Seasonal menu autumn: Keep choices fresh
AS THE sunshine fades and the nights draw in, pubs need to offer new menus to reflect the season and provide food that's comforting. "Pubs and kitchen staff are constantly under pressure to produce consistent, high-quality meals day after day with limited budgets and limited frozen storage space," says Matt Godbold, Moy Park Foodservice's marketing manager."And with the chilly months, and the traditional autumn festivities of Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night approaching, customers will be expecting warming offerings on the menus."
Working closely with pubs, the company has developed a versatile product range which can be used across all meal occasions.The company provides category advice for pubs and has a website, Menu Makers, the menu planning solution, which provides seasonal serving suggestions.
A great way of incorporating autumnal dishes onto the menu and keeping choices fresh and exciting, is to introduce a specials board. "They offer a huge opportunity to up-sell products, keep your menu fresh and your customers interested," says Matt."Consumers look to specials boards for alternatives to the main menu, making them ideal for dishes inspired by the season, plus dishes on a specials board are perceived to be made from scratch and therefore offer added value."
For example, nothing will melt away the autumnal blues quicker than warm and oozing cheese, yet warm cheese dishes seem to have been forgotten for starter menus in recent years.
With the cheese market in the UK currently worth £1.9bn, it is clear to see the profit potential of offering this consumer favourite on the menu. Moy Park's baby camembert is smooth, creamy and fully matured and coated in a delicious seasoned crumb - perfect for a simple yet stunning starter served alongside cranberry relish and a side saladSharing platters
Matt says: "With combos accounting for 10 million meal occasions in UK pubs in 2006, it makes sense for pubs to offer combos on the menu. They also make a great staple for an off-peak menu.
"The secret of a successful platter is to provide a mixture of products, textures, colours and shapes alongside a range of condiments and dips."
Pubs can create their own combos including chicken, vegetable and cheese bite-sized products plus ethnic-style products such as spring rolls and falafels. Alternatively, Moy Park's Kitchen Range Mixed Prawn or Mixed Chicken Combo cases are available, featuring a range of tasty treats to provide great profit-making opportunities.
Hand-held snacks come into their own at Hallowe'en and Bonfire Night parties, and can be expanded beyond beefburgers and hot dogs.The Chickwich Premier range enables pubs to offer tasty burgers made with 100 per cent chicken breast. The range includes battered Chickwich steak, battered hot & spicy Chickwich steak, wholemeal steak, breaded chicken quarter pounder and breaded chicken breast burger - all a perfect size for slotting into a bun with ketchup and onions.
"Warm desserts with lashings of custard are traditional favourites from everyone's childhood that provide comfort. With the harvest time providing orchard fruits, pub chefs can offer a taste of autumn on the dessert menu with a traditional apple pie," says Matt.
Moy Park Foodservice's American apple pies are individual pastries filled with a bramley and golden delicious sauce. They are ideal served warm with custard, cream or ice-cream but can also be sold as a snack throughout the day. Visit www.moyparkfoodservice.com/menumakers
