Take Stock Magazine - July/August 2018

Take

YOUR TAKE STOCK MAGAZINE

Stock CHAMPIONING INDEPENDENT BRITISH CATERING • JUL - AUG 2018

Bring the Med Home • Cheers to Cider • The Chips are Up!

*CGA Foodservice Index

GB’s #1 School Compliant soft * drinks brand •

50% mixed

fruit juice

•

1 of your 5 a day

FIZZY FRUIT FUSION

•

No added sugar

•

No artificial

colours, flavours or sweeteners

TAKE STOCK FROM THE EDITOR

Hi

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VISIT US ONLINE

& Welcome I can’t remember the last time we skipped into summer so bronzed and breezy!

The hottest May on record meant that summer arrived early and presented our industry with a terrific, pre-summer boost with customers everywhere enjoying eating and drinking alfresco.

Let’s just hope the sun keeps shining for the busy two months ahead...

By now, the FIFA World Cup is in full swing and regardless of the country you support, the tournament is providing outlets with memorable and profitable opportunities. Just make sure you are all set for the final!

And if that isn’t enough, we’ve also got Wimbledon, the school holidays, the start of the Premier League and a bank holiday to capitalise on - so get stocked up and organised.

As most of your customers will be looking forward to their summer holiday or wishing they were still on it, a Mediterranean theme night could work wonders to attract trade. Theme nights are an excellent way to build revenue, so read our feature on page 16 for some great food and drink ideas.

And there is nothing nicer in the sunshine than a cold cider, so why not be experimental in your stock?

Our World of Cider feature on page

41 has some great ideas that will encourage customers to try a different cider to their usual one and keep the excitement going.

As we all know, this industry never sits still. So, even though the sun is shining, thoughts must turn to the future months and the planning of upcoming events.

Our feature on page 44 will give you some inspiration towards your autumn menu and looking even further ahead, on page 51 we speak to Jo Rigby, bar manager at The Millstone Hare near Stratford-upon-Avon to see what they are planning for Bonfire Night.

Finally, we love receiving your #FeedYourEyes entries, so please keep them coming. And, in this issue you will see that we are running an extra competition where one lucky and skilled chef can win £250 of love2shop vouchers courtesy of Carte D’Or. Turn to page 35 for more details, then get baking and posting your entries to Instagram @takestockmag.

On behalf of the Take Stock team and Today’s, we hope you enjoy this issue.

Please let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see in future editions - we love all your feedback!

Tracy x 3

FOLLOW US ON

@TakeStockMag

Published by the fabl.

Nesfield House, Broughton Hall Skipton BD23 3AE www.thefabl.com hello@takestockmagazine.com For advertising contact david.jackson@thefabl.com Editor-in-Chief Mags Walker

Art Director Richard Smith

Editor Tracy Johnson

Designers Mark Longson Antony Butler Joe Hawkins

News and Features David Jackson Sarah Hardy Fiona Kyle Hollie Pickles

Online Martin Kersey Hollie Pickles Joe Swarbrick

takestockmagazine.com

CONTENTS FEATURES 13-14 Chip Chip Hooray!

31-32 Holiday Wine 37-38 A Heavenly Bowl 41-42 A World of Cider 44-47 Autumn Menu 53-54 In the Spotlight: University Catering 57 Business Outdoors

37

53

A HEAVENLY BOWL

13

CHIP CHIP HOORAY!

31

41

A WORLD OF CIDER

44

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: UNIVERSITY CATERING

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57

HOLIDAY WINE

AUTUMN MENU

BUSINESS OUTDOORS

8

EVERY ISSUE

WHAT'S NEW

7 Calendar 8-11 What’s New 16-26 Get a Theme - A Taste of the Med 28-29 We Grill - The Pink Teapot 34 Feed Your Eyes 51 Talking Heads: Bonfire Night 58 Plan Ahead

16

GET A THEME!

28

WE GRILL THE PINK TEAPOT

34

RECIPES 19 Paella 38 Ribolita with Brandade Toast 47 Roasted Aubergines with Fresh Coconut 47 Venison & Chocolate Casserole

47

19

PAELLA

ROASTED AUBERGINES WITH FRESH COCONUT

5

38

47

RIBOLITA WITH BRANDADE TOAST

VENISON & CHOCOLATE CASSEROLE takestockmagazine.com

Calendar July - August

1315 JUL

BIRMINGHAM COCKTAIL WEEKEND

1315 JUL

TATTON PARK FOODIES FESTIVAL

1415 JUL

POMMERY DORSET SEAFOOD FESTIVAL

BRIGHTON COCKTAIL WEEK

1522 JUL

THE OPEN

TOUR DE FRANCE

2122 JUL

WHITSTABLE OYSTER FESTIVAL

2-3 JUL

IMBIBE LIVE

215 JUL

WIMBLEDON

Olympia London

6-8 JUL

THE ALLERGY & FREE FROM SHOW

6-8 JUL

THE EAT SMART SHOW

615 JUL 729 JUL

Olympia London

Olympia London

8 JUL

BRITISH GRAND PRIX

1011 JUL

INTERNATIONAL WINE CHALLENGE

1012 JUL

GREAT YORKSHIRE SHOW

1113 JUL

THE LACA MAIN EVENT & EDUCATION CATERING EXHIBITION

Grosvenor House Hotel, London

Harrogate

Hilton Birmingham Metropole

Knutsford

3-­ 5 AUG

EDINBURGH FOODIES FESTIVAL

4-­ 11 AUG

LENDY COWES WEEK

711 AUG

GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL

1011 AUG

SHREWSBURY FLOWER SHOW

11 AUG

PREMIER LEAGUE STARTS

12 AUG

GROUSE SHOOTING SEASON OPENS

Olympia London

Weymouth Harbour

Royal Birkdale

2425 JUL

INTERNATIONAL CHEESE AWARDS

29 JUL

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

31­ JUL

QATAR GOODWOOD FESTIVAL

4 AUG

Goodwood Racecourse, Chichester

3-4 AUG

COCKTAILS IN THE CITY

Quarry Park

Nantwich, Cheshire

Belford Square Gardens, London 7

1619 AUG

MR BLACK ESPRESSO MARTINI FEST

25 AUG

LADBROKES CHALLENGE CUP FINAL

London

Wembley Stadium, London

26­ AUG

BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

27­ AUG

BANK HOLIDAY

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New What’s

July - August

Bits and Pieces

Changing Rums For the past few years, rum aficionados have headed to one of Cornwall’s hidden gems The Rum & Crab Shack in St. Ives - where they’ve been able to indulge in acclaimed rums created by the restaurant’s owners. Now, thanks to Halewood International, those rums are available to the on trade. Branded as Dead Man’s Fingers, there are three rums in the range - Coconut, Spiced and Coffee. All are a blend of Caribbean rum and spices inspired

by Cornwall and flavours from the region, with the addition of slightly sweet coconut, spices or coffee, depending on which variant you choose. Bottled at 37.5% ABV with great shelf standout, these rums are perfect for sipping neat or mixed in longer serves.

Doritos Bits - mini twisted Doritos pieces in a pourable tube bag - is a brand new proposition in PepsiCo’s carded snacks range, which already includes Nobby’s Nuts, Smiths Bacon, and Scampi Fries. The new snack is available in two tasty varieties, Spicy Cheese and BBQ flavour and the launch is ideally timed, with the sun encouraging consumers to spend time at their local, where the sales of nuts and single serve snacks are in growth. Taking up minimal wall space the carded format merchandises itself, so this is a great addition to any snacks range.  @PepsiCo_UKTrade

halewood-int.com

Street Life It’s demand from Urban millennials looking for new, exciting, authentic and flavoursome foods that has seen more than 2,000 street food businesses pop up in the UK, creating a £600m market that’s growing at over 20%. However, this trend hasn’t made its way to soft drinks until now, with the introduction of a brand new range of still drinks from Rubicon Street Drinks. Choose from four flavours: Bissap - an African inspired mix of takestockmagazine.com

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hibiscus and ginger; Sharbat - a take on the popular West Asian drink, prepared from pomegranate and rose; Nimbu Pani - with lemon, cumin and mint flavour and, finally, Agua Fresca - which literally means 'cool waters' in Mexican Spanish.

