SWEET TROLLEY - THE BELL AND BEAR WITH STEPHANIE CORCORAN

Stephanie Corcoran has been running The Bell and Bear in Rowley Regis on a Punch Taverns lease, along with a staff of 18, for the past 8 years. Billed by Stephanie and known to its locals as 'a country pub in the town', The Bell and Bear attracts a variety of customers, providing a traditional and homely venue for people of all ages.

Considering the challenges facing the industry today, Stephanie ensures The Bell and Bear stays one step ahead of the competition. Battling the dreaded credit crunch, an issue Stephanie believes has been made worse by the media, she is determined to keep customers coming through the door, constantly thinking of new ideas to keep punters interested and regulars impressed. From a Sizzler night on a Tuesday, with a meal and drink for just £5.99, to a Family Feast night on a Wednesday, where a family of four can eat and drink for just £30, Stephanie ensures The Bell and Bear offers something for everyone. She was keen to trial the Sweet Trolley menu from Moy Park Foodservice, as it offered her the opportunity to try something different to attract new customers, and improve her existing dessert offering with delicious and appealing new products.

With the smoking ban continuing to have an impact, effecting both lunchtime and evening business, and popular supermarket meal deals and cheap alcohol encouraging punters to stay in rather than venture out to eat, Stephanie tries to make the pub a friendly home from home, where people can relax and enjoy delicious home style food. By being proactive, writing to local newspapers to promote special events and deals, and organising leaflet drops, Stephanie has managed to keep hold of many regulars, and also attract new customers.

The food offering at the Bell and Bear reflects perfectly the traditional feel of the pub and its comfortable atmosphere. However, with many dishes being homemade, including delicious chips, Stephanie finds her staff costs are high, taking a toll on already tight margins.

Prior to the Sweet Trolley trial, the dessert offering consisted of hot, traditional puds made from scratch alongside bought-in freezer-to-plate ice cream based desserts. With around 50-60% of customers over the week choosing to have a dessert, Stephanie appreciates the opportunity puddings offer to gain extra spend and make more profit per meal. The pub's usual supplier recently delisted a number of their desserts, so with summer fast approaching and Stephanie keen to take advantage of this profit opportunity, she was eager to update and improve her dessert offering. The new Sweet Trolley menu from Moy Park Foodservice provided an unmissable opportunity.

"The menu is great because it offers something different," Stephanie explains. "Donuts are a popular product, everyone loves them - kids and adults alike, and they are so quick and easy to prepare. I was in need of refreshing my desserts menu, so the opportunity to try something new which we haven't really offered before seemed perfect. The dishes on the menu from Moy Park Foodservice offer something new and exciting, and really appealed to the customers."

The most popular item on the menu was the Sharing Platter, for either 2 or 4 people, combining delicious Large Sugared Donuts, Large Cinnamon Donuts, Mini Lemon Donuts and Mini Choc Donuts with delicious dips, perfect for those who would never normally order dessert but were happy to share with another person. The profiterole style donuts and the sundaes also went down well, with customers enjoying a fun new twist on a classic style. The feedback Stephanie received was resoundingly positive, with plenty of praise for the new dishes and menu. "The customers particularly liked the idea of sharing desserts, as people are often too full to have a whole pudding to themselves. The bite sized donuts are perfect to liven up a range of popular puddings and the lemon and strawberry mini varieties were a huge hit, especially when served as part of the offer with a hot drink."

"The preparation and presentation of the products was extremely easy, cutting staff time in the kitchen, and dishes such as the sundaes came out looking great, helping to tempt other customers to give them a try. With summer round the corner, customers are looking for a lighter treat, making the Sweet Trolley menu ideal, as donuts are light and work perfectly with fresh fruit and ice cream. I would certainly keep elements of the Sweet Trolley menu on following the trial, I already use the Mini Choc Donuts on our Children's Mix and Match menu and they're hugely popular. I love the idea of a sharing platter and will certainly be using this on my desserts menu, and the Mini Lemon and Strawberry Donuts are fantastic, the perfect seasonal treat."

Stephanie's top 3 tips for other pubs wanting to maximise their food sales are:

Make sure the desserts offering is easy to operate
Ensure the products you use are cost effective
Encourage staff to push the menu, and promote it with eye catching POS