A hot favourite

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It's a warming thought - according to the survey carried out for the annual Publican Food Report, soup is still the number one starter in pubs, and...

It's a warming thought - according to the survey carried out for the annual Publican Food Report, soup is still the number one starter in pubs, and the most popular in terms of total dishes. As a versatile, quick and easy-to-make snack, soup can be a useful driver of sales in pubs.

Coral Rose, head of marketing at RHM Foodservice, says: "Soups are a classic pub food dish and a convenient option for publicans to serve as they can be doubled up as both a starter and a main course. Plus, they can be made in advance and left simmering on the hob, freeing up time for licensees to concentrate on the main courses.

"Soups also fit in with the recent snacking trend of today's consumers who want a lighter meal. This makes them a great addition to a pub menu during the hot summer months when people tend to have smaller appetites."

The market has witnessed a growing popularity for thick, chunky, home-made soups made with authentic ingredients as consumer expectations of higher quality and a more authentic feel increases.

However, chopping all the necessary vegetables to make soups from scratch can be very time consuming, and can prove expensive when demand is hard to gauge from day-to-day.

RHM's solution is Sacla's ready-to-use tomato sauces, which include a mixture of chopped vegetables which can be used in soups straight from the tub. The sauces also add a thick and chunky texture.

Dave Howarth, trading director at Woodward Foodservice, says: "Soups are an indispensable option on any menu - they can be served as a lunchtime snack, a starter for an evening meal and the more substantial soups can be served as a main course."

Why not serve a seafood broth as a main course made using whole cuts of fish and served with new potatoes and a tomato and onion salad? Garnishes such as cheese, croutons, pesto or a swirl of cream are a cost-effective way of adding value to soups, while unusual garnishes such as finely-sliced vegetables or toasted nuts and seeds can turn a simple soup into a more premium option.

"When choosing accompaniments to world flavour soups, chefs should start to move away from the standard bread roll. Asian-influenced soups can be served with rice or pickles and lentil soups go well with warm Indian chapattis," suggests Dave.

Contacts

  • RHM 0800 328 4246, www.rhmfoodservice.co.uk
  • Unilever Foodsolutions 0800 783 3728, www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk
  • Woodward Foodservice: 0870 600 6465 www.woodward-foodservice.com

Case study: The Double Barrel, Rotherham

Soup has certainly proven to be a hit with customers at the Double Barrel pub in Rotherham

When Laura Peel took over the Double Barrel in November last year at the age of 26, she became one of the youngest licensees in Yorkshire. However, having managed the pub for the previous four years, she had a clear idea of where the potential for growth in the business lay. Within six months, she had doubled food profits.

Laura says: "I'd been managing the pub for several years so I knew there were things I wanted to change. Our food offering was OK, but we were not maximising our potential. I introduced a new menu that included a range of traditional pub classics so soup was a must."

The Knorr 100% Soup range consists of premium, ambient, ready-to-serve soups in a range of 15 varieties, with both traditional and contemporary flavours.

"Most of our food is home-cooked, which our customers love, but unfortunately we do not have the time to cook everything from scratch. That's why we - and our customers - like the Knorr soups, as they have all the taste and appeal of homemade-style recipes."

The pub charges £1.80 for a bowl of soup and two fresh bread rolls. "We advertise the soup on a 'soups special' board, which is completely separate from the rest of the menu," says Laura. "We have found it tempts customers as a light option even if they were not intending to buy food, which is great."

Unilever Foodsolutions, which produces the Knorr range, offers pubs which buy three or more Knorr products a free menus service. "The sales rep informed me that our menu could be revamped completely free of charge. It has saved us a lot of money, as menus aren't cheap, and they look fantastic."

The company has also launched new Knorr 100% Soup SingleServe Portion in a 250ml microwavable pouch. These are aimed at pubs restricted on time which wish to offer more than one soup flavour without waste. The Double Barrel plans to use the pouches to offer soup outside normal kitchen hours.

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