On-Trade Progress Issue 17

ISSUE 17

we interview carole byron, owner & manager of newly- opened lady of the grapes

Tips from Fat Media on how to further your social media outreach How to prepare your venue, the sort of drinks you can offer, craft beers and more!

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NATIONS UNITED FEEL IT ALL

BRING YOUR CUSTOMERS TOGETHER FOR AN AUTUMN PACKED WITH LIVE INTERNATIONAL SPORT New UEFA Nations League Wales v Republic of Ireland Thursday 6 September, 7.45pm Northern Ireland v Bosnia Saturday 8 September, 2pm Denmark v Wales Sunday 9 September, 5pm

England v Spain Saturday 8 September, 7.45pm

Scotland v Albania Monday 10 September, 7.45pm

International Golf Ryder Cup Friday 28 - Sunday 30 September All 3 days exclusively live

Autumn Internationals England v South Africa Saturday 3 November, 3pm

England v Japan Saturday 17 November, 3pm

England v New Zealand Saturday 10 November, 3pm

England v Australia Saturday 24, November, 3pm

Plus, huge live games from the Premier League, EFL, SPFL and Carabao Cup, including: Tottenham v Liverpool Saturday 15 September, 12.30pm

Arsenal v Everton Sunday 23 September, 1.30pm

Liverpool v Man City Sunday 7 October, 4.30pm

Chelsea v Man Utd Saturday 20 October, 12.30pm

Call 0844 417 5857 or visit business.sky.com/pubs Sky Sports requires a Sky subscription, equipment and installation. Scheduling may be subject to change. Further terms apply.

Calls to Sky cost 7p per minute plus your provider’s access charge. Correct at time of print: 20/08/2018.

r ine e. o l ite ach ssib s On om M s po o tion r ow ra Sh onst m De

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ON-TRADE PROGRESS TEAM Editor-in-Chief

Mya Medina Mya@ontradeprogress.com

Editor

Connor Allen Editor@ontradeprogress.com

Editor

Jon Hardy Jon@ontradeprogress.com

Publication Manager

Max Murphy Max@ontradeprogress.com

Dear readers,

A

s the public begs the question of when this heatwave will end? Hospitality is actually rejoicing. This hot weather has seen more people get out to bars, pubs and clubs than before looking for shelter from the sun and somewhere to enjoy a nice, cold beverage We’ve been out ourselves this month, exploring some great establishments across the capital and the whole UK to find some truly unique offerings. For example, we were welcomed to the St James Bar in the Sofitel London St James where we were served samples from its latest musical-themed cocktail menu. Each cocktail has been intricately designed and reflects great music legends such as Bob Marley and Daft Punk (page 42).

Account Executive

On-Trade Progress visited the London Craft Beer Festival earlier this month, where we sampled some of the best beers our industry has to offer. With more young people drinking craft beer than ever; we ask is brewers are noticing a change in demographic on page 32.

Head of Production

Our venue of the month is Lady of the Grapes; a new female-focused bar and deli opening in London’s Covent Garden which prioritises women winemakers. We interview Carole Byron, who discusses her vision for the venue and the process to getting Lady of the Grapes up and running (page 8).

Dan Allen Dan@ontradeprogress.com James Dorrington Design@ontradeprogress.com

Subscriptions Manager

Anna Stevens Subscriptions@ontradeprogess.com

Publishing Director

On page 70, we explore some of the latest techniques in digital marketing, more specifically, we look at social media. Using case studies from hospitality venues and tips from experts, we discover how hospitality can utilise social media to further footfall.

Ryan Bunce Ryan@ontradeprogress.com

Moreover, we focus on some of summer’s hottest drinks by exploring classics, such as Pimm’s, as well as the latest sensation to hit the UK, orange wine.

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in On-Trade Progress however, the publishers accept no responsibility for any claims or opinions made by the contributors or advertisers. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, mechanical, electronic (including printing), recording or stored in any information retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisher.

So pack away your flip flops, and enjoy this final summer issue of On-Trade Progress.

Mya Medina Editor-in-Chief

editorial CONTRIBUTORS Bob Pease John Porter

Brewers Association Beer Sommelier

Murray Phillips

Mixologist

Proudly published by BW Media Group LTD

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contents

f e at u r e s 8

8

Lady of the Grapes

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orange wine

Our Venue of the Month is Lady of the Grapes, a bar and deli opening in London’s Covent Garden this month that primarily serves wines produced by female winemakers.

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Orange wine is sweeping the nation and On-Trade Progress discuss why you should be serving orange wine and stay on trend.

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DRINK NEWS Stay up-to-date with the latest drinks news from across the industry.

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Pimm’s We discuss how Pimm’s is the must serve drink this summer.

22

COFFEE INSIGHT

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OUT IN THE OPEN

6

22

On-Trade Progress discusses the rise in popularity of filter coffee, and the more general rise in millennials preference for coffee over alcohol.

On-Trade Progress offers tips on how you can manage outdoor crowd control and queuing during Freshers’ Week.

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32

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Craft beer focus The London Craft Beer Festival came to the capital, we report on this excellent event and discuss how a younger demographic are enjoying craft beer.

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A TASTE OF IRELAND We delve into how you can bring a taste of the famous Irish hospitality to your venue.

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ST JAMES BAR We visit St James Bar in central London to sample its latest music-based cocktail offering.

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TASTE TEST We sample a range of crisps to offer advice on the sumptuous snacks you could be offering in your venue.

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THE COOK ROOM London’s latest shared kitchen space, The Cook Room, is similar to a communal hot desk space, giving hospitality professionals access to the latest kitchen equipment and working space so they can experiment and develop their food offerings.

54

Expert’s opinion We speak to leading hospitality industry experts for their opinion on Government’s report on migration interim report pre-Brexit.

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#Hospitality We bring you the latest industry buzz in social media.

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In the cellar We’ve teamed up with Cask Marque to offer you expert advice on how to manage and maintain your cellar.

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Contactless payments On-Trade Progress study the history of contactless card payments and the importance of offering it to your customers.

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Digital marketing We discuss how hospitality entrepreneurs can be utilising social media to drive footfall to their venue.

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54

62 70

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FROM GRAPE TO GLASS

Women

in

WINE

Lady of the Grapes launches in London this month; On-Trade Progress interviews owner and director, Carole Byron.

T

his month, Lady of the Grapes opens its door in London’s social heart, Covent Garden. Its pull?

Serving wines made predominately from female winemakers.

“Lady of the Grapes is a small wine bar but full of wine made by amazing ‘ladies’!” begins Byron, owner and director of Lady of the Grapes, who elaborates on how she feels the venue will bolster the representation of female winemakers. “I want to represent them as much as I can and ensure they are visible to the public and let people know they exist and they can make wine as good as anyone else.

“We see more and more women taking the lead and being in charge of wine estates and we are really pleased to see that. But like in many other industries, the parity still does not exist and women are often less considered.”

Unfortunately, female winemakers make up a minority of the winemaker community.

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A study conducted in California, found that regionally, only 10 per cent of the winemakers were women. Similar figures are exhibited across the globe when it comes to women in the industry.

Even still, it’s not only female representation Byron is concerned about. She continues: “But it is not only about winemakers, it’s more generally about women in wine. I also have amazing women working with me at Lady of the Grapes who have a great knowledge of wine.”

Realising ambitions Byron herself is a huge part of what makes Lady of the Grapes so special.

In 2015, Byron left her position as an art director in advertising to become the manager of The Grocery Wine Vault in Shoreditch. During this time, Byron acquired wine industry knowledge and further understood how to fulfil her own dreams of opening a wine bar.

The journey to opening Lady of the

FROM GRAPE TO GLASS

to develop her food offering with Victor Garvey; the chef and owner of the Catalan restaurant, Rambla, in Soho, and cheese and wine restaurant, Sibarita, in Covent Garden. Lady of the Grapes is now located on the former site of his first London restaurant, Encant.

Grapes is a rich one; interestingly, the venture has been funded via a Crowdfunding campaign.

Byron elaborates: “It was based on rewards, so people were able to prebuy wine or food or services (like wine tastings or a seat at the Lady of the Grapes). It was more to have visibility and pique the interest of future customers, so they can come as soon as we open the door, as opposed to just raising money. And it was fun to create pledges.

Otherwise we also have partnerships with private investors.”

The location of the venue is important too; with wine being a part of London’s social scene, making sure the restaurant was central was key. Byron adds: “I looked for a long time for the ideal location. And after months of disappointment, Victor Garvey (who is a close friend, restauranteur and chef) was closing his restaurant ‘Encant’ and offered us the opportunity to take over the place. Obviously, we didn’t have to think about it too much and just took it. The location is amazing, in easy reach for everything in London and the period building is super cute.”

Putting the venue together required some DIY; Lady of the Grapes’ logo was

designed by Byron herself, who drew inspiration from Dionysus – the female god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual and madness.

Byron elaborates: “My husband cut the wine bottles to make the lamp pendants that hang near the front windows, and we bought our amazing chandelier from a light supplier called Chantelle.”

Choosing wisely After the venue was secured, Byron and her team worked on developing the best food and wine pairings possible.

For the latter, they already had a concept; wines largely produced by female winemakers. Beyond this, Byron wanted Lady of the Grapes to offer biodynamic, organic and natural-certified wines – lots of boxes to tick. Currently, the venue offers wines from various importers (approximately 20), so many suppliers means there’s more wine options, and more of a chance for Lady of the Grapes to stick to its vision.

When asked how she developed this menu, she says: “In collaboration with Victor. I really wanted to have food with French influences to pair with our wines.

I explained the concept to Victor, he was super excited about it. He is an amazing chef, so I was extremely happy to have him design the food menu.”

As well as a wine bar, the venue’s deli products are all available to eat in the restaurant and all the wines and cheeses on offer are available to eat in or takeaway.

Reflecting on how far Lady of the Grapes has come from just a dream, to its launch this month, Byron concludes: “I would dare say it’s a unique offering. I don’t know any other place mixing retail and hospitality as we do and showcasing organic wine and women.”

To support Byron’s love of French food and culture, she has developed Lady of the Grapes’ food offering in tandem with these ideals. She worked closely

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From Grape to Glass

orange

wine

Orange wine is the latest beverage craze to take over the UK, On-Trade Progress explores the trend.

I

f you haven’t heard of it yet, or even tried it, you’re one of the many in the UK who haven’t yet cottoned on to the orange wine craze. However, orange wine has been sweeping the nation for nearly a year and On-Trade Progress predicts it will grow in popularity throughout the remainder of this year and well into 2019.

The wine itself is produced with white grapes. You crush and ferment the grapes; leaving them for anywhere between a week, and up to a year. The skins of the grape are left on to produce the orange wine; this skin contact process produces tannins.

Fortunately, orange wine is made with very little additives, and sometimes without yeast; meaning the wine can often taste quite different to the usual wine palate.

Origins Originally produced in Georgia, the wine is now produced across Europe, notably in Italy and Slovenia, as well as the USA. Orange wines generally require more diligence throughout the process; watching over the fermentation to ensure quality and that the wine is aging well. As a result, it’s often boutique, or smaller, vineyards that produce orange wine.

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Pairings It’s often assumed that orange wine can make a substitute for lighter meals that would normally accompany red wine.

For example, in Japan, more and more restaurants are choosing to serve orange wine with local delicacies such as sushi, sashimi and other types of fish.

In terms of taste, orange wine has the similar rich mouthy flavour of reds, but the crisp aromatic scents of whites. As a result, its appeal is that orange wines can be paired with a variety of meals. They pair well with standout dishes that rely heavily on bold flavours; for example, you may pair an orange wine with a curry or tagine.

Bottles Orange wine is already being served in prominent establishments across the country. Notably, Ottolenghi introduced orange wine into his restaurants more than a year ago. Introducing orange wine to your venue can feel alien, especially as it would require its own subheading on the wine list.

We would usually recommend bottles when it comes to our drinks insight feature, but following extensive research, we’ve found that the best orange wines

to serve at your venue come straight from the source. This would mean reaching out to vineyards in Georgia, Italy, Croatia and the USA to discuss what bottles they would recommend to you.

It may seem like a lot of work but serving straight-from-the-vineyard wines at your restaurant will add an element of authenticity and authority around your orange wine offering. You may also learn a thing or two.

From Grape to Glass

Mark Roberts is head of sales at Lanchester Wines, he explains why venues should start prepping for Christmas now.

I

t may be September, but have you started planning for Christmas yet?

The best tip for any operator is to plan, plan, plan as much as possible and as early as possible. You may think September is too soon to start promoting your Christmas offering, but your customers will soon be bombarded with festive offerings and you want yours to stay front of mind.

We’ve seen national operators advertising as soon as June and are already actively taking bookings which not only helps the operator plan, but it also helps the consumer spread the cost of Christmas.

Like most wine merchants, our Christmas planning starts in January, sometimes earlier. We’re constantly tracking consumer trends both in wine styles and label designs to make sure we’re able to offer you the wines your customers want to buy in the format and style they like them to be presented in – we could offer you the best wine in the world at the most competitive price, but if the label isn’t right then it simply won’t sell. But equally, if the label’s great but the wine’s poor you won’t sell a second bottle.

Christmas ranges need to focus on the big sellers, for example the super varietals of Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Shiraz. But, also there needs to be a nod towards the festive period, so think not only food that pairs with the Christmas meal, but also celebratory drinks for Christmas parties. Here, Prosecco will always be a favourite, so perhaps think about not just sales by the glass or bottle but perhaps incorporating into a cocktail to upsell.

However, if catering for large Christmas parties isn’t your speciality, we’ve also created a number of half bottle (37.5cl) ranges which are ideal for small groups or couples where perhaps one person is a driver and a full bottle is too much for one. As with the magnums of wine, these half bottles are also a great incentive for pre-booking and look great on the table.

Stand Out

Front of Mind

My second tip is to offer a point of difference – look at what your competitors are doing and be different. In time for Christmas 2018 we’ve launched our new magnum (150cl) range and we’re working with operators who are offering these free as an incentive for pre-ordered Christmas parties. Magnums give the ‘wow factor’ adding theatre and grandeur to the event.

However, the most important factor in all Christmas planning is your customer. Ultimately you know your customers best so make sure you tailor both timing and the offer to them specifically.

The operators who have worked with us proactively on the Christmas magnum programme have already seen noticeable pre-bookings – even this early in the year. Which reinforces the advice to plan as soon as you can.

If you haven’t started planning already, it’s not too late to ask their opinion of what they’d like on your Christmas offering – you may be surprised at the answers.

For more information on Lanchester Wines and its Christmas offers, please visit www.lanchesterwines.co.uk

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From Grape to Glass

Make Mead

Modern!

Mike Wagstaff, the owner of Chalice Mead, is re-inventing mead in a way that he hopes will increase its demand to make a delicious comeback.

His Meadery is based in Hampshire near Petersfield, located in beautifully picturesque countryside.

O

pen the Red Door to discover a world of flavour, inspired by the elemental beauty of Scotland’s mountains, forests and coastline.

Chalice Mead was founded on a dream, a desire to reconnect with nature by bringing mead fully into the modern age.

Mike aims to raise awareness and use the balance of traditional and modern techniques to create a product that is enriched with beautiful flavours that people will love and admire whilst at the same time supporting bee population in the UK and beyond.

And so, the story begins…

Mike hosted a summer solstice party.

A member of the party introduced him to a bottle of mead. He states, “I couldn’t believe how fantastic it was, I usually find mead rather too sweet, but this mead was just right.” Mike then felt inspired to create his own mead, eventually, with practice, his expertise allowed him to develop a variety of flavoursome drinks to sell.

After creating the mead, he understood that branding was also vital to the success of his business. With help from his family, he focused on selecting the right bottle, the correct coloured labelling whilst also designing an artistic logo to create the perfect brand image. After making it ethically suitable, he then felt ready to introduce his drink to beverage specialists. He continues: “I called a local independent wine shop and went to see them. It was a nerveracking experience. I lacked confidence in my product at this point; questioning

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whether it was good enough for them.

I am very thankful to say that after the tasting there were empty spittoons and smiling faces!” They loved the Mead purchased 48 bottles. This was enough to give him the confidence that his product was up to standard. Five days later they placed a second order for twice as much.

