What a time to be alive and what a time to be in the hospitality industry. It’s probably a cliché, but it really does feel like the only constant is change. The way we live, and work is evolving at breakneck speed, so it’s so important to keep a finger on the pulse to ensure you have the right offering for your customer.
It’s hard to believe that last month (September) our flagship product, Warner’s Rhubarb Gin, turned the ripe old age of 10! It was a world first when we released it, and the liquid created a flavoured movement. Ten years on and our fastest growing product in the on-trade is our Warner’s 0% Pink Berry, a non-alcoholic distilled spirit that we launched in 2020 crafted with our farm grown botanicals. That’s a great example of the pace of change we are seeing in our brilliant sector.
Consumption trends are changing, wellness and health considerations are here to stay, so our consumer is choosing to moderate and drink less but better alcohol — and when they do abstain, they are looking to have a similar quality offering as they would if drinking alcohol. KAM research has identified that a massive one-in-three visits to the pub don’t involve alcohol — so it can be a fantastic margin enhancing upsell, when a customer orders a diet coke or a lime and soda, to offer a great crafted non-alcoholic alternative.
Our 0% Pink Berry Spritz is a great example of a non-alcohol serve taking off in food-led pub environments. It was the second most popular cocktail after the Aperol Spritz in a large pub estate evidencing the untapped potential for on trade operators here. One critical factor is education and communication – signposting these options clearly on menus and having the team versed in the non-alcoholic offer to drive that up-sell.
Having visibility and ease of navigation on the menu is as essential as stocking them. It’s no longer enough to hide a small section in the corner of the bar; consumers are increasingly aware and making conscious choices of where to visit based on a credible non-alcoholic range. To aid this, think about tailoring your menu not just based on the time of day but also to specific customer demographics. For example, low-and-no alcohol options might resonate more with lunchtime diners, designated drivers, or those simply looking to moderate during the week or “blend” between alcoholic and non-alcoholic on a night out.
Promoting your range: what to consider
When considering your range, don’t just think about how many to stock, but why they align with your proposition.
Curating the right offering is essential to provide customers with interest, great quality and provenance. Knowing your vision and mission as an operator and building this narrative to win consumer interest and create a love for your site and what you stand for can really set you apart in the sector. From your pub story to the supplier stories, consumers love to be taken on a journey and learning about the quality products in your offering drives desirability, emotion and experience (which takes focus away from price!).
Right now, we’re seeing an increased demand for flavoured gins, particularly fruit-based ones and the spritz serve has been very popular, one of our key on-trade operators has seen our Rhubarb spritz become a best seller this summer. Consumers are drawn to great taste and occasion so elevating a simple serve can really help drive margin. Stocking a mix of classic London Dry gins alongside more experimental varieties also gives you a balanced offering that appeals to both traditionalists and adventurous drinkers alike.
Consider offering a range that includes independent, sustainable artisan producers as consumers are increasingly drawn to green credentials. Eight out of 10 consumers are now making this consideration at purchase. For your operation, this could mean working with products & suppliers that use sustainable sources and processes (like our new Trash & Treasure Spirits range – great tasting rums and vodkas made using waste fruit and peels), environmentally friendly packaging, reducing waste by utilising reusable materials or driving biodiversity on site — if you have a garden or space that is conducive to this (our Warner’s Nature Marque accreditation can help here). Sustainability doesn’t just matter because it’s the right thing to do; it makes good business sense.
Women’s role in the drinks sector
It’s a very exciting time for women in the sector, for the first time ever there are as many women applying to run pubs as men, moving from behind the bar to the boardroom and it’s a welcome shift and one that is here to stay. Most recently I’ve been helping to set up Raising the Glass, the first cross-category women in drinks network that unites women and allies across all drinks categories and channels.
The brainchild of Rebecca Oliver Mooney of Co-op, quarterly, in-person events and a monthly podcast help to drive sharing, learning and growth, so please do sign up at raisingtheglass.co.uk if you are interested to get involved and check out the podcast.
There are also great regional networks like Women in Hospitality that Flo Pearce at The Tolly has set up (a brilliant BII champion and our local pub). We were delighted to host Flo’s most recent event at the farm earlier in the year. It’s inspiring to see the momentum building in what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry and women’s voices driving vulnerable and collaborative leadership and cross-category learning and growth.
My Tip
Be authentically you while listening to and meeting your customer’s needs. People buy from people and at the heart of this great sector is trust. This drives what a great site can be for its customers and community — a warming home away from home where great food and drink is enjoyed and great memories are made.
