Hot rocks
Coming up with an offer that's distinct from the competition is a challenge for any pub. In a location such as the Isles of Scilly it's even more important.
When Stephanie Todd and Grahame Rickard took over as managers of the Atlantic Inn in July 2006, they were looking for something that would differentiate their food offering from other pubs and restaurants on the island.
The Isles have a close-knit community of locals, and Stephanie and Grahame also wanted to appeal to the tourist trade during the busy March-to-October period. The pub's owner St Austell Brewery suggested a carvery, but Stephanie pushed to go one step further with a Black Rock Grill system.
Stephanie says: "When I took over, the pub was in a dire state. There had been a string of managers with no-one staying longer than six months, the staff were de-motivated and the locals were hacked off with the poor food offer.
"On top of this I inherited a £22,000 net profit budget deficit that had to be clawed back. I needed something that would give us the 'wow' factor, get people talking and bring the quality back up."
The oven was evaluated by St Austell catering development manager Paul Drye, and the pub duly took delivery of a 30-rock oven.
The rocks are heated to 440ÞC, after which they are placed into porcelain platters with a compartment at either end to hold sides such as salads or chips. Food is then placed on top of the stones and taken, sizzling, to the table, where customers can cook it at their table.
The pub is now averaging around 140 covers at lunch and the same for dinner, with around one-third of main courses served from the Black Rock Grill. Stephanie says: "We can offer a range of pub classics such as fillet and rump steaks, mixed grills, vegetable kebabs, fish and seafood, but with a twist as customers cook their food the way they like it."
The menu features locally sourced produce such as scallops and beef, and there has been a knock-on effect on sales of side dishes such as dipping sauces, creamy mushroom sauce, and garlic mayonnaise, which are sold at £1.95 a time and generate a high GP.
The benefits have been achieved without any extra strain on the kitchen. "I've not had to employ any extra staff - back or front of house," says Stephanie. "This is not only great from a financial perspective but also from a space point of view, as the kitchen couldn't hold any more staff.
"There is less prep for the chefs to do because most grilled items can be cooked on the rock. This frees them up to spend time on orders from the main menu."
Having cleared the financial deficit, Stephanie and Grahame are now looking to upgrade to a 60-rock oven and widen the menu in time for the summer. "It helped us no end to get on our feet and we've established a fantastic reputation," says Stephanie. "It has that domino effect where customers ask 'what is it they have ordered?' and they want to try it themselves.
"If we had gone with the carvery option I just know it wouldn't have had the same effect, and it would have involved an extra chef and lots of additional preparation."