He continues: “I set myself a task to phone farm shops and independent companies who he hoped would stock his product!” Two and a half years later he now has 86 stockists in the UK! His business is currently booming.

Chalice Mead infuse each bottle with different flavourings to create a distinctive taste that delights your palate: Hawthorn, Blackberry, Ginger, Rhubarb, Elderflower, Caramel, Chocolate and of course, Traditional.

All in all, it has more than 10 varieties.

The different flavours it produces, complement different months of the season. As Chalice Mead are heading into our Autumn months the Hedgerow varieties such as Hawthorn, Blackberry,

Elderflower, Nettle become more popular; it has recently added Rhubarb to its range.

You can also create wonderful cocktails with his mead. For instance, you can combine elderflower mead with prosecco, ice and elderflower sprig to create a mead cocktail. You can also cook with mead. ‘Drunken Pig’ is a recipe that Chalice Mead has created. They advise that you marinate mead with pork to create a delicious sweet sensation.

Although you can buy individual bottles of mead, you can also purchase your very own hamper filled with three bottles of your choice. Perfect for gifts, or even if you are indecisive as to what mead you want to purchase! To discover more about his flavours, visit his website on www.chalicemead.co.uk.

You will be pleased to know, Chalice Mead now have over 80 stockists throughout the UK, with more being added almost every week.

One of the UK’s leading suppliers of wine and spirits to the trade.

www.lanchesterwines.co.uk sales@lanchesterwines.co.uk / 01207 52 1234

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Made to Measure

British bartender wins the International Southern Showdown 2018 Bartender Lee Jones, of the Smokestack bar in Leeds, has won the International Final of the Southern Comfort Southern Showdown 2018 cocktail contest, held in the cocktail capital of the world, New Orleans.

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ones’ winning drink, the Whitesmith Cobbler, won through against strong competition from Irish and Australian Southern Showdown winners.

All three international finalists had already triumphed in their national contests, where they were challenged to recreate the spirit of their home town in a cocktail, just as Southern Comfort captures the spirit of New Orleans.

Cocktails had to include the classic 35% ABV Southern Comfort Original, the 40% ABV New Southern Comfort Black, or the 50% ABV Southern Comfort 100 Proof.

With the New Orleans final taking place in the birthplace of the American cocktail,

a panel of international judges including Christian Tirel, UK & Ireland Southern Comfort Brand Ambassador, James Johnstone, Senior Brand Manager of SouthTrade International, Australia, and Norton Christopher, Beverage Director, Sac A Lait, New Orleans put the three finalists through their paces.

Up against Jones were runner-up Daniel Gregory of the IXL Bar in Hobart, Tasmania, with his Where the Wild Things Are cocktail, and third place Shane Groarke of Cask bar in Cork, with his creation called Non Genuine But Mine.

Lee said: "To be in New Orleans

representing the UK for the Southern Showdown Final is about as close to the essence of hospitality as you can get. I met passionate individuals from all over the world, who want nothing more than to celebrate the career we've all chosen.”

Heineken launches Cider Direct to help licensees grow cider sales Heineken UK, together with its portfolio of packaged cider brands; Bulmers, Old Mout, has launched Cider Direct – a community for pub operators to help grow their cider revenues. With 28 per cent of UK adults drinking cider in the on-trade, Cider Direct aims to provide actionable advice to support licensees increase their sales.

T

he new platform is a hub of seasonal and year-round cider activations, designed to drive consumers to spend more money, more often, and more time, in outlets through tailored support. This will be achieved via a range of creative ideas, bespoke toolkits and social content, to help licensees extend their cider season and make cider relevant for consumers.

With eight seasonal guides and a years’ worth of activation plans available, licensees can choose from one of 45 templates to use for posters, menus, tent cards and much more to promote their activation.

With every activation outlets can download a plan that will allow them to understand; what the opportunity is, how to maximise

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this opportunity, what tools are available, how to activate the plan and finally a recommendation on how to go from

good, to great. Licensees can visit www.ciderdirect.co.uk and register to find out more.

Made to Measure

Pimm’s

O’Clock With summer underway, we learn about all things Pimm’s.

P

imm’s is an essential component of every British summer and with Wimbledon well underway, we’re cracking open a bottle and learning all we can about the beloved beverage.

The telling amber colour of the drink is a result of an infusion of gin with herbal botanicals, caramelised orange and delicate spices.

Pimm’s has a fascinating history, and was actually the product of James Pimm, who ran a London oyster bar in the 19th century, which produced herbal, ginbased liqueur as a health tonic.

The signature bottle claims to be ‘Pimm’s No. 1 Cup’, which although it may be, isn’t a load of self-promotion.

While James Pimm was experimenting with other spirits, such as brandy, he preferred the first cup he produced with gin liqueur.

Perfect serve Today the drink is synonymous with Wimbledon, which it should be. As a result of the British tennis season, an extra 40,000 pints of Pimm’s is consumed throughout the first two weeks of July.

Serving Pimm’s in any hospitality setting isn’t rocket science, in fact, the classic serving suggestions are as follows: * * * *

50ml Pimm’s No. 1 150ml of lemonade Fruit: mint, orange and strawberry Cucumber to garnish

All of which should be served in a highball glass.

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Made to Measure

Hogs Back

Drinkaware

Hogs Back Brewery is predicting a top-quality hop harvest this year, with the impact of the long, hot summer raising expectations of quality over quantity.

With plans in hand to relocate the hop garden to a much larger site for 2019, the fourth, and final, harvest on the existing hop garden will take place mid-September, after which the process of transferring hops, and planting new ones, will begin.

Alcohol education charity Drinkaware sponsored its first Walking Football Tournament, the Drinkaware Cup, held last month in conjunction with Derby County Community Trust, at the same time as renewing its partnership with the Sky Bet Championship club for the 2018-19 season.

prepares for fourth and final harvest on current site

sponsors first Walking Football Tournament

A

lcohol education charity Drinkaware sponsored its first Walking Football Tournament, the Drinkaware Cup, held last month in conjunction with Derby County Community Trust, at the same time as renewing its partnership with the Sky Bet Championship club for the 2018-19 season.

T

he brewer, based near Farnham in Surrey, has been closely monitoring hop growth during the heatwave.

Estate manager Matthew King said, "This is the first extended period of dry and hot weather we've experienced since planting the hop garden in 2014. Hops thrive on heat and sunshine, but the lack of rainfall has affected their development. They are drawing water up to the top of the plant which is looking very healthy, but we're not seeing as much lateral growth lower down.

Nottingham Forest lifted the trophy after six teams from across the country competed in a one-day contest at Racecourse Playing Fields in Derby.

"For this reason, we're expecting this year's harvest to be more about quality than quantity. We've learned a lot this summer about how hops respond to hot and dry weather, which will stand us in good stead when we move to our new hop garden."

As the partnership extends into the new season, Drinkaware will continue its work with the Derby County Community Trust, which includes the Walking Football scheme. This slower version of the beautiful game is aimed at the over 50s, as a way of improving both physical and mental health. Last season, the scheme delivered more than 4,500 sessions to players across Derbyshire.

The new hop garden is more than double the size of the existing one - a total of eight acres, compared to the current 3.5 acres - and is located within Manor Farm, where the brewery itself is sited. The garden will sit in a prime location on the best land on the farm and will also include a test area for different varieties. Work is due to start this month on the new garden - formerly a wheat field - and is expected to be complete by early 2019.

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Drinkaware became a preferred partner of Derby County Football Club last year and its messages about responsible drinking were displayed every matchday on hoardings and screens around the ground, reaching more than 13 million people over the season, including televised matches.

Rommel Moseley, Drinkaware Director of Business Development & Partnerships, said, "We're delighted to be renewing our partnership with Derby County Football Club for the coming season - especially as the arrival of Frank Lampard as manager should raise the club's profile and create opportunities for us to reach more mid-life men with our messages.”

Made to Measure

A gin for all Red Door, the latest gin offering from Benromach Distillery, has landed.

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pen the Red Door to discover a world of flavour, inspired by the elemental beauty of Scotland’s mountains, forests and coastline.

Complex and dramatic, yet perfectly balanced, Red Door is a deliciously distinctive, bittersweet London Dry with the lingering palate that works beautifully in a G&T or silky-smooth martini.

We’ve been creating spirits here in the Scottish Highlands for over 120 years, with meticulous attention to detail and quality.

Now the red sliding door to our old malt barn has opened up a new chapter in our long and proud history.

Our idea was simple: to capture the spirit of Scotland’s majestic mountains, forests and windswept coastline in a deliciously distinctive, small-batch Highland Gin. Handmade in a copper pot still, affectionately named, ‘Peggy’, the vapourinfused distilling method steams the neutral base spirit through eight botanicals and is then bottled at 45% ABV.

Perfect serve It’s said that the ideal strength for a G&T is 14% alcohol, which is why Red Door works beautifully every time using the magic ratio of one part gin to two parts tonic water. Simple to build, get the basics right and your G&T will taste all the more refreshing.

Working to our exacting recipe, we source the finest botanicals to create Red Door’s exquisitely distinctive flavour, inspired by Scotland’s mountains, forests and coastal fringes.

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Elegantly simple, beautifully balanced, Red Door Gin delivers signature notes of juniper and defining citrus bite of bitter orange, with aromatic sea buckthorn, grassy, floral pearls of heather and chocolatey, smoky rowanberries.

We’ve been working hard behind the red door to create a gin with a distinctive palate, using the finest botanicals. We’re really excited for people to try Red Door Gin as we embark on this new chapter for Benromach Distillery.

From the classic Red Door G&T to a delicious Negroni or smooth Martini, we are confident that we have created a gin that will prove popular with gin lovers everywhere.

Open, serve and share good times.

If you are interested in bringing Red Door Handcrafted Highland Gin into your on-trade portfolio please get in touch by emailing:

orders@gordonandmacphail.com or calling us on 01343 554801.

Made with soft Devon spring water and created the Luscombe way, these new Mixers will release the flavours and complement the finest of spirits.

Also available: Devon Tonic, Light Tonic, Elderflower Tonic and Grapefruit Tonic. for your your free localsample stockist.pack.

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beer

With festival season in full swing Bob Pease, CEO/president of the Brewers Association looks at how America’s largest beer festival, the Great American Beer Festival ® (GABF) took inspiration from the UK’s Great British Beer Festival (GBBF)…

T

he GBBF held last month in London is a seminal event in the whole American craft beer movement because it gave rise to the GABF, the signature festival for craft beer culture in the States.

This September GABF will celebrate its 37th anniversary and it all started 40 years ago with a visit to GBBF by Brewers Association’s founder and past president, Charlie Papazian and the late Michael Jackson, who together shared a vision of a similar event happening in the States.

The Great American Beer Festival represents the largest collection of U.S. beer ever served in a public tasting event, plus a private competition, and brings together the brewers and diverse beers that make the U.S., arguably, the world’s greatest brewing nation.

This year, GABF will be offer 62,000 attendees the opportunity to sample over 4,000 beers from more than 800 breweries in an expanded festival hall. Dubbed by Thrillist as “the one beer festival you must go to before you die,” GABF has topped beer lovers’ bucket lists since 1982 and unites beer lovers and brewers from all corners of the country to celebrate the nation’s ever-growing craft beer culture.

New for this year, the Jameson Caskmates Barrel-Aged Beer Garden will address beer lover’s growing demand for barrelaged beers. It will feature 17 small and independent Jameson craft brewery partners and their limited edition Jameson barrelaged beer. The new Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bar will provide a vibrant space where attendees can kick back, relax and enjoy independent craft beer and wings while cheering on their favourite teams on TVs. Also new this year is a Collaboration Competition and booth.

In recognition of the collaborative spirit of the craft brewing community, the new competition will feature 48 beers that will be evaluated in a ‘Best of Show’ format and many will be served at the collaboration booth.

The festival space is bigger this year, with an increase of 100,000 square feet (+17%) and breweries will be arranged in alphabetical order rather than regions as per previous years. The popular Meet the Brewer section also increases, offering a special opportunity for passionate beer fans to meet their “beeroes.” To elevate the GABF experience, PAIRED ®

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features exclusive beers not found in the festival that are served alongside expertly prepared small bites from celebrated chefs.

Other opportunities include the chance to immerse yourself in the world of small and independent craft brewers at the CraftBeer.com Pavilion. Here you’ll find the perfect match between beer education and entertainment. Meet some of today’s hottest brewers and industry professionals or discover some of the most exciting US beer destinations. And if you just want to hang out, head over to the Backyard, a fun zone full of games, music and exciting photo opportunities, or shake your groove at the Silent Disco!

The Great American Beer Festival takes place in Denver, Colorado 20-22 September 2018. www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com

Ale to the chef!

BEER

Our beer sommelier John Porter was among the guests at the Brewers Association’s latest beer and food event in London.

T

he US craft beer industry makes no secret of the debt it owes British beer in terms of inspiration.

Pioneers such as Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery and John Hall of Goose Island Brewery freely acknowledge the influence of British brewers and beer styles such as IPA and porter on their own brews.

Those two, and many others in a country that now boasts more than 4,000 independent craft brewer, went on to reinvent, redefine and even improve on traditional styles, to the point where US trade body the Brewers Association (BA) now defines more than 150 distinct beer styles. These includes more than 20 styles of British origin, and over and above that are the US variants on these styles, such as Double IPA and the recently added murky New England Pale Ale. So, it’s both understandable, and perhaps just a little annoying, when US brewers head back over the pond to tell us how it’s done. However, when it comes to beer and food matching, it’s also hard to argue that the US hasn’t stolen a march. Alongside national chains in the US such as McMenamins and BJ’s Restaurants and Brewhouse, many of its independent brewers operate taproom restaurants serving their beers alongside freshly cooked food.

Which may explain why invitations to the Brewers Association’s regular beer and food matching events in the UK are so sought after. This summer was no exception, with BA executive chef Adam Dulye partnering with London chef Tomos Parry at the Brat restaurant in Shoreditch.

With Brat specialising in fresh and

seasonal produce cooked over open-fire wood grill, the five course canape-todessert menu was matched to a range of beers from US brewers, who were in town to help promote the BA’s presence at the Great British Beer Festival.

Joining British beer writers at the lunch were representatives from Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery, Virginia; Maui Brewing Company, Hawaii; Three Weavers Brewing Company; California; Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Virginia; Boston Beer Company, Massaschusetts; Fifty Fifty Brewing Company, California; and West Sixth Brewing, Kentucky.

Beers on offer ranged from light and fruity IPAs and pale ales to rich, dark porters and spicy wheat beers. The brewers responded to praise for the beers with envy for the quality of the food available to the team at Brat, which included Moorland beef, whole wild turbot, cod roe, and leeks, as well as cheesecake with peaches served to end the meal.

Amongst the topics robustly discussed around the table was the need for all of us involved in beer and food matching to avoid falling into the trap of orthodoxy, for example by assuming that every IPA will work well with any curry, or that

all best bitters are great matches with cheeseboards. Flavour principals are a good place to start, but as they say in military circles, no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy – try every beer and food match for yourself rather than make assumptions about what will work.

Adam Dulye commented: “One of the goals with beer and food pairing is to broaden the conversation about quality, about a sense of community and a sense of place, which is the ethos of small and independent American brewers.

“Collaborating with a restaurant like Brat that has the same independence and ethos, strengthens the relationship between the brewery and the culinary side and it helps the consumer understand about what goes into the glass and what goes onto the plate.”

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F lter FROM BEAN TO CUP

Filter coffee is making headway across the country, On-Trade Progress explores why this is.

F

ilter coffee isn’t just for diner scenes in American sitcoms; filter coffee has become the sensation that is sweeping across the nation.

The public is pushing for fresher coffee now. Especially with the revelation that drinking at least six cups of coffee every day could decrease your risk of early death, a study from UK Biobank revealed earlier this year. This is far more than the often recommended two or three cups per day.

Nonetheless, good coffee is becoming the focus of all venues; from bars to hotel lobbies, industry’s coffee offering needs to be stepped up a notch. One way industry can do this, is through the adoption of filter coffee.

