Summer Menus - Menu masterpieces

PubChef asks Phil Marshall, senior marketing manager of Woodward Foodservice, and EBLEX's Hugh Judd for tips on achieving sizzling summer sales:

Consider offering a weekly barbecue and market it properly so that when the sunshine does arrive, you're at the top of everyone's list of places to be. Use large, eye-catching banners.

Customers return from their holidays with a taste for different food and are probably at their most adventurous. EBLEX suggests combining beef and lamb with summer fruit flavours such as strawberries and rhubarb. A seasonal dish of the week could also work well.

Adapt classic dishes to give your menu a new feel. Change hearty, warming dishes to take account of rising temperatures. Roast beef makes a great ingredient in salads or can be served with horseradish in a mini Yorkshire pudding as a starter or light bite.

Delicate flavours mean it is particularly important to ensure the meat on your menu is of a consistently high quality.

Hugh Judd, foodservice project manager at EBLEX, recommends that chefs source meat from a supplier signed to a fully-assured supply chain.

EBLEX offers its own Quality Standard Scheme for beef and lamb. For more details visit www.eblex.org.uk

Summer sundaes - not just a play on words but a must for any summer menu. Create a sundae or sorbet of the week and offer a comprehensive range of ice creams and lollies for the kids.

Create a range of long-drinks and cocktails, both with and without alcohol. Offer pitchers to share and change the flavours frequently to keep regular customers interested.