Business booster
Menu ideas: seafood platters and sustainable menus
Seafood platter promotion
Where: Royal Oak, Dacre Banks, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Website: www.the-royaloak-dacre.co.uk
Twitter: @TheRoyalOakInn
The idea Seafood platters served at both lunch and dinner for a limited period.
How it works: For £19.95 per head, guests were able to enjoy a platter of fresh dressed Scarborough crab, Mediterranean marinated scallops, lemon, lime and black pepper marinated prawns, oak-roasted Scottish salmon, smoked mackerel, smoked Scottish salmon and herby marinated Green Lip mussels, garnished with Tiger prawns. The platters were served with salad, new potatoes, warm crusty bread and a selection of dips. Guests received a complimentary glass of prosecco on arrival and were able to order a dessert and coffee for an additional £4.50.
Marketing: The event was promoted using the pub’s Twitter and Facebook feeds, via email, on the pub’s website and in-house.
Be prepared: Seafood was supplied by Neve Fleetwood in Lancashire and delivered daily. Guests wishing to order a platter needed to make a reservation to ensure availability.
Pay-off: A popular event with customers which has been running for several years; provides value for money.
Key benefits: Encourages repeat trade; attracts new customers.
Advice: Owner of the freehold pub, Steve Cock, says: “Make sure the seafood you use is good quality. Get customers talking about the promotion and give something away, like a free glass of fizz, with the platter as customers love the idea of getting something for free.”
Best outcome: 46 platters sold.
Sustainable menu
Where: Pint Shop, Cambridge
Website: www.pintshop.co.uk
Twitter: @PintShop
The idea: A sustainable, two-course menu making use of unloved cuts of pork as well as locally sourced items.
How it works: The menu was provided alongside the pub’s regular offering as part of this year’s Eat Cambridge festival. Guests enjoyed a starter of cheek meat and cider brandy clams served with nettle, organic asparagus and tarragon, with crispy pig’s jowl as a main course.
Marketing: The pub and restaurant, which specialises in British meat and beer, promoted the menu through the local press and also via social media. The Cambridge Organic Food Company, organisers of the festival’s Sustainable Restaurant Showcase, also promoted the menuthrough social media, with Eat Cambridge pushing the offering as part of its promotional activity for the festival.
Be prepared: The menu was offered at different times throughout the festival, which ran from 9th- 24th May. The dishes were presented on a special menu with information about the ingredients and suppliers.
Pay-off:Reduces unnecessary food waste by using more of the animal.
Key benefits: Supports local producers; created a point of interest; generated increased social media activity; introduced pub to new niche suppliers.
Advice: Co-owner of the freehold site, Richard Holmes, says: “It’s a good idea to trial a menu like this on a short term basis, to see whether the appetite is there among customers. It’s also worth working as a collective, with other venues, to create more of an impact; 10 other sites in Cambridgeshire took part in the showcase.”
Best outcome: Promotes the pub’s ethos and raises awareness of responsible sourcing.
