Brewers Fayre sees upturn in healthy orders
Jamie Oliver's campaign for healthier school meals has had a spin-off for pub restaurant chain Brewers Fayre.
The Whitbread-owned brand has found that the number of customers ordering more wholesome meals such as pasta or roast chicken at its 280 pubs has taken an upturn.
Where burgers and nuggets once dominated, more than half customers are regularly ordering more balanced meals.
Children are also actively ordering wholesome meals such as sausage and mash and mini roast dinner. A customer survey found that 35 per cent of children said they preferred to eat the same meals their mum and dad ordered rather than opt for a less balanced choice.
"We've seen a visible change in our customers' eating habits which we can only assume is due, in part, to the Jamie Oliver programme," comments Suzanne Ryder, marketing manager at Brewers Fayre.
We've been adding more balanced dishes, such as our mini roast dinners, to our children's menus for the past 18 months but it's only in recent weeks we've seen an increase in people ordering these dishes over and above the standard kids' favourites."
Brewers Fayre's new children's menu, launched in June, will feature even more variety including dishes such as mashed potato with 'hidden vegetables'; carrot and swede, a mini cottage pie, spaghetti Bolognese, a miniature version of the Glamorgan vegetarian burger from the adult menu and a new cheese pasta.
Mr Ryder adds: "It's amazing that one young man has done more to improve the eating habits of a generation than the combined attentions of nagging parents and government advice - finally good food is cool for kids."