Available in eye-catchingly colourful 330ml cans, these are a great way for you to tap into the street food vibe. agbarr.co.uk

Number one

Chutney

Branston is the leading brand in sweet pickle and chutney, so their new range of on trend flavours for foodservice deserves serious attention. Available in 1.28kg format, the three chutneys are Mediterranean Tomato, Caramelised Onion and Orchard Fruit. All deliver the flavour and taste that Branston are famous for and go perfectly with hot and cold dishes. mizkan.co.uk

of Cîroc

Red

In 2017 Cîroc Summer Colada was the first limited edition release from this hugely popular ultra-premium vodka brand. And now it’s back for 2018! Inspired by the famous Piña Colada cocktail, it’s made with five times distilled Cîroc Vodka produced from French grapes which is then infused with natural pineapple flavours and coconut essence. The result is smooth tasting 37.5% ABV vodka that can be served neat, on the rocks, in a variety of cocktails or with a splash of pineapple juice and a wedge of fresh pineapple as a twist on the original Piña.

Concha y Toro has launched a premium dark red wine, entitled Diablo. Barrel aged for six months, six weeks and six days, the blend of Syrah and Malbec has a rich dark colour and a 13.5% ABV. Striking red bottle labelling with black and gold Satanic imagery continues the premium feel. Aimed at millennials who are searching for unique experiences and excitement in the wine category, this is a devilishly good addition to any wine list.

Summer

Devil

ciroc.com

cyt-uk.com

Add Some Sparkle Perrier’s portfolio of sparkling drinks has just got bigger, with the announcement of new Perrier & Juice. A sophisticated combination of Perrier water and two juice concentrates, the result is low in calories, natural, and at 3.6g of sugar per 100ml, sugar tax exempt. The range is Pineapple & Mango, Strawberry & Kiwi and Peach & Cherry - all in 25cl cans and all containing 15.7% juice concentrate for a truly fruity taste. With demand for healthy hydration at an all time high, this is a great addition to your canned soft drinks range. Serve chilled! perrier.com/uk

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New What’s

July - August

Bold Branston Fresh from it's presence as supporter of the National Burger Awards competition 2018, Branston has launched a new table sauce range for front of house. Available in 460/480g format, the four flavours cover all the traditional bases - Brown Sauce, Tomato Ketchup, BBQ Sauce and Salad Cream. All are UK produced and come in strikingly labelled flip cap squeeze bottles. Customer awareness of the famous Branston name makes these sauces a great front of house option. mizkan.co.uk

Rye Smiles!

Whitley Neill classic and flavoured gins have firmly established themselves in the on trade as top quality serves. Not content with that success, the Whitley Neill family now includes a 43% ABV vodka. Handcrafted, the newcomer is pure, unfiltered, distilled three times in a copper pot still and made almost exclusively from winter rye - known to produce the smoothest tasting vodka. Clean on the nose with a hint of spice and black pepper, the taste is very smooth, making it ideal for a signature serve vodka and tonic or vodka Martini.

Great by itself over ice too. halewood-int.com takestockmagazine.com

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Long Live the King Distilled in the heart of London using traditional methods, and created as a tribute to Paul Raymond - the original ‘King of Soho’, - The King of Soho Berry is a pink gin with subtle strawberry notes. Available alongside a classic London Dry Gin, The King of Soho Berry is bottled at 37.5% ABV and is ideal for the everincreasing numbers of consumers choosing flavoured gins above classic. Perfect served over ice with tonic and a strawberry garnish. hi-spirits.co.uk

Ultra

Violet JJ Whitley boasts eight generations of distilling history and a long line of top quality vodkas and gins. And now, it's announced London Violet Gin. A classic London Dry Gin, the recipe includes a blend of eight botanicals including the quintessential English country garden botanical, violet, which gives this vibrant liquid its natural flavour. Serve with a floral tonic over ice, garnished with blueberries to complement the smooth, refined fragrance of this subtly sweet tasting gin.

Get Together with Doritos Continuing their tradition of offering interesting varieties and spicy challenges, Doritos has gone one better by putting two completely different flavours in the same bag.

The Doritos Collisions combinations are Habanero Chilli & Guacamole and Honey Glazed Ribs & Lemon Blast so they’re unlike anything else in the snacking market!

Available in 162g sharing bag format, Collisions are a great way to cater for customers looking for something different.

halewood-int.com

 @PepsiCo_UKTrade

Pinot Strikes Gold

Free from

Baileys

The classification of Pinot Grigio has undergone major changes this year, as the three most important Pinot Grigio producing areas - Veneto, Trentino and Friuli - introduce higher standards of quality aimed at returning their wines to a fuller, more characterful style. It’s therefore impressive that Society of Vintners new ‘San Giorgio’ has been awarded a gold medal at the Global Masters Pinot Grigio 2018 Competition - giving operators the guarantee that they’re offering their customers the very best.

Almond milk is all the rage, so it’s no surprise to see Diageo tap into this demand with the launch of Baileys Almande. Vegan friendly and dairy, lactose and gluten free, the new Baileys variety blends the luscious, nutty flavours from sweet almond oil and almond essence with purified water and a touch of real vanilla. The result is an indulgent 13% ABV alcoholic drink that’s a perfect serve over crushed ice. baileys.com

societyvintners.co.uk

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Instantly add flavour and profit to your dishes

Chip Seasoning

Piri Piri Seasoning

Premiumise your chip offering with this seasoning blend including paprika, onion and garlic

A Portuguese seasoning blend with chillies and lemon peel

Why not try...

Why not try...

• Charging a premium for seasoned chips vs plain

• Combining with lemon juice and olive oil for a tasty marinade

Sriracha Seasoning

Blackened Cajun Seasoning

A sweet, sour heat with a distinctive garlic kick in a unique dry format for ultimate versatility

A blend of chilli, spices and herbs that create an authentic Cajun taste

Why not try...

Why not try...

• Making your own fresh sriracha ketchup

• Mixing through mayo for a spicy cajun dip

100% of chefs that use Schwartz would recommend it!* Marinate

Sprinkle

Mix

Rub

Sauce

Please contact your wholesaler for more details. *Cambridge Direction Research, 100 chefs, 2016.

@McCormick_FS

www.mccormickfs.co.uk

TAKE STOCK

FEATURE

Chip Chip Hooray!

Chips are one of the top dishes across lunch and dinner menus within pubs and restaurants Source: Menu Monitor (excl. beverages, dessert), Technomic Q4 2017

Sweet potato fries - sitting alongside burgers and wraps is where sweet potato fries have made the biggest impact.

According to research by Aviko, 85% of those asked said they’d order a sweet potato side over a conventional potato option, with almost half willing to pay up to 50p more.

How it’s done Oakley's Grill and Pizzeria in Skipton, Yorkshire, have pizza fries on their menu.

These shoestring fries are tossed in cajun spices and topped with cheddar, mozzarella and pepperoni. Brooklyn Fries in Bradford has a menu mostly focused on chips. They offer loaded fries in three different portion sizes ranging from £3.50 to £6.00, perfect as a side to accompany its burgers, or as main course.

Flavours include everything from their traditional cheese and signature gravy, to a Brooklyn special.

The humble chip has became a reliable, enjoyable and popular menu choice. One of the most frequently ordered items on a menu; served either as a side or stand-alone snack, establishments are championing chips in new ways to not only add excitement and flavour to a dish, but drive sales too.

Offer a variety: • French fries • Skinny fries • Curly fries • Sweet potato fries • Chunky chips

What’s trending?

Loaded fries - working as a side, standalone or sharing option, loaded fries are a simple way to add variety and excitement to the menu, and enable operators to charge a premium price for very little additional outlay. Tex Mex (cheese sauce, salsa, sour cream, jalapenos) and Chicken Steak (pulled chicken, peppers and cheese) are two popular flavours.