Filter coffee is becoming a preferred alternatively to

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instant coffee, which can tend to have very dull flavours.

Bigger benefits The UK has always aligned its coffee culture with that of Europe, and while everyone enjoys sipping on a sumptuous espresso after dinner, there seems to be a demand for the more Americanised filter coffee.

There are a number of benefits that a venue can find by adopting a filter coffee approach. For one thing, filter coffee means you can offer a more varied coffee experience; whether you’re using beans from Columbia or Kenya, each and every region has a different flavour to offer your customers.

It’s also cheaper to use filter machines; not only do you not need to worry about purchasing pods, but the many

Continued on page 24

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FROM BEAN TO CUP filter machines are lower than that classic pod-based offerings. Moreover, coffee pods are one of the worst single-use plastic products for the environment.

No to oil One of the key benefits to filter coffee is that the filter traps an oily substance known as diterpenes. There are two core diterpenes found in coffee (cafestol and kahweol). These arise in your coffee through coffee granules and will float around in the cup. The consumption of these oils blocks a cholesterol-regulating receptor in your intestines. Ultimately, this causes your blood cholesterol levels to rocket. The filter in the coffee seeks to reduce coffee-related cholesterol.

When it comes to deciding the best filters you can be using for your coffee; the overwhelming consensus is that paper filters are better. This is due to a couple of reasons; the major one being convenience; once a paper filter is used, it can be thrown away easily. Moreover, paper filters are more effective at stopping diterpenes than cloth filters and the latter require more maintenance and need to be cleaned regularly.

The only downside of the use of paper filters is that they aren’t as great for the environment than more permanent counterparts.

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Complex coffee Nearly every hospitality venue will have a different approach to its coffee offering.

Small to mid-size cafes will often pride themselves on a quality-led approach; developing a menu that prioritises flavour.

Mainly because they know that most of their clientele will be visiting their venue specifically for that beverage.

While this is standard; the millennial generation is veering towards a general coffee preference over alcohol; with many young people preferring to socialise over a cup of joe than a beer. As a result, all venues, from bars to restaurants to hotels need to begin re-evaluating their coffee offering. A part of this latest offering can be filter coffee; which is no longer simply an American favourite.

Cost benefit Hospitality venues also need to consider the costs when it comes to choosing which coffee machine suits them best.

For more quality-focused venues,

perhaps the classic pod machine works best; this way, staff are able to craft and make quick espresso-based beverages without much work.

However, quantity-led establishments, such as large franchise restaurants, may prefer to use filter coffee machines.

With these machines, the venue can ensure they are working quickly to deliver coffee and also that they can offer promotions around their coffees effectively. For example, certain venues in the USA will offer unlimited refills on filter coffee. This is particularly easy for filter coffee machines that can be made quickly and kept warm throughout a long period of time No matter what coffee you choose to serve in your establishment, make sure it’s the right one for your customers. By prioritising their needs and preferences; you can’t go wrong.

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With Freshers’ Week fast approaching, hospitality professionals are looking at new ways to attract this younger demographic.

Understanding the student mentality may not be as simple as you think; with this set of consumers having higher expectations than ever. With the influx of students to your city; On-Trade Progress offers tips on how to prepare your venue, the sort of drinks you can offer and discuss how students are enjoying craft beer more than ever!

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FRESHERS

don't

skip the queue With students on their way to your venue, we discuss outdoor crowd management and queuing preparations.

F

reshers’ Week is a time for students to finally let loose and enjoy their freedom and independence without the watchful eye of their parents. With more students than ever choosing to go to university and Freshers’ Week being a sacred right of passage, it’s likely that you will be experiencing high footfall to your venue; especially if you operate a pub, club or bar. As a result, we discuss how you can manage your outdoor space to avoid overcrowding your venue.

Orderly queue As British people, we do love a queue. However, a queue without any management could spell, at worst, disaster, and at best, aggravated students. So if you know you’re going to be experiencing high footfall at your venue; perhaps you’re running a special Freshers event or have a particularly great drinks promotion on – then prepping for a queue is best.

To do this, ensure that at minimum you have some queue rope around the entrance of your venue. Even if it is only a few metres long, then students will know they have to form a queue and their expectations will be met. They will also know what direction to queue in, and often as is the way, form one against the side of the wall.

Too hot, too cold Although we’ve been having a marvellous heatwave this summer, you can’t guarantee what the weather will be like in late September. As a result, hospitality operators must be prepared for both rain and cold.

For the former, if you have an awning across your venue, this should be rolled out. Not only is this useful at times when you require a queue to form in rainy circumstances, but this also offers yearround shelter for the smokers

For the latter, we always advise venues to buy heaters. We can guarantee one thing; that an English winter is often pretty chilly. As a result, having heaters will not only keep students at your venue but attract potential customers with the promise of warmth.

Staying secure Every venue will know their own security requirements, and often for larger clubs having security on the door is a necessity. Bouncers also make effective queue managers and are able to direct the flow of students and other guests to the correct queue area. They will be able to tell if the venue is getting full and even begin the queue formation.

Make sure you communicate how long the wait time could be to prospective customers; by managing their expectations on queue time, you keep your guests in the loop and hopefully, happy.

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Freshers With over 4,000 kits available, plus further support through a range of case deals to incentivise stocking, SHS Drinks is helping outlets make the most of the new term.

“Promoting themed nights is one good way to get on students’ radar. When it comes to what drinks to focus on, the RTD category is one to single-out,” explains Grabham. “RTDs are about highenergy occasions, about socialising and having fun with friends, and their core audience is 18-24 year-olds, so there’s a huge overlap with the student market.

FRESH starts WKD gives hospitality professionals its guide to Freshers’ Week.

A

s the No.1 RTD for students, Freshers is a key period for WKD,” says Amanda Grabham, Head of Brand Marketing – Alcohol at owner SHS Drinks. “Students are shrewd enough to work out which brands and venues are the most deserving of their cash, and WKD is a real favourite. WKD is all about sharing good times with friends, and a natural fit with the student market.

“Freshers is a chance for operators to impress the new in-take in the quest for repeat trade. The venues that deliver the best experiences usually win in the longrun as they become the regular haunts that students return to frequently.

“Our focus is around insights gained from our WKD student team, which comprises 48 students in 12 cities,” states Grabham.

“The team is about building WKD awareness, driving trial of our NPD launches, and engaging with students.

The team also drives footfall to events; if licensees have a student night planned, they can message WKD’s social channels or email info@wkd.co.uk and our student team will support, wherever possible, by helping raise event awareness.

“We’re supplying two different kits to support outlets in making the most of the Freshers opportunity,” says Grabham.

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“Aside from stocking the right brands, the other key angle for outlets is to deliver experiences that students want to share with their friends. The student market is about immediacy and interaction: students want to have fun and they want everyone they know to know they’re having fun!

“Outlets should try to facilitate ‘instagrammable moments’ – be that with props or through the ‘theatre’ of drinks like WKD’s ever-popular sharing cocktail pitchers, or just via a fun event - as students love to share images of great nights out.

“WKD is the UK’s No.1 traditional RTD and the key brand in the category. WKD is loved by students as it’s a greattasting, fun brand: it’s the No.1 RTD on brand loyalty and is also the No.1 RTD on taste, satisfaction and cool branding.

Whichever way you cut it, WKD is key for outlets looking to appeal to students.

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“In the same way that students are important to WKD, WKD is important to students: students love WKD and WKD loves students.”

Making the most of it

The WKD Bar Team Kit contains functional POS items to help events run smoothly.

WKD’s Ice Bucket Kits make multiserve deals easy to run and add fun for students. “Ice bucket deals are for groups of friends to share, and also alleviate pressure on the bar during busy events.”

“2018 has been an impressive year for WKD with the launches of a new flavour - WKD Mango Crush – and a range of cocktails in cans - WKD MIXED. As term starts, our 48-strong student team will drive awareness, trial and engagement with the new student intake,” Grabham concludes.

FRESHERS

As the UK’s number 1 fun shot, Sourz is iconic within the category and often enjoyed neat. However, Sourz offers a versatility through which there is great potential to drive sales through the cocktail offering in your bar.

W

ith cocktails now accounting for over £500 million to the on trade, and with value growing at +8%, it’s more important than ever for bartenders to ensure their drinks menu offers a wide range of serves for consumers – and Autumn is the perfect opportunity to shake up menus.

In recent months we’ve seen the trend for low ABV cocktails continue to grow, and simple serves such as the Sourz Sprtiz go down a storm with consumers seeking a light and refreshing cocktail.

A simple, fruity serve such as the Sourz Sprtiz is a brilliant option for any menu – offering consumers the opportunity to experience their drink of choice in a new and innovative way.

Sourz Spritz Ingredients 25ml of Sourz Apple or Sourz Cherry 50ml of White Wine Lemonade Garnish – slice of apple or a cocktail cherry Method 1. Fill a large wine coppa with ice 2. Pour in the Sourz, white wine and top with lemonade 3. Garnish with fruit and serve

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freshers

Getting

crafty

London Craft Beer Festival (LCBF) arrived in the UK this month, On-Trade Progress visited the show.

A

lready before the gates to London’s Tobacco Dock open, the queues were already forming.

In the lead up to the 11.30am kick off on day one of the show; when the visitors would be a rich mix of industry and the public, the excitement was pulpable.

It was another one of the capital’s infamous heatwaves in the lead up to the show and one could sense visitors were keen to have their thirst quenched with some of the best and newest craft beer brands the nation (and indeed, further afield) had to offer.

This was the London Craft Beer Festival (LCBF), when more than 70 of the best breweries hand-picked from across the globe unite under one roof to create an outstanding collection of craft beer. With more than 10,000 consumers attending the event of the weekend; which took place from August 3rd-5th, LCBF’s sixth year was a great success.

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Industry experts With so many industry experts flocking to LCBF, it’s only natural that the event organiser would put on a stellar line up of speakers to share their expertise. In a series of Raise The Bar sessions, industry experts were welcomed to talk about topics passionate to them.

One of the stand out talks of the series was from Jenn Merrick, founder of Earth Station and the keynote speaker in fact, who lead a discussion on quality. This was followed by Bruce Gray, owner of Left Handed Giant and Small Bar, who focused his attention on the philosophy of the local.

Prior to the event, the co-founder of LCBF, Daniel Sylvester, said: “The Raise The Bar sessions provides a forum for everyone connected to the industry to come together, hear from the best in the business and learn new things in this fast evolving space.

“Also, having spoken to both suppliers and brewers, we found there was an emerging disconnect between them.

So by providing an area for them to meet informally, a place in keeping with the relaxed atmosphere at the festival, we hope to help the craft beer category to continue to grow and prosper.”

A great experience One of the stand out elements of LCBF, was the ability for visitors to actually try the product. Upon arrival, each visitor was given a glass and encouraged to get talking to the brewers and trying the beer.

This opened up the lines of communication between the exhibitors and visitors massively, as they were able to explain how they made the product to create flavour and answer any direct questions about the product at their stand.

freshers too. Jimmy Hatherley, founder and head brewer at Unity Brewing Co, said: “Interestingly, when CAMRA first started, all those guys were really young, late teens, early 20s. It's only as they've got older and the beer and marketing failed to move with the times is where this attitude of beer being an old guys drink has come from. The influence of modern, exciting, colourful and most importantly flavourful craft beer from the states reignited an interest in beer for young people looking for exciting flavours and drinking experiences.

“With the Instagram generation, it's been impossible for this to slow down too. Breweries know they have to (and really want to) keep evolving, moving forward and staying relevant so they are appealing to a much more diverse audience. From the popularity of modern beer, breweries are becoming more and more like bands as well and this is really appealing to a younger audience. People follow breweries now, look out for their new releases, idolise their brewers and go to all their events. It all comes down to the fact that the flavours and marketing of modern breweries has become really exciting and it all feeds from that.”

Similarly, some stands created heavily immersive experiences for the festivalgoers in the venue’s Vaults space.

These include Wild Beer Co, Fuller’s & Friends, Thombridge, Harbour Brewing Co and BrewDog – to name a few.

It wasn’t just beer on the menu either; with LCBF offering the opportunity to try a variety of gin, whiskey, wine, cider, food and music too.

Sylvester adds: “Craft beer is one of the fastest growing sectors of the drinks industry and our festival offers the trade the opportunity to taste, network and share ideas and practical advice. Brewery owners and head brewers will be there in person, guaranteeing that buyers can meet the decision makers on the day.”

Younger demographic One thing to note is the younger demographic that are getting in to craft beer; whether they are attempting to brew it themselves, or just enjoying the drink, young people are pioneering the beverage.

With all this in mind, and brewers pushing the boundaries of their creations – offering a more vibrant and exciting outlook for a younger demographic, Freshers’ Week offers the perfect event for craft beer to flourish. With September only around the corner, brewers can consider how they market their products to a younger demographic, already excited to further their craft beer, and university, journey.

This could be because the beer industry is more inclusive of young people. A report by SIBA found that nearly half of the people working in the sector are aged 24-45, with 37 per cent aged below 34. Moreover, there is a huge investment in young people – more than one in ten employees are aged 16-24; getting into industry so young fuels their love of the product.

Brewers have been noticing this trend

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FresherS

Set the trend With Freshers’ fast approaching, Hi-Spirits are urging student-focused venues to become trend-setters to reflect the student appetite for new and exciting products.

O

ver the last few years, Fireball has experienced double digit growth in the UK and become a firm favourite chilled shot with many 18-30s all over the country. The brand has enjoyed unparalleled success in the US, with Bloomberg Business Week describing the phenomenon as “the most successful spirit story in decades,” firmly cementing itself as the most recommended spirit brand among US bartenders and a Top 10 World Class Spirit Brand.

The brand has a wealth of POS and event solutions to help the UK On-Trade in increasing their student offerings in an increasingly competitive landscape and encourage venue operators to get in touch with the Hi-Spirits team to see how

they can help. With Fireball heavily overindexing in the 18-24 category specifically, the brands’ growth is key to operators embracing the changing preferences of the Gen-Z consumer.

Elsewhere, the brand enjoys a jam-packed run of events running up to Christmas, culminating in the annual Fuelling The Fire Tour in association with Academy Music Group. Hitting the road throughout December 2018, the Tour will feature a star-studded line-up of the best in punk music, with The Bronx recently joining previously announced headliners in Celticpunk legends Flogging Molly, So Cal punk veterans Face to Face, and the Glasgow pop-punks from Fireball’s Hottest Band 2018 Lost in Stereo.

So much of Fireball’s appeal comes from the young, vibrant image of the brand; be it the Fuelling The Fire Tour, or Brand Ambassadors – this brand appeals taps into the zeitgeist of the young.

The Canadian roots of the drink and its signature dragon logo appeals to a student audience looking for something out of the ordinary. Moreover, with September and Freshers’ Week welcoming in the winter months, this fiery addition to any venue offering

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aims to keep customers warm, whilst having fun.

Fireball UK will also be on the lookout for more Brand Ambassadors in September to increase the team and help continue to deliver fantastic brand experiences all over the country. For more information head over to Fireball UK on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep your eyes peeled on how to apply.

Fireball is distributed in the UK by Hi-Spirits. To find out who your local Hi-Spirits representative is, or for any queries on Fireball or any of Hi-Spirits’ other brands, please head over to: https://www.hi-spirits.com/contact/

About Fireball Fireball is a Canadian whisky-based cinnamon-flavoured liqueur produced by the Sazerac Company. The product was developed in Canada in the mid1980s, forged during one of the coldest Canadian winters on record by blending smooth Canadian whisky with sweet, spicy cinnamon. It’s best enjoyed ice cold from the freezer as a shot.

Fireball is loud, uncompromising and relentless. And it’s coming for you.

BEST SERVED

ICE COLD AS A SHOT

IGNITE THE NITE. ACCEPT NO IMITATION. FIREBALLUK.COM Enjoy Fireball responsibly.

FIREBALLOFFICIALUK

FIREBALLUK

© 2018 Fireball All rights reserved. Fireball is a registered trademark.

FRESHERS

Giving students a

shot

Sourz talks targeting student led occasions this academic year.

F

or the on-trade, the student audience offers a huge opportunity to bring a new generation of consumers into the market at a time in which bartenders build rapport and set the tone for future consumption habits within the category.

