British Food Fortnight, organised by Love British Food, takes place from Saturday September 17 to Sunday October 2. This annual event, now in its 21st year, is a celebration of British food. Hundreds of events are planned in communities throughout the country.

Whether you’re a hotel, independent pub or restaurant, taking part in British Food Fortnight can help to attract new customers, raise awareness for your outlet and above all, increase sales.

Alexia Robinson, founder of organiser Love British Food says “The British public’s appetite for local produce is growing all the time and businesses which react to their demand will benefit. For many outlets, very little effort will be required as you are probably already sourcing much of your food from local producers. The fortnight is all about putting the focus on British food and drink and that means giving you the platform to shout about the selection you might already be offering.”

Let Your Customers Know
Talk about it on social media, contact the local press and kit out your business with ‘Love British Food’ promotional material so no-one can miss the fact that you’re supporting and serving British produce.

Suppliers
An important part of the campaign is working with suppliers to ask whether their produce is British. Alexia says “The Mare and Foal pub in Crediton, Devon, did this and discovered that the butcher they use guarantees that all the meat it supplies comes from the West Country. Be open to working with new suppliers. Your customers may suggest local producers whose produce they would like to see on the menu.”

Menus
Adapt your existing menu or create a specials board focusing on British or local produce. It’s a good idea to use the fortnight as an opportunity to experiment with new dishes on the menu, which may remain there for the rest of the winter. Alexia suggests “Set a target of at least five locally sourced dishes on the menu. For example Soup of the Day and Bangers and Mash can easily be made using British produce. Challenge chefs to create “specials” highlighting local produce. For example, Steak and Ale of the Day Pie draws attention to the range of ales on sale. Or how about a dish made with a local cheese that will stimulate interest in the cheese board?”

Provenance
Show customers your outlet is serving British produce by giving information about the provenance of ingredients. If changing menus daily is not possible, use generic phrases such as “Seasonal Vegetables” or “Seasonal Fruit Crumble”. Include the names of producers and farms on menus rather than just the term ‘local’. Alexia adds “If it’s difficult to specify producers by name then use generic phrases such as ‘All meat served comes within 30 miles of this pub/restaurant.”

Training

Getting your team on board with the campaign is important so make sure staff know about the new dishes and suppliers. Encourage your staff to try the new dishes, inform your customers about up-coming promotions and talk about the menu to be released.