13

Mayonnaise is driving growth in condiments at

28.2% - this has been predominantly driven by front of house offerings, such as squeezy bottles on the table Source: SalesOut, 52 w/e 18.02.18

takestockmagazine.com

Spice it up

The perfect chip

Chip seasoning not only increases choice and variety for customers, it can help to drive profits, as you can charge more. Piri Piri is one of the most popular spices - just sprinkled on after cooking or ordinary chip seasoning - a blend of paprika, garlic, onion, salt and pepper - is a perfect alternative to traditional salt. If you buy one 55g jar of Schwartz Chip Seasoning for around £1.60 and add a sprinkle to each portion of chips, you can charge an extra 25p per portion which will make you over £35 per jar.

Andy Gray, trade marketing manager for Seafish, gave us his tips for the perfect chip:

Get dipping Good old tomato ketchup still remains the top dip for chips, but why not spice up your offering by adding ketchup to Sriracha Seasoning - a sweet, sour heat with a distinctive garlic kick - to make it a fiery tomato sauce dip? Blackened Cajun Seasoning is a blend of chilli, spices and herbs that can be mixed into mayonnaise for a spicy cajun dip.

+24% rise in incidence of chips consumption when eating out

1. Potato choice - this will often be dependent on the seasons and what is the best quality available, but Maris Piper is usually the potato of choice for chipping.

2. Chipping - once peeled, potatoes should be chipped and trimmed to be equal sizes in length and width (around 1 to 1.5cm in thickness). This will ensure that the chips all cook at the same rate.

3. Let them soak - chipped potatoes should be soaked in water for 30 minutes to an hour, which helps to remove any excess starch and will let the chips cook evenly and not colour too quickly. Drain and dry before cooking.

4. Get frying - the most important bit!

Cook the chips first at a temperature of 160°C to cook the potato through.

Allow to cool before cooking them at a second, high temperature of 190°C which will crisp them.

5. Oil choice - vegetable-based oil or beef dripping is recommended, however, it is down to personal preference.

Source: Eating Out Panel, MCA YE Sept 2017

14

The healthy option Chips are often seen as an unhealthy option, but they don’t have to be.

Make them appealing to the more health conscious customer by: • Baking instead of frying • Skipping the salt • Swapping to sweet potato - high in fibre and vitamin A, lower in calories • Making your own condiments or offering a low sugar option

Mediterranean foods are associated with summer and going abroad!

Bringing these ingredients together on your doorstep, is an easy, cheap, and super fun way, to bring ‘the Mediterranean’ home.

Callum Reeve, head chef at William & Florence in Norwich

A Taste of

The Med Theme nights are a great way to bring in custom and drive sales at your business.

This issue, we bring you ideas to host a Taste of the Med night.

“Mediterranean food isn’t new to the UK by any means, but the light, fresh flavours of the dishes, along with the sharing culture, makes them a real crowd pleaser,” says Darren Chapman, Nestlé Professional business development chef. “It is an uncomplicated style, and the key is quality ingredients cooked very simply but well.”

Why do it?

Whether it reminds customers of the holiday they have enjoyed, or gets them in the mood for their next, serving Mediterranean cuisine is a guaranteed customer pleaser. The delicious, healthy

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and versatile style of food makes for a relaxed and informal dining experience, perfect to cater for couples or large groups.

What to do?

Either choose a specific country and go all out, or include a selection of different countries and mix it up. For example, you could hold a Spanish paella party or a Greek meze, or have a selection of dishes from numerous countries - Italy, Turkey, Morocco and Tunisia. Decorate your premises with flags from the country or countries and use the same colours

TAKE STOCK THEME NIGHT

Following a true Mediterranean diet can add years to your life and even

Pizza is one of the most popular foods ordered in British restaurants with Brits

spending an average

£4.4bn

these kind of dishes support high profit margins as diners are tempted to order several different dishes at a time. Serving one or two main dishes such as lasagne or a crispy Greek-style pie on a buffet is also succesful. For dessert, Carte D’Or has a versatile range to suit this type of event which includes its chocolate mousse, lemon mousse and panna cotta.

Dish ideas Avgolemono - a classic Greek egg-lemon sauce served with stuffed vine leaves.

Blend the juice of two lemons with two

on the Italian cuisine each year Source: Pizza, Pasta and Italian Food Association, Horizons March 2017 *IRI Value Sales w/e 25th March 2017, NPD Group

to enhance the theme through balloons, napkins and bunting. Choose music to match the theme or even consider a band or entertainment such as Greek dancers and plate smashing. Get your staff to dress up and suggest customers do this too. Encourage customers to post pictures of the night using the hashtag #themenight.

What to serve?

From pasta to paella, grilled fish to moules with frites, the choice is endless! The staples of a Mediterranean diet tend to be fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts, fish and olive oil and the key to the Mediterranean diet is little and often - lots of small dishes of food that people linger over. Tapas and meze work very well, as

slow down the ageing process!

beaten egg yolks and a little cornflour in a small saucepan. Slowly add hot water, making sure the eggs don’t curdle.

Cook over a gentle heat until the sauce thickens. Drizzle over the vine leaves to serve.

Yoghurt sauce - yoghurt mixed with cucumber and garlic makes a classic accompaniment to stuffed vine leaves.

Add a diced cucumber and two crushed cloves of garlic to a large bowl of plain yoghurt, stir in one tablespoon of olive oil and a teaspoon of salt.

Hearts of palm - similar in taste to artichokes with a texture like cooked asparagus. They taste mild and delicate, making them a perfect addition to salads.

They go well with herbs, tomatoes and cheeses. Add some acidity with wine or vinegar.

Ceviche - marinate sliced hearts of palm in lemon or lime juice with chopped chillies, onion, coriander and sea salt to make a vegetarian ‘ceviche’.

One of the most popular dishes on the menu at William & Florence, a pub in Norwich, is its seafood assiette. The sharing dish contains harrisa and garlic king prawns, salt and pepper squid, ras-el-hanout whitebait, black olive and anchovy tapenade, roasted red pepper hummus, charred lemon, olives, grilled pitta bread and salad.

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MAKE EVERY DISH [SERIOUSLY] GOOD We’ve taken all our knowledge and passion for sauces and developed what we think is the ultimate mayonnaise for foodservice.

Heinz [Seriously Good] Professional. Endorsed by chefs and winning in taste vs competitors among consumers, the new Heinz Mayonnaise is also functionaly brilliant – praised for coating and no separation*.

• Made with 70% oil and 6% free range egg • No added flavours • No added colours • No modified starch

@KraftHeinzFSUK *Cambridge Direction Mayonnaise Study, Aug 2017

www.kraftheinzfoodservice.co.uk

TAKE STOCK THEME NIGHT

Paella

Main

By Kev Jones, head chef at the Bay Horse Inn in Roughlee, Lancashire Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Most customers are happy to wait for fresh paella that is made to order, as it is worth the wait! Plus, it is such a versatile dish that allows you to increase or reduce the amount of vegetables, meat or seafood to suit most tastes - basically, you can make it your own.

150g king prawns, peeled, washed & de-veined 1 tbsp saffron 6 garlic cloves, roasted 3 shallots, diced 1kg risotto rice Splash white wine 200ml chicken stock 5g lemon grass 1 lemon, juice & zest 1-2 tbsp tomato paste 2 red peppers, diced Handful parsley & chives, chopped Sea salt Salt & pepper 1 tsp saffron Dash smoked paprika 300ml boiling water

METHOD

1. Roast the garlic in sea salt for 20 minutes at 170ยบC 2. Wash and drain the rice 3. Boil the water to mix with the stock 4. Heat the oil in a wok and add the rice, shallots and tomato paste. Add the roasted garlic and the wine. Once slightly toasted, add the chicken stock in parts with a small ladle

5. Add the saffron and paprika and cook out slowly, stirring every minute until the rice turns a deep yellow

6. Add the peppers and prawns and cook for a further 5 minutes

7. Take off the heat and rest 8. Add lemon juice and zest, parsley and keep stirring to avoid the rice becoming too gloopy. Let down with more stock if needed

9. Taste and season if necessary. Garnish with lemon wedge and serve

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A proper breakfast.

Bottled.

Have you had yours?

UK’s No1 breakfast drink* Breakfast drinks category is £26 million growing at 30% YOY Protein Drinks are 23% of the Breakfast drinks Category *Nielsen Data to 06.01.2018

TAKE STOCK THEME NIGHT

Salud!

