Mum's the word

Customers wanting to show love for the special women in their lives on Mother’s Day make it a lucrative occasion for operators, whatever your offer

Flowers and cards are a popular way to show our mums and special ones they mean the world to us, but an extra-thoughtful gesture of a meal out says even more and that’s where operators come in.

Whatever you decide to do for Mother’s Day, you’ll reap the benefits from the occasion’s profit potential.

A GREAT START

Breakfast and brunch is a popular dine-out option for Mother’s Day. A full English is a must but fluffy American pancakes are perfect from breakfast through to lunch. And they’re a blank canvas for you to throw any number of tasty toppings on.

Make up a batter by tipping 300g self-raising flour, 1 tsp

baking powder, 1 tbsp caster sugar and a pinch of salt into a bowl, crack in 2 eggs and whisk until smooth. Add 1 tbsp maple syrup and 300ml milk while whisking. Cook, in batches, until bubbles form on top and then flip to cook the other side. Serve immediately or keep warm in a low oven while you make more.

THE MAIN EVENT

A line-up of stellar dishes that are easy to prep in advance but will definitely wow keep it simple for operators and impressive for customers.

Sharing platters can double up as starters and mains and a tray-baked salmon or gourmet chicken salad tick the box for simple but exciting mains. A delicate dessert, such as a pavlova, or gooey caramel lava puddings (see recipe on page 14) round off a show-stopping meal.

LEMON SALMON & ASPARAGUS

Super-simple and super-tasty, just lay a handful of asparagus spears on a piece of foil, top with a salmon fillet, 1 tbsp butter and 2 lemon slices and loosely wrap. Grill on high until the salmon is cooked through and asparagus is tender, about 10 minutes. Season and serve with baby potatoes.

AFTERNOON TEA

It’s a perennial favourite and for good reason. A classic afternoon tea can be as simple as you like and you’ll still up your profit margins. A tier of finger sandwiches, a couple of bakes and a scone with jam and clotted cream with a pot of tea or coffee is perfect. Upgrade your offer and you’ll upgrade your margins too with plates of open sandwiches or mini rolls, using different breads, plus more extravagant bakes such as Viennese whirls (click to the next page for a recipe) or a passion fruit layer cake. Provide a premium option by adding a glass of fizz or wine, or a cocktail.

PERFECT PUDS

Could you become a pudding destination, offering a light main meal followed by a menu of traditional and modern desserts?

Charge a set price per person and they get to enjoy as many servings of pudding as they can manage! Throw in a glass of wine or prosecco to make it extra-special.

GREEK-STYLE CHICKEN SALAD

»PREP: 10 MINS »COOK: 10 MINS

INGREDIENTS: 225g quinoa 25g butter 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 400g chicken mini fillets 1½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil 300g vine tomatoes, roughly chopped handful pitted black Kalamata olives 1 red onion, finely sliced lettuce leaves 100g feta cheese, crumbled small bunch mint leaves, chopped juice and zest ½ lemon

METHOD

1 Cook the quinoa following the pack instructions, then rinse in cold water and drain thoroughly.

2 Meanwhile, mix the butter, chilli and garlic into a paste.

3 Toss the chicken fillets in 2 tsp of the olive oil with some seasoning and cook in a hot griddle pan for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate, dot with the spicy butter and set aside to melt.

4 Put the tomatoes, olives, onion, leaves, feta and mint in a bowl. Toss in the cooked quinoa. Stir through the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and season well. Serve with the chicken fillets, drizzled with any buttery chicken juices.

BE PREPARED

Have a think about taking advance bookings for Mothering Sunday and whether to create an exclusive Mother’s Day event, in other words close your venue to walk-ins. This will give a more exclusive feel for customers. You can charge a premium and really focus on your offer to make it especially memorable.

Take bookings for different meal sittings throughout the day or just make it a day for afternoon tea. It will help you prepare more effectively, knowing how many covers you’ll have. Advertise now to secure those bookings.

AWAY WITH YOU

Takeaway remains big business, so think about creating a to-enjoy-at-home experience – this could be a food and drink hamper, or brunch, antipasti, ploughman’s or sweet treat grazing boxes. Or keep it simple with brownies or a selection of cakes in a box.

CARAMEL LAVA PUDDINGS

»PREP: 10 MINS »COOK: 18 MINS

INGREDIENTS 70g softened unsalted butter 70g dark brown soft sugar 1 medium egg dash vanilla extract 70g plain flour 2 Lindt Lindor Salted Caramel Truffles or other caramel chocolates cream or ice cream, to serve

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 160˚C fan/ gas 4. Lightly grease 2 non-stick mini pudding moulds (about 5x8cm/225ml).

2 Beat the butter and sugar with a pinch of salt until soft and combined. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract and then the flour until the mixture is spoonable.

3 Divide most of the mixture between the moulds, pop a Lindor (or other chocolate) in the middle and cover with the rest of the mixture. Wipe the inside edge of the moulds clean.

4 Bake for 18 minutes, then turn out and serve with cream or ice cream.

Top tips

CONSIDER OFFERING A SPECIAL TREAT FOR ALL MUMS, SUCH AS A DISCOUNTED OR FREE DRINK WITH FOOD OR A SMALL BUNCH OF DAFFODILS, TO MAKE THE VISIT EVEN MORE MEMORABLE (THINK OF THE RETURN VISIT POTENTIAL)

YOU CAN MAKE THESE PUDDINGS THE DAY BEFORE COOKING. SIMPLY COVER THE FILLED MOULDS AND CHILL. YOU’LL JUST NEED TO COOK THEM FOR 3-4 MINUTES LONGER FROM CHILLED