Dessert Focus: best til last?

DESSERTS HAVE always been something of a sticky issue for pubs, and not just toffee pudding.

The profit margin on selling a dessert at three or four quid can make a big difference to a pub's food sales, but figures suggest that only a minority of pub meals - below 25 per cent - are sold with a dessert.

One reason for this is that by the time most customers have worked their way through a hearty main course, they may not feel like eating a stodgy pudding.

Produce supplier Fresh Direct has been giving the problem some thought, and has come up with some recipe ideas which meet the need for indulgence while still offering a portion of the five-a-day fresh fruit and veg we're all supposed to be aiming for.

Nigel Harris, managing director at Fresh Direct, says: "A good dessert menu relies on striking a balance between the two extremes, ensuring that you can offer consumers a choice.

"Pubs should take full advantage of the fresh, seasonal produce available in Britain, incorporating and adapting their dessert menus to include autumn fruits such as apples, blackberries, damsons, pears and plums.

"As seasonal produce naturally complement each other, it's a great opportunity for operators to easily experiment with ingredients."

Nigel concludes: "Having a good dessert menu is an easy way for operators to increase profits, as consumers often purchase on impulse. By changing them regularly, or teaming them up with main courses, customer interest can be kept high."