Make sure you get stocked up on these Mediterranean beers...

Portugal

Sardinia

Sagres

Ichnusa

When you order an ‘Imperial’ (a small draught) in Portugal, it will either be a Sagres or Super Bock. Sagres pale lager has a light, bitter taste and is the biggest seller, but there’s also a Preta (a dark ale), Bohemia (which is auburn), Radler (a pale ale with a fruity kick) and Sagres Sem Alcool a 0% brew.

Birra Ichnusa - named after the Latinised ancient name of Sardinia - Hyknusa, is brewed in Assemini, a town near Sardinia’s capital. A lager style beer at 4.7% ABV, Ichnusa is light in colour, has a balanced taste, discreet hoppy aroma and a pleasant, bitter taste.

Best with: Pizza, seafood pasta & buffalo cheese dishes

Best with: Seafood stews & grilled red meats

Greece

Italy

Mythos

Birra Moretti L’Authentica

An award-winning beer, Mythos has become one of the most popular beers in Greece and with beer sommeliers throughout Europe. It’s a lager style beer with a rich foamy head, bright blonde colour and a pleasant, refreshing taste with fruity nuances and hop notes.

Bottled at 5% ABV in Greece, Adnams Brewery now produces Mythos in the UK at 4.7%.

The fastest growing premium beer in the on trade, Birra Moretti is a quality beer made in the traditional way. It is a bottom-fermented beer with a golden colour that comes from the type of malt used and has an alcohol content of 4.6% ABV. Best with: Risottos, pizza & white meats

Best with: Kebabs, grilled lamb chops & deep-fried whitebait

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Morocco

Corsica

Pietra

Casablanca

A handcrafted beer from the island of Corsica, Pietra has a rich amber body and nut coloured head, with an enticing aroma and dense creamy feel in the mouth. Drinkers who like to stretch their palates with different tastes will enjoy this 6% ABV beer!

Brewed at the Brasseries du Maroc in Casablanca, Casablanca is a bottom and cold fermented lager type beer matured for 35 days before bottling, for a rich, smoother tasting beer. Pale straw in colour, 5% ABV Casablanca beer has a great balance of malted grain sweetness and hop flavours with a clean finish.

Best with: Moules frites & charcuterie - especially pâté & terrines

Best with: Köfte, couscous & tagine dishes

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Turkey

Spain

Efes

Moritz

Efes is Turkey’s largest brewer and is available in the UK in bottles only. The varieties include: Efes Dark (dark beer), Efes Light (fewer calories), Efes Extra (high alcohol) and Mariachi (fruity). The top seller Efes Pilsner is an easy-todrink, foamy, bright lager beer with 5% alcohol content.

Moritz is brewed in Barcelona and markets itself as the only beer brand in the world whose labelling is entirely in the Catalan language. The Moritz brewery produces: Moritz - a 5.4% pilsner featuring pale malts and Saaz hops; Moritz Epidor - a strong lager at 7.2% and Aigua de Moritz - at 0%.

Best with: Hot & spicy foods & meze style dishes

Best with: Tapas, German sausage & ‘Beer Butt Chicken’

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WHYTE & MACKAY BALL, BEST SERVED OVER ICE, WITH A WEDGE OF ORANGE, TOPPED WITH TONIC

TAKE STOCK THEME NIGHT

Lift your Spirits Many people who are from the Mediterranean believe food complements alcohol; this is especially the case with many of the anise-flavoured spirits that are an essential part of Mediterranean bar and restaurant culture. To make your theme night authentic - and fun - make sure you stock the following:

Ouzo

Raki

Greece’s most popular alcoholic drink, ouzo is distilled from the must or remnants of grapes pressed for wine. Clear and silky with a distinct liquorice flavour thanks to the addition of aniseed, ouzo is potent and fiery, so not for the faint hearted. Alcohol content is around 40%.

For many, raki is Turkey’s national drink.

An aniseed flavoured spirit of 40-45% ABV, it’s made from different fruits in different regions - grapes, figs and plums being the most common. Raki is the table alcohol by default in Turkey, where instead of beer or wine it’s the preferred accompaniment to hot and cold mezzes (Turkish tapas), feta cheese, melon and in particular, grilled seafood.

How to serve:

How to serve:

Traditionally served neat, add iced water to dilute the strength and turn the drink milky. Don’t add ice directly to ouzo, as this will cause unsightly crystals to form on the surface of the drink.

Consumed neat or with iced water - with which it turns cloudy. That characteristic, alongside its potency, accounts for raki’s nickname - ‘Lion’s Milk’.

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Pastis

Sambuca

First commercialised by Paul Ricard in 1932, this anise-flavoured spirit is bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV for Pastis and 45% for Pastis de Marseille and is one of the most famous drinks of France.

This Italian spirit is flavoured with essential oils from star anise, or less commonly, green anise. Bottled at a minimum of 38% ABV, the oils are added to pure alcohol, a concentrated solution of sugar and other flavourings. Traditionally clear, nowadays this is often referred to as white sambuca to differentiate it from coloured variants.

How to serve: Normally served neat in a highball glass with an accompanying jug of water, the classic mix is five parts water to one part Pastis. To serve as a cocktail add syrups to the mix, including a perroquet (French for parrot) when green mint syrup is used, and a tomate, when mixed with grenadine.

How to serve: Neat, on the rocks, or with chilled water (to make it go milky.) Famously served with coffee - drunk straight afterwards as an ‘ammazzacaffè’ or added directly in place of sugar to produce a ‘caffè corretto’.

Grappa

Anis del Mono

Owing its existence to Italian winemakers wanting to make the most of their fruit, grappa is a spirit distilled from Pomace the mix of grape skins, seeds, stalks and pulp that remain in the wine press after the juice has been extracted. After fermentation most producers remove the stalks and stems before what’s left is distilled, aged in wood and then bottled.

Most grappas are clear, however, those that are oak aged can take on a wonderful dark golden colour, resembling a malt whiskey or fine Cognac. Typical ABV is around 40%, but there are some at 50% and above.

Traditionally drunk after a meal, Anis del Mono is one of the most famous brands in Spain - the bottle being immediately identifiable by the monkey with a man’s face on the label. Available in ‘Dulce’ (sweet) and ‘Secco’ (dry) Anis del Mono is made from aromatic herbs, cane sugar, neutral alcohol and distilled water, with a typical ABV of 36%.

How to serve:

How to serve:

As an after dinner drink or with an espresso in the morning.

Neat or mixed with water and ice.

And don’t forget the favourites...

Off like a shot!

If you’re looking for something different, why not stock flavoured sambuca for your shot loving clientele? Antica’s range from Hi-Spirits has flavours that include Liquorice, Raspberry, Apple, Cherry, Amaretto and even Chilli!

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26

Sangria

Retsina

The classic Spanish mixture of cut fruit, red wine and, for a truly authentic taste, brandy.

Greece’s classic resinated white or rosé wine.

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We

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28

The Pink Teapot Sonya Conway and Lisa Hobson run The

sugar - basically everything is full fat and high in calories - and we aren’t shy with our portions either! You don’t come to The Pink Teapot for a light lunch - you come to have a treat and a decent meal. For us, the joy comes from serving our customers delicious, hearty dishes they love to eat. And if they have room, hopefully they won’t leave before finishing with a doorstop piece of cake!

Pink Teapot in Otley, West Yorkshire. The 1940s-themed cafe, which has appeared in the ITV soap Emmerdale, is now celebrating its 11th year and they believe the secret to their success is homemade hearty dishes

What’s the secret to your success?

served with love.

Knowing what works and sticking with it. We pride ourselves on serving homemade, hearty food - and thankfully our customers are happy with that. Our menu reflects the limited space we have - 24 seats - because we have a fast turnover of customers. Our priority is to serve customers quickly and efficiently and that dictates what’s on our menu, because all the options are quick and easy to prepare.

