Getting your pub menu in shape

Michelle Perrett looks at ways pub caterers can make their pub menus healthier.

January comes and many people desperately attempt to start off the new year in a healthier way. People start joining gyms, attempt to cut down on their fat intake and introduce a healthy diet or eat Special K for two weeks.

But offering healthier options to customers shouldn't just be a January focus. It should also be part of a pub caterer's all-year offer.

With the Government keen to target the UK's obesity problem, pub caterers have a role to play in providing healthy alternatives to customers who still want to go out and enjoy a drink, but don't necessarily want to eat fattening chips or eat just a salad. And there is a market for it. The latest Mintel report shows that 60% of Brits say they prefer food that is naturally low in fat or calories and two-thirds (63%) of consumers who have dieted in the past three years have done so using reduced calorie foods.

Research by market analysts him! shows "more healthy options" would encourage 51% of customers to buy food in pubs, particularly from kids' menus, so it is an opportunity pub caterers cannot afford to ignore.

Of course, we aren't suggesting you transform your menu into a low-fat, low-carb, low salt-only zone, but it is important that you offer your customers the choice to enjoy a healthier option if desired.

Responding to demand​

JD Wetherspoon has seen an increasing demand for healthier dishes, particularly those lower in fat, or calorie-controlled meals. In the past year it has introduced new dishes that have less than 5% fat and has listed this lower calorific content on its printed menus. It now offers sweet chilli noodles (296 calories), spaghetti bolognese (485 calories) and British beef casserole (559 calories).

The chain has seen consumers demand healthy breakfast options such as fresh fruit salad & low-fat natural yoghurt; and porridge with strawberry and blueberry compote. The company's senior food development manager, Jameson Robinson said: "A lot of our menu development work is driven by what our customers are asking for, via feedback from our pub teams, Facebook, our website or letters and emails. We also trial any potential dishes in our pubs before national launch, to check that they are of the highest quality."

The chain has also introduced a new function to its website. "This enables customers to set their needs and get a list of suitable dishes. We cater for low-fat, calorie-controlled, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and dairy-free customers and want a simple way for customers to find out what they can eat rather than listing what they can't," adds Robinson.

Use lower-fat options in standard products​

S&NPC food development manager Ben Bartlett advises licensees to cut down on fried food on menus and consider changing the types of oil they use in cooking. "Olive oil is a great oil for salads but it becomes a bad fat when it is heated as it changes its molecular structure. Oils such as rapeseed, corn oil and sunflower oil are all good, although it depends on what you are cooking."

He advises licensees to consider using lower-fat options of standard products such as mayonnaise and sauces because the taste and quality of these products has really improved.

Shepherd Neame head development chef Simon Howlett agrees, saying: "We are looking into reducing the amount of deep-fried produce and moving to more healthy cooking options, reducing overall fat content.

"We are looking at rice dishes, pastas and noodles, with less of the heavy, creamy sauces and for our steaks and meats more marinades and spice rubs."

Speak to your local council​

Many local authorities run local initiatives to promote healthier eating among people in the community.

Contact your local trading standards and environmental health department to see if they run any particular schemes. Carol Haime, licensee at the Sandrock in Farnham, Surrey, is involved with Eat Out Eat Well — an initiative with Surrey County Council that recognises local businesses for promoting healthy eating.

"Accreditation of this kind gives a great deal of credibility to your offer and can provide invaluable free publicity," adds Haime.

Under the scheme the council offers to assess the nutritional value of dishes.

And don't forget, if your local authority doesn't offer a system such as this, suggest it does.

Drinks deals​

While everyone is looking at healthy food options, don't forget the alcohol. For example, Drake & Morgan is offering a January £10 belt-tightener — a skinny beefburger, served with Allens of Mayfair prime beef (without the bread bun and fries) and served with a fresh and healthy salad, along with a skinny cocktail (under 100 calories) for just £10.

On offer are the skinny Russian rose Martini — Smirnoff black vodka with lychee liqueur and ginger syrup, served in a coupette and garnished with a rose petal. Hot cocktails include the Warm Skinny Belle — Buffalo Trace mixed with cranberries, Earl Grey tea and a touch of agave nectar cream; or Warm Skinny Green Blossom — fresh green tea and Smirnoff black vodka with kiwi, and strained with lavender bitters.

Market your offer​

While providing lots of options may well promote healthy eating among customers and boost your business, it is important to ensure your pub markets this to the community.

No point having healthy tasty options on the menu if no-one knows about it. Enterprise leaseholder Carol Haime advises emailing a story about any new healthy menu, together with a picture, to local newspapers.

"Often they will print the story almost exactly as you worded it. Editorial is far more effective than advertising, especially with a picture, and it's free," she says.

Nutritional information​

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) continues to work on a voluntary basis with 45 companies, including pub operators Greene King, Marston's Inns & Taverns, Mitchells & Butlers, JD Wetherspoon, Punch and Whitbread.

The FSA aims to make menus healthier, with the companies making yearly healthy eating commitments on cutting salt and fat in dishes, promoting healthier options and providing diners with more nutritional information.

Mitchells & Butlers' brands Harvester and Scream were among 21 food operators to take part in the menu calorie-labelling trial, which was launched in 2009.

All but five operators (Wimpy and Pret A Manger are among them) have abandoned labelling calories on menus, but many are now offering nutritional information on their brands' websites, including M&B's Harvester and Toby Carvery, and Whitbread's Brewers Fayre.

Clapham House Group-owned The Real Greek restaurant chain has retained providing calorie counts on the menu.

Liz Williams, managing director of The Real Greek, says: "We decided during the FSA trial to put this into all of our six sites.

"My view is this is where the industry is going. At the time, we still had high-calorie dishes on the menu — one of which was close to 900 calories.

"People who are on a diet will often choose not to eat out. When we first put this on the menu we saw an uplift in sales and we think this contributed."

Interestingly, the chain did see a slight drop-off in sales in the high-calorie dishes — and this has also worked to The Real Greek's advantage.

Williams adds: "When we do a menu refresh, we look at what we can do to bring the calories down and have used this trial to come up with menu innovation."

Product innovation​

Many suppliers are recognising that healthier options for busy licensees represent a win-win situation. Here is some of the latest product news.

Bernard Matthews cuts salt​

Bernard Matthews Foodservice is actively reducing salt, fat and saturated fat in its meat products to meet Food Standards Agency targets for 2012. The company offers a wide selection of turkey products, including British uncooked turkey top and boneless single breast turkey lobe, as well as cooked turkey saddle, all suitable