Seasonal food focus: Meat for lean times

Related tags Pork

Economy and value for money are always a feature of early spring menus, as consumers keep a close eye on post-Christmas spending, and this trend will...

Economy and value for money are always a feature of early spring menus, as consumers keep a close eye on post-Christmas spending, and this trend will be even more marked this year.

Pork is always good value for spring menus, and is versatile enough to help pubs ease the pressure on ingredient costs. At the moment, it's important to maintain very strict management of food costs without compromising customer expectations and satisfaction.

Tony Goodger, foodservice manager of BPEX, which promotes British pork, has come up with some ideas to help pubs maximise profit margins:

Speak to suppliers regularly - ask what pork cuts are on offer. Don't simply leave your order on an answerphone as you are unlikely to benefit from any price reductions or promotions.
Be innovative - don't be afraid to twin a smaller portion of a more expensive cut such as loin with a larger portion of a cheaper cut, such as belly pork. This will still give great plate presentation and also add interest to the dish.
Think versatility and seasonality - pork is highly versatile and lends itself to being served with a wide variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables. Opting for seasonal plate accompaniments can reduce the total cost of the dish, yet consumer interest should be heightened, thus allowing you to charge a slight premium for the meal.
Sausages, sausages, sausages - as a popular menu item sausages are excellent value for money and can be served in a variety of ways. Use good-quality sausages matched with high-quality plate accompaniments to create excellent gross profit.
Serve up extra profit from a Sunday pork roast - pork roasting joints are not as expensive as other joints but customers like the fixed priced menus of a Sunday carvery, which allows for greater margins to be earned. Roast shoulder of pork is succulent, produces excellent crackling and is great value for money.

Tony says: "Pork is a fantastically versatile and cost-effective ingredient and is hugely popular with customers when eating out. This makes it a must for any type of menu, but particularly so during these increasingly difficult times.

"As well as the five tips above, it is also worth thinking about how pork dishes are listed on the menu. If the meat is locally produced, for example, or from a special breed, make sure you include that information on the menu, as it will give customers an extra incentive to choose it."