Tell us about The Pink Teapot…

The cafe was an existing business which we took over and renamed. It was in desperate need of a redesign and refurbishment; starting with moving the counter and bringing in an open kitchen. We had limited funds at the time and people kindly donated furniture, which was a huge relief - except that it was very old fashioned! Then, coincidentally, because we were frying bacon daily and the smell got everywhere we decided to tie our hair back in pink and white spotty scarves. Suddenly when we looked around the place it felt like we’d stepped back in time!

We decided to loosely base it on the 1940s, and once the customers got to know, they brought in memorabilia for us to display, donated a cake cabinet and we started to play music from the era.

How do you keep the business profitable?

By keeping things simple where we can and only offering a limited menu. For example, we only serve Tetley tea and don’t put table sauces out, but offer individual sachets of sauce - Heinz Tomato, HP and Hellman's Mayonnaise - that way nothing is wasted, and the customers ask for the sauce if they want one. If anything from the menu doesn’t sell we take it off straight away. Surprisingly, soup never sold well so that came off. We aren’t stingy on portion sizes and our customers leave here knowing they have had value for money, and probably won’t need to eat for the rest of the day!

Who are your customers?

What’s your busiest day?

We have regular customers of all ages, but we do tend to get more older people; local and tourists. They love the ambience of the place; the fact they can get a proper sandwich in a safe, friendly environment. They also enjoy listening to the music and it’s great to see them smile and reminisce about the ‘good old days’!

Saturday. We are open 10am to 3pm but there has not been one Saturday since we opened where we haven’t turned people away or asked them to wait - which is great considering all the local competition. However, because of our limited menu and our efficient service, we are able to manage a quick turnaround, so customers never have to wait long to be seated.

What is your best selling dish?

Do you offer a take away option?

Our bacon sandwich - on a Saturday we sell 100! Customers say it’s the best bacon sandwich they have ever had! We had one customer who had been abroad for six months and he came here straight from the airport for a ‘proper’ bacon buttie!

The bacon comes from our local butcher, we don’t cut any fat off and cook it on the griddle. We serve it on a white ‘flat cake’ - a bun - with butter and charge £3.80. After that, our egg mayo sandwich and also our scones, made by my mum and packed with fruit, are a big hit with our customers.

This is something we have thought about offering, but we feel that our priority is our customers already seated in the cafe or those waiting. We pride ourselves on serving our customers quickly and efficiently, as well as having time for a natter with them - something the older generation particularly love. If we offered a take away service this would be affected and I’d hate our loyal customers, who come because of the friendly atmosphere, to feel alienated.

What else is on your menu?

Are you on social media?

Nothing that is good for you! We tell our customers that when they come in and it’s also written on our menu. We offer homemade hot and cold sandwiches, paninis, jacket potatoes, teacakes and cakes, and hot chocolate covered in whipped cream and marshmallows. We use proper butter, milk and

We do have a Facebook page that gets lots of lovely comments but we don’t have a website or a phone. Plus, after starring in an Emmerdale scene a few years ago, we get so many coach tours coming in wanting to see the ‘famous’ cafe we haven’t needed to advertise ourselves anyway!

29

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TAKE STOCK

FEATURE

Holiday Wine

John Mansfield of The Society of Vintners is our resident wine expert and in recent editions he’s shared his knowledge of wines from around the world. In this edition he talks about wines from the Mediterranean holiday hotspots of Corsica and Sardinia. But before that, he answers a classic question “Why are they never as good as you remember them?”

This is a frequently asked question, especially when a customer has made a special request for us to source a wine.

We might have searched high and low, found a couple of bottles, and presented them with high hopes of future business secured by this exceptional customer service… only to be greeted with the damp response “Not the same wine at all…”

Well, it almost certainly is the same wine - so what has gone wrong? Not travelled well? Has the wine been harmed by being moved from a Mediterranean country to the UK? Is the bottle filled with an inferior wine, just for the UK market?

For most wines, the answer to all these questions is no and in fact 99.9% of the time the wine hasn’t been harmed through travel. Granted, there may be the odd exception of course, especially where

31

the wine has been produced by a small artisan winegrower in one of the smaller wine producing regions; but generally modern science (and it is a science) has meant that finished wine in the bottle is pretty stable and capable of withstanding a good degree of transportation and storage.

And with properly and reputable produced wines it’s a fallacy that there are two wines of the same vintage and bearing the takestockmagazine.com

99%

of the time wine hasn't been harmed through travel same label - one for export and a better one kept for home consumption.

So what has caused the muted response?

Well, when a client is thinking about the wine that they had on holiday, all the positive attributes of that holiday are given to the wine - it’s almost a magical feature.

What is being woven into the wine memory is the fact that they are on holiday: relaxed, away from work, not worrying about pressing emails or budgets, and instead enjoying their wine while sitting in some taverna, eating fresh cooked fish - all these things go towards making the evening memorable and yet are accredited to the wine!

So, it is hardly surprising that the same

The solution? When serving a customer’s ‘holiday wine’ explain the scenario to the customer so they are not disappointed by their first sip or try to recreate the ambience of their holiday by offering a wine and food pairing menu.

Here are wines from two wonderful Mediterranean islands to get you started...

Corsica

Sardinia

The birthplace of Napoleon, the island, although officially part of France, is sufficiently removed (100 miles from the coast) to be considered as a wine producer in its’ own right. Indeed, those visiting the Eleven Madisson Park restaurant in Manhattan can find nearly 50 Corsican wines on just one wine list!

The second largest Island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia is 200 miles from the Italian coast.

Famed for its clear blue waters and its 135 days of sunshine each year, which, together with the rugged coastline and sea breezes, contributes to the vine-friendly climate.

There are two main wine producing regions, both officially categorised as AOC, and these are Ajaccio in the South West, and Patrimonio in the North.

The Sciaccarello dominates in the former, where it produces spicy, warm, medium bodied reds and roses.

Wine production is not high on the list of economies of the Island, and the wines are not extensively seen around the world, so they're worth searching out.

Main grapes tend to be French or Spanish, rather than Italian, with the most popular being Grenache, Carignan and Vermentino (those three accounting for nearly 70% of production).

takestockmagazine.com

wine, served by a waiter or bartender in the UK, enjoyed with an evening meal after a stressful day and the rain falling outside, sadly fails to deliver the same buoyant and feel good chemicals that were expected.

Patrimonio is right up in the North of the Island, on the Cap Corso peninsular, where the chalky clays and limestone are more suited to traditional grape varieties like Vermentino for the whites and Nielluccio for the reds.

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Feed Your Eyes Winners

Created a dish you’d like to show the world?

Want to win £50 of Amazon vouchers?

Every edition we select the best starter, main and dessert from entries posted to #FeedYourEyes @takestockmag on Twitter and Instagram - the winners all receiving £50 Amazon vouchers, courtesy of our sponsors Kerrymaid, Chef and cooks&co.

You’ve got to be in it to win it… so, get posting!

Gareth Wharton @chef_gareth_wharton

Head chef, Christopher’s at The Peel Hotel, Tamworth, Staffordshire - Ham hock terrine, fresh pea salad, piccalilli puree & toasted sourdough

Philip Mayo @philmayochef94

Sous chef, The Wild Beer, Cheltenham - Goan fish curry with sticky rice & flatbreads

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Pastry chef, The Ship Inn, South Walsham, Norwich

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Post your photo to Instagram @TakeStockMag #CARTEDORCOMPETITION with a brief description of your dish.

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TAKE STOCK

FEATURE

A Heavenly Bowl How it’s done

At lunchtime, customers want a value-formoney tasty meal that won’t break the bank A bowl of soup is one of life’s simple pleasures. Warm, hearty and yummy, it’s one dish that’s guaranteed to create a feel-good factor.

Whether you make it from scratch or use a trusted supplier, customers want that homemade taste. And done well, soup can be an integral part of your menu so it should be given the same care and attention as other dishes.

Nincomsoup at Old Street Station in London is a hidden gem serving soups with flavours from all over the world, from 10am daily. It has over 80 different soup recipes and each day it offers at least seven choices, advising customers to follow it on Twitter or go on its website for the daily update! Each day there’s a poultry, meat, fish, cheese, pulse, vegetarian and vegan option. They include: sweet potato coconut chicken, cincinnati chilli, Russian fish stew, five onion cheddar, Tuscan bean, curried parsnip and gazpacho. And if that isn’t enough, they offer inventive companions in addition to bread, including tortilla chips, a roasted seed mix and cornbread.

