On-Trade Progress Issue 19 by Ontrade Progress

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Fireball UK announces it is recruiting a wave of new brand ambassadors across the country. ...more on page 10

Owners, Operators & Licensees providing an irreplaceable resource of up-to-date industry news, insight and business-building solutions.

KEEP YOUR BUSINESS ON ‘TRACK’ A business without music can fall flat! Your clientele is diverse, and your playlist can reflect that. Maybe you want your customers to feel relaxed with some feelgood music as they sit back and enjoy an after-work drink or meal, or perhaps they enjoy listening to an in-house DJ as the cocktails flow. Now, imagine your bar or restaurant without that music. Not quite the same environment is it? A business without music can fall flat, seem lifeless and cold.

CREATE A REFLECTIVE PLAYLIST Music creates a mood. Hosting a themed event? Ensure your playlist reflects that theme and adds to the experience. The music you play can be as much a part of the reason your customers are loyal as your food, drinks or décor, it encourages conversations, that vital connection between your staff and clients. It’s not just your customers who benefit from music being played either, your colleagues will too! Music can add a burst of energy to a team who have been on their feet all day.

For us, music projects the right atmosphere and is at the beating heart of the business. The Stokers Halt, Belfast

Now ask yourself, can you really afford to not play music? LET’S PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE… Playing music in your pub or bar could cost you as little as £1.01 per day*, and you will be safe in the knowledge that you are licensed to play background music which can improve your brand, your clients will feel welcome and valued, whilst also increasing staff morale. And now we are making it even easier for you to buy a music licence. Previously businesses needed to buy two separate music licences, one from PPL and one from PRS for Music. These two bodies have listened to their customers and formed a new joint venture – PPL PRS Ltd and created TheMusicLicence. What this means for you is that you can now buy and renew your music licence in one place, with one invoice and one contact. Simple!

pplprs.co.uk

*Cost example spread across 365 days based on a premises is which 400sqm, your combined yearly pub and bar music licence could cost around £366 (excluding VAT).

Turn a cocktail into a concert

Turn it up! Discover how TheMusicLicence is helping businesses find their mojo.

0800 0868 803 Quote â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;On-Trade Progressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

pplprs.co.uk/themusiclicence

ISSUE 19 EDITOR’S LETTER

Hello When I was young, I would look forward to autumn with a sense of unashamed keenness. I loved, and still love, everything about it. Far from a summer child, I prefer the colder months, bright orange leaves and a chance to start afresh. Alas, with adulthood, September doesn’t always necessarily mean the next chapter in one’s life as it so often did with school and university. The new academic year may not mean hospitality go ‘back to school’ but it does mean a resurgence of university students up and down the country who are keen to go out and enjoy themselves at bars, restaurants and clubs. For this reason, we’ve written an autumn fresher’s feature, which discusses some of the ways you can attract this key customer base to your venue (page 49) – and also highlight on how you can capitalise on some of the season’s bigger events, such as Halloween and Fireworks’ Night. This month, we explore the rising popularity of gin, a trend which has seen British gin sales double, both at home and abroad (page 40). As well as this, we chat to the winner of the UK Monin Cup final; we attended this stand out event and discuss the results on page 46.

Contributors

Kate Nicholls UKHospitality

We continue with our Countdown to Christmas feature on page 22, where we focus on the RTDs you can serve at your venue. Lastly, we look at Restaurant and Bar Tech Live in retrospect to uncover the key findings from industry’s must-see show on page 52.

Bob Pease Brewers Association

There’s much more to explore in this month’s magazine, so please wrap up warm, make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy the latest issue of On-Trade Progress.

Mya Medina

John Porter Beer sommelier

Published by: BW Media Group Ltd.

www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 IN THIS ISSUE

IN THIS ISSUE COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS VENUE OF THE MONTH We interview Brakspear, latest owners of The Frogmill, to chat taking on its biggest project to date and venue refurbishments.

On-Trade Progress discusses how venues can be utilising the upward RTD trend in the lead up to, and during, the festive season.

FROM BEAN TO CUP

COCKTAIL CONCEPTS

What flavoured lattes can you be serving this autumn? On-Trade Progress considers the most tantalising fall flavours.

We interview the head bartender of London’s Quaglino’s bar and restaurant to discuss the launch of its ‘Science of Sustainability’ cocktail menu.

www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 IN THIS ISSUE

ON FOCUS AUTUMN FRESHERS’ FOCUS

MONIN CUP FINAL GIN SALES ON THE UP Sales of UK gin have doubled in the past five years; On-Trade Progress chats to industry about why this is and explores the data further.

We attended the Monin Cup in London this month to uncover the winning bartender that will be representing the UK in Paris this December.

We discuss how you can be attracting students to your venue this autumn; be it with Halloween, Guy Fawkes’ Night or the general influx of students to your city.

ISSUE 19 NEWS

NEWS HEADLINE STORY...

01...

02...

UKHospitality welcomes backing of EU workers in UK

Majority of employers struggle to know where to source disabled talent

Paddy Irish Whiskey signs on with London Irish

Following the Prime Minister’s statement, UKHospitality has welcomed the confirmation of the rights of EU workers in the UK. The trade body has also called on the sector to ensure the message is communicated to staff members to ease any concerns. Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, commented: “The Prime Minister has stated, in clear, unambiguous terms, that in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit, EU citizens currently living and working in the UK will retain their current rights. This is a hugely welcome categorical reassurance for hospitality, which employs many EU citizens who apply their talents and services to customers across the UK. “The hospitality sector – and UKHospitality itself - will continue to endeavour to attract more British people to the rewarding and exciting careers on offer in hospitality. In the meantime, though, we are pleased that the Government have committed this assurance that EU workers will be able to remain on current terms. “This is a very positive message for the hospitality employers and their team members and we need to communicate this message loud and clear.”

The Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) has launched RIDI 100: a directory of recruitment service providers which are committed to the inclusion of disabled jobseekers. The introduction of the resource comes in response to a survey of internal hiring managers which found that 70% of employers struggle to know where to source disabled talent. The same study found that just 11% of HR professionals feel ‘confident’ in knowing where to find candidates with a disability.

Paddy Irish Whiskey has agreed on a high-profile partnership with London Irish Rugby Club for the 2018/19 season. Distributor, Hi-Spirits, will also carry the sponsorship across into in-store activity with supermarkets, as well as on-trade promotions, linked to St Patrick’s Day. The deal sees Paddy become the Official Whiskey of London Irish, with pouring rights in the Greene King IPA Championship side’s Madejski Stadium in Reading, as well as the bar at the club’s Hazelwood Centre in Sunbury.

Established in 2011, RIDI is a not for profit organisation which is working to remove the barriers that disabled individuals face when seeking employment. Recruitment organisations which wish to achieve RIDI 100 status must currently hold a minimum Disability Confident Level 1 status, or be working towards it.

Other selected Hi-Spirits brands will also be available on London Irish match days, including Southern Comfort and Buffalo Trace Bourbon. Match-day hospitality packages will be available for Hi-Spirits customers throughout the season to attend the games and see the brand and team in action.

RIDI 100 partnership enables inclusive recruiters to have yearround association with RIDI at an entry level cost. Benefits include: being able to use the RIDI 100 partner logo in brand collateral, being searchable on the RIDI website, invitations to select events throughout the year and preferential rates with RIDI partner organisations.

James Pattison, UK brand manager for Paddy with Hi-Spirits, said: “We’re very excited to be teaming up with the iconic London Irish Rugby Football Club. It’s a club with a great deal of history that means a great deal to the fans, and we’re proud to be working alongside them. We look forward to introducing ourselves to the fans, cheering on the boys in green at every game, and toasting to a successful season together on and off the pitch.”

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ISSUE 19 NEWS

03... Compassion launches first European EggTrack Report Following the success of Compassion in World Farming’s US EggTrack Report last year, the farm animal welfare charity has launched a new report to show the progress European companies are making towards meeting their 2025 cagefree egg commitments. In recent years, a wave of cagefree egg commitments from leading food businesses around the world has promised to transform the future for laying hens. Compassion actively campaigns to ban all cages in livestock farming and many of the companies that have made cagefree commitments are recognising

that caged systems do not deliver a good enough quality of life for hens, are unwanted by consumers and therefore on their way out. Key findings from the first European EggTrack report are: 75% of companies are reporting progress for at least a part of their company’s supply chain; 43% of companies are reporting against all their commitments for all parts of their supply chains to which they apply. However, conversely this also means 57% of companies are yet to report fully against their commitments; The closer the commitment end date, the greater the proportion of companies

reporting progress and the greater the levels of progress that have been made. (Some companies committed to go cage-free before 2025 based on their calculations of how quickly they believe they can complete the transition); Of the commitments with 2025 end dates, 18 (just a quarter) have been reported against and the average percentage of eggs (within that 18) that are now cage-free is 48%; and the average reported progress for future commitments (with end dates between 2018-2025) for shell eggs is 61% and for product/ ingredient eggs is 47%.

04... Mr Fogg’s world explorer named Mr Fogg’s announced that Londoner, Jessica Last has been chosen by explorer Levison Wood to take up the job of a lifetime to travel Around the World in 80 Days, following a route inspired by Jules Verne’s fictional explorer, Phileas Fogg in his sensational Victorian novel, in celebration of the launch of their new bar, Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration. The successful applicant set to take on the epic adventure has been chosen by famed explorer Levison Wood due to her ‘genuine passion for travel’. Jessica Last and her travel companion Charlie Wild, who together run the blog, The Travel Project, fulfilled and exceeded all of

the job’s criteria and were chosen out of 10,000 applicants. CV’s were submitted from a wide range of individuals between the ages of 21 and 69 from across the globe, and from countries including New Zealand, USA, Argentina, Croatia and Bermuda. Standout applications, received via post, email and even a telegram, included videos set in the Victorian era, images of tattoos showing their love for gin (with one person even having inked the Bombay Sapphire logo onto them), and a few very heartfelt stories. The initiative even saw Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds offering himself up for the job via Twitter.

Levison Wood, who chose Jessica out of 10,000 applicants noted: “From the moment I read Jessica’s application I was really struck by how genuinely passionate she was about travel. Her Instagram was also beautifully shot. I wish her lots of luck on her around the world adventure!” The successful applicant, Jessica Last: “Needless to say, getting the chance to follow in the footsteps of Phileas Fogg, is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It has been almost 150 years since the book was first published, so we are incredibly excited to embark on our journey and see how we can add a modern twist to this famous adventure.” 9

ISSUE 19 COVER STORY

THE HEAT IS ON A growing team Fireball UK announces it is recruiting a wave of new brand ambassadors across the country. Fast-growing spirit, Fireball, is in the market for a new, aptly named, Chief Fireball Officer (CFO) to help spread the word. In a very different brief to the standard brand ambassador role, a ‘typical’ day at the office will see the CFO engage with Fireball fans in key bars, nightclubs and music venues, as well as providing support at festivals and events around the UK. The new recruits will join current brand ambassador, Matt Reynolds, on the Fireball circuit. Reynolds currently combines the role with playing in several live rock bands, and with the job typically requiring three-day a week commitment, the new CFO will also have time to indulge other pursuits.

