Business boosters
Ideas for driving food sales at your pub
2-in-1 pies
Where: Weighbridge Inn, Longfords, Minchinhampton, Gloucestershire
www.2in1pub.co.uk
The idea: The 2-in-1 pie was created 30 years ago at the freehouse by the then licensee and has since become a firm favourite with customers. Subsequent owners have all earned a crust from the unusual pies and the pub is now renowned for them. A meal in itself, the pie's recipes are a closely guarded secret, which have been passed down over the years. Licensee Howard Parker says: "The recipes for the pastry and steak and ale filling have been handed down, on scruffy bits of paper, over the years. The creator of the pie still serves them in his pub in Devon, but the Weighbridge is the home of the 2-in-1."
How it works: Served in a large bowl straight from the oven, half the pie contains the customer's chosen filling and the other half home-made cauliflower cheese, before being topped with freshly made pastry and cooked to order. Head chef Gerry Sweeney has extended the range over the years and customers can choose from chicken, ham and leek in a cream and tarragon sauce; pork, bacon and celery in a Stilton sauce; and turkey and trimmings, as well as favourites of steak and mushroom, seasonal game, and salmon in a dill, cream and herb sauce. Vegetarians can opt for a root vegetable and pulse version, and gluten-free pies are also available.
Business benefit: The pub serves an average 700 pies a week, which accounts for 70% of its covers. But the pub is not a one-trick pony. An extensive alternative menu, using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, is also available. "We're lucky that we don't have to advertise. The pies get people in the pub, but the quality of the food and the service brings them back," Parker says.
Top tip on making the idea work: Flexibility. Customers can opt for a mini portion and all fillings are available without the cauliflower cheese. For an additional charge, a broccoli mornay or root vegetable selection can be substituted for the cauliflower cheese.
WHY DO IT
A unique
selling point