They also offer small or large portions of soup as well as eat in and take out prices.

to create nutritious foods,” said Stuart Jackson, director of sales at Pan’Artisan Ltd. “With such interest and demand from consumers, it’s a given that a bread selection should be included on a menu.”

A helping hand Ready-made soups help busy chefs deliver the taste of homemade, high-quality soups with minimal effort. Not only do they provide consistency and quality, they save time, help take the strain off a busy kitchen and keep waste to a minimum.

And thanks to the huge range of authentic global flavours and traditional favourites now available, there are soups to cater for every taste.

Raise your dough There is no denying that a bowl of soup deserves an equally delicious bread accompaniment, and the addition of bread can help drive sales. “The growing interest in artisanal baked products; breads from around the world and the re-emergence of ancient grains incorporated into hand-crafted loaves, highlights a strengthening trend; the importance of provenance and the valued use of premium quality ingredients

37

Soup is a quick, easy meal that customers can

grab & go! takestockmagazine.com

Main

Top tips • Use fresh ingredients - not leftovers • Taste and season before serving - there’s nothing worse than a bland soup • Use savoury scones as a change from bread

Soups to serve • French onion • Spiced parsnip & honey • Tomato • Root vegetable • Creamy chicken • Minestrone • Roasted carrot & pumpkin

Shout about it!

Have point of sale to promote your soups. Making customers aware that you sell soup and the flavours you have, will make a huge difference to your sales and encourage undecided customers too!

From soup of the day posters, to a soup menu on social media or in-house, make sure your soup gets noticed! And don’t forget to update soup availability on social media if one runs out.

Offer a lunchtime deal of

soup & sandwich

Ribolita with Brandade Toast

By Christine Stenner, sous chef at NUMBER9 in Ponteland, Newcastle upon Tyne METHOD

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS ¼ cup extra-virgin oil, plus some for drizzling on bread 1 onion, chopped 1 carrot, chopped 2 garlic cloves, 1 minced & 1 whole 1 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 can diced tomatoes 1lb frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed dry 1 can cannelloni beans, drained 3 cups vegetable stock 1 bay leaf Pinch fennel seeds Pinch baby basil 4-6 ciabatta rolls, ½ cut lengthwise or 1 loaf, sliced Parmesan, grated

1. Heat the oil in a heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown

2. Add the tomato paste and stir until dissolved

3. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits

4. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf and parmesan

5. Bring the soup to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes

6. Preheat the oven to 350ºC 7. Drizzle the ciabatta with olive oil then toast in the oven for about 5 minutes or until golden brown

8. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the ciabatta with the whole garlic clove

9. Place the ciabatta in the serving bowl and ladle the soup over it. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve

The care sector Soup is a great meal choice when it comes to those in the care sector.

Hospitals and care homes have to abide by strict guidelines to ensure patients and residents receive a nutritious - and tasty - diet and soup achieves this. It’s also an ‘easy’ meal to digest, which is perfect for residents living with dysphagia.

38

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TAKE STOCK

FEATURE

47% of cider drinkers are female &

A World of Cider

71%

of cider & perry sold in the on trade is served on draught +3% year-on-year

For some, cider is just fermented apple juice from somewhere in Somerset. In reality, it’s a drink made with passion, around the globe.

Take Stock takes a look at some of the best offerings in the world of cider...

Source: CGA

France The French have been making ‘cidre’ for centuries, particularly in the Pays Basque, Normandy and Brittany areas, from where many of our own cider apple varieties originated.

producers of premium ciders presented in 75cl champagne style bottles that are made for sharing.

Try: Stassen Cidre Cuvée Rosé - a medium cider made with red-fleshed apples

Try: Ciders from top Calvados distillers such as Christian Drouin, Eric Bordelet or Domaine Dupont, or a classic Cidre Breton Brut Traditionelle

Belgium There’s a long tradition of cider making in Belgium with Cidrerie Ruwet - established in 1898 - being the only independent producer. The other big name in Belgian ciders is Heineken owned Stassen -

41

Spain Few regions are as passionate about cider as the Spanish Asturias, where the sweet and sour tang of their ‘Sidra’ is brought to dramatic life by pouring into a small glass from a height. With this cider-throwing ritual, spillage is guaranteed, which is all part of the theatre!

Try: El Gaitero - a 5.5% authentic tasting Asturian sidra takestockmagazine.com

47% & 53% of cider drinkers are female

are male

Fruit ciders

are more popular with female drinkers than men Source: CGA

USA

South Africa

Known as ‘hard cider’ to distinguish it from the non-alcoholic forms of ‘cider’, there’s a major revival underway with producers of every size bringing new offerings to the market.

Local law dictates that for a drink to be classed as a cider it must be at least 80% apple juice, with a minimum of 2.5% alcohol content and a maximum of 15%. Over the past decade the cider market has grown rapidly, with dry ciders especially prominent.

Try: Blind Pig’s 5.5% flavoured ciders that feature whiskey, rum or bourbon

Try: Savanna Premium Cider or

Cider comes in many forms: still, sparkling, perry, flavoured, cloudy and speciality.

Canada One of the most unique forms of cider has its origins in Quebec, Canada.

Known as ‘ice cider’ the result is stronger and sweeter than most, leading to it often being marketed as an alternative to dessert wine.

Try: Le Glacé - World Cider Awards Speciality Cider Winner, 2017

Savanna Cross - its hop flavoured stablemate

Sweden Sweden’s craft cider industry has established itself as the home of innovation. They use dessert apples - which give their ciders a distinctive taste - but their addition of the berries that form part of Swedish culture can be said to have sparked the massive fruit cider boom. They produce top ice ciders too.

Try: Rekorderlig New Dry Apple Cider at 5% or their top selling 4% flavoured cider range

Top tips for selling cider • Make sure you have a choice of ciders on draught

• Have up-sell ciders - people will pay for a premium experience

• If you don’t have keg space, look at bag in box options

• Look for ciders with a genuine heritage or unique story

• Stock quirky flavours and promote them

• Visit worldciderawards.com for stocking ideas

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42

Did you know?

Just a century ago, more cider was drunk in France than wine!

Australia & New Zealand It’s only recently that ciders from here have been exported, the domestic markets accounting for available production. With expanded production there are now some tremendous cider and perry offerings from the Antipodes.

Try: Sidewood Estate Australian Perry Cider or Old Mout flavoured ciders - both are World Cider Awards 2017 winners

Apple cider sales are increasing their lead over pear.

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Autumn Menu

The nights will soon be drawing in and temperatures dropping.

So, as the season changes, so should your menu.

Delicious, flavoursome and hearty food is the order of the day for autumn, and now is the time to start planning dishes for the season ahead. Take Stock looks at some autumn delights that your customers will love... takestockmagazine.com

44

TAKE STOCK

FEATURE

It's important to have a stunning and special recipe on your menu that caters for vegetarians and vegans.

Anjula Devi, cook and author of Spice for Life

What to serve Game - healthy and versatile, British game is a tasty alternative to lamb, chicken, beef or pork and thanks to its robust flavours it stands up well to strong spices and herbs. Pigeon, rabbit and certain varieties of venison are available all year round, but it’s during open season when game comes into its own with copious amounts of pheasant, partridge and grouse on offer. Low in cholesterol and high in protein, game is generally free of steroids or antibiotics so is one of the healthiest meats available.

Menu ideas - roasted guinea fowl, venison burger, partridge carbonara and pigeon fajitas

Roast Dinners - the good old roast dinner never goes out of fashion. One of the most popular dishes in the UK, it is a guaranteed way to boost sales. To help you stand out from the crowd, make your roast special by putting a unique twist on it. Options include a special gravy or sides, a take away option or even offering a full week of roasts on your menu during British Roast Dinner Week on 23-30 September. Celebrate seasonality, create theatre and use large blackboards and colourful chalks to place signs around your venue promoting the event and the dishes you'll be serving.