The spicy cinnamon flavour of Fireball makes it a popular bar call as part of a big night out, with the brand overindexing amongst 18 to 25-year-olds and growing its share of the shot market in the UK on-trade. Fireball has been double digit growth for the past five years in the UK and is one of the world’s fastest growing spirit brands. The brand has a strong affinity with live music; with December 2018 seeing the third annual Fuelling The Fire Tour of O2 music venues around the UK, with bands in this year’s live line-up including Flogging Molly, The Bronx, Face to Face and Fireball’s Hottest Band for 2018, Lost in Stereo. James Pattison, Fireball UK Brand Manager with UK distributor Hi-Spirits, said: “Most spirit brands will look for ambassadors who can deliver tastings and masterclasses as part of their daily routine, but our new Chief Fireball Officer is far more likely to be out front ensuring that customers are having a big night out and creating long lasting and meaningful relationships with venue bar staff than making drinks behind the bar. www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 COVER STORY

Up for the task “In fact, the CFO might be a musician like Matt, or in another walk of life such as a tattooist, barber or skater. It’s a hands-on, all-in, get involved role, and needs a larger than life character to take on the challenge. As we continue to expand Fireball’s presence in bars, gigs and events across the board, this is a unique, and well-paid, opportunity for the right person.” To help with the recruitment drive, Reynolds will be appearing in a series of short films on social media spotlighting the CFO’s duties. He said: “When I approached Fireball UK to work as their first brand ambassador, I was genuinely a fan of the brand, with one foot in the bar industry and the other planted firmly in the UK’s underground DIY music scene.

“What has followed over the past year is a ride that I absolutely couldn’t have predicted. I’ve travelled up and down the country meeting people passionate for the brand. I’ve partied at tailgate frat parties after college football games in the States and at one point I even took a cab ride around London with one of my favourite bands, asking them daft questions and finally holding up traffic outside of Abbey Road Studio to get ‘that’ photo on the zebra crossing. “Hi-Spirits and Fireball remain more supportive and encouraging than any other employer I’ve been lucky enough to have. Heading for that interview was one of the best career and life decisions I’ve ever made!” Anyone who thinks they have what it takes to be the next Chief Fireball Officer should head over to www. bethenextfireballcfo.com and follow the steps to apply.

For more information on Fireball, please contact Hi-Spirits on 01932 252 100, email info@hi-spirits.com or visit www.hi-spirits.com. 11

ISSUE 19 VENUE OF THE MONTH

MAKING GREAT Brakspear, the pub operator and brewer, has opened the doors of its latest project, The Frogmill. Getting started Pub operator and brewer, Brakspear, has reopened the doors of The Frogmill (near Cheltenham), the 16th century inn in Shipton Oliffe after extensive refurbishment. This venue is now Brakspear’s biggest managed site and is comprised of a 100-cover restaurant, bar, 28 boutique bedrooms and wedding and conference facilities for up to 150 guests, all housed within extensive grounds.

Brakspear purchased the Grade II listed The Frogmill in December 2015 and the inn has been given an extensive eight-month redevelopment, including creating a bar at the heart of the site in a former cellar space and transforming the inn’s former bar area into a cosy snug with open fire. The redesign has retained many of the building’s original features including fireplaces, flagstone floors, exposed beams and a wisteriacovered stone pergola and watermill in the grounds. The Frogmill’s boutique bedrooms have been designed to offer style and comfort, with Feather & Black beds and statement wallpapers from William Morris and Zoffany. The refurbished wedding and events space feature a minstrel gallery complete with traditional imported French balustrading; ideal for wedding photographs. Outside, the extensive dog-friendly grounds include a dining terrace, boules court and a large lawn area where younger guests can play.

“We wanted to create a site that offered the best of Cotswolds tradition with top quality food and drink and the highest levels of comfort to create a real ‘home from home’ atmosphere for our guests,” explains Dan Turner, Brakspear’s marketing manager. “We’ve kept many of the building’s original features including fireplaces, flagstone floors, exposed beams and a wisteriacovered stone pergola and watermill in the grounds.” The team worked tirelessly to craft a truly unique customer experience that maintained the special elements that comprised the original building while updating the interior to attract customers time and time again.

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ISSUE 19 VENUE OF THE MONTH

Fitting in However, maintaining this stand out element to the building did present a challenge. Turner continues: “The Frogmill is a Grade II listed, traditional Cotswolds stone building, believed to date back to the 16th century. Clearly, refurbishing a site of this age presents some challenges, especially as we were keen to retain its historical character, but we’re delighted with the final result.” The building’s location plays deeply into the property’s appeal and into the culture of the surrounding area – having been part of Shipton Oliffe for centuries. Turner and his team were keen to respect this. “When we refurbished we were careful to respect the building’s traditional aspect, so it sits very comfortably within the local surroundings,” adds Turner. “Myself and other members of The Frogmill team have attended local parish council meetings to talk through our plans, and development of the site, with local residents and make sure they feel it’s part of their community.”

ISSUE 19 VENUE OF THE MONTH

Food and more

The Frogmill’s new-look restaurant area has been extended with a spacious open plan layout. The inn will offer all-day dining with seasonally changing breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday menus, as well as daily specials and a speedy ‘working lunch’ midweek menu. A Josper oven and American smoker are at the core of the state-of-the-art kitchen.

Turner continues: “We were delighted to recruit Jonathan to The Frogmill. He works with Brakspear’s executive chef Arthur Knights to develop menus which showcase the best in fresh, seasonal produce. We’ve teamed up with the very best suppliers to ensure a quality offer across the board. We do all our smoking in-house and use a Josper coal fired oven for grilling.

The kitchen team is being led by head chef, Jonathon Pons, formerly of the award-winning Feathered Nest in Nether Westcote, Oxfordshire and Cheltenham’s Ellenborough Park. He worked with Brakspear’s executive chef, Arthur Knights, to develop menus which showcase the best in fresh, seasonal produce.

“Whether customers are visiting for a traditional pub experience, a special meal, an overnight stay or a big occasion, the focus is on offering the highest quality. Drinkers can choose from traditional Brakspear ales, or one of our 21 gins, as well as an extensive range of wines. Diners can enjoy an exceptional meal in our open plan restaurant, prepared from fresh, locally sourced ingredients. We offer seasonally changing breakfast, lunch, dinner and Sunday menus, as well as daily specials, a speedy ‘working lunch’ midweek menu and a children’s menu.”

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ISSUE 19 VENUE OF THE MONTH

Upon reflection Now the project is complete, the team can reflect on the hard work they’ve done and the truly magnificent feat they achieved. Brakspear chief executive, Tom Davies, says: “The redevelopment of The Frogmill has been an extensive project, which has seen our biggest investment in a site to date. We are really excited about the potential of this fantastic inn. “I’m really proud of what we have achieved in terms of the look and feel of The Frogmill and its food, drink and accommodation. We have a great track record of running successful, award-winning pubs and have a strong infrastructure and great team in place to enable us to replicate our success at this larger, more complex site.”

Turner concludes: “The refurbishment of The Frogmill has delivered what we wanted - a site that offers our customers a quality, fun experience, whatever their reason for visiting, whether it’s to sup a pint in our traditional Cotswold pub, treat their ‘significant other’ to an exceptional meal in our restaurant, or stay overnight or for the weekend in one of our beautiful boutique bedrooms. At The Frogmill, it’s all about tailoring the experience to suit the guest and ensuring that they have a really special time with us – and judging by response since we opened in the summer, we are delivering it.” The Frogmill takes Brakspear’s managed estate to 12 sites. The division was formed in 2013 with the opening of the Bull on Bell Street in Henley-on-Thames and includes pubs across the Cotswolds and south east. Eight sites – including The Frogmill – currently offer accommodation, with a total of just over 100 rooms.

ISSUE 19 BUSINESS EXPANSION

GETTING GOOD From humble beginnings as a stall back in 2013, The Good Egg recently opened its second London restaurant, in Soho. With a menu that fuses Tel Aviv street food and Jewish deli food from around the world, it has built a reputation for bold flavours and imaginative takes on classic recipes. Its menu relies on the freshest ingredients, and to help achieve this they rely on equipment from Precision.

Popular London restaurant, The Good Egg, opens second venue with help from Precision.

Owner and chef, Joel Braham, explains: “We take elements from all over the world, and give it our own twist. Nobody else has our combination of healthy Middle Eastern flavours and recipes developed in delis in New York, Montreal and London.”

“We have upright fridges and freezers for bulk storage, and then for daily use we have refrigerated storage close to the chef’s stations.” These under counter units can be fitted with doors or drawers depending on requirements. “We chose to have units with drawers to store fish and meat separately. Having everything you need close to hand saves a lot of time when it gets busy!”

The restaurant in Soho is in addition to the original location in Stoke Newington, and Joel is relishing the new challenge of operating in central London. “At Stokey our peak times are around brunch, but here we’re busy in the evenings too. We have a lot of passing trade from tourists, as well as the local workforce. It’s a real mix of people.” 16

Designing the kitchen for the new location brought some of the toughest challenges. “This is our largest restaurant yet, and our largest kitchen,” says Braham. “But we always need more space! Making sure our chefs have access to ingredients, while keeping them in perfect condition until they’re needed, is vital to keep things running smoothly.” Braham worked with Ray Costelloe from CCE, with the brief that the equipment needed to make the most of the available space while also looking good. “The restaurants were inspired by open kitchens - the spectacle of seeing your meals being made has always been a key part of the Good Egg experience,” says Braham. “So making sure the kitchen looks great was a key thing for us.”

Costelloe suggested refrigeration from Precision. The kitchen at The Good Egg uses a variety of different Precision products for different purposes. “I was really impressed by how well built their products are, and how versatile their range is,” says Braham.

“Being able to specify where the condensers were was also important. Not having to define the available space by the equipment allows us to set it up exactly as we want,” says Joel.

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LEVATO MONO

Porcelain paver system and coordinating internal tiling The Deck Tile Co’s new website www.surface360.co.uk now has +150 colours and finishes in their Levato Mono 20mm porcelain ranges plus co-ordinating internal tiling – enabling seamless visual transition between internal and external spaces.

For both residential & commercial use. Ideal for balconies, roof terraces, garden decking and piazzas. Various sized 20mm thick porcelain tiles. An eternal zero maintenance product offering massive over-life savings.

