Bird-flu scare fails to dent poultry sales say licensees

by Lucy Britner

Fears of the potentially-deadly bird flu have not affected sales of poultry dishes in pubs.

This is despite Alexis Gauthier, chef at the Michelin-starred restaurant Roussillon, in Pimlico, London, taking poultry off the menu as a 'precaution' for his customers.

Gauthier said the move came in the wake of the avian flu scare and claimed that sales of poultry had already fallen dramatically.

However, pub company Mitchells & Butlers confirmed there has been little change in the demand for poultry.

M&B external communications manager Sally Ellson said: 'We have not noticed any downturn in chicken sales. We will continue to monitor the situation closely over the next few weeks.'

The Freemasons in Clitheroe, Lancashire, offers pheasant, partridge, duck and chicken on the menu. Head chef Ian Martin said: 'We've actually had more demand for poultry lately. We haven't had any worries about bird flu.'

Licensee Jackie Cox at the Antelope in Hazelbury Bryan, Dorset, said: 'We haven't noticed a decline in sales of chicken, but we have been erring on the side of caution and cooking it for a little longer.'

Tom Gaffney manager at the Spencer Arms, said: 'It takes a lot to put us Brits off our food. We've still got chicken on the menu and haven't noticed a significant downturn in sales. I think as long as you use high-quality products there shouldn't be a problem.'

Poultry represents 40% of meals served in the UK. Peter Allen, managing director of meat supplier Aubrey Allen, said: 'I think it is a storm in a tea cup - it's pretty much business as usual and our figures for last week are smack on the average.'

Meanwhile, turkey will still feature heavily on pub menus in the run-up to Christmas, with the British Turkey Council insisting it is safe to eat.

A spokeswoman for the British Turkey Council advised chefs to use Quality British Turkey accredited birds.

She said: 'Look for the Quality British Turkey mark - it's constantly updated and is one of the highest in the world.'

GP WATCH

Matthew Eke, Helyar Arms, East Coker, Somerset

Dish: Beef stew with horseradish mash

Menu price: £10

Gross profit: 'pretty much 100%'

Average sold: 30 a week

Why it's a winner: 'We only do this as a special as we only make it when we've saved enough chains from the fillet, and it doesn't actually cost us anything. When we buy our veg on a Sunday, we nick a few parsnips and carrots and a couple of potatoes for a horseradish mash. It might cost 50p at the most.'