Business boosters

Ideas for driving food sales at your pub

Family Friday

Where: Queens Head Inn, Brandeston,

Suffolk.

www.queenshead-brandeston.co.uk

The idea: On the first Friday of every month, licensee Alan Randall hosts Family Fridays. Children come along to eat from 5pm and bring their parents with them. The emphasis is on good, home-cooked food with children taking priority for the evening. Food is served from early evening, but young 'uns are welcome until 9pm.

Randall says: "For this one service a month, children come first. Parents are encouraged to order simple food for themselves so that it can be served at the same time as their children's meals."

How it works: A "princes and princesses" menu is on offer, with home-cooked favourites available at £5 per head. The menu includes fish & hand-cut chunky chips; salmon & crab potato cakes with spicy potato cubes; sausage & mash with vegetables & gravy; home-made ravioli Bolognese;

cheesy chicken fillets; or specials such as plaice goujons with chunky chips & salad.

Desserts are priced separately and include ice creams, sorbets and chef's chocolate brownies.

Randall adds: "Our food manager has three children of his own, so he knows exactly what appeals to our younger diners. Our job is to offer the best-quality food that we can."

Business benefit: The family days were initially advertised on flyers at a nearby school. "On an average Friday evening at this time of year, we'd serve about 30 customers.

On Family Fridays this increases

to about 50, which means we

even have to turn people away.

We increase covers by attracting families."