Timber, stone & cementitious effects. ‘Floating floor’ – installation over single ply membranes. Height adjustable/slope correcting support system: 9mm - 550mm. Lightweight – 45kgs per m2.

INTRODUCING OUR NEW WEBSITE: WWW.SURFACE360.CO.UK

Highly abrasion and stain resistant. Highly slip resistant: R11 A,B&C. High load bearing. Impact resistant. Completely non porous. Frost proof.

When only the best is good enough

Coffee pleasure – freshly ground, not capsuled 

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32 speciality coffees can be selected via the 4.3” touchscreen colour display 2 precision ceramic disc grinders with Automatic Grinder Adjustment (A.G.A®) for consistently even grinding Speed function: Hot water bypass for perfect speciality coffees in record time plus added user convenience

sales@uk.jura.com, uk.jura.com

Ideal areas of use: In Public bars, hotel bars, hotel restaurants, private clubs, private function areas, seminar / conference facilities Recommended maximum daily output: 200 cups JURA – If you love coffee

ISSUE 19 FROM BEAN TO CUP

Fall Flavours With Autumn upon us, different flavoured lattes are firmly back on the menu. It’s no exaggeration to say that most of the population can’t wait for autumn to roll around; the hue of falling orange leaves, the cosy jumpers, and most importantly, the infamous pumpkin spice latte. Only served for a crucial few months at coffee chains around the world – this flavoured latte has become synonymous with autumn. As we move away from the ice coffee craze of summer, hospitality needs to be embracing different flavoured syrups they can be adding to their lattes to create a truly autumnal and unique offering.

Hazelnut

What says “autumn is here” more notably than hazelnut? The rich nutty texture mixed with skimmed milk (recommended) creates a light and fragrant drink. Many of the syrups available on the modern market today are also actually nut-free; meaning that everyone is able to enjoy the delicious offering. Serving suggestion: Add a sprinkle of crushed caramelised hazelnuts to the foamy surface. 19

ISSUE 19 FROM BEAN TO CUP

Chestnut

With chestnuts being associated with all things festive; for example, the classic song “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” and only harvested between October and March – introducing a chestnut latte to your offering is the perfect touch of autumn flavour. Serving suggestion: Serve with a chocolate flake on the side to bring out the nut flavour.

Chocolate cookie Gingerbread

Nothing says more festive than gingerbread; a firm favourite of the nation. Fortunately, the ginger flavouring brings out a touch of spice that contrasts nearly perfectly with the milk – and the Christmas connotations means you can continue serving this flavour well into the new year.

So maybe chocolate cookie isn’t necessarily that festive; but it’s a delicious treat all year around. It’s also a great flavour that hits the middle point between the taste of a hot chocolate and a warming coffee. Serving suggestion: Serve with a much-loved chocolate cookie; like an Oreo.

Serving suggestion: Pair with a Lotus biscuit to complement the flavour. 20

www.ontradeprogress.com

Create a taste explosion!

NEW Center Milk Cooler

NEW 1500 S+

NEW Syrup Station

Serve flavoured coffees quickly and easily at the touch of a button. Wth the new 1500 S+ Coffee Machine, the new Syrup Station and Center Cooler from WMF. Please call 01895 816 100 or email sales@wmf.uk.com | www.wmf-coffeemachines.uk.com

ISSUE 19 COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS

Ready-To-Drink (RTDs) are the perfect addition to your Christmas offering. The RTD revolution has begun, and far from the former association of ReadyTo-Drink (RTDs) as lacking complexity and quality, many bars and restaurants across the UK are realising the earning potential of this customer preference. Although RTDs declined in their consumption from 2002-2015, since then, there has been a steady rise in consumers enjoying and purchasing these drinks. The trend is developing and suggesting that RTD is returning in popularity, although maybe to not quite what it was in the mid-noughties. However, when one considers what RTD as a sector is now, there has been a change in the perception and quality offering of these sorts of drinks. Far from the too-sugary alco-pops of the past, the RTD sector now offers premium brands with considered quality. This sort of quality is a great addition to any venue, especially in the approach to the Christmas period. 22

Parties and more

Student focus

Christmas parties, both for offices and personal groups, are a rite of passage nearly everyone in the country will experience. Most of the time companies choose to buy packages or do certain deals with hospitality venues to ensure their staff have a great time. As a result, to promote your RTD offering, it may be an option to add your RTDs as an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;add-onâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to your package or as part of your venue deal.

As you can expect, RTDs are really popular with the student, and a generally younger, demographic. As with much of the millennial generation, choice is key. As a result, consider expanding your RTD offering to encompass a variety of drinks that will keep students coming back for more.

RTDs are great because they are that; ready to drink! As a result, you save your bar staff time from taking specific and complex drinks orders, and partygoers can spend more time grabbing an RTD and enjoying themselves rather than waiting in a potentially lengthy queue.

Students are also keen to enjoy Christmas out in the hospitality sector with friends and classmates. Embracing this key customer base by providing a variety of drinks at a suitable price point will see your venue have an overall uplift of RTD sales. As always, we recommend researching in-depth the RTD brands and drink types that will work for your venue.

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‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY!

100 sweets (1 design) - £10.00 500 sweets (1 design) - £27.00 1,000 sweets (500 of 2 designs if required) - £50.00 1,500 sweets (500 of 3 designs if required) - £75.00 All prices are subject to V.A.T. Prices include carriage to one UK address

Simply e-mail the quantity and design required, the invoice & delivery address, and once payment has cleared, your sweets will be dispatched within 2–3 working days. We accept cheque, BACS, and Paypal.

Email your orders NOW to: sue@promotionalcandy.com

We now have our traditional ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’, ‘JOLLY SNOWMAN’ and new this year, ‘SNOWFLAKE’ rock sweets in stock. Perfect for after dinner, in meeting rooms, or on your reception desk, the sweets are a cheerful festive treat for your customers or guests. The ‘Merry Christmas’ sweets are delicious Buttermint flavour, the ‘Snowman’ sweets are mouth-watering Tutti Fruity flavour and the ‘Snowflake’ sweets are Peppermint flavour. The sweets are hand made to the highest standard in our custom built factory, using only the finest ingredients.

Promotional Candy Company Ltd. www.promotionalcandy.com Jackson House, Burton Road, Blackpool FY4 4NW. T: 01253 698298 E: sales@promotionalcandy.com

PERSONALISED SWEETS FOR YOUR BUSINESS!

How would your logo look on a rock sweet?

Would you like to have your very own rock sweets on your next exhibition or event? We manufacture the finest quality rock sweets available. Factory prices, fast turnaround, the perfect giveaway for any promotion!

Email your logo for a mock up and a quotation.

Promotional Candy Company Ltd. www.promotionalcandy.com

Jackson House, Burton Road,

BLACKPOOL FY4 4NW

T: 01253 698298 F: 01253 698600 E: sales@promotionalcandy.com

ISSUE 19 FROM GRAPE TO GLASS

If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, bulk wine is defined as wine which is shipped in containers (ISO tanks, Flexitanks etc) rather than in bottles, and bottled in the UK. Cost savings are undeniable - a Flexitank, containing 24,000 litres will fit in a 20ft container, while the same volume in bottle would require two 40ft containers. This reduces both transportation costs and the carbon required to move the wine from winery to UK. But, most importantly for on-trade buyers, bulk wine offers consistency of pour ensuring the glass of wine being served will be the same every time.

LANCHESTER WINES

“Four or five years ago, you mentioned bulk wine and people were sceptical,’ says Lanchester Wines’ head of sales, Mark Roberts. “Now we are winning multiple awards for our bulk.

Ever thought about how the wine in your bar reached the UK? Mark Roberts, head of sales at Lanchester Wines, explains.

“The increased sophistication of the global bulk wine market has led to greater availability of wines at all levels, which offer customers superb value for money. Now, around 50% of all wine sold in the UK is bottled here, and the numbers are growing. The further away the wine is produced, the higher the likelihood it’s been bottled in the UK – around 85% of all Australian wine imports are now bulk rather than bottled.

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Between 1 November '18 and 7 January '19, buy 11 bottles of Trinchero wines and get the 12th free . Includes Charles & Charles, Napa Cellars and Three Thieves. Contact Lanchester Wines for details 01207 52 1234 sales@lanchesterwines.co.uk www.lanchesterwines.co.uk

“Our strategy for the UK on-trade is to bring more interesting varietals to the market, allowing the consumer to have access to exciting wines. One of the first programmes we ran was our Vintrigue range, which we call ‘boutique bulk’. This included a ShirazViognier from Currency Creek and a straight Viognier; wines you wouldn’t automatically (and logically) link to bulk. But very interesting varietals, directly targeted the on-trade. It was ever so good because it was packaged and targeted in such a way that everyone didn’t inevitably think ‘bulk’. “In the on-trade, the key things are quality and consistency. Due to preconceptions surrounding the bulk market, these are areas we know we must really work hard to consistently over-deliver on. We want to push up to plus-two, plus-three level positions

on a wine list, so bulk might be a challenge for that, but I can’t for one second see it being an issue, because the quality is there and the innovation is there.

*All 12 bottles must be same SKU

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“What’s more, bulk wine is allowing us to work with our on-trade customers to create exclusive brands and labels made from wine that they control every step of the way, giving the venue a real point of difference in what we know is such a competitive route to market. “Bulk wine also offers a venue flexibility of format. For example, the development in keg and tap wine technology is opening the door for more premium on-trade outlets to offer a very different service to their customers.” For more info on Lanchester Wines, visit www.lanchesterwines.co.uk 25

ISSUE 19 EXPERT’S OPINION

The Rise of the Hazy/Juicy IPAs “IPA, and the style’s many iterations, has dominated the craft beer world for the last few years and continues to innovate and diversify. We now see black, white and red IPAs, imperial IPAs, West Coast IPAs, Belgian-style IPAs, Brett or Wild IPAs, rye IPAs, herb/ spiced IPAs and hazy or juicy IPAs and this trend looks set to continue. They range in ABV from 4% or less to 12% or more. IPAs remain the primary driver of growth in American craft beer and account for 36.7% of dollar sales and 77% of craft growth. Juicy or hazy IPAs were judged for the first time at the Great American Beer Festival, which took place last month in Denver, Colorado and attracted the most category entrants of all with 391 (surpassing American-style IPA, which had held the top position for over a decade). In fact, the total number of entries for the three juicy or hazy styles (juicy or hazy pale ale, IPA and Double IPA) was 706! This new style is helping to widen appeal of American craft beer and help bring new palates into beer. Sessionable American craft beer styles are also popular and account for 26% of the growth in craft sales. Many American brewers are now crafting clean, refreshing and crisp Helles, Pilsners, Kölsch, Altbiers, Oktoberfest, Dunkel and many more. These styles are popular because they appeal to young drinkers who are coming into the craft beer category for the first time as well as those older drinkers who entered the craft beer world at its inception, some 30-40 years ago. These beer lovers are now ageing and looking for lower ABV styles that are more sessionable. We expect to see more experimentation and creativity within this sector in the future. 26

EXPERT’S OPINION Bob Pease, CEO/president of the Brewers Association, on the latest developments in the IPA sector. www.ontradeprogress.com

In other news, the new Brewers Association Independent Craft Brewers Seal, a certification mark that identifies truly independent American craft brewers, has been adopted by 3,870 breweries - that’s over 80% of all independent craft volume produced in the US today. Independent craft beer is purchased by more people, more frequently and more is spent per purchase vs. Big Beer acquired brands. The seal identifies independent craft and steers consumer behaviour. Our new ‘That’s Independence You’re Tasting’ campaign highlights independence and choice, and puts the spotlight on independent brewers’ innovation, ingenuity and integrity as small, independent businesses rooted in the local community. Our goal is to raise beer drinker awareness behind the beers they’re supporting. Are they independent or owned by a global multinational? We ask beer drinkers to actively seek the seal. Independence does matters to an increasing number of beer drinkers and the seal give them the choice to support a local independent brewery.