Outside of Christmas, New Year and Bank Holidays, Freshers’ Week represents the most important trading week for spirits consumption in the cultural calendar with a crowded marketplace making it critical for on-trade outlets to ensure their offer is right during this period.

What's more, in recent years Halloween has witnessed a real uplift in sales among this key demographic as the unofficial start of the festive party season. As a result, the growth in prominence among consumers has seen the competition escalate among brands looking to capitalise on increased footfall during this emergent and growing party occasion.

In 2017, Saturday the 28th of October saw spirits ROS increase 15% vs. the average Saturday - with projections suggesting this will grow further this year and beyond.

The brands enjoying the most success among students are occasion led offerings such as shots and simple cocktail serves. A category synonymous

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with partying, it is one which significantly over indexes during seasonal student events such as Freshers’ Week and Halloween, with brands such as Sourz, offering a versatile liquid that can be enjoyed as a shot or as part of a mixed drink - helping to drive sales and appeal to a wider audience.

Full of flavour With almost half of the cocktail drinkers look for sweet, fruity flavours when choosing a cocktail, the addition of Sourz to something as simple as a Gin & Tonic or a Mojito offers a fruity twist that helps differentiate your drinks offering and makes it stand out from the crowd.

It is however fundamental that your range of shots appeals to the widest possible cross-section of consumers tastes.

While some consumers are looking for a challenging flavour profiles such as those pioneered by Aftershock, others prefer ‘fun’ shots which are lower in alcohol and fruity in flavour. As the number 1 fun shot in the UK, Sourz offers a wide and diverse range of flavours to appeal to any taste.

What's more, the addition of bespoke and innovative POS offers the opportunity to further cement standout in bar by creating a sense of intrigue among drinkers. For example, something as

simple as the Sourz shot paddle is a visual cue that drives trial among consumers via the ‘I want one too" effect.

Outside of the shot category, American whiskey is one that continues to show growth across the board - appealing to a broad demographic that includes students via a growing cocktail offering.

In 2017, the category saw a ROS increase of +28% at Halloween and +16% at Freshers making this an important category to have visible during throughout these periods. Growing at 17% and ahead of the category, Jim Beam remains a pioneer within the category and a brand capitalising on opportunities within the category through the range of NPD. With a strong, quality foundation of Jim Beam White, the introduction of skews such as Red Stag and Double Oak has helped broaden appeal and penetration within the on-trade.

What's more, Jim Beam has set about changing perceptions through a refreshing offering not traditionally associated with American Whiskey. The Jim Beam Highball, a simple serve with Jim Beam, soda and a squeeze of lemon has helped shape the American whiskey category for a new generation of drinkers by making it relevant for new occasions and driving value in bar.

Mixology Meet Murray Phillips, On-Trade Progress’ resident mixologist, who imparts his wisdom on all things shaken and stirred.

I

t's a funny thing this cocktail business. I never thought I'd be into it. Being from a devout Protestant family in a tiny welsh village I'm sure you can see why. I've got the same story as a lot of people really; left home, went to uni, found a local bar, needed money, worked at said local bar.

I started as a clumsy glasswasher but worked hard and I earned my way up the ranks.

I loved making cocktails with fresh ingredients. I'd stay up for hours watching YouTube and reading cocktail books. I learned so much from the bar staff and owners and they really encouraged me. I started trying my own take on classic cocktails and really working on the presentation and more importantly taste.

Since leaving the bar I started working for drinkshop.com. I also event managed, and bar tended many for private functions and festivals.

I have also been making and infusing some of my own syrups and liqueurs. If the Gods see fit for me to carry on writing for you guys. I'll tell you all about them…

Layering 101 Layering is basically pouring alcohol (usually high proof spirits that are flammable so watch your eyebrows) and floating it on top of another alcohol/drink that has less density. It can be seen in a lot of Tiki cocktails. A high dark aged rum float can really give that kick a drink needs; whereas Grenadine (a syrup) has a high density so it sinks to the bottom of the glass. The tequila sunrise wouldn't be the same without it; you don't need too much grenadine, about 5-10mls should do it.

Layering can also be used to make some great shots. One of my favourites is a B52 which has three layers (Kahlua and Baileys topped with Grand Marnier) - it can be hard to make sure there's good separation between the layers. A good way to have more control is to have a speed pourer on your bottle. This allows you to dictate the flow of your pour.

Many bartenders also use a bar spoon to help slow the pour to prevent the layers mixing. With some bar spoons you can pour from the actual spiral stem of the spoon. It looks pretty cool and does the

job. You can also use the back of the bar spoon, have it touching the inside of the shot glass at an angle. Then pour your poison onto the back of it. A little tip with this one; put your bar spoon in an ice bucket while you're preparing - the cold back of the spoon will help keep your layers separate.

Layering can take a bit practice. Try different ways and see what works for you. After a bit you'll find your groove with it.

Keeping cool If you want to put something a little different presentation-wise on top of your crushed iced drink (such as Mint Julep or Mojito) try getting a lime squeezer and pressing crushed ice into it. It should make a little ice dome or cup; whichever way you want it. Decorate around it or put something in it… live dangerously.

Before you make your cocktail, you should really chill the glass that cocktail will be served in. It's good practice as it keeps the drink cold and decreases dilution. Just put them in the fridge for a short time. A couple of scoops of crushed ice does the trick too, just make sure to drain the glass and use fresh ice if possible.

Top tip If you're trying out/building a new cocktail, make it using the cheapest ingredients first unless the recipe directs you otherwise. It’s handy if you make a mistake as you don't want to waste the good stuff.

A taste of… Ireland

The luck of the Irish

We delve into how you can incorporate classic touches of Irish hospitality in your venue.

T

he hospitality industry is booming across the world, and one country where this is no different is Ireland.

Famous for its striking coastline and quaint cities; Ireland has its own association with being friendly and hospitable and this is reflected in its booming industry.

A 2017 interim report, conducted by IHF, uncovered that there are over 16,000 enterprises in hospitality-related accommodation and the food services sector in Ireland. Which is comprised of hotels and other accommodation (14 per cent), restaurants and bars (41 per cent), catering and other food service providers (45 per cent).

Moreover, since 2013, job vacancies across the nation are up 200 per cent, making it one of Ireland’s most resilient sectors. The Irish hospitality sector is already worth 7.2 billion euros to the economy and supports more than 235,000 jobs.

A lot of this money comes from tourists

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who are keen to get a taste of Ireland’s famed hospitality sector; whether it’s dancing the night away in Dublin or keeping cool in Cork. Either way, hospitality venues have a lot to learn from the Irish about how to keep guests feeling welcomed and entertained. So in this

‘Taste of’ feature, we explore how you can give your venue an Irish makeover.

Keeping authentic One of my favourite past times when I go on holiday (and this might seem pretty

A taste of… Ireland odd), is to spot the town’s Irish pub. Last month, when I was in Toulouse, we visited a great establishment called The Danu, its environment was great. And this is the taste of Ireland that you can instantly access around the globe.

If you’re looking to bring a feel of the Irish straight to your venue; then consider adding an eclectic mix of interesting wall decorations. Often Irish pubs are jampacked with different prints, images and pictures all over their walls that reflect on who they are as a venue. It’s a real change from more sterile establishments, and with walls becoming part of the statement of the venue, you create a homely and welcoming atmosphere.

Another typical aesthetic of the Irish if the mahogany or other dark coloured woods that often make up the bar, as well as the walls, of the venue. The warmth created by the dark woods creates an inviting and instantly familiar atmosphere. Venues have a lot to learn from the Irish in terms of how they create aesthetic to feel homely.

Flavours Ireland has so many wonderful foods to offer. Walking through the streets of Dublin, for example, many restaurants

offer a variant of stew – my absolute favourite being a beef and Guinness stew, which is actually a bit of a classic.

If you’re a restaurant looking to incorporate an Ireland-related food week, or something similar, then the first thing I would add to your menu is a rich stew.

Make sure your meat is tender and slow cooked and add some winter vegetables such as carrots or parsnips. I would also recommend adding an Irish classic, the potato.

The humble potato is what Ireland is associated with. Fortunately, the potato, being so versatile, has a lot to offer; whether it’s an addition to a classic roast dinner meal, or used for bar snack crisps, make sure you research the best authentic Irish potatoes to serve.

Lastly, Ireland has a lot to offer in the way of cheese; whether you design a specific Irish cheeseboard, or simply keep it as one of your many cheese offerings, it’s a wonderful addition to any dessert menu.

Drink Ireland produces some of the most wonderful beverages across the whole

world. For example, Irish whiskey is a classic, often meticulously produced and filled with flavour. Take Dingle Distillery, an artisan whiskey distiller, which recently released a single malt whiskey – the brand offers an authentic taste of Ireland.

By researching these key Irish whiskey producers and adding them to your drinks menu, you will be providing your customer the best the country has to offer.

Moreover, Ireland is famed for producing some truly stand out beers and ale. The country has a rich history with both; in the 19th century, there were more than 200 breweries in the country, with 55 of these based in Dublin. Later in the century, this number fell by three-quarters to 50 and by the mid 2000s, there was only 12.

However, despite this, Ireland is still famed for producing some of the best products across the globe; whether it’s Guinness Draught or Murphy’s Irish Stout – they offer a rich and indulgent flavour, that gives the consumer a proper taste of Ireland.

Whichever way you choose to add a taste of Ireland to your venue; ensure that you are doing your research and speaking to food and drink producers in the country who can answer any questions you may have.

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A taste of… Ireland

Dingle Distillery discuss its stand out product, Dingle Gin.

T

he Dingle Distillery is Ireland’s first purpose-built distillery in over 100 years. Oliver Hughes, Liam LaHart and Peter Mosley had a vision to bring an artisan craft distillery to the picturesque town of Dingle, Co. Kerry. Dingle Original Gin is the product of a considerable amount of research, both technical and historical, as well as experimentation.

The aim was to create a totally unique gin, one which worked within the great tradition of gin distilling but which also came with a degree of innovation.

In terms of broad style, Dingle Gin is characterized as a London dry gin. It has a unique character and flavor profile thanks to the specific choice of locally sourced botanicals. The combination of flavor elements are macerated in spirit for 24 hours. Then, when the spirit is distilled, it passes through a flavor basket in the neck of the still. This process underlines the attention to detail that is an essential part of our approach to the art of distillation. We use, amongst other botanicals, rowan berry, fuchsia, bog myrtle, hawthorn and heather, for a real taste of the Kerry landscape. It’s

a formula unknown elsewhere and is calculated, amongst other things, to create a sense of place and provenance.

The raw spirit is collected at 70% ABV and then cut to 42.5% ABV using the purest of water, which we draw from our own well, located 240 feet below the distillery. The blend of botanicals delivers a fresh floral character that perfectly balances the traditional juniper, however, it really must be tasted to be understood.

Dingle Original Gin won the award for Best Irish Gin at the Irish Whiskey Awards 2017.

For the perfect Dingle Gin and tonic, we’d recommend to enjoy a pour of Dingle Gin in a large glass of ice, with tonic, a wedge of orange and a sprinkling of juniper berries. But if you’re after something a little more adventurous, why not try a Dingle ‘Mo-gin-to’. Dingle Original Gin replaces rum in this twist on a classic cocktail, with crushed ice to keep it cool all the way down, this drink is the perfect sunset companion.

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INGREDIENTS: 50ml Dingle Original Gin Cucumber 5 -6 Fresh Mint Leaves 20 - 50ml Pressed Apple Juice 20ml Lemon Juice 20ml Elderflower Cordial 10ml Gomme/Simple Syrup

METHOD: Muddle cucumber and syrup into a pulp in the base of a glass Smack the mint and add to the mix.

Add the crushed ice to the top of the glass. Pour in the lemon juice, elderflower cordial and gin.

Churn the contents of the glass, distributing the mint and cucumber evenly. Add more crushed ice and top with the apple juice.

Serve immediately

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cocktails

Similarly, the ‘One More Time’, based on music duo, Daft Punk, combines Fair Vodka, Fair Pomegranate liqueur, cherry tomato shrub, lime juice, tangerine oil, plum bitters and a homemade floral foam. Decorated with flashing lights in a distinctive metallic martini glass, this drink mimics the eccentric visual stylisation of the duo.

With 14 cocktails on this elaborate menu, the St James Bar is pioneering this elaborate and delicious music-themed cocktail concept.

The St James Bar at London Sofitel St James has launched a new musical cocktail menu.

W

e visit the St James Bar on one of London’s many heatwave afternoons; being welcomed into the hotel bar and given a premium spot at the bar. Immediately, you sense the laid-back luxury of the venue; with a sleek, dark interior that provided much refuge from the heat. The walls are adorned with intricate detail, one of which is covered in what appears to be a Japanese floral partition; which is particularly striking against the deep brown walls. We’re not here to admire the design however, and as the bar manager slips a CD-shaped menu into our hands, we become excited to try the St James Bar’s latest sensation, its musical-themed cocktail menu.

We sit and talk to head bartender, Remi Garcia, who talks us through some of his favourites and the key concept behind the menu. The drinks menu, which features cocktails inspired by music legends such as Ray Charles, Bob Marley and Beyoncé, was designed by the expert team and inspired by their favourite songs.

Garcia elaborates: “We have engaged not only your senses of taste and smell but of hearing and sight too. The musical themed menu combined with the ambience of the St James Bar ensures that enjoying a cocktail is a full sensory experience.”

A stand out facet of this cocktail concept is the menu; which is designed as a CD case – with a lyric book showcasing all the different recipes and the teams’ take on the album cover. To further the immersive experience, the case contains a CD that can be used as a coaster – and this can actually be purchased as a souvenir of the experience. The team also worked with designers to create an intricate array of glassware to showcase the cocktails – from a rock ‘n’ roll themed box which pours out smoke to a jazzy feather strewn martini glass.

Each of the ingredients used to craft the cocktails pairs excellently with the musician they promote. For example, the ‘Spice of Californication’, based on the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, mixes Vida Mezcal, Cointreau, Green Chartreuse, lime juice, chilli syrup and agave syrup. Not only do these reflect the chilli in the band’s name, but also aim to give the drinker a taste of classic California.

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taste test

Nice

&

risp

This issue of On-Trade Progress – we taste some of the most sumptuous crisps the industry has to offer. We’re munching on Corkers’, Slabs and Great Food Offers’ Bruschetta with our team of expert panellists to discuss this month’s delicious offerings.

Corkers

Rosemary and Garlic By far, this has been On-Trade Progress teams’ favourite flavour.

The real appeal of this crisp, and something that runs throughout most of this Corkers range, is the potato crisp base. It uses Naturalo potatoes (which have previously won awards), grown on its fenland farm since 1865 – where the soil influences the potato’s rich flavour.

One of our panellists explains: “Cooked in olive oil, for the more health-conscious customer, the simplicity of the flavours; the aromatic rosemary and the powerful garlic really pack a punch.

Mixing the sweet subtle herbal flavours with a beloved home ingredient such as garlic means this is a truly unique offering.”

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Mediterranean Cheese & Roasted Onion A twist on the traditional cheese and onion flavour, this delicious crisp harmonises the flavours of the Mediterranean. Embarking on this taste adventure, this crunchy delicacy is cooked in Andalusian Olive Oil, as are all this Corkers range.

The real stand out hit comes from the onion flavour, which has a sweet undertone. One of our in-house judges remarked: “Rarely do I look twice at anything even remotely cheese and onion flavour, but after some encouragement, I tried these crisps. And I have to say, these are the most delicious crisps I’ve had in a while. This is what cheese and onion crisps should be like.”

Black truffle In all honesty, the On-Trade Progress panel was blown away by the black truffle flavour.

At first, we were all sceptical, but we finished the bag off in less than a few minutes. The intricate and deep flavour of the rich mushroom combined with the light olive oil crisp is very ‘more-ish’ and would work well with light white wines or lagers.

“This is a real top-notch crisp,” comments one of our testers.

“I could easily go through a whole bag by myself. I’m not posh, but I bloody love the taste of truffle!

