Star Pubs & Bars launches specialist food workshops
The company will run four free workshops: on meat and poultry, fish and shellfish, menu development and healthy eating and allergens.
‘Massive income opportunity’
Lawson Mountstevens, managing director of Star Pubs & Bars, said: “Food is a massive income opportunity for pubs. Customer expectations are higher than ever and the food has got to be good for licensees to succeed."
Star Pubs & Bars has invested £24k into the scheme, from which 240 of its sites will benefit in 2016.
“Trained kitchen staff are essential to deliver great food and with a crisis in the availability of qualified people we want to do all we can to make the necessary training available,” added Mountstevens.
Food-centred initiatives
This is the latest in a string of food-centred announcements from the pub company.
Earlier this year, it made public plans to invest £250k into various initiatives - which the workshops are part of - to help Star licensees develop their food offers and tackle the industry’s chronic chef shortage.
Speaking at the time, Mountstevens said this was evidence of the company’s focus on creating “long-term, sustainable leased pub businesses”.
Star Pubs & Bars has also launched pricing agreements with national food suppliers, including Russell Hume Butchers and Direct Seafood, which it said would enable licensees struggling with pricing to sell food at a competitive RSP.