Curry - as a nation of curry lovers this Indian cuisine will always have pride of place in the hearts of UK diners, especially in the cooler months. Classic dishes such as korma or vindaloo remain popular, however, more customers now want authentic and healthier curries too. And for those who are wary of hot dishes why not just add the spice without the heat to serve Indian-inspired innovations? Ground coriander, cumin or crushed chillies for example can be added to dips, or sprinkled on wedges. A sharing menu will enable customers (pro or novice) to experience a range of dishes and why not offer a food to go option too? National Curry Week on 9-15 October is a great way to boost sales and gauge interest by making curry a prominent daily dish on your menu or take centre stage on your specials boards.

What’s in season

Fruits - plums, damsons, blackberries, figs, apples and pears are all plentiful and good value.

These full-flavoured fruits work equally well for sweet and savoury dishes. Pear tarte tatin with gorgonzola for example.

Menu ideas - pulled lamb with fiery mint chutney, lamb & squash biryani, spinach, sweet potato & lentil dhal

Sharing dishes - sharing dishes are a great way to mix up your autumn casual dining menu. Perfect for a daytime graze, nibbles to accompany drinks or for evening dining, sharing plates appeal to everyone. A cost effective way to serve on-trend food, the list of sharing dishes is endless, so you can not only experiment with different dishes but keep it fresh to keep customers interested.

Menu ideas - offer a selection of

Menu ideas - spicy chicken wings,

meat alongside traditional options, a whole roast chicken for families to share, serve a gluten-free roast and a vegetarian one too

beef nachos, pittas and dips, meat and fish boards, pulled pork, wedges with dips, tapas, cheesy chips and cheese boards

45

Vegetables - pumpkin, squash, cabbages and root vegetables are perfect for roasting or adding to fragrant soups (see our feature on page 37).

A roast dinner is the number 1 lunch for people dining out in pubs takestockmagazine.com

TAKE STOCK

FEATURE

Main

Venison & Chocolate Casserole

By The Arundell Arms, courtesy of game-to-eat Serves 4 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 2 hours

Roasted Aubergines with Fresh Coconut

INGREDIENTS

By Anjula Devi, cook and author of Spice for Life

500g venison haunch, diced 2 tsp flour 6 tsp olive oil 3 banana shallots, peeled & chopped 4 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed Bacon lardons 4 carrots/parsnips, peeled & cut in ½ 1 stick celery, finely chopped 3 flat mushrooms, roughly chopped 1 tbsp thyme, chopped 1 tbsp rosemary, chopped 700ml red wine 500ml beef stock 30g dark chocolate buttons 40g butter 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly Salt and pepper

Serves 4 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes (includes 30 minutes marinating)

Garnish

Small bunch coriander including stalks, chopped finely 1 lime, zest

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

8 small slim aubergines 2 tbsp freshly grated coconut (frozen is fine) Natural yogurt

1. Butterfly the aubergines in ½ lengthways,

Key Spices

2. Squeeze over the lime juice, sprinkle a little

½ tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp red chilli flakes 1 tsp cumin seeds ½ tsp brown mustard seeds

sea salt, add the natural yogurt, curry leaves,

Warming Spices

add the cumin seeds and brown mustard seeds

1 tsp fenugreek leaves 1 tsp fennel seeds

through for 1 minute. Remove from the heat,

olive oil into an ovenproof dish and warm 2. Add the lardons and cook for 4 minutes then remove from the heat

place in a pestle and mortar, and grind to a

3. Mix the venison and flour then add to

Other Spices

powder

the lardons to brown

4. Add the powder to the aubergines along

4. Add the rest of the oil, the garlic, shallots

1 tsp mango powder

Wet Ingredients

1 lime, juiced 200ml coconut milk 8 fresh curry leaves, ripped into small pieces (optional) 1 tbsp coconut oil 2 tsp pulped garlic 1 tsp pulped ginger 1 tsp sun-dried tomato paste 1 fresh green chilli, minced Sprinkle sea salt 1 tsp jaggery, grated

opening them like a book, and then gently flatten. Score the surfaces with a criss-cross pattern and place in a large bowl

turmeric powder and red chilli flakes and coat well. Set aside

3. Take a small dry pan and set on a low heat, and the warming spices and gently warm

with the coconut oil, garlic, ginger, paste, chilli, mango powder and jaggery. Mix thoroughly, cover and leave in a cool place to marinate for 30 minutes

5. Toast the coconut on a low heat until light golden-brown. Set aside to cool

6. Grill the aubergines on hot for 3 minutes on either side. Remove from the heat, mix together the lime zest, toasted coconut and fresh coriander and sprinkle over the top of the aubergines

7. Serve with fresh chapattis, and a chutney of

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160ºC. Pour ½ of the

and celery and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the carrots, parsnips, mushrooms and herbs and cook for 15 minutes. Add the red wine and bring to the boil

5. Add the beef stock and season with salt and pepper, place a lid on top and cook for 1 ¾ - 2 hours until the meat is tender

6. Remove from the oven and strain the meat and vegetables, keeping the liquid and return to the pan and reboil. Whisk in the jelly, butter and chocolate, then pour over the venison and vegetables and stir

your choice

47

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†Excluding Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as part of a balanced lunch.

© Kellogg Company 2018

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TALKING HEADS

What will be your best selling drinks for the event?

In each edition of Take Stock we talk to an industry professional to see what they are planning for a forthcoming event.

This issue, we look at Bonfire Night.

Our outside bar - cash only - will be serving beer, lager and pre-mixed drinks such as gin and tonic and vodka and coke.

We will have a prosecco and gin bar too.

There will also be drinks stalls selling mulled wine and mulled cider, as those drinks sell very well on a chilly night.

What about children’s drinks or for the non drinkers?

We will have a variety of fruit juices, water and fizzy drinks available.

Will you be offering your free taxi service for the night?

Have a Blast!

Bonfire Night is a popular occasion that can help blast off your profits. Take Stock spoke to Jo Rigby, bar manager at The Millstone Hare, an old English styled

Our free taxi service for customers who live within a five-mile radius has proved very popular. It’s free to customers on the condition that they order at least four main meals or two main meals with a starter or dessert. However, this service will not be available on the night because of the sheer volume of people we are expecting. Instead shuttle buses will be available on the night to ferry customers to and from the premises. For the more local residents, we have arranged a coach service to pick up and drop off at certain points for a charge of just 50 pence each.

pub situated within the grounds of Dallas Burston Polo

Is it worth all the hard work?

Club near Stratford-upon-Avon.

Definitely! It’s a huge event that sees takings go up more than 50%. It also helps to put us on the map, because lots of people don’t realise we are in the grounds of the polo club, so it helps build interest and custom - for the whole year.

What are you planning for Bonfire Night?

When are you celebrating the event?

A big event! For the past two years our team has hosted, in collaboration with Dallas Burston Polo Club, a huge bonfire event that attracts over 4,000 people.

Held in the grounds, we have a small funfair, food stalls serving everything from hotdogs and burgers to candy floss and toffee apples, an outside bar manned by my team, and of course a firework display organised and set up by Komodo Fireworks. We will be doing the same this year as it has been such a huge success.

Everything will be included in the price of the ticket - £5 for adults, £3 for children and £15 for a family of four (two adults and two children).

Friday, 2 November. We usually light the bonfire around 7.30pm.

Are you running a special menu?

Our normal menu will be running as per usual and, in addition, we will be setting up a couple of food outlets outside serving pizza. Local farm shops will also be setting up street food stalls to sell gourmet burgers and vegetarian options.

The stalls close to the funfair will provide more child-friendly food like hot dogs, burgers and chips, plus lots of sweet treats too!

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TAKE STOCK

FEATURE

In the Spotlight:

Keele University has around 10,500 students and The Refectory, a large student dining area, is located at the heart of the campus. Serving breakfast, lunch and evening meals, as well as snacks and street food, it can serve up to 700 meals a day.

University Catering

“We are open from 8am to 7.30pm, so we are constantly busy - especially between 11-11.30am when there is a rush on for a late breakfast!” says Kim.

