World Cup: feeding the fans
Lesley Foottit looks at more ideas for match-time munching.
Heaven and haven
Wadworth is splitting its estate into football heaven, those showing the football, and football haven, those that aren't. In the "heaven" site pubs Heineken and Carlsberg are getting involved with the bespoke aluminium bottle from Budweiser. Wadworth is supporting its own brands, including 6X, its most popular beer, and St George & the Dragon, which is on sale all the way from St George's Day through to the World Cup as the beer of England.
In the football haven pubs Wadworth will be running a South African wine competition where there is a chance to win one of 50 mixed cases of South African wine — a gentle acknowledgement to the World Cup.
Footie food
Town & City Pub Company brand Yates's is offering footie food from £1.99. Dishes include cheese and bacon burger, 20 chicken wings and chilli con carne.
Cask ale St George's Cross — brewed especially by Wells & Young's for the World Cup — will be on sale for £1.29.
Town & City will also be hosting several one-day only special offers. On 19 June, the day after England's second match against Algeria, fans can "debrief the England game over a big breakfast and a Red Bull for £5.
Free pints
Geronimo Inns is welcoming football fans and offering all members of the Geronimo Club a celebratory pint from Carlsberg after every home win. Each of the 28 pubs will be screening the games, providing full table service during key matches and taking pre-orders for drinks to be delivered at half time.
The pubs will also offer picnic platters, buckets of bottled beer, pitchers of beer, flasks of tea, cupcakes and a full summer drinks menu.
There is no booking allowed in the main rooms, but the 'Guv'nor's table' can be reserved by Geronimo Club members for £100, half of which goes to charity. Full English banquets and picnic tables will be available.
Reserving a seat
Football fans won't go hungry at Grand Union pubs this summer. The group, which operates eight pubs in London, will show all matches and customers can reserve any area on any day of the week and tuck into large sharing platters.
The dishes will be offered at a reduced rate when pre-booking — £25 for one and £45 for two platters — to ensure the pubs can prepare for busy key matches.
Each one feeds up to six people and includes mini classic burgers, blackened fiery chicken skewers, fresh Maris Piper chips and a selection of dips, such as blue cheese, tomato relish and mayonnaise.
Authentic food
With the World Cup taking place in South Africa, make fans feel as though they are really there with authentic food. Lamb Weston supplies cream cheese peppadews — a sweet piquante South African pepper, bread-crumbed and filled with a rich cream cheese.
Peppadews are known for their sweet heat that spice up a menu without overpowering other flavours. The peppers can be used as part of a sharing platter and can be supplied to pubs in 6 x 1kg packs.
For more information visit www.lambweston.com.
BPEX boost
Pork promotional body BPEX has launched a Score with Pork promotion targeting pubs screening World Cup games this summer.
Free PoS kits containing a wall planner, poster, entry tickets and recipe leaflets are available on a first-come first-served basis.
BPEX has come up with six new recipes for the summer including Greek-style pork skewers in pitta bread and pork, plum and sage rolls. For more information visit www.porkforcaterers.com.
Booker's Geoff Hurst link
Booker has signed an exclusive deal with 1966 World Cup hero Sir Geoff Hurst to front its World Cup campaign. As well as Sir Geoff appearing on PoS, there will be an exclusive competition for Booker customers to win 42-inch plasma TVs and other World Cup memorabilia.
To help caterers build on the need for quick and convenient food pre-match, at half time and full time, Booker is offering a range of "World Cup Winners" to suit a fully equip-ped kitchen or simply a microwave.
Covering everything from nachos through to chilli & rice, gourmet burger & chips and chicken goujons & wedges, there will be choices for everyone.
These are ideal for customers who may want to stand and can be used as a way to keep customers after matches. With some plate costs as low as 25p, this could be a perfect way to increase sales and profits.
It's party time
Licensees have the chance to win a World Cup Kick Off Party for England's opening game on Saturday 12 June, courtesy of Moy Park Foodservice.
The company's branding will flash around the World Cup pitch during England, France and Netherlands games as part of a deal by parent company Marfrig's wider sponsorship of the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
One lucky pub will win £100-worth of Moy Park sharing platter products, £150 towards more food and drink, six bottles of sparkling wine and a PoS kit with balloons, bunting, posters and tent cards.
To be in with a chance to win the party visit www.moyparkfoodservice.com.
The pieing game
Football fans will be treated to a special range of World Cup pies at Peach pub the James Figg in Thame, Oxfordshire.
Manager Frazer Sutherland and local pie company Brother Toms have come up with six nation-themed fillings including steak and stout (England), Bolognese (Italy), patatas bravas (Spain) and chicken peri peri (South Africa). The pies include deep-fill, large sized oval and rectangular pies and a smaller snacking pie.
A pie and pint promotion is being offered at a price of £5. Sutherland is also planning to team up the pie fillings with beers from the same country.