This crisp really captures the flavour and essence of the mushroom.”

slabs

Mature cheddar & onion

Salt & malt vinegar

SLABS’ classic mature cheddar and onion is a real burst of flavour; accentuating the classic the nation has come to know and love. With crisps that pride themselves on being thick and big, these crisps really do deliver.

This beloved flavour would make a great addition to any hospitality venue.

This hand-cooked take on another classic really delivers. The salt is sharp but in no way bitter and doesn’t linger on your tongue like cheaper brands. This, combined with the vinegar, manages to make a very memorable taste. Any fans of the classic flavour won’t be disappointed.

One of our panellists said: “These really do pack a punch. This is my favourite crisp flavour dialled up to ten without being overpowering. I can imagine having a really cold beer and a pack of these any day of the week.”

“I love salt and vinegar crisps, so naturally, I loved this flavour,” says one of our panellists. “I particularly like that the vinegar is malt vinegar; definitely stands out.”

taste test

sprinkled with sea salt You can’t get any more classic than SLABS’ Sprinkled with Sea Salt crisps; the fact that they are big and thick too means you can really get stuck in. These are perfect for an all year round offering to guests.

A panellist agrees. She says: “These are absolutely delicious.

More please! I’m kidding, well I’m not, but these are just great.

So flavoursome. These would be served in every pub across the UK if I had my way.”

Great Food Affair’s Bruschetta

Tomato & Oregano

Garlic & Parsley

Tomato & Oregano

This delicious snack is perfect for capturing the flavours of Italy; from which Bruschetta originates.

One of our panellists agrees, she said: “More please… no seriously, this is great! I love how it’s not at all oily at all. It’s really full of flavour. What strikes me most is the oregano, it really comes through with this snack.”

Garlic and Parsley flavour really brings out how light this toasted snack bread is. Garlic can often feel heavy when it comes to a snack, but Bruschetta manages to balance the flavours perfectly. “Damn this is good,” comments a panellist. “I never like fresh parsley actually, but the flavour in this snack is really subtle.”

The panellists were most apprehensive about this flavour; however, all of them concurred that it wasn’t at all what they expected.

One said: “It’s actually really good!

I’m not usually a fan of onion, I find artificial onion flavours strange. But this isn’t artificial at all. It tastes fresh somehow.”

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on the plate

ARYZTA Food Solutions adds Middle Eastern flavours to frozen range ARYZTA Food Solutions has added two new Middle Eastern-inspired savouries to its growing frozen bakery range. Inspired by the street food markets of Istanbul, the new Pides (pronounced Pea-days) have been developed to help caterers satisfy the growing consumer clamour for cuisine from the Middle East, while adding a touch of adventure to onthe-go menus.

A

ccording to data house MCA, the desire for Middle Eastern cuisine has grown significantly and is predicted to be one of the fastest growing cuisines in the eating out sector over the next 3-5 years.

A traditional savoury of Turkish origin, the Pides are a type of stonebaked pizza characterised by a unique boat shape and open filling. The ARYZTA chefs have developed two highly authentic takes – a meat and meat free option – helping caterers appeal to a wide audience.

For the meat eaters, there’s a stone

baked Gyros Chicken Pide filled with spinach, topped with succulent Gyros chicken, red tomatoes, onions, sour cream, herbs and a light touch of cayenne pepper. ARYZTA’s meatfree Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Pide is generously filled with spinach, mozzarella, basil & tomato, and topped with a delicious basil pesto. Both pides are supplied in cases of 18 and can be heated in just 5-6 minutes with a long holding time of three hours.

Paul Whitely, head of marketing, ARYZTA Food Solutions, comments: “As with any new product that we develop, we always

ensure that the end result chimes with the most current market insight. I’m glad to say that the data is unequivocal – interest in Middle Eastern cuisine is accelerating at pace. We’re confident that, in introducing these authentic savouries to the UK foodservice market, caterers can use them to further pique that interest and capture the all-important food-to-go market into the bargain.”

Operators encouraged to dip into the While a chorizo and sunblush tomato houmous recipe encourages operators profit power of houmous to blend plain houmous with chopped

flavoursome dip with a point of difference.

In retail it’s officially the UK’s favourite dip with sales exceeding £100m, now The Real Deli Co. is helping foodservice operators claim a profitable piece of the out-of-home houmous market, with an inspirational guide to premiumising this cult favourite.

T

he new guide, ‘Dip into the Potential of Houmous’ is available to download now at: www.therealdelicompany.com and showcases a number of recipes that use the company’s classic or reduced fat houmous as a base. Operators simply need to add a few ingredients to add a healthy mark-up.

The recipe for The Real Deli Co.’s Sriracha Korean Houmous with pickled vegetables, for instance, advises operators to blend Sriracha sauce with Real Deli houmous and top with pickled red cabbage, carrot and mouli, for a

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sunblush tomatoes and smoked paprika, before topping with finely diced chorizo, roasted red peppers and freshly chopped basil.

David Colwell, Foodservice Manager, Real Soup Co, says: “We know just what a devoted following houmous has gained in the UK in the past decade or so, so much so that retail sales now outstrip all other dips combined!

Currently a real in-home favourite, it’s time foodservice operators got their hands on a piece of the action and got wise to the money that can be made.

With a few simple embellishments, our classic houmous can be transformed into something even more special and upsold with incremental breads, crudités or put ‘centre of plate’ as part of a profitable grazing board.”

equipment

CULINARY

co-working Creating a co-working space for hospitality professionals, Arthur Giraux launches the latest concept in food creation. when I realised that a majority of small food makers actually cooked from their home kitchen (with the admin burden that it comes with). We don’t realise that when we order a ramen or brownie from a street food stall! The fact is that the gap between a domestic and a commercial kitchen is most often too wide to bridge, and businesses with great potential can simply not fulfil it because of the high prices and long-term commitments.”

A

rthur Giraux, former litigation lawyer turned food industry entrepreneur, has launched The Cook Room; a culinary co-working space based in between Borough Market and Elephant and Castle. The space provides its customer with large workbenches, ability to utilise large cooking equipment and an on-site host.

“Our job is to make sure everything runs like clockwork,” says Giraux, founder and director of The Cook Room. “We have a host on site at all times to supervise food hygiene and safety, show the new users around, and make sure that everyone enjoys a great cooking experience. We pay the bills and we provide storage, parking, Wi-Fi, tea and coffee, desk space and music too. Everything is included!”

All for one space Giraux created the space when he realised that food start-ups and entrepreneurs were finding it difficult to create new food concepts while working from smaller, domestic kitchens.

He says: “I was genuinely astounded

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The Cook Room hopes to make a difference in the hospitality industry by giving aspiring food makers a chance to access a fully-equipped commercial

kitchen with little risks.

“London’s food offer is changing at an unprecedented pace and with nine million Londoners, any ambitious food maker with the right product could find their target market,” comments Giraux. “But this privilege is too often limited to the big players in the industry. Quite obviously on the high street where it is getting harder and harder not to find the same chain restaurants in every neighbourhood, but even some food markets now line up mostly well-established brands on the streets, leaving very little room for novelty.”

equipment

Inspiration The Cook Room’s founder has a fascinating and longstanding passion and history when it comes to food. Giraux started as a litigation lawyer working on banking cases in the city. After spending periods in different law firms across London, Giraux decided to give it up to fulfil his passion in the food industry.

He says: “My first attempt was to start a range of high-quality prepared fruit and vegetables for the high-end market (hand-cut fruit salads, luxurious fruit baskets, etc) and that’s how a two-month nerve-wracking search for a decent and affordable kitchen unit in Greater London started.

“With a very small budget and no contacts, I spent days on Google and hours in the tube in all directions to visit kitchens in gloomy industrial estates.

There was simply nothing that was both affordable and flexible, let alone centrally located or furnished and I don’t even mention the admin ordeal. I decided that the risk was simply too great and that was the end of my first attempt at escaping the City. But that’s how I got the idea of the Cook Room.

“At that time, I was working on this project from a co-working space in Oval and could not help but think that the wellproven concept of shared office space could very well apply to commercial kitchens. The idea nurtured in the back of my head while I was back in another law firm and a few months later I decided to go for it.”

What influenced The Cook Room’s creation is Giraux’s initial lack of hospitality experience. His first-hand knowledge of the absence of spaces for young food businesses needing a kitchen was prevalent. He created a check list of all the obstacles that he faced himself and worked on finding a solution to remove them.

“The other crucial aspect that shaped the concept of the Cook Room was influenced by the loneliness one can feel when starting a business,” continues Giraux. “This is especially true in the food industry. But if you are willing to give it all to make a living out of your passion for food, then you are unfailingly someone who loves direct contact with people. Food is all about sharing but working in a commercial kitchen is often a solitary job. You would be surprised how many food makers are craving for more interactions, especially when you are a start-up and could use a touch of peer advice or a little help from time to time.

“This is the reason why the Cook Room is not only meant to be a convenient place to cook, it is a convenient place to cook that you walk to with a smile on your face.

Sharing the kitchen is great to reduce costs and risks but it is also great to keep it fun and social.”

Customers By offering the latest equipment and a nofuss approach to a shared culinary working space, Giraux hopes to attract a diverse range of food entrepreneurs and start-ups.

“Our users are all kinds of food makers who cannot yet afford a fully - equipped kitchen unit or do not have a full-time need for it,” says Giraux. “Our kitchen is fit for caterers and bakers as well as artisan producers or chefs. Whether they are new businesses looking for a place to start, small businesses with punctual needs of large facilities, or more established ones looking to scale up, the common ground is that kitchen space should not be less accessible than office space.

“As a culinary hub, we also want to create a pool of talented chefs that can be consulted by larger brands for product developments or upcoming restaurants looking for a head chef. Since our current location can accommodate up to five food makers simultaneously, and with a dining hall overlooking directly into the kitchen, this is the perfect place to develop new recipes, host a tasting panel or fill a chef position.”

For Giraux, what makes The Cook Room stand out is its unique offering that provides unparalleled flexibility and ease of access. The website also proves to be a selling point for users, with food professionals able to book online, upload the required documentation (Public and Product Liability insurance and Food Safety and Hygiene certificate, as well as pay online). Users can get their products delivered the day before if they wish, as well as picking it up the next day if needed. The minimum is a six-hour shift for one-off users and The Cook Room has space for a few full-time members as well.

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Exclusive preview

Restaurant & Bar Tech Live gives On-Trade Progress an exclusive show preview!

I

n just a matter of weeks, Restaurant & Bar Tech Live takes place at the ExCeL London, on the 25th – 26th September, and as their partners we have managed to get a sneak preview of everything that is coming up at the 2018 event!

that promise to help you achieve the level of growth you’ve been striving for. Like what you see? Then take advantage of exclusive show offers and be the first to get hold of the exciting tech that can take any venue to the next level.

Haven’t registered for your free ticket yet? Then check out these top reasons to attend the UK’s ultimate marketplace for professionals in the On-Trade sector (and register online to avoid missing out)!

Artificial Intelligence

Customer Experience Restaurant & Bar Tech Live 2018 is set to enable any establishment to provide the ultimate experience for their patrons.

Learn how to implement everything from digital menus to mobile or app payments, and ensure your customers are always giving you a 5-Star rating!

Product Launches Be among the first in the world to witness the unveiling of the technologies that are set to re-write the future of the restaurant and bar sectors. Find the tech that will really get customers excited, with over 300 suppliers showcasing everything from bespoke wireless charging to mobile photobooths.

Live Demos Try before you buy! Live and direct on the show floor, interact with the innovations

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Grow your business the smart way, with the abundance of artificial intelligence that’s taking the restaurant and bar sectors by storm. This cutting-edge technology is already changing the game for venues up and down the country, solving issues around supplier management and recipe costing, tracking inventory and wastage, and even addressing the allergen issue!

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insight into the true potential of the modern digital dining experience!

Speakers Restaurant & Bar Tech Live brings together the greatest and most influential speakers in the industry. Whatever your desired topic or piece of advice, you’re sure to find it at the show!

Here is just a taste of the speaker line-up for 2018: * David Broom, IT Director at Prezzo * Tom Sycamore, Operations Director at PizzaExpress * Lawrence Santangeli, Product Owner – Platform at KFC UK and Ireland * Chris Fletcher, Retail Operations Director at Pieminister * Sophie Evans, Head of Marketing at Be At One * Ryan Jacovides, Former MD at Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group * Plus many more!

Business Growth

Digital Dining

Restaurant & Bar Tech Live’s number 1 priority is business growth – so if you want to know what is next for the industry, be sure to register for your FREE ticket today, before spaces run out!

Go beyond EPOS systems and online menus, as the exhibitors at Restaurant and Bar Tech Live provide an invaluable

To book your FREE ticket, and find out about all of this year’s goings on, visit: www.restauranttechlive.co.uk

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S

tar’s solid reputation for innovative product design and multi-platform support has been built on over 40 years’ experience providing venues with the very latest POS technology and excellent technical support.

Working with a range of POS software partners, Star provides a wide portfolio that effectively meets the needs of venues looking for traditional or tablet POS solutions. Whether you require an Ethernet printer in the kitchen or a Bluetooth printer in the bar, Star can provide a tailored solution to meet your POS printing needs. Or, maybe you prefer one printer with multiple interfaces reducing the need for different models across the venue. Offering IPX2 splashproof certification, ideal for demanding hospitality environments, Star is unique in providing exceptional functionality alongside practical and stylish design.

In fact, Star is the only POS printer manufacturer to offer: * POS printer with 5 traditional and unique interfaces and IPX2 rating * USB Lightning POS printer providing direct communication and charging with

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model is as intelligent as the 80mm model.

Star’s aesthetic design is not only stylish but also offers practical functionality for a variety of environments. In particular, the soft operating switches and ‘protected’ control boards as well as IPX2 rating allow these printers to operate efficiently in difficult or harsh environments. And, with easy Ethernet setup / static IP address setup using the Star Utility (Native) via USB, installation costs are kept to a minimum. Incorporating Star’s Cloud Services with digital receipting and Internet device management, mCPrint offers the next generation of POS printer that boasts a wealth of onboard marketing and receipt tools.

an iPad, iPod or iPhone via the Applesupplied lightning cable to ensure connection is maintained at all times * Apple AirPrint POS printer

Forward thinking The hospitality landscape is constantly evolving with a distinct shift in recent years towards Cloud-based software for both traditional terminals and tablet POS solutions with all the benefits the latter provides in terms of flexibility and reduced costs. Recognising this, Star is at the forefront of POS innovation with cost-effective, high-performance solutions including the first POS printer with 5 traditional and unique interfaces and multiple peripheral Hub operation. mC-Print2™ and mC-Print3™ seamlessly combine sophistication with functionality, and aesthetically match the sleek, modern design of tomorrow’s hospitality venues to provide feature-rich, front-feed compact printers. With a print speed up to 250mm/second, the printers can uniquely feature all of the following interfaces in one model: Ethernet LAN; Bluetooth (MFi); traditional USB; lightning USB (data and charge USB for iOS) and CloudPRNT™ as well as Hub functionality for more than one peripheral; scanner, customer display, etc. Ever mindful that venues are looking for sustainable solutions, Star has ensured the 58mm

This series accompanies Star innovation in both traditional and tablet POS with the first AirPrint POS printer, TSP654II AirPrint, as well as the first USB Lightning POS printer to provide direct communication and charging via the Apple-supplied lightning cable ensuring connectivity is maintained at all times.

For direct cable communication and charging with iOS tablets, the latest addition to the renowned TSP100 futurePRNT™ series is the unique TSP143IIIU. This is the only USB receipt printer today to communicate and charge simultaneously and directly via the Apple-supplied lightning cable with an iPad, iPod or iPhone for reliable USB communication. The printer removes the insecurity of wireless connection and seamlessly combines the flexibility and cost savings of tablet POS with the reliability of traditional POS. Tablet POS offers the advantages of versatile Cloud-based software alongside compact, low cost hardware.

However, it has one disadvantage which is no connected peripheral control. Recognising this, Star has developed the TSP654II CloudPRNTPOS™ that allows Cloud-based software to run on any tablet or smartphone (Windows, Android, Linux or iOS) with peripherals controlled through the printer to provide a complete POS transactional solution with all the advantages of tablet POS. Visit Star and a range of software partners on Stand 2760 at Restaurant & Bar Tech Live 2018, 25-26 September, ExCel, London to find out more.