ISSUE 19 EXPERT’S OPINION

THROUGH THE CRAFT BEER CURRENTS

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FULLER’S PILOT

STEERS A COURSE

ISSUE 19 EXPERT’S OPINION

Beer sommelier and journalist, John Porter, visits the new Pilot Brewery at Fuller’s historic West London site. The craft beer revolution of recent years hasn’t always been an entirely positive development for Britain’s family brewers, who for centuries have been the backbone of the nation’s brewing culture. Not only are sales of cask beer in decline, but their customers have become more fickle. Beer drinkers that could once be relied on to routinely order the house Best Bitter as their ‘usual’, now scan the choice of beers on draught - and increasingly, in cans and bottles in the fridge – to seek out beers they haven’t tried before. That makes it more challenging to justify the levels of marketing investment that have made ale brands such as Fuller’s London Pride, Greene King IPA, and Timothy Taylor’s Landlord mainstays of the bar. However, these brewers haven’t been around for centuries without learning how to adapt to changing demographics, and if the customers are asking for diversity, then diversity is what they’ll get. The latest musthave accessory for the regionals is a Pilot Brewery, a small-run production plant than enables brewers to experiment with new beers. Brain’s in Cardiff, St Austell in Cornwall and Shepherd Neame in Kent are amongst those who have already installed these small run facilities, and I was recently invited to the opening of the new Pilot plant at the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, home of Fuller’s.

The plant at Fuller’s has been discussed for some time, and definitely demonstrates the benefits of getting things right at the planning stage. The new brewery is at the back of the shop, behind glass windows. With plenty of shiny stainless steel and chrome on view, it’s an added element to the Fuller’s Visitors’ Experience, which brings in thousands of guests every year. The Pilot Brewery has a 10 barrel production run, the equivalent of 2,880 pints. Head brewer, Georgina Young, said: “Prior to this, the smallest batch we could brew was 160 barrels, so we tended always to play safe with flavours. We will be using the new brewery for trial-testing different raw materials such as new malts, hops, herbs, spices and fruits.” I can vouch for that. One of the first beers I tried was a Thai Stout, a 4.8% ABV dark beer laced with lemongrass and pepper flavours. Fuller’s has a number of pubs which specialise in Thai menus, for which this beer would be ideal as a match with food. “The Pilot Brewery means that we can produce different beers for our different styles of pubs,” said Georgina.

One of the Fuller’s brewing team, Hayley Marlor, has been managing the installation and the first brews in the pilot brewery. “I’ve already had some of our pubs calling me to ask when they can come and brew their own beer,” said Hayley. “This has been a fascinating learning curve as a brewer.” Other beers in the first wave from the Pilot are Beer One, a 7% ABV strong ale based on Fuller’s long-established Golden Pride recipe; and Grapefruit IPA, a zesty 5.7% ABV beer made with real grapefruit peel and juice. Also on offer was a 5.5% ABV New England IPA, which is an experiment with Cryo Hops – a new development in dried hops said to deliver a more intense flavour, which this beer definitely does. As one of those annoying beer drinkers always looking for my next new hop hit, I look forward to more innovation from the Fuller’s team.

“We can test out new equipment and procedures before scaling up and we can attempt beer styles that have never been brewed here at Chiswick before. It will also play a role in training future brewers.”

ISSUE 19 EXPERT’S OPINION

MAKING A STATEMENT Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, discusses the potential impact of the Chancellor’s upcoming Budget Statement. The Chancellor’s announcement at the end of September that we would, this year, be having an early Budget Statement, caught a few off guard. This year’s Budget will be sandwiched in between two key Brexit dates: a European Council meeting on the 18th October and an emergency EU summit in November. It’s entirely likely that there will be no deal agreed at the time of the Budget, which makes this year’s Statement all the more intriguing. The Budget, however, will land amidst the negotiations and arguments surrounding Brexit and it is possible that any announcements may find themselves overshadowed. The uncertainty surrounding Brexit continues to rumble on and, despite the reassurances and some key developments, businesses are still looking towards the horizon, furrowing their brows.

A recent development that has thrown a proverbial cat among the pigeons is the report published by the Migration Advisory Committee outlining recommendations on future immigration policy. By no means a formal Government policy, the report will nevertheless inform a migration White Paper that the Government committed to last year but is yet to publish. It doesn’t make for wholly reassuring reading. One of the principal messages was that any future UK immigration policy should prioritise high-skilled labour at the expense of lower-skilled migration. At the time of writing, ahead of the Conservative Party Conference, there are also rumours that the Prime Minister will throw her weight behind such a policy. Naturally, were the Government to adopt the MAC’s proposals or introduce a similar system, there would be significant problems for the hospitality sector. Many venues are already reporting a struggle to fill vacancies and an immigration system that restricts the flow of lowerskilled labour will only exacerbate the problem. The apparent logic here is that members of the MAC have placed importance to the economic contribution of immigrants coming into the country and concluded that the contribution is greater from ‘high skilled’ people than for ‘low skilled’ people.

The report also recognises that nonEU migration needs to be reformed while simultaneously recommending that EU migration policy should be aligned with it. This policy could well change if the Government wishes to include migration as an issue in trade negotiations. UKHospitality liaised extensively with the MAC as it sought views and continues to make the case for hospitality businesses, but more will need to be done to secure the supply of labour that our businesses will need to grow and thrive. Hospitality businesses need a welcome dose of good news to offset some of the instability surrounding Brexit. In recent years we have fought hard to secure much-needed business rates relief for pubs and we have pushed to Government for more of the same. Wider-ranging reliefs that incorporate the wider hospitality sector before a thorough review of the entire rates system are needed. The Government will go a long way to supporting anxious hospitality businesses if it turns its attention to the digital market and undertakes to properly tax digital businesses to help support hardworking high street ones.

www.ontradeprogress.com

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ISSUE 19 MIXOLOGY

Our resident mixologist, Murray, has been tinkering with a few syrups in his lab-BAR-atory recently. Things really got interesting when we were sent a few samples from the syrup and liquer legends, Giffard. Murray got stuck in right away and created some great cocktails using some of Giffard’s iconic products. Venue credit: A big thank you for use of the bar, shakers and booze Cinque Ports, 50 Marine Terrace, Margate, CT9 1XJ

Honey And Orgeat Lemonade To create the pre-made Spanish-style lemonade: • Measure four tablespoons of honey, along with four table spoons of water into a pot on a high heat. • Wait around five minutes for it to start caramelising. • Once its bubbling nicely turn the heat down to a simmer • Add to the pot 500ml of water, the juice of four lemons and the zest of one lemon - this time I threw in a couple of slices of fresh ginger and some orange zest, but that’s optional for this recipe. Spanish chef, Omar Allibhoy also has a great recipe with saffron as an alternative. • Once all your ingredients are in, bring it to a boil for about a minute. Then turn off the heat and let it cool, bottle it up and chill in the fridge.

To serve: • Put cubed ice in your glass and lemon wedge. • Add 25ml of Giffard Orgeat • Top it off with lemonade and stir well. • Add lemon wedge and straw garnish.

@cinqueportsmarg

ISSUE 19 MIXOLOGY

Coconut Margarita In your shaking tin put the following: • • • •

35ml fresh lime juice 10ml triple sec 5ml Giffard Gomme 20ml Giffard Coconut (if you like your cocktail creamier, try adding a further 10ml of coconut milk) • 50ml tequila To serve:

Passion Fruit Mojito

• Add ice to the tin and shake hard until the tin is frosted. • Take a pre-chilled glass and rim with smoked salt and coconut flakes. • Strain into glass.

In your glass start with: • 15ml Giffard Gomme • 25ml Giffard Passion Fruit • 35ml fresh lime juice Top up the glass half way with crushed ice then add: • 50ml of rum • Five or six fresh mint leaves (give them a clap and rub the leaves round the rim of the glass before dropping them in). To serve: • Mix it all together without mashing up the mint. • Top up the rest of your glass with crushed ice and soda water. • Garnish with half a passion fruit, some mint and a straw. 33

ISSUE 19 MIXOLOGY

In the Drink Murray Phillips, On-Trade Progress’ resident mixologist, chats how to make the dream work with team work.

Teamwork

Behind the bar can be hectic, with elbows and bottles flying everywhere, it can be hard to keep track of what’s going on. It’s so important to have a good team behind the stick. In order to not bump into each other too much, it’s a good idea to separate yourselves to work on separate sections of the bar. Having your own station to work from is less stressful. Good prep of your station such as stocking, juicing or cleaning before a shift always starts the night on a good note. It helps if you have a routine. During the night, clean as you go. Making sure your shakers are rinse washed at least and your sink is clear. Being nice and talking behind the bar can help with other staff as well as punters. Talking can make everyone’s life easier and more organised. If you need help with an order/stock – nine times out of ten the other staff will help if they aren’t busy. Keep some body spray and a clean shirt behind the bar. It’s hot, sweaty and can be messy too. At some point you’re going to get sprayed by a shaker or fixing up a keg. I try wearing dark colours behind the bar so it’s less obvious when you’ve got puree up your trousers. 34

TOP TIP If you don’t have a crushed iced machine handy during a shift, it can be a pain to make. This process often leads to splitting bags, runaway ice cubes and freezing wet hands. A top tip would be to try pouring the cube ice into a canvas bag and smashing it up with a rolling pin/keg/ heavy object. It’s quick, effective and rarely makes a mess. A bag for life never looked so good.

www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 MIXOLOGY

THE SCIENCE OF

SUSTAINABILITY London-based bar and restaurant, Quaglinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, has launched a new cocktail menu that prioritises sustainability.

