Business boosters

Ideas for driving food sales at your pub

Rhubarb festival

Where: the Old Bore, Rishworth, West Yorkshire

The idea: When sourcing local suppliers for his latest pub, the Carlton Bore near Thirsk, chef Scott Hessel came across a Yorkshire cheesemonger offering a ewe's milk cheese matured with rhubarb. "Rhubarb is something you either love or hate. I had never heard of a rhubarb cheese before and it inspired me to use more of the vegetable on our menu," says Scott. He adds: "It's a real Yorkshire tradition and, with the forced varieties in season from March, holding a rhubarb festival in April seemed like a great way of using a more unusual seasonal and locally-sourced ingredient."

How it works: Throughout April a specials menu, using rhubarb as the main ingredient, was offered. Dishes included grilled black pudding and foie gras with a rhubarb compote, hot oysters with rhubarb, roast Goosnargh duck breast with ginger, star anise and rhubarb and pomfret cake crème brûlée with poached rhubarb and brandy snaps as well as the renowned rhubarb cheese.

Business benefit: The festival, advertised both in the pub and on its website, created interest among customers with many ordering from the rhubarb menu. "The rhubarb cheese, called Ruby Gold, was a real selling point," says Scott. He now plans to offer themed menus on a regular basis. "At the moment we are holding an asparagus festival, using asparagus supplied by a farm in nearby Helperby, and we are planning another using rare-breed Dexter beef."

Top tip on making the idea work: The idea works with any seasonal ingredient; use less obvious choices to maximise customer interest.