbot, Devon, offers lots of sharing food for guests to enjoy.
Starters include sharing platters of meat (home-cured bresaola, Parma ham and salami), fish (home-smoked salmon, potted mackerel and eel) and pickled and marinated vegetables. Main dishes include beef, curried salmon, chicken and cheese fondues.
“For mains we wanted everyone to get involved with something nostalgic and memorable,” says owner Richard Hassell. “At £14.50 per person, including replenished condiments and chips, they achieve a good GP — especially when four or six order. It’s all about sharing.”
Desserts include chocolate fondue with biscuits and fruit to dip.
Range of options
Perfect party food is easy to share and the Borough Bar at London Bridge, owned by Kornicis Group, makes the most of its inner-city location with platters for seven to 10 people for £55, including an Asian plate of duck spring rolls, crispy chilli squid, vegetarian spring rolls, home-made fish cakes, vegetable tempura, soy and sweet chill sauces, and the tempura sharer, comprising vegetable tempura, potato wedges, onion rings, miniature cheese and tomato pizzas, sweet chilli and mayonnaise.
For larger parties of 30 or more, a hot buffet of sharing dishes includes wok-fried marinated pork with Singapore rice noodles and steak & Guinness pie with spring onion & champ mash. A choice of four dishes costs £18.95 and a choice of six costs £21.95 per head.
The cold buffet, including honey and garlic mustard-glazed ham and roasted vegetable paella, costs £16.95 for four dishes and £19.95 for six.
Seasonal cocktails
Wet sales can be boosted all year with jugs of drinks, such as seasonal cocktails and cider. James Phillips, licensee of Enterprise lease the Albion in Clifton, Bristol, says: “Winter is our strongest trading period and encouraging people to share helps boost profits when the temperature drops.
Our large warming kettles on the back-bar are full of our Albion mulled cider and Winter Pimm’s. A jug of cider costs £15 and over the festive period we sold 250 gallons.” Hot Winter Pimm’s is sold by the half-pint (£4.50).
“Our jugs of summer cocktails sell well in the warmer months. People enjoy fresh fruit drinks made with berries, and Elderflower Collins — vodka, elderflower, lemon and crushed ice — is a top choice at
£18 per jug.”