StarConnectivity_BuyersGuide 04/07/2018 14:14 Page 1 StarConnectivity_BuyersGuide 04/07/2018 14:14 Page 1

Connectivity at every Connectivity level from Star.at every level from Star.

With the largest range of unique and innovative POS printing solutions offering versatility, affordability and connectivity at With the largest range of unique and innovative POS printing every level, the hard work is really paying off. solutions offering versatility, affordability and connectivity at Global in traditional and tablet POS printing, Staroff. provides advanced everyspecialists level, the hard work is really paying

technology with exceptional functionality alongside unrivalled expertise in hardware Global specialists in traditional and tablet POSand printing, Star advanced integration.

From retail to hospitality, logistics banking weprovides are constantly technology pioneering, with exceptional functionalitysolutions alongside expertise hardware developing cost-conscious forunrivalled tomorrow’s evolvingin omni-channel integration. From retail to hospitality, logistics and banking we are constantly environment. developing pioneering, cost-conscious solutions for tomorrow’s evolving omni-channel Star – market leading solutions that offer the world’s only: environment. mC-Print™ Printers with 5 interfaces & multiple peripheral USB Hub a Star – market leading solutions that offer the world’s only: USB Printers (TSP143IIIU & mC-Print) a Lightning ™ Printers with 5 interfaces & multiple peripheral USB Hub a mC-Print AirPrint™ Receipt printer a TSP654II Lightning USB Printers (TSP143IIIU & mC-Print) a TSP654II CloudPRNT-POS with Cloud based multiple a TSP654II AirPrint™ Receipt printer printer a peripheral control TSP654II CloudPRNT-POS printer with Cloud based multiple a For more information on Star’s POS printing solutions, call our sales peripheral control team on +44 (0) 1494 471111 or visit www.Star-EMEA.com For more information on Star’s POS printing solutions, call our sales team on +44 (0) 1494 471111 or visit www.Star-EMEA.com

Windows Windows

Lightning USB Lightning USB

www.Star-EMEA.com www.Star-EMEA.com

Experts’ opinion

Migration policy

Industry experts respond to latest Government report on future migration.

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ith Brexit not far away, the Home Affairs

Committee has released a report titled ‘Policy options for future migration from the European Economic Area: Interim report’. The purpose of the report is to provide an account of proposals made so far on migration in the lead up to Brexit; however, the report is very clear that this is simply an interim report and that the report is simply to inform the public about the “limited statements so far on future migration policy.”

A couple of points emerged from the report which are pivotal to the development of the hospitality industry; the first is the confirmation that the Government are making efforts to secure the status of existing EU citizens currently living in the UK. The second, and slightly more vague proposal, is that Government is trying to develop a ‘labour mobility’ framework that seeks to replace free movement with work visas. However, the exact nature of what these visas could entail is unclear.

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Key insighT Industry is responding; with both UKHospitality and The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) having released statements in response to the report.

UKHospitality are keen to stress that the UK’s future immigration policy should operate in the interests of the UK economy, rather than as a politically-driven target.

UK Hospitality’s chief executive, Kate Nicolls, comments: “The report has rightly identified the need for an open debate on immigration and the need to take into account a range of views, not least of all UK businesses.

“The country’s future immigration policy should not be determined by a narrow ideological viewpoint, it should support the needs of the country and benefit the UK economy. We are hopeful that the Migration Advisory Committee’s report will highlight role migrant workers

Experts’ opinion

play and their importance, particularly to hospitality.

doubt that is true for pubs in particular.

“UKHospitality has made the case for the sector and will continue to do so as we approach the Brexit date and beyond.”

“We acknowledge that many in entrylevel positions in our sector are paid the National Living Wage, but we do not see ourselves purely as a low pay sector.

We employ huge numbers of young people – 46% of employees in pubs are under the age of 25. We are working hard as a sector to ensure that working in hospitality is seen as a career and continue to work with the Government to support proposals for a Tourism Sector Industrial Strategy which has a clear focus on skills.

Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “The Migration Advisory Committee’s interim report highlights the importance of migrant workers in the hospitality sector.

A survey of BBPA members showed that brewing and pubs employ 17% of their workforce from overseas, but this rises to 40% in metropolitan areas and in some specialist areas such as kitchen staff, up to 80%. The interim report acknowledges that low unemployment does make it harder for businesses to recruit and retain workers and without

“We are clear that any future immigration system must support the necessary levels of staffing in our sector. It has been good to see the Republic of Ireland changing their migration rules around the employment of chefs. There is a shortage of chefs here too and the experience required, rather than specific qualifications requirements does not fit well under Tier 2 of the current migration system. As the leading voice for brewing and pubs we will continue to work closely with the Home Office on a post-Brexit migration system that best serves our sector and have made

“Businesses will not have long to adjust to the new policy, whatever form it takes, so the Government must act quickly to ensure employers are not left behind. The Government also needs to ensure that the management of immigration goes beyond just the numbers so that it is managed in a way that benefits communities.

clear that the tier system needs reform.

Additionally, we would like to see the Youth Mobility Scheme, which gives the freedom for young people to live and work in the UK for up to two years, extended to EU nationals.”

Lacking detail Interestingly, the report seeks to elaborate the lack of clear detail in its conclusive paragraph; where it states: “We have done this in the absence of any detailed policy proposals coming from the Government.

We do not put forward a preferred option, but we call on the Government to note the high level of dissatisfaction with the existing arrangements for non-EEA nationals. Extending the non-EEA structure to include EEA citizens is simply untenable and unworkable.

Whatever happens, On-Trade Progress’ opinion is that prioritising the clarity of workers’ rights, both already based in the EU and those that want to come to work in the UK is key. This means Government developing a clear plan that can be communicated effectively to workers and industry.

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entertainment

Nations United

Bring customers together for an autumn packed with live international sport.

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his autumn, Sky Sports are bringing pubs and bars big- hitting international action with the UEFA Nations League, the Autumn Internationals and combined with the Premier League, the Ryder Cup and Formula 1, it’s all about nations united.

With all seven of England’s World Cup games attracting over half a million people into pubs and bars1, the UEFA Nations League, a brand-new tournament, will be shown live on Sky Sports. Every England game will be exclusively live, with Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland games live.

The UEFA Nations League begins on Thursday 6th September with nine games being played including the current World Cup Champions, France against Germany and Wales vs the Republic of Ireland. Saturday 8th September sees Photos © Getty Images.

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Sunday 16, Singapore Grand Prix, 13.10pm Friday 22, Joshua v Povetkin Friday 28 to Sunday 30, 2018 Ryder Cup Saturday 29, Chelsea vs Liverpool, 5.30pm Sunday 30, Russian Grand Prix, 12.10pm

october Sunday 7, Japanese Grand Prix, 6.10am Sunday 7, Liverpool vs Chelsea, 4.30pm Friday 12, Croatia vs England, 7.45pm Friday 12, Austria vs Northern Ireland, 7.45pm Saturday 20, Chelsea vs Manchester United, 12.30pm Sunday 21, United States Grand Prix, 7.10pm Sunday 28, Tottenham vs Manchester City, 4pm Sunday 28, Mexican Grand Prix, 7.10pm

England play their first competitive game since July against Spain, the former World Champions. This will be one of four England games throughout September, October and November including a rematch of the World Cup semi-final against Croatia. This will be the first time fans can watch England matches since their successful World Cup campaign, so interest will be high!

Later in September, another fan favourite returns with the 2018 Ryder Cup taking place at the Le Golf National in Paris.

We’ll see Europe try to regain the trophy after the Americans ended a run of three consecutive defeats with a commanding victory in Hazeltine two years ago. The Ryder Cup takes place from the 28th to the 30th September and every day will be shown exclusively live on Sky Sports, enabling licensees to ensure their customers don’t miss out on any of the action.

International sport continues with the return of the Autumn Internationals in November offering the home nations a chance to test their squads against some

of the world's best teams as they begin preparations for the Rugby World Cup in 2019. England’s fixtures have now been confirmed with matches to be played on four consecutive Saturdays, and will all be shown exclusively live on Sky Sports.

It’s an exciting month ahead for Eddie Jones’ side who will be playing against South Africa (3rd November), the Rugby Championship champions the All Blacks (10th November), a test match against Japan (17th November) and culminating with what could be a fifth consecutive win against Australia, on 24th November.

An exciting few months of international sport are ahead of us and these are the fixtures not to be missed;

september Sunday 2, Italian Grand Prix, 2.10pm Thursday 6, Wales vs Republic of Ireland, 7.45pm Saturday 8, England vs Spain, 7.45pm Saturday 15, Tottenham vs Liverpool, 12.30pm 1

Sky Q1 Message Testing – Ipsos MORI April 2018

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entertainment

Va lu e

of

song

transformative power of karaoke.

The Mad Hatter in Oxford, a speakeasy inspired cocktail bar, adopted Singa technology after using two different technology sets that simply weren’t working. These two different systems weren’t designed to be used in conjunction and meant bar staff would have to spend copious time making sure they were up to date with one another.

After adopting Singa, Jessica Tomkinson, manager of The Mad Hatter, has only praise to give. She says: “Singa is really effective and has simplified yet upgraded the karaoke experience overall at Mad Hatter’s. It does everything the previous systems delivered in a much simpler interface and so much more.

Singa’s latest research hails the transformative power of karaoke.

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enue owners are constantly seeking for new ways to grow their revenue, gain new customers and retain existing customers for longer.

In conjunction with Aalto University, Singa, the karaoke and entertainment provider, conducted research with bar owners to evaluate the real value of karaoke entertainment in the restaurant and hospitality environment.

The research named “Value of Karaoke and New Ways to Benefit from Karaoke” indicated a clear outcome that karaoke has positive influence to further sales, bringing people to venues and also encouraging people to stay longer.

Encouraging figures The venue owners were asked: “how would karaoke impact customer numbers?” The results found the number of customers grew on average by 31% during karaoke nights. Slightly over 5% of venue owners responded that the number of customers almost doubled and 5% of responders stated that karaoke has a negative impact to customer numbers.

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Moreover, the average purchase of customers grew by 35% when there was karaoke. The significant remark is that when there is karaoke – people stay longer and hence spend more.

In venues where there is karaoke only 2-3 times per month the average purchase of customers grew even more – by 42%. This proves that during specific karaoke nights customers spend almost double the amount of money they would have previously.

Praise and more This fascinating research has been backed up by fantastic venue testimonials; all of whom have acknowledged the

“The support we’ve received from the Singa team as well, big shout out to them, they’ve been fantastic. Always willing to lend a hand, always prompt with any troubleshooting and even when the question may appear silly at the time.”

Moreover, Singa worked its magic at Bloomsbury Bowling too. The venue manager, Erald Pellumbi, commented: “Singa Pro has been working very well for us. The amount of songs and ease of use has made it easy for us to show customers how to use the system and the support team have been great with taking any song requests and getting them into a development stage. Our customers have been happy with the overall experience when attending the venue for karaoke.”

To see the fantastic impact karaoke can have on your venue, or to simply find out more information, visit: www.singa.pro, or email: sales@singa.pro or call: 07828 605 600

HOSPITALITY

#Hospitality On-Trade Progress brings you all the latest social media buzz from the #hospitality.

CLARENCE HOUSE In hospitality, it really is all about putting the guests first… especially if they are royalty!

London Craft Beer Festival This year’s London Craft Beer Festival concludes after an impressive year.

Anthony We all know a thing or two about mid-week weekends.

Anna We agree with Anna on this one. Recognising today’s working culture and responding to it effectively will ensure staff retainment is high.

Olivia Take Olivia’s advice and ensure every customer feels valued this month!

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at your service

Foodservice Equipment Marketing Team expands to enhance customer and dealer support Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM) has strengthened its marketing team with the promotion of Stacey Archibald to product marketing manager and appointment of Megan Nesbitt as marketing executive.

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tacy has worked for FEM as marketing assistant a for a number of years and has a wealth of experience and knowledge. In her new role she will be focussing primarily on analysing products and supporting the customer experience.

Stacey’s promotion has been underpinned by her successful completion

of the Certified Food Service Professional qualification. The CFSP is the industry specific professional qualification for the UK Foodservice industry. It is designed to improve the levels of professionalism in the sector by creating a universally recognised and respected industry ‘standard’ for knowledge and experience.

Mark Hogan, commercial director,

comments: “Stacey’s new role will allow us to take a more proactive analysis of products and our customers.”

Alongside Stacey, FEM welcomes Megan Nesbitt as their new marketing executive. Megan will be supporting Stacey and Mark. Previously she has worked in similar roles at Alea Casino and Belhaven.

HIT Training launch qualification for health and social care sector HIT Training has launched a Level 2 Award in Professional Cookery in Health and Social Care. It is the first training provider to offer the new qualification and will be working in partnership with St Andrew’s Healthcare to deliver it to an initial cohort of learners.

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he qualification, which is specifically for people who cater for patients and residents in a health and social care setting, has been designed by the Institute of Hospitality in association with the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA) and National Association of Care Catering (NACC). Aimed at developing awareness of potential diet and appetite issues, the qualification covers the importance of nutrition, hydration and maintaining health and wellbeing. It also offers specific training on the needs of dysphagia sufferers and how the

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condition impacts diets and menus.

Apprentices of all levels can benefit from the qualification by broadening their skill set with specialist understanding on dysphagia.

The qualification also enables caterers to have greater versatility in the kitchen and give residents and patients more choice at meal times. What’s more, businesses can strengthen their offering by giving employees the right knowledge to prepare suitable meals with fresh ingredients, rather than relying on pre-made meals.

HIT Training has worked closely with

development chefs at St Andrew’s Healthcare, a charity that provides specialist mental healthcare, to tailor the Level 2 Award programme to meet their precise needs.

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With over 38 years’ experience and regarded as the one of the leading experts in the warewashing industry, Derek Maher, Managing Director of Crystaltech, “We pride ourselves on a high first time fix rate and we can save operators valuable time and money through making machines work more efficiently. With the right combination of a reverse osmosis system and the right level of cleaning chemicals, our team can get glasses and tableware crystal clear and clean and able to be taken straight from washer to table with no additional polishing.”

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In the cellar

Maintaining excellence Cask Marque offers world-class advice on how to manage, organise and maintain your cellar.

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ithin managed groups, robust cellar management training programmes are in place to ensure staff know how to maintain a clean and efficient cellar. Managed groups recognise the importance of the beer category – that beer drinkers determine the pub of choice amongst groups of drinkers, that beer is still the biggest selling category of drink (be it lager, cask ale, stout) in the on-trade, and that quality of the product is a driving force for the business succeeding or failing.

But what about the free and leased trade?

In some instances, it becomes a matter of choice whether any kind of cellar and beer training is taken. In other instances, there is no clear signpost directing these publicans where they can get this kind of

training. An alarming statistic is that only 30% of these licensees have ever had any formal cellar management training.

Yet it’s proven that structured training, when implemented can increase yields by up to 7% and increase sales by up to 3%.

Cask Marque were instrumental in developing a structured cellar management training programme back in 2004 in conjunction with the BBPA and the BII. The programme, called the Award in Beer and Cellar Quality (ABCQ), has one of the highest take ups of any qualification offered by the BII. But it is still not mandatory; in other words, anyone – absolutely anyone – can take on a pub and start serving beer without any formal training on how to handle the product.

However, Cask Marque offer a solution.

They deliver the ABCQ qualification nationwide and we have made it easier for publicans to find where to get this training, in their area, delivered by highly experienced Cask Marque trainers, with their wealth of knowledge and skill at getting the information across in an effective way.

The training offers delegates a complete learning experience, not just a theorybased set of slides. It includes visual, auditory and hands-on stimulus, allowing learners to transfer the skills back in their own sites. The key message is that once beer is delivered to a site, the publican becomes the custodian of beer quality for the sake of that brand and their drinkers.

The nationwide spread of the Cask Marque Centres of Excellence enables publicans to find a training centre geographically convenient to them. The category led training ensures all beer types are discussed and covered. The content of the training directs publicans towards the commercial argument for establishing key practices and behaviours when handling beer.

The biggest challenge is informing publicans that they can access this training. Cask Marque have heavily campaigned for all pubs to have a trained ‘cellar champion’.

For more information about Cask Marque’s Centres of Excellence and ABCQ training please visit www.cask-marque.co.uk or call 01206 752212.

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To get you started, Cask Marque have put together their Top Ten Tips for Cellar and Bar Excellence.

1.

• • • • •

2.

• •

3.

•

• • •

4.

• • • • • •

5.

• • • • • • • •

6.

• • •

Hygiene

Clean up any beer spillages immediately Ensure the cellar is cleaned thoroughly once a week with an odour free cleaner Wash all cask equipment after use and allow to air dry Scrub shives and keystones with hot water before venting and tapping Don’t store food in the cellar

Temperature

Ensure the cellar is kept at a constant 11 to 13° centigrade Keep the cellar door and drop closed at all times, other than to ventilate for 10 minutes each day

Deliveries

Check the BB dates on casks and kegs: 14 days ahead of the BB date on cask, 20 days ahead of the BB date on Keg Ensure the right size container is being delivered Check there are no damaged or leaking containers Operate a First In First Out system of stock rotation

•

•

•

•

• • • • • •

Equipment Checks

Top up remote ice bank coolers once a week Brush any debris from the grills of coolers and fans Clean auto tilts with hot water once a week Top up Ale Python Control Units with water once a week Clean keg couplers at the same time as line cleaning Secure gas cylinders upright with chains or straps

• •

•

Line Cleaning

Clean all cask and keg lines every 7 days Always flush beer from the lines with clean cold water before introducing line cleaning solution Make up solution according to the manufacturer’s instructions Agitate the solution through the lines at 10 minute intervals Don’t leave the line cleaning solution in the lines for longer than an hour Switch off glycol coolers 1 hour before the line clean Flush line cleaning solution from the lines with plenty of water Test no traces of solution are left in the lines by using litmus paper

Cask Conditioning

Allow casks to settle for 24-48 hours after delivery before venting/tapping If casks are on auto tilts, vent with a hard peg, replace with a soft peg, and tap at the same time If using Cask Widge, drive the Widge through the keystone with a mallet and turn the lever to the ‘on’ position

•

•

• • • • •

• • • •

Check Clarity, Aroma and Taste on a sample of beer (CAT) 24 hours after venting. If not fully conditioned, leave the soft peg in, or the Widge valve open When the beer passes the CAT test, hard peg or close the Widge valve to ‘off’ until ready to serve the beer When on sale, use a soft peg, or ‘on’ valve during service, and hard peg or switch the valve to ‘off’ after service Aim to each cask container within 3 days

Glassware

7.

Perfect Serve

8.

Serve Temperatures

9.

Use a clean, cold, dry glass every time (branded if possible) Only use the glasswasher for glasses Clean the glasswasher thoroughly at the end of the night, drain the water, and leave the door open Renovate glassware regularly Ensure detergent and rinse aid are topped up in the glasswash machine Use Quash to remove lipstick and grease from the rims of glasses

Always hold the glass by the bottom half For keg products, tilt the glass at a 45 degree angle, open tap fully and straighten as the liquid rises up the glass. Keep nozzle out of liquid For cask using a bottom fill spout with sparkler attached: hold glass straight, sparkler at base of glass, and create head with first pull. Keep the sparkler beneath the surface of the head For cask using a top fill spout with no sparkler, hold glass at 45 degree angle, spout above surface of beer and straighten the glass as it fills Bottles and cans: hold glass at 45 degree angle and keep the neck of the bottle/can away from the rim of the glass

Regularly check the temperature of a sample of the draught beer with a probe Cask: 11 to 13° centigrade Lager: 2 to 5° centigrade Keg Ale: 2 to 8° centigrade Bottles and Cans: 4 to 6° centigrade

Personal Hygiene

Always wash hands before coming on shift, after smoking or eating and after visiting the toilet Don’t wear heavy perfume, aftershave or handcream Tie long hair back Cover any cuts or abrasions with a coloured waterproof plaster

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10.

63

In the cellar

BEST in BRITAIN

Siren’s Broken Dream Breakfast Stout is named the best in Britain.

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iren Brewery based in Berkshire has won the Campaign for Real Ale's prestigious Champion Beer of Britain award, one of the highest accolades in the beer industry.

Awarded on the opening day of the Great British Beer Festival at Olympia London, Broken Dream Breakfast Stout (6.5% ABV) scooped gold thanks to its deep and complex blend of chocolate, coffee and a touch of smoke. The judges commented that it stood out for its aroma, taste and finish, all of which were superb.

Named after the Sirens of Greek mythology, Siren Brewery captivated judges for the second time this year, having taken home silver in this year's Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition at the Great British Beer Festival Winter back in February.

The final decision was made after a year of local tasting panels and regional heats in which the very best beers across the UK were invited to compete at the Great British Beer Festival. Final judging for the competition was held as the festival opened its doors to the public on 7 August.

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The silver winner this year went to Suffolk-based Green Jack's Ripper (8.5% ABV), a strong barley wine that is both dangerously smooth and yet well-hopped, and winner of CAMRA's Champion Winter Beer of Britain competition earlier this year.

Bronze was taken by Tyne & Wear-based Mordue for their Workie Ticket (4.5% ABV). A complex and tasty bitter, this brew boasts plenty of malt and hops and a long, satisfying, bitter finish.

All finalists across each category will be available to sample at the Great British Beer Festival taking place this week, at which more than 50,000 people will have the chance to sample over a thousand different beers, ciders, perries, wines and gins under one roof. Â Nick Boley, CAMRA's National Director responsible for the competition says: "Congratulations to Siren Brewery for taking home the Champion Beer of Britain award with their Broken Dream Breakfast Stout - the highest beer accolade in the country. This is a distinctive, strong, well-balanced stout from an outstanding craft brewery. If there is any beer in the

world that is dangerously drinkable, it's this one!"

Siren Brewery founder, Darron Anley, said: "What a huge achievement that the Champion Beer of Britain is a heavy stout with coffee and lactose flavours in the midst of such warm summer weather!

Broken Dream Breakfast Stout is one of our core beers and one of the first beers we ever brewed - we're absolutely delighted."

TURN CELLARS INTO PROFIT CENTRES Cost-effective Energy-efficient Cellar-conditioning

*ECA Qualifying - Tax efficient *Low energy consumption *Ensures optimum stock quality Tax-efficient • ETL listed Premium cooling systems • Write off 100% of purchase and installation costs against tax in year of purchase • £3,000 qualifying purchase reduces tax in the year of purchase by up to £720 Intelligent cooling - using free natural source cooling • The ultimate GREEN cellar cooling solution, captures cold air from the external atmosphere, pumping it directly into your cellar to maintain a perfectly conditioned environment

www.hubbardproducts.com t: +44 (0)1473 890522 e: enq@hubbardproducts.com

• The Hubbard Air Transfer Unit works alongside traditional cellar cooling systems to maintain a steady, cool environment for the conditioning of beers, wines, soft drinks and other perishables

• The Hubbard Air Transfer Unit compensates for heat producing ancillary and service equipment by utilising cooler air from a freely available natural external source. The cost savings and coincidental benefits associated with capturing and using cooler ambient air for cellar conditioning at this level can be substantial.

EPOS SYSTEMS

The easy sell WRS Systems elaborates on how the company continue to support the hospitality industry.

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RS Systems has grown into one of the most respected EPOS suppliers in the UK. Our customers range from the Costa Coffee estate throughout the UK, Ireland and Spain, to Robert Thompson, Michelin-rated restaurant on the Isle of Wight WRS systems provide a complete solution for the hospitality trade, where the ability to provide a fast-intuitive system is vital to match the needs of the modern retailer.

Be it the need for a simple touch screen solution, with simple sales reporting, in real time. To a full inventory system with full recipe costing, time and attendance, table management, integrated Kitchen Video Systems (WRS supplies both Log Wood and QSR) to remote ordering via a fully customised App within built loyalty.

WRS systems can supply and maintain such throughout the UK, at prices that are competitive and realistic.

Keeping up WRS systems offers a cloud based back office management application; Stockade, this allows for reporting to be undertaken in real time via any web-enabled device, allowing owners, managers, supervisors to access their specific report in a manner that gives them the immediate control over their business.

WRS Systems understands the pressures on the retailer in this competitive environment, we therefore offer as standard to all our supported client a full seven-day support package through our own fully trained support desk in the UK. WRS Systems integrates with a number of high profile business partners, such as Worldpay, where we are a category one partner; Ezora full business management; and Preoday App provider to name just a small number. If you have a specific

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requirement in the needs to integrate, we have the ability within our applications to meet those needs.

Key relationships WRS systems, supplies and recommends the Oxhoo range of POS hardware.

OXHOO, is the culmination of over 20 years of experience in the point-of-sale industry. Created by Gilles Bouvart, OXHOO is a business that is on the cutting edge of innovation within its sector. Their philosophy is to take a different approach: reducing the total cost of ownership with high-tech, reliable equipment coupled with a dedicated team of professionals who are passionate in providing only the highest levels of service. Which WRS Systems fully endorse.

WRS Systems portfolio in the UK now include, Warrens Bakery, The Cornish Bakery, Chaiiwala, Makro Coffee Shops, Dunkin Donuts.

Kingham Plough, Chichester Festival Theatre, Dundee Theatre, Pita Pit, The Waterside at Bray. Which we hope shows that we as a company can meet the needs of a diverse retail clientele in all aspects.

WRS systems will gladly meet any prospective customer to discuss their needs in a friendly and informative atmosphere, understanding that every business is different and that the purchase of a POS system is a significant investment for any business, be it a sole trader or multinational.

epos Changing times Contactless card payments have evolved substantially in recent year; and now with the introduction of Apple Pay, customers don’t even need to pull out their wallet to pay. They simply use their phone to tap and pay – the fastest method yet.

This need for immediacy helps consumers, as well as hospitality professionals. In busy bar situations, being supported by an EPOS system which is able to utilise this fast-paced paying method means staff are able to work quicker and more efficiently.

C ont a ct l e ss On-Trade Progress explores the need for EPOS systems to operate in a contactless capacity.

S

ince the introduction of contactless card payments in September 2007 – which seems like a very long time ago, considering very few people used contactless then – retail and hospitality has been yearning to catch up its technology for contactless payments.

A recent study conducted by Visa found that ten years on from the birth of contactless payments (September 2017) almost 66% of Brits have made a purchase via contactless card payment.

With the evolution of technology and younger millennials taking advantage of contactless, we can now assume this percentage is far higher.

In fact, it’s these millennial shoppers (aged 18-35) that are furthering the support of contactless card payments exponentially; with more than three quarters of them (76 per cent), making card payments with contactless. As perhaps expected, the

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slowest group to uptake on contactless payments is the over 65 market.

In terms of industries which benefit most from contactless payments; the supermarket sector is triumphant, followed closely however by the food and hospitality sector. With this is mind, providing the best EPOS system for your venue, be it a bar, pub, club or hotel which can support contactless payments is key.

This idea is supported by Kevin Jenkins, managing director for Visa UK & Ireland, when he says: “The introduction of contactless cards in the UK ten years ago was a watershed moment for consumers.

Whether buying lunch, commuting without having to top-up, queuing at bars and festivals, or donating to charity, Brits have come to expect a painless payment experience.

“Yet there’s still room for the uptake of contactless to grow, particularly outside London and the South East. Our study shows the appetite for adopting new payment methods is greater than ever and with mobile devices opening up myriad new ways to pay, the next ten years looks set to see contactless payments become an ever-greater part of our day to day lives.”

Keeping up To ensure that your business is keeping up with the demands of consumers, and the immediacy of the younger generation – make sure you’re EPOS system is able to offer contactless today.

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Digital marketing

Staying SOCIAL On-Trade Progress explores avenues hospitality entrepreneurs can take to use social media to drive footfall.

I

n many ways, society is now lived through a screen. Whether that is a phone, laptop or tablet, the only certainty is that to totally ignore social media marketing is to fall into the trap of irrelevance.

In 2017, a Pulse Study, conducted

by Nisbets, found that social media benefited their marketing the most (by 28 per cent), shortly behind word of mouth (which came in at 34 per cent). Moreover, it found that the most effective social media channel to use for digital marketing was Facebook (52 per cent), followed by Twitter (20 per cent) and then Instagram (18 per cent).

Commanding and understanding how you can further your presence on these social media channels are key. On-Trade Progress reached out to venues across the country who were able to use social media channels to further footfall to their establishments.

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Integrated strategies We catch up with Mark Ayre, general manager at Manor House Lindley. With the hotel having only opened in May 2018, Ayre used a mix of social media strategies to further footfall to the venue.

Most importantly, the online presence started before the establishment opened its doors.

He says: “We heavily utilised social media to build a following before we opened, using both organic and paid. We quickly built up a large following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and were able to promote the opening of the hotel to the audience, creating a buzz and demand before our doors opened.

“We have been using a marketing agency, KC Communications, who manage our social media and deliver our day-to-day content. However, I think it’s extremely important to include

‘as it happens’ posts in and amongst this content so that our channels don’t become lifeless and to sales heavy. We find that this type of content receives the most engagement from our audience – for example, it could be around a wedding that is taking place at the hotel or someone that has got engaged in our restaurant.”

For Ayre and his marketing team, the Manor House Lindley attempts to focus on user generated content; which he believes is absolutely vital in the travel and tourism industry.

“It’s not a secret that potential guests are more likely to visit after receiving a recommendation from a friend than receiving the latest copy of your fancy brochure,” continues Ayre. “Social media users are sharing their travel photos and tagging themselves at their location, which in turn creates interest from their friends. This should absolutely be taken

Digital marketing

advantage of – make sure you share your guests’ pictures and engage with them to encourage future content.

“Very often social media can just be seen as a platform to post deals and offers or run competitions. It’s a great way to raise your profile through those kinds of activities but I definitely think you should be aware not to devalue your brand by posting too many discounts. Our social media activity is extremely image rich and we use it to showcase the hotel as a destination and create an aspirational audience, which in turn will drive footfall.”

Getting ahead A great advantage of employing an external digital marketing agency to help drive footfall to your venue, is that they are able to plan and execute campaigns, even when you don’t have the time.

We catch up with Stephanie Whitworth, marketing manager at Fat Media, the digital marketing solutions agency, she says: “With the holiday season fast approaching, venues will no doubt be

Above: Mark Ayre.

Above: Stephanie Whitworth.

hosting events to make the most of the festivities. Social media is the perfect platform to get the message out about these events, and encourage word-ofmouth, both before and at the events.

Facebook is of course a great option for this, with their events feature enabling you to give all the information your guests would need on one page. Where people have expressed an interest, they will even receive notifications reminding them of the upcoming date.

“You may have heard that Facebook’s algorithm change has made it harder to get a good organic reach on posts from businesses. However, a strategic approach to Facebook’s advertising

platform can earn you a great return on investment. Their targeting options are extensive, meaning you can really hone in on your target market. For example, if you have a wedding fair coming up, you can advertise to anyone with a relationship status as ‘engaged’.

“By using a combination of location, age, and demographic data, you can be sure your adverts are showing to the most relevant individuals. Facebook will also give you a realistic estimate of your total audience size, and the number of them you can reach with your given budget.

Even a few pounds a day could result in hundreds of impressions! Plus, with the option to pause your adverts at any time, you have complete flexibility.”

Fat Media’s knowledge and expertise revolving social platforms means that rather than using your time to figure out how to master social media – they are able to effectively execute these tasks for your venue, ultimately to successfully drive footfall.

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Digital marketing

Get SOCIAL

Fat Media, the digital marketing solutions company, offer five great tips on how to further your social media outreach.

I

t's no secret that a strong presence on social media is a great way to attract customers back to your venue. Be sure you’re making the most of the opportunity with these quick wins…

Timing is everything Work out the best time to post – if your venue doesn’t open until 7, you’re unlikely to get much traction on a post about cocktails at 9am! Scheduling tools such as Hootsuite or Buffr are an easy way to plan your schedule, plus they can even recommend the best time to post based on the engagement generated by your previous activity.

Share user- generated content Has a customer shared a photo of a delicious dessert or refreshing drink?

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Sharing it with your followers is the ultimate authentic review, and a nice way to thank that guest for their engagement with your brand.

Respond and engage The clue is in the name; your profile is a place to be sociable. Asking questions of your audience and replying to theirs is a must. Facebook even publishes how quickly you respond to direct messages, so while it can be difficult to reply instantly, the sooner you can the better – even if just to say that you’ll look into their request and get back to them.

Reward your followers Give something back to your audience with exclusive deals or competitions which are only publicised on your social profiles. We have seen particular success in this area

by using online games. Short, addictive games such as memory puzzles or spinthe-wheel luck games not only grab the attention of your audience but can reward a lucky few with a treat of your choice. It has never been harder to stand out on social media, and this is a great way to do so.

Show off your staff Behind-the-scenes shots of your team at work is a great way to celebrate their contribution to every guest’s experience.

Many customers won’t ever consider the many details that go into their visit and seeing it will naturally increase their appreciation of your brand.

Fat Media are a leading digital agency and are currently working with a range of hospitality brands including Hallmark Hotels, Hipping Hall and Gordon St Coffee. If you’re looking for someone to help you design and execute a great social media strategy, give us a call on 01524 548 948, or email info@fatmedia.co.uk to find out more.

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New appointments

Frederick Forster returns to D&D London as Head Chef of Plateau Former National Chef of the Year, Frederick Forster returns to D&D London taking on the role of Head Chef of Plateau restaurant in Canary Wharf. With experience working with the likes of Raymond Blanc, Gordon Ramsay, Thomas Keller and Pierre Gagnaire, Frederick will marry his style and training of both classic and modern French cuisine at Plateau.

F

rederick has built his reputation working in restaurants around the globe including Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Michel Roux Jnr’s Le Gavroche, Gordon Ramsay’s L’Aubergine and three Michelin starred La Côte d’Or at the Sandy Lane Hotel, Barbados. His cooking draws inspiration from traditional French cuisine whilst highlighting fresh and seasonal British produce cooked simply and elegantly. Having trained under the eyes of Pierre Gagnaire as a Roux Scholar before receiving numerous awards including Chef of the Year 2011 and Master of Culinary Arts 2013, Frederick’s experience has shaped his style of cooking to focus on seasonal and distinctive ingredients.

As Head Chef of Plateau, both the grill and restaurant menus have been transformed to reflect Frederick’s background and experience. A selection of steaks aged between 21-30 days sit alongside hearty dishes such as cushion of lamb with couscous, yoghurt and olives and baby chicken spatchcock with harissa, lemon, chilli

and mixed salad on the Grill menu.

Frederick’s new Restaurant menu showcases more refined plates including confit duck and new potato salad with slow cooked egg, truffle and haricot velouté; roast monkfish with mussels vierge, potato and spring onion galette and Bouillabaisse sauce and braised halibut with baby leeks, dill gnocchi and lemon pesto.

Plateau provides a welcomed return to D&D London for Frederick who previously held the position of Head Chef at La Pont de la Tour in 2015, another D&D London

Glenn Roberts joins Winterhalter UK Glenn Roberts, chair of CESA, will be joining Winterhalter UK as Sales Director. Previously Global Head of Polar Refrigeration at Nisbets, Roberts has experience of working for some of the industry’s largest companies, including Nisbets, Bunzl and Gram UK/Hoshizaki.

H

e is joining Winterhalter as current Sales Director, whereas former sales director, Andy Salter, has been promoted to a new role, as Managing Director of Classeq.

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“Andy has proved himself an invaluable member of the Board of Directors in his nineteen years at Winterhalter,” says Stephen Kinkead, Managing Director of Winterhalter UK. “He’s been hugely influential in increasing the profitability of some of our biggest accounts “Glenn’s reputation in the industry is second to none, under his watch Gram UK grew significantly, and he helped direct them through several buyouts.

We’re very pleased to welcome him to Winterhalter, and wish both him and Andy the best of success in their new roles.”

venue. Most recently, Frederick was the Head Chef at the Bleeding Heart groups Don restaurant.

Frederick notes: “I am thrilled to return to the D&D London group at Plateau.

I’m excited to really showcase the importance of seasonal and quality ingredients to create delicious food in Canary Wharf. With my experience in kitchens around the world, I want to continue elevating Plateau’s offering for the local community while being the perfect destination for special occasions.”

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Innovation

Straight shooting

Mac & Wild launch London’s first virtual shooting range and whisky bar.

T

his year, escape to a Highland hideaway in the heart of the city, as London’s favourite Scottish restaurant, Mac & Wild, announce the launch of their Shooting Range and Whisky Bar, located on the lower ground floor of their city restaurant, Mac & Wild Devonshire Square, just a 2-minute walk from Liverpool Street Station.

Designed to bring two of Scotland’s favourite past-times to the heart of the city (...that’s whisky and shooting), and designed to satisfy beginners and professionals alike, Mac & Wild’s Shooting Range and Whisky Bar transports you to the Scottish Highlands, and offers something totally unique in the heart of the City.

Raising the bar Designed to make whisky more approachable, accessible, and fun, Mac & Wild have teamed up with whisky aficionado Blair Bowman to curate the whisky menu and events schedule whilst the team are also working closely with Monkey Shoulder and Glenfiddich to bring some unique and interesting serves to the bar. Whisky serves will include whisky slushies, a selection of whisky

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highballs and a daily ‘Whisky Happy Hour’ between 5pm – 7pm. Serving up a winning combination of whisky (more than 200 varieties) craft beer, Mac & Wild’s very own pre-bottled cocktails and a variety of Scottish snacks, the bar is the ideal location for evening drinks or an all-day Highland shindig. The bar open to all every Tuesday - Saturday from 5pm till late will serve up Mac & Wild foodie favourites including their Venison Scotch Eggs, Haggis Pops, Mac & Cheese and their award-winning Veni-Moo Burger alongside a wide selection of drinks.

The Whisky Bar will also host an array of experiential whisky experiences ‘Drams in the Dark’, as well as a series of monthly ‘Meat the Maker’ butchery events – showcasing the very best of Scotland’s producers and suppliers.

Shoot ‘em up Set to transport guests to the heart of the Highlands and following on from the success of their pop-up virtual ‘Gun Room’ earlier this year, the Shooting Range (located in the Whisky Bar) is kitted out with two virtual shooting lanes, each equipped with state-of-the-art virtual shooting systems and replica shotguns, and is perfect for those looking for a little

something different to do in London.

The virtual Shooting Range lanes accommodate groups from 2 – 40 people (or more for exclusive hires) making it perfect for group gatherings, corporate outings, stags, hens, and for those looking to let off some steam from the hectic city life. Groups can dress up in the provided tweeds and hats, set up shooting competitions, and choose to shoot from a selection of targets including everything from clays and rabbits, pheasants, grouse, to deer, boars and bears.

Explore

Innovation

all

avenues

made creations to wonders of the natural world. Drinkers will soar above the palms of the Sahara Desert, shiver at the sub-zero temperatures of The North Pole and plummet to the depths of The Great Barrier Reef while show-stopping sharers will include The Sheep Wheel, a reproduction of a ship’s helm and The Bombay Sapphire Rube Goldberg Machine.

Mr Fogg’s preferred prandial refreshment of toasted crumpets will be served alongside his favourite nibbles such as croquettes, meat and cheese boards, and for the more daring culinary adventurer, crickets, mealworms and grasshoppers.

Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration is set to open in Charing Cross this month.

T

his autumn a new bar celebrating exploration and adventure will pull into The Strand at full steam ahead. Sticking to Jules Verne’s legendary explorer’s tight schedule, Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration will throw open a window on to the world, complete with train carriage, map room and hidden wonders. Brought to the West End by Charlie Gilkes and Duncan Stirling’s Inception Group, the bar will take guests on a thrilling journey inspired by Around The World in 80 Days.

Centre of the world Located just a stone's throw from Charing Cross station, where Phileas Fogg and his trusty valet, Passepartout set off on their voyage, Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration will be a true travel hub, where deathdefying exploits and adventures are plotted and planned. The walls will be adorned with portraits of Mr Fogg’s fellow fearless pioneers and their intrepid tales will be depicted and narrated at regular Society meetings. The downstairs Map Room will house a collection of both antique and modern-day maps, host regular evening events with a resident explorer, and will also offer global drinking adventures, from cocktail masterclasses to spirit safaris.

Guests will enter via an elegant lobby with an oversized rotating globe marking the places visited and modes of transport that the intrepid pair took. Moving downstairs, they will encounter cabinets of curiosities, souvenirs and artefacts handpicked by fellows of the explorer society. There will be a life-sized model of a Victorian Orient Express, complete with banquette seating and gleaming brass lamps where passengers can let off steam over a libation or two. The main bar area will feature wooden panelling, shelves laden with travel books and encyclopaedias, and warm leather armchairs to welcome weary travellers.

Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration will be the fifth bar in the immersive Mr Fogg’s Collection which includes: Mr Fogg’s Residence, Tavern, Gin Parlour and House of Botanicals.

Society co-founder and keen traveller, Charlie Gilkes says of the project: “It’s been five years since we opened our first Mr Fogg’s, we’re thrilled to add a fifth venue to the collection and look forward to welcoming anyone with a love of travel, cocktails, or both to The Society of Exploration!”

Getting involved A place for experiments and innovation, Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration will even give drinkers the chance to participate in the making of their drinks by pressing a button to trigger a chain reaction in a marvellous mechanical machine inspired by famous inventor Rube Goldberg.

The ground-breaking, multi-sensory menu will take the form of an explorer’s journal charting the feats of fellows across nine extraordinary areas of Earth. Each chapter will focus on one location, ranging from ancient man-

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Out in the open

OUT

and A B O U T

said Martin. “It seems people just wanted to go out for a drink. Across managed pubs and bars drink sales were up 6.6% for the month, with food down -3.0%.”

Paul Newman, head of leisure and hospitality at RSM said: “These results continue the trend we’ve seen since the end of April. Weather and the impact of major social or sporting events remain the biggest factors when it comes to sales in the out-of-home market. It comes as no surprise that restaurant groups continue to struggle, albeit a sales drop of 4.8% year-on-year will be particularly painful on top of ongoing cost pressures. The long hot summer could not have come at a worse time for food-led operators and time will tell whether the more moderate temperatures we’ve experienced in August will provide some much-needed respite.”

Underlying like-for-like growth for the 47 companies in the Tracker cohort, which represents both large and small groups, was running at 0.5% for the 12 months to the end of June, down slightly from the 0.7% at the end of June.

July’s heatwave saw a rise in pub sales, while restaurants saw drop in trade.

J

uly's heatwave was good news for Britain’s pubs – but heaped more pressure on the country’s restaurant chains, latest figures from the Coffer Peach Business Tracker show. Managed pub and bar groups saw collective like-for-like sales rise 2.7% against last July, while sales across restaurant groups plummeted, down a substantial 4.8% in like-for-like trading.

“Continued sunshine and England’s longer than expected participation in the World Cup meant July followed a similar pattern to the previous month of June, when pubs were up 2.8%, except that restaurants were hit even harder. The fall of 1.8% in trading in June just got worse in July,” said Peter Martin, vice president of CGA, the business insight consultancy that produces the Tracker, in partnership with Coffer Group and RSM.

Overall, the differing fortunes of pub and restaurant businesses cancelled each other out, with the combined managed pub, bar and restaurant sector seeing like-for-likes flat in July, recording exactly 0% growth.

“Drink-led pubs and bars performed by far the strongest with like-for-likes up more than restaurants were down. Foodled pubs also suffered in the sun with negative like-for-likes, although not as dramatically as the restaurant operators,”

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Trevor Watson, executive director at Davis Coffer Lyons said: “London had a particularly strong month with overall like-for-like sales up 2.6%. This was driven predominantly by the capital’s pubs market – buoyed by England’s unexpected progression at the World Cup – which were trading 6.1% ahead. The rest of the country had a more difficult period with like-for-like sales down 0.9%.

Restaurant trading fell a painful 5.6% compared with 2.8% down in the capital - with pub like-for-likes up just 1.7% despite the football.”

Total sales growth across the pub and restaurant cohort, which includes the effect of new openings, was 2.7% in July, reflecting the slow down in brand roll-outs, and running at 3.6% for the 12 months to the end of the month.

The Coffer Peach Tracker industry sales monitor for the UK pub, bar and restaurant sector collects and analyses performance data from 47 operating groups, with a combined turnover of over £9bn, and is the established industry benchmark.

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what's on

EVENT PLANNER Whether you're looking to sample the latest products, achieve a new qualification or find some new suppliers to help improve your business, On-Trade Progress provides you with a selection of events that you simply cannot miss over the next few months.

8-9 sept

GO! Organic Festival Battersea Park

Foodies across the UK will be heading to GO! Organic Festival in their thousands this September for London’s exciting new organic food and music festival. GO! Organic Festival promises to showcase the biggest selection of organic food and drink of the year. Whether you’re looking to stock up on grocery staples or try something completely new – there’s plenty of opportunities to do both here.

Bellavita

decorex international

Bellavita Expo London is the UK's biggest trade event promoting the finest Italian food and beverages to thousands of buyers (restaurant owners, chefs, retail buyers and hoteliers) as well as educational content including the latest trends, masterclasses with Michelin-starred Chefs, seminars and debates.

A series of thought leadership sessions aim to inspire, inform and ignite debate, and there’s ample opportunity to connect with truly inspirational people. See beauty in all its forms at an edited exhibition of concepts, products and trends from brands and creatives that represent the pinnacle of design. www.decorex.com.

Business Design Centre, London

syon park, london

www.bellavita.com

the restaurant show

1 3 oct

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OLYMPIA, LONDON

The Restaurant Show is a unique trade event Featuring areas such as Bar & Pub and Catering Equipment Expo. There are over 450 exhibitors supplying everything you need for your business from food and drink through to EPOS and furniture. The Restaurant Show is designed to provide you with the tools, ideas and networking opportunities you need to build your restaurant, foodservice or hospitality business. www.therestaurantshow.co.uk

ontradeprogress.com

Bellavita Bellavita Business Design Centre, Business London Design Centre, London

Bellavita Expo London is the UK's biggest trade Bellavita Expo London is the UK's biggest trade event promoting the finest Italian food and event promoting the finest Italian food and beverages to thousands of buyers (restaurant beverages to thousands of buyers (restaurant owners, chefs, retail buyers and hoteliers) as owners, chefs, retail buyers and hoteliers) as well as educational content including the latest well as educational content including the latest trends, masterclasses with Michelin-starred trends, masterclasses with Michelin-starred Chefs, seminars and debates.

Chefs, seminars and debates. www.bellavita.com www.bellavita.com

16 19 sept

C A L E N D AR 16-17 OCT

Caffe Culture Show

BUSINESS DESIGN CENTRE, london The Caffè Culture Show is now in its 12th year and is the leading trade-only event for the UK’s café and coffee bar industry.

During this time, the industry has experienced phenomenal growth which looks set to continue with specialty coffee shops now an indelible part of every high street and community throughout the country.

The Caterer Summit The British Library

The Caterer Summit will provide leaders from the restaurant, hotel, foodservice and pub sectors the tools, ideas and networking opportunities they need to help their businesses grow. In addition to inspirational presentations from Tom Kerridge, Jonathan Downey and Gareth Banner, panel sessions will provide practical advice based around the moving parts of every hospitality business – people, product, property, debt and marketing.

FOOD MATTERS LIVE

20 22 NOV

EXCEL, LONDON

Food Matters Live is a global community where food, health and innovation meet. Connecting like-minded people working in food, drink and nutrition; it provides a platform to share gamechanging ideas, innovations and insights.

The ambition is to change the future of food and drink, and the health of the planet for the better.

30 OCT

Bellavita

Business Design Centre, London Bellavita Expo London is the UK's biggest trade event promoting the finest Italian food and beverages to thousands of buyers (restaurant owners, chefs, retail buyers and hoteliers) as well as educational content including the latest trends, masterclasses with Michelin-starred Chefs, seminars and debates. www.bellavita.com

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