Business boosters
Ideas for driving food sales at your pub
Produce trade-in
Where: Red Hart, Kington, Worcestershire
The idea: Last summer customers at the Red Hart started to bring their excess home-grown fruit and vegetables into the pub for the kitchen to turn into chutneys, jams and desserts. Licensee Barr Pritchard spotted an opportunity to expand on the idea. "We have been considering the project for some time and made a decision to go ahead after much discussion with a lot of our customers," Pritchard explains. The scheme fits well with the Marston's pub's philosophy, which has won several awards for its services to the community. "It's really helped to bring the community together and is a top topic of discussion," says Pritchard.
How it works: Customers are encouraged to clean up the surplus produce from their gardens and bring it along to the Red Hart where it will be graded and weighed. According to demand, customers are then given a credit voucher — based on that day's market prices — to be spent at their leisure at the pub. Pritchard has already received supplies of early season herbs and asparagus and expects variety and quantities to increase as the season progresses.
Business benefit: Although still early in the growing season, there has been a high level of interest in the initiative. "We have had a tremendous response from our customer base, who are very excited about bringing their own produce in and being able to have it as part of a meal prepared by our team of professional chefs," says Pritchard. The scheme, which has been advertised via posters, emails and mailshots, has also broadened the pub's customer base. As Pritchard explains: "We have a new customer with a large allotment in Birmingham who is taking part and is telling others at the allotment about the programme. We even have customers who are increasing the size of their vegetable gardens to take advantage of the offer."
Top tip on making the idea work: Use open-ended credit vouchers to encourage participation.
WHY DO IT
Uses fresh,
local produce
to attract
repeat
business
