Meat chiefs rap pubcos for limited effort on menus

Pub companies are not doing enough to tell their customers where their meat comes from, according to the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC).

The MLC launched its menu transparency campaign in autumn 2003 to encourage pubs and restaurants to inform customers where the meat on their menu comes from.

Although independent pubs, high-quality restaurants and fast food outlets have taken the initiative on board, pub companies have not followed their lead.

"We are very disappointed in the way the big companies have resisted taking on the initiative," said Richard Lowe, marketing director at the MLC.

He said it is a customer service issue and pubs need to provide customers with information they want.

"The eating out market and interest in food has grown enormously over the last few years," he said. "Pub companies can't benefit from that increased interest if they don't react to it by providing customers with the information they want."

Mr Lowe said menu transparency is not about buying British but simply informing customers where the meat comes from.

"It's not impossible, even for big companies," he said. "If you have a variety of suppliers, make that an advantage by telling customers you go to several sources in order to find the best beef - to Argentina, Ireland or wherever."

And he said pub companies were being put to shame by fast food chains.

"McDonald's puts nutritional and origin information about its products on its website and it has a hard copy in each restaurant that customers can ask to see," he pointed out. "If McDonald's can do it, why can't pubs?"

According to the MLC many pub companies believe they will lose business if they tell customers their meat is not British but Mr Lowe said this was not the case.

"It's actually done very well with fish - you see Alaskan salmon on menus for example - where they make the source a selling point," he said. "Pubs can do that with meat."

The MLC's research into the issue discovered if customers are not told where their meat comes from they assume it is British - which means, according to Mr Lowe, that not informing them is misinforming them by default.

"This is a real opportunity for pubs," he said. "Start with bite-size chunks, the steaks perhaps, but do something about menu transparency and do it soon. Be proud of your ingredients."

For more information and a copy of the MLC's best practice guide to menu transparency visit www.mlc.org.uk or contact 01908 677577.

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