AT THE PASS

Ballymaloe Foods were incredibly proud to sponsor ‘At the Pass’ which took place in January 2023 across two webinars.

At The Pass saw both industry and academic experts unite to create these webinars, designed specifically for current needs of hospitality & food related businesses

Some of our team were lucky to attend the sessions and have, very kindly, been given permission to share some of the invaluable advice and information from At the Pass and it’s organisers. For this edition’s Spotlight Feature, we have chosen some key take-home topics from the webinars.

For more information on the At The Pass and the amazing team behind it, please visit https:// www.atthepass.ie/

Pricing Strategies

Led by Tracie Daly and Keith Darcy, this section focused on implementing a ‘tiered pricing’ strategy and identifying factors that will influence your pricing. The familiar ‘good-betterbest’ pricing strategy really does have it’s place on clever menus. This strategy offers customers three options for an item at gradually increasing prices – the ‘good option’, the ‘better option’ and the ‘best option’. This can apply to a set menu, drinks deal, combos and so on.

Remember, even your ‘good’ option should cover your costs and be able to keep you in business. Usually, it will take some trial and error to establish these price points. It can be helpful to review your competitor’s pricing too so you can be better informed on pricing your own dishes, but you should always carry out your own pricing too – no two businesses are the same.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PRICING:

• Company objectives

• Cost

• Demand

• Competition

• Chosen distribution channel

• Economic environment

• Consumer habits

• Government policy

• Miscellaneous factors

Getting Your Business Noticed

In what can sometimes feel like a very saturated market, it is essential for your business to have some stand-out credentials; reasons to attract new customers and ensure repeat visits too. Ali Dunworth and Chris Towers have outlined key points for consideration when trying to get your voice heard:

Sell your story! Customers love to be informed of how your business came to be, so position it front and centre in your marketing communications

Be authentic and unique. Play to your strengths and see what you can offer to customers that no other business is doing

Be relevant for your customers. How can you incorporate on-trend topics to keep customers interested?

Be quirky – it will get you noticed!

Have a strong social media presence and provide your followers with up-to-date messaging on your team, your story, your values, menu changes, opening hours –everything YOU would like to see from your favourite business

HEALTH & WELLBEING IS KEY

Patrick McKeown, author and breathing coach, delivered some incredible insights on what the human body needs for optimal health and functioning, many of which are neglected in periods of high stress. He focused on using your breathing as a tool for overall health. Reiterating the importance of breathing through your nose as opposed to your mouth, he explained both the calming ability and health benefits of nasal breathing, as the air is filtered through your nose – not through your mouth. Patrick spoke about the human Hierarchy of Needs, and learning to tune into your body’s awareness. These needs are outlined in the below pyramid:

HIERARCHY OF NEEDS (REVISED)

You cannot give your business the love and support it needs to thrive if your own body is deprived of these same needs. It will inevitably reflect in your actions, responses and overall wellbeing.

Huge thanks to all contributors to At the Pass for allowing us to include the above content in this edition of Delicious Magazine..