Cracking opportunities: Making the most of Easter

With a touch of spring in the air, families gathering to celebrate the first holiday weekend of the year and plenty of fresh seasonal ingredients to explore, pubs have abundant opportunities to tap into Easter demand, whatever the vagaries of the British weather.

So it makes sense to appeal to cross-generational tastes if you want your themed activities and food and drink to have maximum impact.

Diversity is key to boosting trade and loyalty at Liam Salisbury’s freehold Angel Inn, in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria, close to the World of Beatrix Potter, which hosts one of the UK’s biggest Easter egg hunts.

Salisbury’s main veg supplier, Richard Wellock, of Colne, Lancs, sends a regular newsletter listing seasonal vegetables. “It’s great for menu planning,” he says. “For example, asparagus isn’t available for long, and varying vegetarian dishes adds interest for regulars.”

Flavoursome, versatile lamb has always been top of Easter agendas. But with prices at an all-time high, as Tim Abbott, at the Pigs in Norfolk, points out (see case study, opposite page) can most chefs afford it?

EBLEX foodservice project manager Hugh Judd believes they can. He says: “Although price has affected demand for lamb in the retail market, when it comes to eating out, consumers like to treat themselves.

“While consumers are generally eating out less often, the number of lamb servings in the foodservice market increased by 0.8% in the year ending September 2011.”

Judd says pubs can still profit from lamb by being savvier in choosing value cuts such as neck racks, breast and shoulder, ideal for sous-vide cooking, or trying hogget or more mature lamb. For sous-vide tips and recipes, visit www.eblextrade.co.uk​.

The new season presents a host of interesting pairing options, says Clive Watson, co-founder of the award-winning Garrison in Bermondsey, south-east London.

Watson recommends roasted lamb rump, Jersey Royals, curly kale and confit garlic jus (£16.50) paired with Château Les Trois Manoirs 2005 from France’s Médoc region.

“This wine has a well-balanced structure, and is medium-bodied, driven by lots of Merlot fruit, coupled with deeper Cabernet Sauvignon flavours — a classic lamb pairing. Or Rioja is a safe bet with lamb — just ensure your wine is red!” advises Watson. “Lamb and white wines are not on speaking terms.”

Premium steak is on its way back up, forecasts a 2012 guide from Orchid, the 290-strong food-led pub group, featuring expert predictions of trade trends, key issues and challenges. Head of food Sarah Thomas recommends the Red Tractor farm-assured British beef in Orchid’s ‘from the butcher’ section on its Great British Carvery menu.

“This Easter our pubs will show they’re serious about steak, with 21-day aged rib-eyes and sirloins from £10.50, plus lamb,” she says.

With roast dinner recently voted a top British favourite, coming second to the bacon butty in T-Mobile’s recent survey of ‘50 things we love best about Britain’, plenty of gravy is key.

Knorr category manager for sauces Sarah Branagan says: “Large joints of meat are economical, but may not give sufficient juices to produce enough gravy. By using Knorr gravy granules, pub chefs can ensure there’s lashings of gravy to go round.”

And for hectic lunch services, McCain Foods marketing manager Donna Rowbottom recommends pre-prepared roast potatoes.

“Easter is a great time for pub operators to create a positive impression on new customers,” she says. “Using pre-prepared roast potatoes, such as McCain Classic Roasts, is a great way to ensure consistent results, save time and ensure happy customers.”

Making the most of tradition, Good Fish Friday at the Saracen’s Head in Towcester, Northamptonshire (one of Greene King’s Old English Inns), will have fish specials on offer from midday right through until 10pm on Good Friday, 6 April. On Easter Sunday, 8 April, children eat free from the pub’s two menus for youngsters, including one for toddlers.

Fish is also high on the Easter agenda at the freehold Inn at Farnborough, near Banbury, Oxfordshire, with a classic range of treats including fish, steak and chocolate. Events get off to a sparkling start with a Good Friday fish feast, including a glass of Prosecco, for £25.

Sunday sees a special Easter Bunny guest, and the inn’s steak & chocolate event from 4pm features char-grilled entrecôte steak, Caesar salad and fries, followed by dark chocolate mousse, with live music in the bar from 9pm. An annual four-mile dog walk organised by the pub on Easter Monday is followed by lunch.

To tempt all ages’ taste buds, BigHospitality, in association with Barry Callebaut (UK), offers The Essential Guide to Chocolate and is showing a chocolate masterclass on 23 March. Both are free at www.bighospitality.co.uk​.

The Garrison’s Watson recommends pairing warm, sticky simnel pudding with vanilla almond ice cream (£5.60) and a 10-year-old Sercial, a dry Madeira from Henriques & Henriques’ Câmara de Lobos. “From the lighter end of the Madeira scale, this wine partners dried fruits and almonds perfectly,” says Watson.

Only local produce is stocked by Julian Newick at his freehold Lifeboat Ale & Cider House in Margate, Kent, including ales, ciders, wines, soft drinks, and pies.

He’s sponsoring beer glasses, branded with Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and RNLI logos, at Thanet CAMRA’s Planet Thanet beer festival in Margate’s Winter Gardens on Good Friday and Saturday (www.easterbeerfestival.org.uk​).

“Sponsorship is a brilliant opportunity — I’ll stock different ales from the festival, to boost sales,” he says.

He stocks 14 Kentish wines, including some from Barnsole Vineyard near Canterbury, and some of Broomfield Orchard’s 40 apple juices.
Seasonal ales are strongly recommended by Miller Fitzgerald, director of trading at Molson Coors (UK & Ireland): “In March we’ll launch Worthington’s Spring Shield and a Sharp’s spring ale, both well-matched to other British produce.”

With the Craft Guild of Chefs, dairy expert Pritchitts has developed a Seasonal Delights 2012 calendar, featuring a creamy fisherman’s pie with mustard mash as one of 12 recipes.

For a copy, send your name, business address and contact details to MarketingAdmin@pritchitt.com​, noting limited availability.

Adding your favourite Easter theme to celebrations and dishes makes the most of spring — and combining feasts with egg hunts, dog walks and other eye-catching activities should help your pub to become an Easter oasis for all.

Case study: The Pigs, Edgefield, Norfolk​

Providing a cross-generational offer has lucrative results for Tim Abbott, head chef and proprietor at the Pigs in Edgefield, Norfolk.
“Trade definitely increases over Easter,” says Abbott. “Our Piglets children’s menu is cooked from scratch, and we offer special drinks.

Children love our indoor playroom and Piggleplay — our outdoor adventure playground built last year. We’ll hide chocolate eggs for children to hunt around the pub and in Piggleplay.

“Lamb prices have risen so much lately that we don’t offer the traditional Easter lamb. One of our most popular Sunday lunch dishes is lemon, garlic & thyme roasted local free-range chicken (£26.95 for two) with rosemary-roasted new potatoes, honey & sage-roasted root vegetables, watercress, bread sauce and gravy.

“Our home-made hot chocolate (£3.75) and peanut butter hot chocolate (£3.95) always go down well. They include marshmallows, melted chocolate, milk, vanilla essence, Horlicks and a dash of amaretto, as well as peanut butter in the peanut butter version.

 “Our Sunday Pudding Club, featuring a table of delicious desserts from 12noon to 3pm, will be in big demand. Customers help themselves — the only rule is that they must have a clean plate before returning (£5.95).”