The national British Food Fortnight, positioned to focus on the harvest season, occurs at the end of this month giving pubs and restaurants the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to locally sourced food & drink and cook up a storm with some of the best produce in the world. We think there are some real benefits of this annual event which could well see an increase in your footfall this Autumn.
British Food Fortnight – 23rd September to 8th October
With huge industry names such as Raymond Blanc OBE and Liz Earle MBE as ambassadors for Love British Food who have created the British Food Fortnight, you will be in good company. There are opportunities for bar and restaurant owners to boost their business and highlight the wide variety of food on offer in the British Isles and even get involved in competing for recognition of fine fayre. Here are our tips for making the most of the season’s activity.
Embellish your menu
Discerning customers love to know where their food has been sourced so it’s good to be able to demonstrate how your menus have been assembled from the locality. Subtle additions to your menu text could simply involve name checks for the farms and growers that provide your meat, vegetables and dairy produce, for example, “Local Farm (insert name as appropriate) grown broccoli.” Assuming that your customers don’t already know where your produce is sourced, there are opportunities to develop good relationships with your local suppliers and gain mutually beneficial tie-ins.
Get those pumps and taps ready!
The same is true for getting in some good local beers as we mentioned in this previous blog post. The chances to combine food and beer from your area are perfect. Clean your lines and order in some kegs and casks from those exciting new breweries in your area!
Build your reputation to boost future bookings
Gaining a name for freshness and quality of food during the British Food Fortnight can give those with an eye on the long term a way to secure future business, whether Christmas parties, weddings or special anniversaries. Tell people about your support of great food and it will add prestige to your establishment. Try offering tasting or sharing platters to your menu featuring local cheese, charcuterie, salad and preserves that showcase your regional produce and, in business terms, also yield good margins.
Get the press involved
Don’t just save your best stories for the people who happen to drop in to sample your beer and food offering, look at ways that you can leverage them for the local press. Put a call into your local newspaper and let them know about your planned events and how you are assisting the local economy. If you’re new to PR, why not work with one of your suppliers to build an interest item that serves you both, perhaps how you are working together for sustainability and freshness that gives customers greater choice and variety. It’s a good idea to commission some great photos to build a portfolio of images for local journalists, your website and social media or for awesome menu design.
As an established British company based in an area with a proudly agricultural heritage, Beer Piper has always been a champion of fresh produce and in particular the hundreds of brewers, pub tenants, restaurant owners and farmers that we know are dedicated to quality. That’s why we help our customers to offer the best to their patrons who are seeking a quality experience when eating and drinking out. We’d love to know about your plans for supporting the best of British during British Food Fortnight and if we can assist your superior cellar management through cost effective, pristine line cleaning, give us a call today.
