Marketing
4 ways to let your ingredients sell the story.
Diners are growing increasingly sophisticated and demanding of restaurants and chefs. The rapidly multiplying network of celebrity chefs, cooking shows, cook books, restaurant books, books on chefs and dedicated TV networks means that people are far more engaged in their dining experience than they were ten years ago. They also want to know much more about the food they eat – just think how many times your front of house gets asked about where you get your oysters from...
While this can place extra pressure on chefs and restauranteurs, it also presents new opportunities to recognise this demand and work with it. Restaurants have become more than just about the chef, they’re also about the ingredients. The story of the ingredients can become an integral part of the story or brand behind the restaurant, and make it much stronger. Here’s 4 tips on how to do this:
Put Your Producers On The Menu
Don’t wait for punters to ask you, showcase your producers, highlight them in your menu. Some restaurants have gone as far as putting in the background to their producers, and why they choose their products. This can include the region, production methods and personalities behind the products.
Educate Your Staff
Your staff need to know the stories behind the producers, and need to be aware of the regional qualities of the ingredients you are sourcing. Work with your suppliers to educate your staff, they’ll be only too happy to help.
Cut Costs Through Clever Merchandising
Some ingredients make great merchandising partners. Moet & Chandon produce a very striking set of two baseless champagne flutes, with the brand etched in the glasses and on the brushed steel base. It makes a great addition to the table, and saves the restauranteur on glassware. Look for suppliers who approach their products creatively, and see how they might be able to save you money and heighten people’s engagement with your restaurant at the same time. They win too!
Be Prepared
Distribution channels have become far more integrated, and so be prepared for diners to enquire where they can get certain products. While some restaurants choose to retail key product lines as a side service, a “softer” way to meet this need is to have information sheets on key producers ready for diners to take away at the end of the meal. Well organised restaurants often have pre-packaged copies of menus ready for people to take with them as a momento of their experience, why not add in a sheet on the producers?
