Catering development professional
Vince Glouton
executive chef,
Fuller Smith & Turner
Number of pubs: 362 in total; 156 managed.
Vince is responsible for 13 gastropubs and 10 City bars, and provides support to 25 more outlets in the Premium City division. He oversees everything from training to menu development and quality control to working with suppliers and planning new kitchens.
Food sales have shown a strong increase as a percentage of turnover in the past three years and Fuller's has focused on visual impact to give City sites the wow factor. The Vintry, in the City's Cannon Street, has an open kitchen and a clear-fronted chiller cabinet where customers can see meat, oysters and other seafood. City pub the Banker's rotisserie entices customers with the sight and aroma of roasting chicken. The ordering system works like an old-style canteen: customers pay at the bar and take their ticket to the counter to get food. Since revamping the food offer, turnover has doubled. The Fence, in Farringdon, and Red Lion, in Barnes, offer high quality barbecues.
As well as developing concepts, Vince has introduced different meats, including camel, to some of the gastropub menus.
Provenance is important and about 30% of menu products come from named farms, including pork from a Wiltshire farm where pigs are fed on spent yeast from brewing London Pride.
Vince uses a number of suppliers through Hampshire Fare, an initiative in which the brewery is involved corporately.
He says: "Before choosing a named supplier, such as Freedown Food or Simpson Fishery, we look at the economics.
"However much you want to be green and ethical, a kitchen can't lose sight of the fact that long-term success will also depend on sound economic and business principles."
Perry Huntley
catering development manager,
Laurel Pub Company
Number of pubs: 465
Brands in Perry's remit include Slug & Lettuce, Ha! Ha! Bar & Grill, La Tasca, La Vina, Yates's, Litten Tree and some
traditional pubs.
Perry has been involved in several exciting new food initiatives at Laurel over the past 12 months. They include re-inventing and launching the Ha! Ha! Bar & Grill brand and menu, turning around food performance in Yates's & traditional pubs through new menu offers and design, changing the Slug & Lettuce menu offer to three times a year -breaking the industry model of twice a year - and launching authentic Spanish-style dishes on La Tasca menus.
Perry has worked to introduce new
cookbook dish recipes for all brands, step-changing the approach to launching new food offers and creating the role of area chef coach. The new role drives food skills, food sales, food profit and food safety at local level. He believes the key to being successful is to be "brilliant at the basics".
Dean Snee
head of food,
Orchid Group
Number of pubs : 290
Orchid operates four food-led divisions: Oriental Restaurant Group, Contemporary Dining, Contemporary Carveries, and Freehouse Dining and Freehouse.
These divisions take in concepts including a two-for-one mid-market dining offer, gastropubs, delis, Fuzzy Ed's childrens' menus and Thai restaurant and English pub concepts.
Dean believes the essence of good pub food is fresh, seasonal produce cooked simply and well, creating the best
environment for chefs and innovation with ingredients, methods and creations.
Initiatives introduced by Dean in the past year include introducing British "farm- assured" produce into its 35 carveries and making Orchid the first pubco with Red Tractor licensees across the carvery estate. Dean has also introduced deli counters in local pubs, Fairtrade coffee and take-home puddings at carvery sites.
This spring also sees the launch of a new grill concept at the Ship Inn, in Rainhill, Merseyside. Special features will include a starter bar, fishmonger and butchers' counters, an open grill and a traditional dessert trolley.