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Pub grub and takeaways are two rather popular concepts, so how successful would it be to merge the two? Well this is a question that Ember Inns and Ember Pub & Dining establishments have decided to put to the test.
By offering a takeout service on its classic
pub food
menu, the business is diversifying its services and therefore potentially branching out into a new market.
It is a shrewd move at a time when pubs need to attract as much business as possible and shows that benefits can arise from being flexible. Offering
takeaway food is a good way for small pubs to expand beyond their current size without the risks involved in taking on larger premises. They can serve more
customers than just those there is sufficient accommodation for, with the customer benefitting from not having to leave the comfort of their own home.
Martin Gosling, brand operations director at Ember Inns, said: "Around 90 per cent of our guests come from within a three kilometre radius of our pubs and are generally surrounded by suburban housing estates."
It is a business model which has been used for years by other restaurants, such as those serving Indian and
Chinese food, so why wouldn't it work for
steak and kidney pie and
fish and chips too? After all, pub grub is a much loved part of the British diet and munching on old classics is evocative of a cosy pub and nice wood fire.
With all such endeavours the success of the enterprise depends on how it is carried out and it is no different in this case. Pub grub offered up as a takeaway option must be competitively priced when compared to the alternatives already on the market. There is no point in charging the same price as it would be on the menu to sit inside the pub, as the customers will reach for the pizza menu instead.
Mr Gosling said: "Our current
food menu is priced competitively against many takeaway shops. So, by placing popular dishes on to a specific Ember takeaway menu, we're creating yet another reason to visit." If it is made viable and well marketed then there is no reason why pubs can't offer good grub to eat in or eat out.
