Licensees offering exciting Easter events
The Eight Bells, in Long Crendon, Buckinghamshire, is hosting a ‘festival of fun’ across the four-day period. Events include a charity raffle, a charity dog show, a comedy sports day and a charity stocks event, where pubgoers can pay for the privilege of ‘gunging’ a local celebrity.
The festival will be supported by a barbecue menu, which includes a Senegalese beef, peanut curry and rice dish, as well as two kebab options – garlic and herb chicken, and marinated vegetable and halloumi.
Daily specials include a pork, apple and black pudding burger, and a smoked hot dog with coleslaw. Breakfast butties will be available daily from 10am to noon.
Plan for lamb
Synonymous with Easter, lamb is to feature heavily on the menus of the six south London outlets operated by Renaissance Pubs. Supplied by partner farm Locks Drove, the company is making both half and whole leg of lamb options available for groups of up to 20 and up to 40 respectively, as long as they book by 16 April. Renaissance also has special kids’ menus at all of its pubs.
Easter games
Egg hunts are set to remain a popular way of keeping children entertained at Easter. The Roebuck, near Otley, West Yorkshire, will be complementing its egg hunt with an appearance from the Easter bunny, a bouncy slide and face painting.
Roasts will be available throughout the weekend, and a fish sharing platter for two (£20) will be available on Good Friday.
Ribble Valley Inns has found an alternative approach to keeping children entertained this Easter. During the weekend, pubs in the four-strong Lancashire pub group will be giving out Easter bunnies for children to decorate. The winning iced-bunny will win a family meal for four and a baking set.
There’s no reason why adults can’t be included in competitions as well. London-based ETM Group is encouraging pubgoers to look for Easter eggs across its five sites from 18 to 25 April.
The pubs, which include the Jugged Hare, in Barbican, and the Botanist, in Sloane Square, will reward winners with money-off deals and complimentary meals.
Sundaes and brownies
Novel desserts also tend to do well at Easter. At the Horseshoe in Warlingham, Surrey, the Easter specials menu – which has been available since March – includes an Easter egg sundae. Made with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, mini eggs, fresh cream and wafer, the sundae is available for £5.50.
The Rat Inn, in Anick, Northumberland, will be having Creme Egg brownies on this year’s menu. Served with ice-cream for £4.50 or £3 as a takeaway, the novelty brownies are expected to exceed the 75 sold last year.
