Meet the Experts...

Making more profit from parties

The Kings Head in Fritwell, Oxfordshire is a real community pub, attracting local villagers of all ages.

Whilst owner Gregor Stevenson keeps beer lovers happy with a great range of quality ales, the pressure of the credit crunch and smoking ban has resulted in food becoming a real focus for The Kings Head. Gregor and his team are always looking to try new and original ideas to make the pub a success and guarantee customer satisfaction, and so were eager to trial the 'Party Time' menu from Moy Park Foodservice.

The 'Party Time' menu is a selection of easy to cook, simple to serve items that can be used together or separately to create a buffet-style menu; great for feeding larger groups of people easily. Products on the menu included Battered Natural Onion Rings, crispy coated Baby Camembert, Garlic Mushrooms and crispy coated Brie Wedges, among many others. Gregor served the Party Time buffet to around 80 customers during the trial period, at 3 separate events, and sees real potential for offering the menu on an ongoing basis, thanks to its easy preparation and the tempting mix of products.

"The products on the 'Party Time' menu were really convenient and easy to use, and worked well mixed in with other products from our usual buffet. The clean plates at the end were great testament to their popularity! The Brie Wedges and the Baby Camembert were firm favourites, along with the hugely versatile Crunchy Chick 'n' Mini Fillets. The products were delicious as finger food which was really easy for the customers to enjoy, and the portion control was very simple - making it ideal for buffet serving."

Gregor suggests that buffets are a really enjoyable and practical alternative to parties with usual sit-down meals, and believes that they hold great potential to increase profit.