Kim Barnish is the sous chef at The Refectory at Keele University. She started there as an apprentice 14 years ago and has worked her way up to becoming an award-winning chef. She took Gold at the TUCO Competitions 2018 Campus Speed Cook Challenge, won Vegetarian Chef of the Year 2009 and Staffordshire Chef of Tomorrow in 2005.

The meals served at The Refectory are traditional, authentic home cooked dishes.

“We have a mixture of nationalities here at Keele University and their preference seems to be towards hearty, comforting food,” says Kim. “Most start their day with a full English followed by a proper meal like sausage and mash or shepherd’s pie for lunch then dinner, so we know they are eating well!”

The lunch and evening menus are the same each day with one meat dish that can be anything from lasagne, chicken chasseur or pie. They also have one vegetarian option; although this isn’t as popular. “Surprisingly, there isn’t a huge demand for vegetarian dishes at our campus, but we still make sure we cater for them with a couple of options,” says Kim.

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After the success of my chargrilled chicken with fregola salad, flatbread and pepper dip that brought me gold in the TUCO Competitions 2018 we decided to feature it on our street food menu.

The menu also includes a fish option.

And as the catering team are working on a limited budget, the team has introduced hake as a good alternative to more expensive types of fish.

“It’s not only cheap and versatile, but MSC certified so a good product to use,” says Kim. “We either batter it and serve it with chips and mushy peas or have an Asian twist on it.”

Despite the students’ preference for traditional British cuisine, global, spicy food is also popular, so Kim will be serving up her award-winning Lebanese dish for the new term.

“After the success of my chargrilled chicken with fregola salad, flatbread and pepper dip that brought me gold in the takestockmagazine.com

TUCO Competitions 2018 we decided to feature it on our street food menu,” explains Kim. “Lebanese food is a personal favourite of mine because I love the flavours and spices, plus it was a quick dish to produce in 30 minutes so ideal for university catering when there is a lot of demand and pressure on us.”

As well as Kim’s chargrilled chicken, other dishes on their street food menu include nachos with spicy sausage, spring onions, jalapeños, grated cheese, salsa, sour cream and guacamole, beef brisket rendang and dirty fries - sweet potato fries or straw fries covered in cheese sauce, chilli and spring onions.

“Basically, anything with cheese on will fly off the counter!” adds Kim. Due to the healthy appetites of the students there is minimal waste - a topical subject and concern for the whole catering industry, as well as Kim and her team of five.

“Our portions are generous, because that is what our students want and they always eat them,” says Kim. “Plus, we only make what we know will sell. For example, desserts are not something our students want so we never make them and anything that hasn’t been popular comes off the menu at the end of term, so thankfully waste isn’t something we have to worry about too much.”

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Our portions are generous, because that is what our students want and they always eat them.

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TAKE STOCK

FEATURE

Business Outdoors Making the most of the outdoors is top of most people’s agendas at this time of year. Whether you have a beer garden, outdoor seating area or room for a few chairs and benches, providing customers with a clean, pleasant and fun outdoor atmosphere is key this summer.

The legal side An outside seating area is a great way to entice passing customers. However, it’s important to double check a few things before you go ahead. Before placing tables and chairs outside you must check who owns the land as this will affect the licence you need. If it’s a public highway you will need to apply for a pavement licence to use the area, and you may need to ask for planning permission to change the areas use. Check your premises licence too; if you are serving alcohol to customers outside, ensure the outside serving area is within the licensed area shown on your licence plans.

Preparation Making sure your outdoor area is pleasant will attract customers. If you have a

grass lawn it should be cut neatly, your paving should be power washed and your outdoor furniture should be cleaned.

Tables with parasols encourage people to sit and eat outside, and why not add deck chairs, picnic blankets and bean bags to create a holiday atmosphere? Decorating the area with bunting and fairy lights for the evening adds extra character to create a more premium pub feel. Consider adding heat lamps or a fire pit and offer blankets and throws for customers sitting out on cooler evenings.

Plan ahead Plan your staff rotas to make sure you have sufficient staff, or need to bring in extra on busy days such as the bank holiday and sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and Wimbledon which will draw in larger crowds. Post on your social media and have signage outside your door highlighting the events you are hosting, the sports you are showing and your beer garden or outdoor seating area.

Entertain all Sunny days will draw in people of all age groups so it’s important to try and have something for everyone. Outdoor play equipment or an entertainer is great for younger kids. Invite local bands to play or

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hold an outdoor karaoke. Not only will this draw in more families, it will drive sales too. If the kids are happy then the parents are too, which means they will stay longer.

Clean and safe Your outdoor area is just as important as the inside of your venue when it comes to safety and hygiene. Staff should be mindful of spilled drinks and food to prevent any slipping hazards and should be on hand to take away finished plates to keep the place clean and tidy. This will encourage more people through your doors if they can see everything is clean, tidy and appealing. Plastic glasses are key to avoiding any breakages, so order plenty of pint and half sizes. Having a designated smoking area ensures smokers feel just as valued as any other customer, and keeps non smokers happy too.

Check list

4 Check your licence 4 Keep the area clean and attractive 4 Advertise your beer garden 4 Extra staff to monitor/work area

takestockmagazine.com

London Week il a t k c o C

British Food Fortnight

Seafood Week 5-12 Oct

1-7 Oct

22 Sept-7 Oct

Plan Ahead Planning ahead is crucial to maximise the sales opportunities presented by key events on the calendar.

Celebrate British Food

Shake it up!

Fish is the Dish

British Food Fortnight, organised by Love

London Cocktail Week is the world’s

Seafood Week celebrates the amazing fish

British Food, is the biggest annual, national

biggest cocktail festival. The seven day

and seafood on offer in the UK, creating the

celebration of British food and drink.

event celebrates the capital's vibrant

perfect platform to encourage more people

Established in 2002 in the wake of the Foot

and fantastic cocktail scene. With 300

to eat more fish, more often. The eight day

and Mouth crisis as a flagship event to

bars signed up for the event, it presents

annual campaign is run by Seafish and

bring food initiatives, events and projects

an opportunity for bars and brands to

offers operators daily species, recipes and

across Britain to the public’s attention, it

showcase their talent, as well as the best

inspiration throughout the event. This year

presents the opportunity for anyone in the

mixed drinks available too.

it is expected to be bigger and better than

industry to promote the benefits of buying

before, and businesses across the whole

and eating British produce.

Why get involved?

What to do

It’s a huge event for London and will

• Create a one-off menu or experiment

bring in a lot of new and existing trade. If a neighbouring venue is one of the bars

supply chain will be tempting consumers with great ways to buy, cook and dine out on great seafood choices.

signed up for the event you can cash in

What to do

• Display POS material and hang Union

on their trade by offering your own event

Jack flags

• Sign up now to be part of the

on their back of theirs. This will help put

seafood week at fishisthedish.co.uk/

• Brief front of house staff to promote the

you in the spotlight for future custom and

seafoodweek/my-seafood-week

event to customers when ordering

raise revenue.

• Join in with the social media campaign

with new dishes using British produce

• Make popular dishes special by

#fishpunday on 5 October to help kick

sourcing British ingredients: Soup of

What to do

the Day and Bangers and Mash for

• Have a cocktail offer at specific times

let customers know you are involved

• Have a speciality cocktail or cocktail of

• Have a ‘fish of the day’ on your menu

the day

• Have a special offer on your fish dish -

• Hold a masterclass in cocktail making

a 2FOR1 or early bird menu - during

example • Have Chef’s Specials highlighting local produce. For example, a steak and ale pie draws attention to your range of

off the event and use #seafoodweek to

ales behind the bar

• Offer cocktail and food pairings

• Name producers and farms rather than

• Shout about your event on social

simply ‘local’ on your menu

media and in-house

• For children’s menus and school

• Encourage customers to post pictures

dinners, create menu cards that detail

on social media

• Encourage people to eat fish in different ways by serving fish cakes or seafood curry • Contact your local newspaper to tell them about your plans for the week,

where the food has been sourced

to raise awareness and attract trade

• Organise a quiz night about British food takestockmagazine.com

quiet times to help boost trade

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...for Sky-high Summer Sales

*AC Nielsen Total Market MAT to 24.03.15

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