Wine and food matching: I recommend...

While food and wine have gone together for quite a few millennia, until quite recently the main thing they had in common as far as pubs were concerned was that ordering either was, quite frankly, likely to be a pretty grim experience.

While there's no doubt that pubs have raised their game to the extent that there's now a good chance that neither the chardonnay nor the soup will be served lukewarm, making the link between food and wine is still an area where many pubs struggle.

Research for the annual Publican Food Report found that a hefty seven in 10 pubs do not recommend wines to customers when food is ordered. The main concern for publicans is usually that staff do not have the knowledge or confidence to recommend a wine to go with a particular dish.

To help support its 1,500 tenants and lessees in this area, Greene King Pub Partners recently revamped its wine offer into six different packages, under the umbrella name of Time For Wine.

Licensees can produce a personalised winelist from any of the six ranges, which can be ordered via the company's PubPartners.net online information resource. The lists include tasting notes - as useful for staff as for customers.

The total choice gives pubs access to more than 200 wines. Pub Partners' marketing controller, Steve Worrall, says: "We're well aware that wine consumption has doubled over the past decade." The aim, he says, is "to help our licensees to further tap into this lucrative market and generate customer confidence in their wine offering".

At the Boars Head in Royston, Hertfordshire, Time for Wine has helped licensee Matt Brazier drive 11 per cent year-on-year growth in wine sales, even though the pub is still in the process of fully implementing the initiative. Matt says: "We always strive to provide a good food and wine offer and a pleasant ambience for customers, so we thought this was an ideal opportunity to continue growth in this area.

"Previously, we offered a choice of four whites and four reds. We have now extended our list to an expertly chosen selection of 14 wines, which we advertise on our chalkboards in the pub. Sales of premium brands are strong, with many of our customers frequently choosing brand names they recognise."

Some of the pub's staff have also attended wine training courses at Green King's Bury St Edmunds head office. "This has also helped us to recommend suitable products to customers." says Matt.

Each package aims to help allow licensees to identify which wine list best suits their outlet and operational style. One option, for example, is targeted at food-led businesses with more adventurous customers, and includes 21 wines including white, red, rosé, sparkling wine and champagne.

For a pub with a simpler food operation, the basic option of an introductory selection of reds and whites with a broad appeal should do the job.

Training courses help staff learn to match food and wine

The Plough in Langford, Bedfordshire, has generated a 20 per cent increase in wine sales since licensee Ben Chapman took over last year. Danny Carpenter, who works with Ben as manager, says: "One of our aims when taking over was to offer good food at a reasonable price, complemented by an extensive wine list.

"Time For Wine has helped us create an extensive wine list that includes a good mix of prices, type of wine and well-known brands meaning that we can offer something for everyone. This initiative was particularly helpful because we had just taken over the pub, and producing your first wine list can be difficult."