British Hospitality Association E-zine

Goodbye
This is my last article as the association’s chief executive – an occasion which is naturally tinged with some emotion. For me, the last decade has been hugely absorbing, very exciting, wholly satisfying and totally enjoyable – yet ten years is a fair length of time. There is such a thing as overstaying your welcome. I leave at an opportune time when a new government is in place which we hope will take this wonderful £110bn tourism and hospitality industry far more seriously than it has been taken in all the 13 years of the last administration. That can only be good for the industry. The industry won’t get all it wants but I feel confident that our arguments will be listened with care and sympathy. more

NEWS DETAILS

14 Jul 2010

Plan now to put British food on your menu this Autumn!
"We participated in British Food Fortnight last year and increased custom by 300% during the two weeks! We haven’t stopped the menu ever since!”
Michel Nijsten from the Albright Hussey Manor Hotel

Now is the time to plan your menu for British Food Fortnight (18 Sept - 3 Oct 2010). Nine of the large food service organisations have already signed-up to taking part as have seven major pub groups, all the chef associations, two of the main tourism organisations and a major hotel chain. It is not too late to join them!Here are some ideas for you to consider: Adapt your existing menu or create a special board focusing on British or local produce. Set yourself a target of at least five British or locally sourced dishes on your menu.

Make simple dishes special by sourcing British: Soup of the Day and Bangers and Mash are always popular and are easy to localise.

Larger suppliers can provide British and, in many cases, local produce; be specific when talking to them about what you want and don’t shy away from specifying British as part of your requirements.

For more tips on taking part: advice on sourcing, supplier contacts, sales promotion case studies, advice on promoting your restaurant in the media including regional media contacts and press release templates and sample regionalised menus see: http://lovebritishfood.co.uk/blogcategory/caterers

A 'Hot Tips' guide to making the national food promotion work for you is downloadable from: http://lovebritishfood.co.uk/images/stories/pdf/2010_hot_tips_retailers_caterers.pdf

Be part of the largest volunteer movement teaching children how to cook! Join the Fortnight’s network of 9,000 chefs offering their services to schools to help teach children how to cook. Chefs wanting to participate should contact their local school before the end of the Summer term to, for example, organise a cooking demonstration, offer kitchen facilities as a venue for a cooking lesson or make your restaurant a venue where children can learn about food with child-friendly menu promotions, quizzes and fact sheets.

‘Hot tips’ on working with schools to help teach children how to cook can be downloaded from the event's website: http://lovebritishfood.co.uk/taking-part/caterers/work-with-schools-%11-your-customers-of-the-future

back to news