Pukka Highlights Unique Opportunity to Drive Bumper Pie Sales During Football this Winter

The nation’s number one pie brand, Pukka, tells us how fish & chip shops can take advantage of a unique opportunity to bag bumper pie sales, as key international football matches fall during prime pie eating season. Fast Food Professional Director, Athol Dipple, takes a closer look.

Britain is a nation of food lovers, which means that whatever the occasion – big or small – food is at the heart of celebrations, and sport is no exception. Therefore, as we approach the 20th November, where people up and down the country will be getting ready to cheer on their national football team, fish & chip shops should start preparing now to make the most of the sales rush.

Not only do pies and football go hand-in-hand, but this year presents an extraordinary sales opportunity as some of the most-watched and highly-anticipated football games are happening in the winter months – AKA prime pie eating season. Pukka’s Managing Director, Isaac Fisher, describes this as a “unique sales opportunity not to be missed” for the fish & chip shop industry, as two key pie consumption moments intertwine.

the most of this unique opportunity.

Fisher explains: “Firstly, offering a complete line-up of pies is vital, so that you have something for everyone. As The People’s Pie – and the nation’s favourite – our comprehensive range can help you do just that. On top of the classics, like All Steak and Chicken & Mushroom, our chip-shop bestseller Minced Steak & Onion is a must – as is our pitch-side favourite Chicken Balti. To help you reach an even bigger customer-base, including veggies, flexitarians, vegans and meat-reducers, stock-up on our Cheese, Leek & Potato pie, plus our duo of Vegan recipes – Vegan Minced Steak & Onion and Vegan Chicken & Mushroom.”

Fish & chip shops can maximise the opportunity even further by utilising click & collect and home delivery services – to give their customers an easy way to order their pie & chips meal pre-game, post-game or during halftime. They should also harness the power of their social media channels to advertise these services to their local communities.

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“Cheering on the Three Lions during winter isn’t something we’re used to – but we’re certainly not complaining! We know that while our pies are enjoyed all year round, there is a particular preference for them during the colder months. In fact, pie sales increased +14% during autumn / winter last year . And when you also consider that during the international matches of summer 2021, sales spiked +25% , there is no better time to get prepped for a huge influx of customers.”

Fisher adds: “We ran a campaign during lockdown in which we offered chip shops geo-targeted social media advertising to help them shout about the services they have available. We know this tactic works, because chip shop businesses saw a +32% increase in pie sales during the week the social ads were live , compared with the previous week.

How To Order

Fish & chip shops have been Pukka’s heartland ever since it baked its first pie in 1963. Therefore, the brand is arming chippy owners with the tools they need to make

“There’s also plenty of resources available on our foodservice website – including our Heat & Serve Guide, Social Media Toolkit and bespoke POS – which will help you to drive engagement and generate sales growth even further. We’d urge all chip shop owners to take advantage of the materials we have available to drive visibility during international football games this winter,” concludes Fisher.