Orchid adds value to 15 carveries

Orchid Group is offering a value carvery offer in 15 sites, with plans to extend the concept further.

Three new sites are trading as value carveries: the Bread & Cheese in Benfleet, Essex, the Snow Goose in Farnborough, Hampshire and the Peeping Tom in Coventry.

The value carveries are £2 to £3 cheaper per carvery meal than the company's contemporary carvery offer, which focuses on Red Tractor Farm Assured British meats and a premium vegetable offer.

Orchid's contemporary carveries focus on a fresh-led premium food offer in addition to the carvery, while the value carvery focuses on a more pub-led menu. A bolt-on Sunday carvery is also on offer in 25 of the company's Two for One sites, in addition to the main menu, and served from mobile carvery units.

In the 14 weeks to 5 June the company has seen like-for-like food sales increase by 5.5%.

Among sites which have seen strong growth are value carveries the Bold Forester in Southampton, which has seen 49% like-for-like growth and the Spyglass Inn, Weymouth, which has seen 22% like-for-like growth.

Orchid has also invested £100,000 on a new development kitchen adjacent to their Porridge Pot site in Warwick, for food and hot- beverage training.

A new menu has been launched at its Living Room sites. Orchid acquired the business through its takeover of Premium Bars & Restaurants at the end of 2009.

The new offer aims to deliver more choice and value, especially at lunchtimes, with more sharing options and an improved range of dishes designed to appeal to female customers.