Champers Headlines March - April 2023

Headlines

Dear customer…

Welcome to the Spring edition of Headlines, packed with fantastic seasonal deals to support you in driving sales and profit during the months of March and April. With the first four-day Bank Holiday weekend of 2023 from 7th to 10th April, Easter is a key time in the On Trade calendar providing a great opportunity to increase revenue.

We have included tips for Easter planning and how to boost profit by taking advantage of the surge in premiumisation which is driving growth of RTDs, as well as the rum and tequila categories.

Saints days are always good to note in your Spring diary with St David’s Day on 1st March followed by St Patrick’s on 17th March - the perfect opportunity for pubs and bars to promote their best Irish food and drinks offers. 23rd April sees us celebrate St George and the chance to highlight English brands and traditions.

Mother’s Day falls on Sunday 19th March giving you the perfect springboard to launch attractive food and soft drinks offers guaranteed to make your outlet the place to be.

Sports once again assume

centre stage as we move into Spring, with plenty of opportunities to increase footfall and create a unique atmosphere. The Six Nations reaches its climax on Saturday 18th March and for football fans there are the later stages of the FA Cup and the Champions League quarter finals in April. Plus, all the thrills of the Grand National on 15th April.

Here’s to a cracking Easter and Springtime success for us all!

OLD MOUT £21.99 per case

HEINEKEN SILVER £26.99 per case

Mum’s the word

Mother's Day has the potential to be one of the busiest days in your calendar so get your menus organised and advertise early. Sunday lunch is the traditional offering but there’s scope to expand the opportunity by opening your doors earlier and promoting a Mother's Day Brunch.

• Price the menu to make it affordable for families and cost-effective for you

• Consider a fixed menu or give the Instagram craze of grazing boards a go

• Include kids options on the menu

• It’s good to offer sweet and savoury, and sharing boards provide good value for you and your customers

• A welcome cocktail or mocktail is always a winner!

• Contact a local florist to offer a small bunch of flowers for mums to take home at a small extra charge

types of brunch:

BRUNCH Let’s Eat up Drin k

Even if you’re going for a bottomless brunch menu, ensuring you have a variety of drinks on offer can be a game-changer, inspiring every bruncher:

THE pitcher

For non- or mindful drinkers (as well as the kids, of course), a non-alcoholic pitcher is ideal.

Unlimited tea and coffee adds value to your brunchers and isn’t expensive to provide.

This classic is a great Mother's Day option. You could also offer a Virgin Mary for the non-drinkers.

A Mimosa: Prosecco topped with fresh orange juice is simple and inexpensive (and quick to make!).

Don’t forget to give a beer pairing – a light lager will work well with brunch.

GET READY FOR A

RUM RESURGENCE

In 2022 sales of Rum surpassed £1 billion in the UK On Trade with the category now accounting for 13.5% of total spirits sales1.

The rapid growth of Rum (in 2022 it was the fastest growing spirits category vs. PY1) has been driven by the category’s breadth and versatility, with more consumers becoming curious to new styles and brands and enjoying the category across a broader range of occasions.

It is forecast that Rum will be the biggest contributor to Spirits volume growth in the UK in the next 5 years2, so it’s important to understand how to tap into this growing opportunity.

the frequency of these premium occasions.

Stocking both standard and premium options, particularly within Golden and Spiced Rum gives the option to encourage exploration and trade-up.

Moreover with 29% of consumers likely to just ask for ‘Rum’ when ordering3, knowledgeable bar staff can engage consumers and make recommendations based on styles, flavour profiles and brand heritage stories.

Rum Range

Recommendations:

2 White/Light (1 standard & 1 overproof); 1 Dark;

2 Golden (1 standard & 1 premium); 2 Spiced (1 standard & 1 premium)

SHAKE UP YOUR SERVES

44% of rum consumers also drink cocktails, making them the most receptive to cocktails of any spirits category consumer3. This, along with rums versatility makes it an obvious choice to be a core component of any cocktail offering.

REVIEW YOUR RANGE

Research has shown that 7 brands is the optimal range of rums to stock for outlets across the On Trade and given that 37% of consumers specify a style when ordering rum in the On Trade (white, golden, dark, spiced/ flavoured) providing options within each of these is important.

Premium rum accounts for 35% of total Rum sales in the On Trade1 and with over two thirds of rum consumers expressing they would pay more for a better-quality drink, there is a real opportunity to further increase

In fact, rum features as the base spirit of 5 of the top 20 cocktails sold in the UK4 – Mojito, Daquiri, Piña Colada, Zombie and Punch.

To keep up with current cocktails trends consideration should also be given to innovative twists on these classic cocktails. Starting with the DNA of the cocktail and utilising the unique flavours of different rum styles or the addition of complementary ingredients can create tailored and elevated serves bound to pique the interest of even the most discerning cocktail drinker.

RUM PUNCH

DNA: Rum + Citrus + Spice + Sugar + Water

SIMPLE SERVE: Dark rum + lime juice + pimento dram + sugar syrup + sparkling water

ELEVATED: Wray & Nephew Overproof white rum + lemon juice + pineapple syrup + banana liqueur + sparkling grapefruit juice

MOTIVATE WITH YOUR MENU

With menus being the #1 influencer of consumer choice in outlet5, it is essential to optimise this touchpoint to achieve maximum sales.

Start with the basics – a flavour description/tasting notes and suggestions for which mixer or cocktail choice the rum works best with.

From here, wider information on the country of origin and heritage of the rum as well as suggestions for food pairings can influence greater experimentation and trade-up – 36% of rum consumers say they would like to see information on drinks menus to help educate them about the category3

FOCUS ON THESE THREE CORE PARTS OF YOUR OFFERING AND SEE YOUR RUM SALES RISE!

Easter Weekend

a

cracking opportunity

The Easter Bank Holiday is a key four-day opportunity to increase footfall and sales for the On Trade. The evenings are becoming brighter and longer and for the first time since the New Year, many people will be using their time off to see friends and family. Make your venue the place to go this Easter!

EASTER BANK HOLIDAY SPEND IN UK PUBS, BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS WAS UP 74% IN 2022*

compared to pre-pandemic figures in 2019. Warmer weather and improved spirits gave a well needed boost to business.

#EGGCITING PROMOTIONS #EASTER FUN

Easter provides the chance to target different customer groups including families, couples, or friends all wanting to share quality time during the Bank Holiday. Encourage repeat visits and attract new customers too utilising all your social media platforms! Why not run a social media Easter Egg Hunt competition by sharing photos in and around your venue to help showcase what you have on offer whilst engaging your audience?

#EASTER DRINKS OFFERS

Create an Easter themed cocktail! Don’t forget mocktails for the drivers and non drinkers.

Focus on chocolate in your beer range.

INGREDIENTS: • 40ml BACARDÍ Carta Blanca rum

• 15ml crème de cacao blanc

• 20ml lime juice • 10ml sugar syrup

• 3 dashes of chocolate bitters

METHOD:

Shake all ingredients with ice & double strain. Garnish with a chocolate dust rim (optional)