Snacks Focus: Grab a pizza the action
Whatsamatta you? Pizzas are a quick and relatively simple way for pubs to offer a snack menu outside normal kitchen hours. Ideal as a sharing dish, flexible in terms of toppings, and simple for staff to make, a basic pizza menu can generate considerable extra trade.
With takeaway pizza boxes available to pubs through foodservice suppliers, customers shouldn't need much persuading that taking a pepperoni and mushroom home is a much more civilised option than risking the kebab queue at closing time.
Suppliers have gone out of their way to help pubs recreate that all-important authentic pizzeria taste. The launch this summer of three new 12-inch wood-fired pizzas from the Knorr Collezione Italiana range was directly inspired by Mintel research showing that consumers are looking for pizzas with a wider choice of authentic toppings.
The range includes three flavours - Salami, Ham, Mozzarella and Rocket; BBQ Chicken and Mixed Peppers; and Mediterranean Vegetable and Mascarpone.
Every Collezione Italiana Premiere pizza is individually handmade in Italy, so no two look the same. The thin and crispy bases are hand-thrown from a freshly proven dough ball and baked in a wood-fired oven before being frozen. The pizzas take eight to 10 minutes to cook in a standard oven with no need for specialist pizza equipment.
Laurence Smith, category marketing director for Knorr brand owner Unilever Foodsolutions, says: "We are seeing a growth in consumer demand for products that echo the taste of Italian, with diners becoming increasingly adventurous in their menu choices and prepared to pay a little extra for premium ingredients.
"The new range ticks all the boxes for operators looking to tap into these emergent market trends; they allow caterers to deliver pizzas of supreme quality, taste and authenticity to match their customers' high expectations."
To support the launch, Knorr is offering pubs point-of-sale material including tent cards, beer mats, specials boards and banners, as well as a free menu service. Discounts are also available on counter-top ovens, cutters and utensils.
Eat in or take away
Greene King introduced Knorr Collezione Italiana 12-inch pizzas into some of its managed pubs last year. The range has proved to be a real success with customers and an important generator of extra revenue.
The Eager Poet in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, was a standard local community pub until, last September, a major refurbishment converted a dead corner of the pub into a busy pizza servery.
Manager Shannon Kelly says: "Selling the pizzas has helped to improve the ambience in the pub with more customers making an evening of it."
The Eager Poet sells five varieties of 12-inch pizzas at £4.95 each and runs occasional special offers such as "buy one, get one free".
The pizzas are a hit with regulars, especially in the evenings, at weekends and when the main menu has finished and customers are looking for a snack to enjoy with their beer. The Eager Poet also offers a takeaway pizza service that has added real value to the menu.
Word of mouth
At the Buff in Orpington, Kent, manager Greg Weall introduced the Collezione Italiana range on the recommendation of a fellow licensee.
He says: "Our main menu prepared by our chef is available from 11am to 3pm, but now we also provide an all-day pizza menu which all our staff are able to cook without any special training."
The Buff has added incremental food sales, using a prominent external sign, posters and table-talkers to advertise the pizza menu. However, the best advertisement is the aroma of a pizza wafting around the pub. "The effect on our food revenue has been staggering," says Greg.
Knorr Collezione Italiana, Unilever Foodsolutions careline: 0800 783 3728, www.unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk