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ISSUE 19 MIXOLOGY

London’s leading cocktail bar and restaurant, Quaglino’s, has announced the launch of its latest cocktail menu – ‘The Science of Sustainability’. The thought-provoking menu explores three different approaches to global environmental issues – the past, present and future. ‘The Science of Sustainability’ was devised by Quaglino’s bar team, led by bar manager Marco Sangion, and head mixologist, Federico Pasian. Using inventive techniques such as milk clarifications, sous vide infusions, and butter washing, the menu has been designed to be as much a visual experience as one of taste and flavour. Separated into three sections; past, present and future, the menu takes the guest on an enlightening journey that explains the path of sustainability through cocktails. From root infused drinks that symbolise deforestation, to futuristic bespoke serves that represent the mounting problem of space debris, unusual ingredients and thoughtful flavour combinations are matched by ingenious presentation.

For ‘The Science Of Sustainability’, Quaglino’s Bar has teamed up with Hunger Project UK and food waste collection service, Indie Ecology, and made sure that every aspect of the menu adheres to the values of its message. Bar Manager, Marco Sangion says this about Quaglino’s new menu: “Last year we told the history and the heritage of Quaglino’s to the world through our cocktails, today we want to contribute to promote sustainability awareness among those who follow us.”

ISSUE 19 MIXOLOGY

Getting inspired

Sustainability first

Marco Sangion, Quaglino’s bar manager, worked extensively with his team to craft the perfect menu. For him, the key issue of sustainability arose when considering the impact of global warming, climate change, poverty and pollution – all of which are huge global problems. He says:

All of Quaglino’s ‘The Science of Sustainability’ cocktails promote the message of sustainability in different ways, besides the information behind every drink on its menu, most of the products it uses are sustainable and its wastage is reduced to minimum.

“I asked myself and the team, how can Quaglino’s Bar give its little contribution to a better world? “We started to research the issues humanity and the world we live in are facing, what are the causes, what are we doing to improve and what are our scientists studying to make sure future generations will have the opportunity to live in a safe and prolific environment? The deeper we dug, the more real the subject became, and we felt we shouldn’t only create sustainable cocktails, we should also aim to raise our guest’s awareness on these particular matters. This is why, the stories and the concept behind every cocktail on our list outline real information about sustainability.”

“If we look at ‘Let’s be Clear’, the first cocktail in our list, for example,” explains Sangion. “It contains clarified milk, we know we can only heat milk once when making cappuccinos or lattes, we collect the milk in excess which would be thrown away otherwise, we clarify it and use it in our cocktails.” We are also proud to collaborate with Indie Ecology and The Hunger Project UK. Indie Ecology collects our food waste, they bring it back to their farm and turn it into compost which gets ploughed back into the soil to grow all the fresh products we then use for our drinks.

“Our aim is to progressively increase Quaglino’s impact on safeguarding the environment, our cocktails are promoting global warming issues, sea pollution and the sharing economy to mention few. We are considering expanding our collaborations in the near future and introduce a £1 donation for the cocktails inspired by the most alarming issues, these donations will be going towards multiple, non-profit organisations, with different sustainable purposes.” We ask Sangion, having worked so hard on this noble project, which is his favourite cocktail. He concludes: “I get asked this question a lot, but I really cannot choose, I feel like I am picking a favourite child and I really cannot do it.”

“The “Q Project” cocktail, in collaboration with The Hunger Project UK, promotes the second matter on the list of global goals for sustainability development set by the United Nations back in 2000 to eradicate poverty and hunger. Every “Q Project” sold will donate £1 to The Hunger Project UK.

www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 IN-DEPTH

GIN PALACE The popularity of gin is on the rise, with the drink’s sales doubling in the past five years; On-Trade Progress discuss these figures and uncover the reason behind the trend. The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA)’s latest market report shows that combined yearly sales of gin in the UK and British gin overseas have doubled in the last five years. Moreover, the summer of 2018 reached record highs for gin with sales, both home and abroad, peaking at £2.2 billion.

The latest figures taken from the WSTA’s yet to be published Market Report show that in the 12 months to June this year sales in the UK were worth more than £1.6 billion, up 38 per cent on last year.

The findings indicate that combined yearly sales of gin in the UK and British gin overseas have doubled in the last five years. In 2013, the total value of gin sales, UK and exports, was more than £1 billion.

www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 IN-DEPTH

A British favourite

Staying in fashion

Much of gin’s recent uptake has been fuelled by eager nationals, with Brits purchasing almost 60 million bottles in home shops, supermarkets, pubs and restaurants, this means the equivalent of an extra 14.4 million bottles were sold in the UK, worth an extra £516 million, compared to last year.

But despite gin proving it is just the tonic for UK business, the nation’s favourite spirit is set to take a hit if the Chancellor goes ahead with planned rises to alcohol duty in the Autumn Budget.

Add to this the £532 million worth of British gin exported in the last 12 months, according to HMRC, gin has broken the £2 billion mark as predicted by the WSTA last month. Due to a surge in popularity of British gin, which some are calling the ‘ginaissance’, gin is out performing any other spirit in terms of growth of sales in the UK. The juniper-based spirit now accounts for a significant 68 per cent of value growth in the spirits sector.

Philip Hammond is planning a 3.4 per cent duty rise in line with inflation which would undermine an ambitious industry looking to go global. The rapid growth in UK distilleries and an increasing number of gin brands launched to market on top of the heatwave of 2018 has helped gin sales grow beyond expectations. Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said: “Gin has proved itself to be just the tonic for the Government’s ambitions to grow exports of premium British products. On top of that the gin boom in the UK has allowed our talented and innovative British distillers to invest and grow their businesses creating new jobs and boosting the British economy. If gin continues to grow at this rate there’s no reason why the industry can’t set its sights higher, we could be talking about a £3 billion gin empire by the end of 2020.

“But as things stand, instead of supporting this jewel in the crown of the British drinks industry, the Chancellor is set to raise spirits duty at the next Budget. UK consumers already pay some of the highest alcohol prices in Europe. We are calling on Philip Hammond to freeze duty – just as he did last year. Yet again it would be a win/win/win – more money for the Treasury, support for British business, pubs and the cash strapped consumer.” For every 70cl bottle of gin at 40% abv £8.05 goes straight to the Treasury. That’s 75% of an average price bottle of spirit is taken up by duty and VAT. Spirits paid £3.4 billion in duty in 2017/18, accounting for 30% of all alcohol duty income. Following the freeze in spirits duty in the November 2017 budget, spirits duty income between February and June increased on the same period the previous year by £93m (+7%). Last year an IWSR Forecast Report projected that gin is expected to grow by 37% by 2021.

DID YOU KNOW Britain now boasts 315 distilleries in the UK – more than double the number that were operating across the country five years ago.

ISSUE 19 IN-DEPTH

Word on the inside With such promising figures indicating gin’s growth, we talk to prominent distiller, Pocketful of Stones, to discuss why it feels the drink is growing in popularity. The company’s founder, Shaun Bebington, says: “Having worked in hospitality in the UK since 2002 I have seen many trends come and go but I think the biggest influence on the drinks industry was the 2008 recession. “At the time I was managing a pub in Covent Garden, London. We, along with every other bar and pub in the area, were serving tasteless largers and Irish ciders. We all had an uninspired wine menu, structured, deep frozen food was the norm and the staff were not very well trained. It wasn’t a very good time to be a drinker.

“Then the recession hit. Pubs, bars, restaurants were closing at an unprecedented rate and if you were going to survive you had to up your game. At the same time a lot of office workers were made redundant and decent jobs were scarce. People had to think outside the box. The craft beer industry was born. It started with the English real ales but soon followed the examples set by the brewers in The States. The craft beer scene became a melting pot of new ideas and creative brewing. “From the consumers side of things the recession showed us that people were still willing to spend but they wanted value for money. “The £2 a pint of tasteless larger was on the out and people were spending upwards of £5 a pint. I think this opened the door for craft distillers to be able to produce on a small scale and still make a profit. On top of this the guys at Sipsmiths did wonders challenging the archaic laws to distilling. They single-handedly opened the doors to the rest of us.

“Gin and Vodka were the obvious choices as they were quick to make and didn’t require any aging. I think Gin quickly outstripped Vodka, firstly because the distillers could add so much more of their own creativity to the recipes and flavour profiles. As the gin distillers were getting more adventurous in their distilling techniques and recipes so to were the consumers. There was a flavour to suit every palette and soon a tonic to compliment every gin. Gin’s bad reputation as ‘Mother’s Ruin’ was being debunked and it was appealing to more and more people. People were forgetting the insipid, luke warm gin and tonics of the nineties. Garnishes, glassware, tonic waters were all considered and adjusted to reflect the exciting new ‘rebrand’ of the G&T! “At the moment the gin world is more adventurous than ever before. We are seeing new distillation techniques and new gin categories all the time. As long as we can hold onto our integrity and values there will be interest in gin for a long time to come and, hopefully, it won’t go the way of the nineties flavoured vodka.”

Classic Gin and Tonic Gin and tonic in a gin goblet garnished with a lemon wedge and twist. 42

www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 IN-DEPTH

Alistair Wilson, managing director at Isle of Skye Distillers, says:

Caspyn Gin Cornish Dry Gin

Caspyn Gin Midsummer Dry Gin

“Generally, I think that consumers like the idea of small-batch products, and the stories behind them. Gone are the days of large, commercially-produced drinks holding the bulk of the market share. More so than ever, consumers now really buy into the story behind the drink in their glass. And if people truly buy into the story of a product, they’ll be more likely to support it. This support all adds up and helps gin to grow in popularity. “It’s never been easier to check the background of a product – where it’s made, what the ingredients are, and what the company’s ethos is. The gin industry is no exception to this scrutiny, and I think this is a positive thing which has helped to boost gin’s popularity. It’s more important than ever to be completely transparent and accountable in distilling. The quality of small-batch gins being produced now helps to show how much demand there is for drinks which are locally-produced, locally-owned and unique. “Not only that, but gin is such a diverse drink, and again this adds to its popularity. Gin is for all seasons - it’s truly a year-round drink, and I think it’s generally seen as being a fresh, refined option to order at the bar.” There are now well over 100 British gin brands on the market - it is hard to put an exact number on it as new gins come on the market so frequently. What we do know is that the number of gins now available in Britain has more than doubled since 2011, and as On-Trade Progress predicts – its popularity will only continue to grow.

ISSUE 19 BUSINESS EXPANSION

The Better Half Mrs Fogg’s will sail into East London to open her Maritime Club and Distillery, a bar complete with a steamer ship and its own gin distillery.

This winter, Mr Fogg will meet his match as intrepid adventurer Mrs Fogg sails into East London to raise the bar at her Maritime Club and Distillery. Inspired by Aouda, the explorer Phileas Fogg’s wife, in Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel, Around The World in 80 Days, Mrs Fogg’s will serve up inventive cocktails and innovative dishes with a nod to her heritage and her nautical travels. The bar, complete with its own gin distillery and steamer ship, will be the first project from Charlie Gilkes and Duncan Stirling’s Inception Group to open in The City. Located in Broadgate Circle and spanning two floors, Mrs Fogg’s will take guests on a fantastical journey aboard the Rangoon Steamer, which the adventurous Aouda has travelled back to England on, bringing with her exotic flavours, ingredients and relics to add to her Maritime Club’s collection of curiosities.

Lots to explore

Delicious food

Downstairs, guests will discover the engine room - a secret space filled with all sorts of cargo, crates and stowaways, perfect for spirited evenings of live entertainment. Taking center stage will be a custom-designed Rickshaw, courtesy of Monkey Shoulder, for cocktail enthusiasts to pedal and shake their way to cocktail bliss and create their own signature concoctions. Also tucked away below deck will lie Mrs. Fogg’s fully working gin distillery, which will be modelled on the underground Victorian distilleries of the period. Having learnt the secrets of botanicals, herbs and ingredients involved in the distillation process whilst on her travels, she is keen to pass on her knowledge to groups who will help her to produce her own in-house gin, which can also be taken home as a souvenir as a part of the regular masterclasses available.

The menu at Mrs Fogg’s will evoke Aouda’s memories of home, with all the flavours and fragrances of the Asian continent. Lush libations will include new discoveries such as, Ta- Ta’s Margarita, a twist on a classic with turmeric-infused Cabrito Blanco tequila, Rinomato Americano Blanco, Chili-infused Honey, Lime, Starfruit & Grapefruit Tonic and A Mumbai Donkey, a mouthwatering mix of Cardamom-infused Russian Standard Vodka, Pear, Parsley and Ginger beer. Open from 11am, Mrs Fogg’s will serve up small plates inspired by the cuisine of the subcontinent until late. Guests can tuck into everything from Keralan Fried Chicken and Mini Mango Salads, to Sweet Potato Pani Puri and Jackfruit Biryani presented in traditional Indian tiffin boxes. Co-founder Charlie Gilkes says of the project: “We are delighted that Mr Fogg has found his perfect partner and look forward to introducing Mrs Fogg to Londoners very soon.” www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 MIXOLOGY

Dimi Savvaidis has been announced as the winner of the UK MONIN Cup. On-Trade Progress reports. The atmosphere in Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen was pulpable as attendees and competitors readied themselves for the UK MONIN Cup. The third edition of this bi-annual competition saw young professional bartenders from across the UK battling it out for a place in the international final, which will take place in Paris in December. The six finalists, selected from regional heats earlier in the year, and including one wildcard entry, had to create two cocktails (one no-ABV) and were judged by an esteemed panel of judges on their creativity, presentation and taste. These judges included; Simon Difford, CEO Difford’s Guide; Gennaro Pelliccia, Master of Coffee, Costa and Rui Cesar Texeira, CoOwner, Stallion Spirits.

MONI

CUP FINAL U

Dimi Savvaidis – The King of Islington, Dundee with his ‘Cliff Diver’ cocktail and ‘King’s Mai Tai’ no ABV serve was crowned UK Champion and will now go on to become a MONIN brand Ambassador and represent the UK in the MONIN Cup International Final in Paris this December. He will also enjoy a trip to the Berlin Bar Convent later this year.

www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 MIXOLOGY

Far and wide

Great things ahead

The competition was open to professional bartenders under the age of 27 and challenged participants to ‘Mix Their Origins’ to demonstrate creative genius behind the bar as well as showmanship; all reflecting their own story using MONIN products to help craft their signature cocktails in two variants – standard and no ABV, both carrying equal weighting with judging to reflect the current direction of the industry.

Special commendation also went to Amie Smith of the Faraway Cocktail Club, Bristol, a close run second; the judges remarked on her excellent creativity and poise at The MONIN Cup UK final and Smith’s first ever competition.

Savvaidis started bartending at 17 in Greece, after two years he moved on to travel across the world during which time he discovered Sydney’s Cocktail bar scene where he found his passion and drive for the industry. Taking this with him, Savvaidis moved to Scotland to explore his Scottish heritage. The unanimous win for Savvaidis came with great praise from the judges who commented on his “sharp technical ability, creativity using Oak aged Irn-Bru in his no ABV drink along with his excellent interaction and showmanship.” On winning Savvaidis remarked: “I think this will take a while to sink in! I am shocked, excited and proud to be working with Monin. The heritage and history of Monin along with the philosophy of serving quality consistently is my mantra to my work.”

Dan Davis, Trade Brand Ambassador, MONIN UK, commented: “We’ve seen some exceptional talent at this year’s MONIN Cup, with our young UK bartenders pushing the boundaries of flavour combinations and inventive serves. The judges were on the lookout for colour, appearance, garnishes, aroma, balance, taste and originality and were extremely impressed by the quality of the entrants this year. The judges also awarded marks for showmanship, cleanliness and skills of the bartenders, all of which are a crucial part of serving a cocktail.

“The MONIN Cup continues to be a fantastic opportunity for young bartenders to raise their profile in the UK and offers them the chance to show off their skills, recipes and concepts with bartenders on a global scale.”

Dimi Savvaidis UK MONIN Cup winner 2018 47

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ISSUE 19 AUTUMN FRESHERS’ FOCUS

Autumn is here and students are out and about celebrating the festive season with the hospitality sector. With autumn upon us, there are so many exciting events hospitality professionals can be exploiting to draw student footfall to their venue. Whether it’s Halloween, Guy Fawkes’ Night or the general merriment that comes alongside students’ first full month at university – now is the time to be preparing your venue to attract this key customer base.

FRESH START Continued on page 50 49

ISSUE 19 AUTUMN FRESHERS’ FOCUS

THE AUTUMN FESTIVE SEASON WITH THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR Halloween A statistic from Conlumino conducted between 2014-2015 indicated that Brits spend nearly £460 million on Halloween celebrations, of which £75 million is spent on entertainment. With so much cash being injected into the economy during this key period, a lot of this is being contributed by students looking to go out and have a good night out. The On-Trade sector is in a key position to ensure this money comes their way; and to start, venues need to be prepared. On average, students start confirming their Halloween plans anywhere between 3-5 weeks before October 31st. As a result, venues need to be planning exactly what they intend to do to attract these students; whether its host a themed club night, offer a Halloween games night, or a special seasonal cocktail promotion. The marketing for this is key. Getting the word out to the student sector specifically is slightly different to conventional marketing; we recommend utilising your social media. You can be posting visuals of the venue, special Halloween-themed drinks and offers too. Moreover, flyering has proved to work well with this demographic, especially in closed campus environments.

Other festivities Feel free to talk to the local student union, who may be able to post some of the flyers up in different buildings across campus. Get to work making your venue look attractive. A lot of the time, in the digital age, making your venue more ‘instagrammable’ will attract students to your venue. While this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be spending a fortune on Halloween decorations, you should be considering some form of decorations. Even if you purchase cheaper ones from a wholesaler, be creative in your approach to transforming your venue.

In general, October proves to be one of the busiest months in the hospitality calendar for student footfall. Whether, like we already discussed, you have students drawn to your venue for Halloween or Fireworks’ Night, there are also more students out and about this time of year. This is due to the fact that they are enjoying their first full month at university, and it’s the furthest month from their exam season whilst being at university – as a result, students are out, bonding with one another, and enjoying pubs, bars and restaurants across the country.

We heavily recommend making a themed cocktail list – even if you only offer between 2-3 Halloween-style cocktails, it will give students a chance to enjoy the festivities, you to show off your cocktail making skills and others to snap pictures of them to post and share through social media.

www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 AUTUMN FRESHERS’ FOCUS

Guy Fawkes' Night ‘Remember, remember the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot, I see no reason, why gunpowder treason… can’t be utilised to draw students to your venue.’ Guy Fawkes’ Night is often celebrated through epic firework displays. There is a clear advantage if you’re a venue with a roof garden or great city views; this alone is enough to attract droves of students (and other customers) to your venue. This should certainly be advertised, as often this saves students the cost of a ticket to see the display up close.

However, if you don’t have this to offer, you can still welcome people for ‘pre-firework’ drinks, or a list of themed cocktails. You can even play on the treasonous plot itself, by offering an immersive ‘Guy Fawkes’ Experience’ where students can come along to foil the plot. Immersive experiences have proved really popular with this demographic (for example, escape rooms, etc) – however these often need to be meticulously planned. If you’re close to the location of the firework display, then the natural footfall to the area may be in your favour. Again, focus on flyering prior to, and on the night of, the display – this way people who don’t have any plans may decide to enter your venue.

ISSUE 19 RESTAURANT AND BAR TECH LIVE

BEST IN SHOW On-Trade Progress visited Restaurant and Bar Tech Live to witness wonderful innovations for the hospitality industry. Tantalising topics This month, the hospitality industry benefited from the stand out industry show of the year, Restaurant and Bar Tech Live. The two-day event, which took place from September 25th26th, 2018, saw attendees from across the country travel to London’s ExCeL Centre to see the latest in the industry’s technology for the hospitality sector.

Notably, the outstanding line-up of keynote speakers from across the industry offered varied insights into the state of the sector; these included Sophie Evans, head of marketing at Be At One, who discussed how the bar group has tried to keep its own USP in a saturated market by ensuring customers are always at the heart of its strategy.

With the industry’s best and brightest turning up to offer live demonstrations, panel discussions and show exclusives, this year’s Restaurant and Bar Tech Live was the best yet.

Moreover, Tom Sycamore, operations director at PizzaExpress UK & Ireland, discussed how PizzaExpress plans to stay relevant in an evolving industry. Joining the line-up was IT Director of Prezzo, David Broom, who walked attendees through his journey to reassess and implement new ordering and payment systems.

Joining the outstanding keynote speakers was a wealth of industry professionals, who brought their opinions and expertise on an array of subjects. Including topics such as ‘Game Changing Innovations for 2019’, ‘The Key Ingredients of True Brand Loyalty’ and ‘Accelerating Growth with Digital Payments’. The discussion to kick-off the show on day one in Panel Theatre Hall 10 was called ‘Taking on the Digital Dining Revolution’; which discussed how customers want their dining experience to be seamless – including quick payment, and easy access WiFi.

www.ontradeprogress.com

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ISSUE 19 RESTAURANT AND BAR TECH LIVE

Image by: Mazvydas Kulbis

WiFi innovation This easy access WiFi is key to the customer experience, and a topic that became prominent throughout the show and among the panel. Most of the current hospitality approach to customer WiFi is to maximise sales after they leave the venue; often through customers having to input data either via form or social media. Vedra’s Philip Jordan, company CEO and expert panellist on this topic, is leading the innovation revolution on dining WiFi. “We’re fixing a number of problems associated with public access WiFi login via an innovative content-led approach to logging in,” explains Jordan. “The Status-Quo for public access WiFi login is either via email address capture, social media login, or password access. Each of these approaches is problematic. Email capture is spoofed by around 80% of users leading to junk data and time spent cleaning mailing lists, social media login is too intrusive and leads to large bounce rates with customers being understandably uncomfortable about opening up their social media accounts to a venue’s WiFi service, and passwords are usually annoyingly difficult to enter. This all leads to a poor user experience. 54

Expertly done “Venues are also missing the chance to promote their products and services to their customers in real-time and are left trying to monetise them further down the line by targeting them with after-marketing messages via email or social media. If I’ve already left a venue then there is a strong chance that I am not interested in hearing from it again until I’m back in the mood to visit. Maybe I was visiting a restaurant or hotel from out of town and won’t be back anytime soon. The message is noise at best, and unwanted spam at worst. This is damaging to the venue’s brand perception.

With so many great hospitality tech companies attending Restaurant and Bar Tech Live, the palpable atmosphere was that of people getting business done.

“The Vedra Air system turns this on its head by removing the password or data capture step from the login process and replacing it with a fully GDPR-compliant, frictionless marketing content-led approach that is proven to both dramatically increase user login rates, and increase the average value of the customer.”

We can’t wait to see what the next Restaurant and Bar Tech Live has to offer.

Jordan adds: “We were able to meet with many new potential customers and partners at the event and have come away from it with many new leads to follow up on. It’s always a joy to introduce Vedra Air to new people as it’s such an elegantly simple product that people get it and its benefits straight away. We had a successful time at the show and the stand was very busy.”

www.ontradeprogress.com

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ISSUE 19 ON... TECH

With so much of our lives being grounded in technology, we can now order goods and services from across the word by calling out names that have become commonplace in our home, such as ‘Alexa’. With these technologies everpresent, the hospitality industry is already feeling the benefits of this. Through a simple command, such as “Alexa, order me a pizza from Dominos”, it’s becoming easier for customers to enjoy hospitality services without having to lift a finger.

Moving forward While, as you can imagine, this technology of ‘speak to order’ is still in the early stages of its developments, larger companies have the ability to experiment and adopt these systems ahead of their SME counterparts. For example, large fast food corporations will be able to employ this technology; currently McDonalds employees need to be listening to orders coming through the system as well as serving people at the window. Rather than have themselves stretched to do both, the ‘speak to order’ system would be able to interpret people’s orders to ensure they are being served efficiently. This would mean employees can concentrate more energy to providing great customer service at the window. 56

LISTEN IN... ‘Speak to order’ technology has already become commonplace in the home, On-Trade Progress discuss how this is the next big thing in hospitality tech. www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 ON...TECH

In-room service

Other services

A number of these ‘Alexa-style’ technologies are also being employed by hotels. Smart hotels are very much becoming the way of the future, and whether it’s smart TV or as we discussed last issue, self-checkin machines, hotels are paving the way in the hospitality industry for revolutionary technologies.

Of course, this is only the beginning, in the future technology will make it so speak to order is commonplace. Can the hospitality industry imagine a future where instead of long queues to a bar, you simply place your order with a machine, either spoken or otherwise. This is already the reality when it comes to apps that allow you to order through your phone, or fast food restaurant technologies that allow you to pay and order through a machine.

These ‘speak to order’ systems are becoming commonplace in many hotels across the UK and replacing the slightly dated phone down to reception system of the past. This way, hotel guests can simply say ‘order me a bottle of champagne’ or ‘bring up another pillow’ and this order can be relayed to the room service team quickly and efficiently.

While this future may seem a long way of, it may be appropriate for hospitality to adopt this technology while it is still novel rather than common; a part of one’s hotelgoing experience is the self-check-in technology and the ‘speak to order’ in-room service. The future may be now, but it’s not quite everywhere just yet.

Amazon Echo Smart speaker with Alexa 57

ISSUE 19 EQUIPMENT

CLEANING UP Winterhalter launches updated versions of its UC glasswasher and dishwasher products. Winterhalter has launched new versions of its popular UC undercounter glasswashers and dishwashers with extensive upgrades designed to make them even more energy and water efficient, while delivering great wash results. A new smartphone-style touchpad control panel makes them even easier to use, and offers more functions, while the body has been reengineered to give it the longest possible service life. Meanwhile the company has also upgraded its Connected Wash technology, making the new UC’s connectivity simpler and more robust. “Saving running costs and getting the best possible wash results, reliably, are the two key criteria for most foodservice and bar operators,” says Paul Crowley, Winterhalter UK’s marketing manager. “In terms of meeting those needs, with the UC we think we’ve created something of a masterpiece.”

Great performance

Tech first

The UC’s performance is based around a total redesign of the wash arm, including changes to the water channels and jets to optimize the water flow and create an improved washfield. It results in a more effective performance: in tests, the new washfield outperformed two main competitor models with a removal rate of 88%, compared to 38% and 14%.

Winterhalter has more experience than most with Connectivity – its Connected Wash technology was amongst the first to hit the market. The new UC has the latest version of Connected Wash built in, which makes it easier to connect to the internet and overcomes the issues that some earlier connected appliances had with maintaining the connection. It not only allows users to remotely monitor the operation of their UC machines, but also to send software updates.

In terms of running costs, the new washfield makes a significant impact. It reduces rinse water consumption by up to 25%, which in turn reduces energy consumption and chemical consumption. Overall, the result is a reduction in operating costs of up to 22%. The new touch control panel is intuitive and operation will be familiar to anyone with a smartphone or tablet. The 11.68cm screen offers a high resolution, full colour display and is engineered to be kitchen-proof: fully waterproof and break-resistant, the tempered glass protects the electronics but also responds to light touches – and it can be operated with gloves on. The screen also offers several extra functions compared to previous models: for example, along with error and alert messages, it will tell operators when it’s time to change the water.

The new UC is available in four sizes, small to extra-large. Glasswashers can process up to 77 racks per hour, dishwashers up to 66. The range is available from dealers with list prices starting from £5,440.

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ISSUE 19 TASTE TEST

GIVE IT A POP On-Trade Progress samples a range of popcorn brands to discuss the best flavours to serve your customers. Popcorn has come a long way since it was declared a simple cinema snack. Popcorn is well acknowledged now as a universal offering, which can be enjoyed alongside a cocktail, beer or similar non-alcoholic beverage. With popcorn generally being low in calories, cheap to import (due to its light weight) and able to support a breadth of flavours - popcorn is fast becoming the must-serve snack at your venue.

Joe & Seph’s Joe & Seph’s, the iconic popcorn brand, has teamed up with Brewdog to launch a series of snacks specifically for beer pairings. As you can imagine, the collection went down an absolute treat with our panellists, especially when we paired each flavour with the intended Brewdog accompaniment.

Cheddar Cheese & Smoked Paprika Popcorn

Caramel Macchiato & Whisky Popcorn

Madras Curry With Lime & Black Onion Seed Popcorn

(pair with Kingpin)

(pair with Jet Black Heart)

(pair with Punk IPA)

“The subtlety of the cheese and the smoky flavour of the spice pair perfectly. I, personally, would eat this even without the beer pairing, but with the addition of the Kingpin, it actually enhances all the flavours which I was already enjoying.”

“Yes, yes, yes! All of these flavours are the perfect balance of sweet and bitter – the whisky flavour stands out especially when you have a sip of Jet Black Heart before. I also love all things coffee, so more please.”

“Okay, I must admit, I was a bit sceptical when I heard the word ‘curry’ so close to ‘popcorn’, but actually this is fab. I love most IPAs, so I’m really happy these pair so well. I feel like the curry isn’t overwhelming at all, but I’m getting lovely hints of lime and onion here.”

www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 TASTE TEST

Lucia Popperley’s Cappuccino Popcorn “The coffee tastes so great in this; it makes the popcorn quite creamy and the aroma of the cappuccino hovers on your tongue for moments after you take a bite. More popcorns should be like this.”

Ten Acre Ten Acre’s hand cooked popcorn range offers a tantalising range of flavours; from sweet to savoury, there is something for every customer. With its entire range being gluten free, dairy free, MSG free, vegetarian, vegan and kosher – this is the perfect snack to stock behind your bar.

Aunty Winifred’s Sweet and Salty Popcorn

Ambrose Popperley’s Wasabi Popcorn “Woah, that’s kind of mind blowing. The spice is really coming though, but not in the awful way that blows your nose off. It’s actually more subtle than any wasabi I’ve had before but pairs perfectly with the kernels.”

“This is great, I can never pick which flavour I prefer, so having both together is great. It’s perfect for hospitality, because sweet and salty combined can pretty much go with any drink, from a light white wine to a tangy whisky.”

ISSUE 19 TASTE TEST

Popcorn Shed Popcorn Shed’s handcrafted gourmet popcorn flavours make the perfect addition to most bar and pub venues. Offering something for everyone, Popcorn Shed’s array of flavours are all gluten free and use all-natural ingredients.

Salted Caramel

Butterly Nuts

Berry-Licious

“Is this the one that won the award? You can really tell. By far my favourite popcorn flavour of the tasting session – I love caramel and I love chocolate – it’s quite literally my two favourite flavours in one popcorn. Where can I get some more?”

“God this is good. I love how it’s not too heavy or sticky. They’ve somehow made the caramel really light, and it pairs really well with the peanuts. Not too overwhelming at all, just really delicious.”

“What an interesting pairing. I really like the subtlety of the dark chocolate and raspberry, especially the latter. It pairs really well with the caramel too, which you only really get the taste for after the berry and chocolate have melted together.”

www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 TASTE TEST

Propercorn Propercorn’s array of delicious flavours have already established it as a stand out brand across UK supermarkets. It’s firmly making its way into the hospitality bar snack offering too. And why wouldn’t it? With a natural seasoning, gluten free and vegan popcorn like this, it has a flavour for everyone.

Peanut Butter and Almond “Gosh, I love this. I’m a bit fan of nutty flavours but not textures, and this takes away the hard crunch of the nut and leaves the sweetness. I can easily eat two packs of these in one go, and maybe pair with a white wine too. Yum!”

Lightly Sea Salted “This is a classic, and Propercorn does it so well! In the cinema – it’s always ‘salty or sweet?’ and I definitely prefer ‘salty’. I feel like Propercorn has captured the classic salty flavour; not too much salt and the perfect popcorn kernels to accompany.”

Sour Cream and Black Pepper “I absolutely love how creamy this flavour is. It doesn’t taste like conventional crunchy popcorn, but a melt-in-the-mouth treat. The sour cream and then the hit of black pepper pairs together perfectly.”

ISSUE 19 ON THE PLATE

PURITY PEARLS Stunning good looks and practical strength with Artis.

Increasingly, statement plates are adding a focal point to a ubiquitous white porcelain tabletop. Leading distributor, Artis, has just introduced ‘Purity Pearls’, a new range of statement pieces, that are stunning in their colours and texture but, at the same time, offer a durability not usually found in such fine porcelain. It forms part of the acclaimed Purity range and is designed to contrast with and complement this white collection.

Manufactured by a world leader in the professional tableware industry, Bauscher, and distributed exclusively in the UK by Artis, Purity Pearls is a premium range of exquisitely decorated plates and large coupe bowls. The Purity Pearls design combines subtle textures and metallic effects. It is available in a choice of Light, Dark, Copper and Metallic Gold colourways. The finish is timeless with a distinctively tactile raised relief pattern and, although it has a modern feel, Purity Pearls is dignified, yet stylish.

Both Purity and Purity Pearls are made from an innovative new material, ‘Noble China’. This revolutionary new porcelain, high fired at 1400˚C, gives the collection a remarkable delicacy that belies its strength. It is the perfect choice for daily use in hotels and restaurants.

20% off promotion Purity Pearls comprises coupe plates, coupe bowls; large and small rectangular plates and a coupe saucer to match a variety of plain white cups and bowls of the Purity range. As an introductory offer, the 31cm coupe plates and 29cm coupe bowls in all four Purity Pearls colours, are discounted by 20% until 28th February 2019. For your own personal copy of the Autumn New Products and Promotions brochure or the 2018 Artis catalogue, call 020 8391 5544.

www.ontradeprogress.com

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ISSUE 19 AT YOUR SERVICE

What’s to SEO? How you can improve your search engine rankings...

Fat Media, the digital marketing agency, discusses how you can improve your search engine rankings. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a complex area of marketing, and one that is constantly changing. While some of the tactics require an indepth understanding of the technical side of things, there are plenty of things you can do yourself to help boost your rankings:

Google my business

Content is still king

This is an easy way to get your business on the first page of Google, without any technical know-how! This free listing will ensure your organisation appears on Google Maps, and so much more. The map listing will automatically generate directions, plus you can add a phone number to allow mobile searchers to call you in one click.

The key to helping searchers find the right content on your site is to have dedicated landing pages for each part of your offering, for example details for rooms, food, or space for hire. Not only will this help your site rank for a range key search terms, but also means that people who click through are more likely to find what they were looking for.

You can also add a host of information, such as opening hours, photos, reviews and news. What’s more, the Insights function will give you information on how customers are finding you, and what content they are using the most – giving you great data to use in future marketing plans.

Another great way to get found is through informative blog posts. Advice guides are a great way to capture relevant traffic from people who are researching venues like yours. We advise writing articles that are approximately 300 words long as a minimum, as while Google loves content, it has high standards, and a low word count is viewed as low quality by the algorithm. www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 AT YOUR SERVICE

FAQ’s A Frequently Asked Questions page is a common part of any site, but if you don’t have one, it’s worth getting it in place. With the rise of voice search through tech like Siri and Alexa, search terms are becoming increasingly conversational.

For helpful free tools, check out www. thinkwithgoogle.com. There are a host of totally free resources to help you understand what people are searching for and when, as well as industry trends and benchmarks to compare your activity against.

FAQ’s are a great way to capture this long-tail search, and get your website and answers found first.

Growing organic traffic is a key part of any marketing strategy. If you believe your website is in need of a detailed assessment, Fat Media can help. We’d be happy complete a full and thorough audit and recommend the best SEO action for you.

Again, we’d recommend being as specific as possible here – it’s a great opportunity to explain any of the finer points of your offering and can be extremely useful for both current and prospective customers.

We are a national, award-winning full-service digital marketing agency. Fat Media is all about the people - us and you. We build successful long-term relationships with our clients here in the North West and throughout the UK. We’re digital marketing experts and we love every minute of it.

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• 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.

ISSUE 19 IN THE CELLAR

THOUGHTS ON CASK Cask Marque consider the key findings from the 2018/19 Cask Report

In September, the 12th edition of the Cask Report was released to the industry. The first report was instigated by Cask Marque in 2006 and analysed how cask was performing against other drinks categories, consumer attitudes to cask, and how businesses could benefit from serving good quality cask. Cask has been through an incredible journey over the past decade, but we are now at a turning point: cask ale sales are declining at twice the rate of the overall on-trade beer market. The latest Cask Report: Cask Reconsidered provides some key insights into the reasons for this, and how they can be addressed by the whole of the industry. When served in prime condition, cask represents the very best of what beer can offer. To view the complete Cask Report, which includes a wealth of information, recommendations and advice, please visit:

www.cask-marque.co.uk

ISSUE 19 IN THE CELLAR

re p r sk a c , n io it d n o c e m ri p in W h en se rv ed in s C la p ex , er f f o n a c r ee b t a h b es t o f w Pubs are struggling to maintain recommended cask serving temperatures, and there is an appetite for cask served at lower temperatures. Sales of cask ale are declining faster than overall on-trade beer sales. However, cask is still hugely valuable to the on-trade: One in seven pints of beer sold is cask and at £1.6 billion it is double the size of gin in the ontrade (£0.77 billion).

Golden ale sales are in growth, and the top 10 cask brands are generally outperforming the market.

Check the temperature of cask ale on the bar frequently – it should be served cellar cool, at between 1 to 13 degrees centigrade. Check cellar cooling equipment and top up ale python control units every week as minimum.

Don’t dismiss cask as ‘dead in the water’. It is still the only category of beer not available in the off-trade and attracts drinkers to a pub. Just reconsider cask as part of your proposition.

More people are including cask in their repertoire of drinks – but they are drinking less frequently.

Those under 30 are least likely to have tried cask, and loyal cask drinkers tend to be at the upper end of the age demographic.

Give consumers a reason to visit your pub and choose cask: match cask with food, hold events such as beer festivals and host ‘meet the brewer’ tutored tastings.

Reconsider your range: stock a nationally recognised brand permanently and rotate guest ales around this. This gives reassurance to occasional drinkers.

Reconsider the brands you stock: make them appealing to those under 30 as well as your core cask drinkers.

S N IO T A D N E M M O REC www.ontradeprogress.com

ISSUE 19 IN THE CELLAR

To view the complete Cask Report, which includes a wealth of information, recommendations and advice, please visit www.cask-marque.co.uk

re se n ts th e ve ry C a sk M a rq u e.

IN S IG H T S

There is a big gap between the customer’s perception of quality beer and that of the licensee. Many customers do not return pints they are unhappy with – they just don’t return to the venue.

In the minds of many consumers, there is an overlap between cask and ‘craft’ beer, but craft potentially repositions cask as ‘old fashioned’ and ‘out of touch’.

Half of cask drinkers believe cask is the same price as mainstream lager, indicating pubs may be underpricing cask on the bar.

Rethink how you present cask: smaller serve sizes, attractive glassware and creative merchandising can reposition cask as a viable alternative to pricier ‘craft’ brands.

Many pubs have too many handpulls for the amount of cask they can realistically sell.

Review your pricing ladder and recalculate your GP on cask: consider the ABV of the cask beer and price accordingly.

Instigate a ‘returns’ policy for consumers, and ensure they are aware that if they are dissatisfied with the quality, this will be addressed professionally. Check the quality of each beer every day before serving to customers.

Many people avoid cask due to perceptions about flavour or believing it to be an ‘old fashioned’ drink.

Debunk the misconceptions non cask drinkers have about cask: offer taster samples, make recommendations and supply flavour descriptors for cask beer.

Don’t be afraid to reduce your range at quieter times of the week to achieve optimum throughputs. Consider stocking pins (4 ½ gallon containers) rather than firkins. Review the ABV, colour and styles of beers on the bar, and ensure there is variety and difference between the brands.

ISSUE 19 WHAT’S ON

WHAT’S ON Oct

Nov

Jan

22-23

The Caterer Summit

The Spirits Show

The Foodservice Show

The British Library

Business Design Centre

NEC, Birmingham

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.

Are you a bar owner or manager? A spirits buyer? Member of the hospitality industry? Then a visit to the The Spirits Show is a must. With a focus on craft, small batch spirits from independent distillers, The Spirit Show offers an unrivalled opportunity to discover and sample some incredible spirits you may not have had the chance to try before. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet distributors, network with your colleagues and hear from the best in the business at our Spirits Live Stage, hosted by worldleading bartender Dean Callan.

The Foodservice Show brings the entire UK Food and Drink industry together for two days of discovery, inspiration, and networking. Food and Drink are at the centre of every great hospitality experience. Across the 22nd and 23rd January, The Foodservice Show will showcase the best products and services from the food and drink industry, attracting key buyers from across the sector including; Head Chefs, Heads of Catering, Food Operation Managers, Food and Beverage Managers and Buyers, Managing Directors and Owners.

Nov

20-22 Food Matters Live ExCeL, London Food Matters Live is a global community where food, health and innovation meet. Connecting likeminded people working in food, drink and nutrition; it provides a platform to share game-changing ideas, innovations and insights. The ambition is to change the future of food and drink, and the health of the planet for the better.

Nov

23 Hotel Cateys 2018 Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Since their launch in 2007, the Hotel Cateys have celebrated the most successful hotels, hoteliers and hotel employees across the UK. They were created to recognise and reward those individuals and teams that work tirelessly to make sure their business delivers an exceptional guest experience, day in, day out.

Mar

13-14 ScotHot SEC, Glasgow ScotHot brings together suppliers of food and drink; catering equipment; decor and design; tableware and technology products with chefs and buyers from hotels, restaurants, bars, catering outlets and tourism destinations. With a heritage dating back over 40 years, the show runs every two years. www.ontradeprogress.com

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Double racking also available www.easy-rack.co.uk - easyrack@live.co.uk Easyrack, Unit 4, Woodland Close, Clipstone, Notts NG21 9BF Tel: 01623 424242

ISSUE 19 NEXT ISSUE

NEXT ISSUE A Taste of Scotland

Brewer insight

Next issue we experience a taste of Scottish hospitality; whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some delicious delicacies, wonderful drinks or famous Haggis!

On-Trade Progress chats to Fourpure Brewery about the brandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey, recent taproom renovations and all things beer.

Water-full Our upcoming Taste Test will see our panel try a variety of water brands; which could you be serving at your venue?

www.ontradeprogress.com

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VISITOR REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN Book your FREE trade ticket at www.casualdiningshow.co.uk using priority code CD17

“Casual Dining unites our industry in a truly powerful way – I am sure it will continue to be unmissable as it moves to ExCeL.” ZOE BOWLEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, UK & IRELAND, PIZZAEXPRESS

@CasDiningShow #CasDining19