When it comes to desserts, customers are often looking to treat themselves without breaking the bank.

For pubs this provides a potentially lucrative income stream, but weighing up all the factors involved can give you a headache as easily as having coffee too quickly after an ice cream.

What are the right price points? Should you go home-made or frozen? How big should the range be and should you have a specials dessert menu? And that’s just for starters…

Angus McKean, licensee of Fuller’s pub the Red Lion in Barnes, was surprised at the success of a stout-
flavoured ice-cream, which was made by the Salcombe Dairy in Devon for a recent beer and food matching event.

He says: “I sent them some Fuller’s Past Masters Double Stout to make the ice cream, which we served with pear tatin. We had about 60 people at the dinner, and while some of them turned their nose up at the idea of stout ice cream initially, once Melissa Cole (beer writer and host for the evening) persuaded them to try it, they loved it.”

Matching and experimenting is one way to go, but there is always the freezer to fall back on too.

According to the British Frozen Food Federation the industry has come a long way from the days of Arctic Rolls and raspberry ripple ice-cream.

Director general Brian Young says: “With frozen desserts there is no need to prepare large quantities, which are wasted if not sold to the diner. This means that desserts need only be prepared once they are ordered and fresh ingredients are not thrown away unused.”

He adds that making a strawberry cheesecake from scratch is 25 per cent more expensive than
frozen and the same process with profiteroles will cost 62 per cent more.

So there are plenty of things to consider when it comes to thinking about desserts. We can’t decide for you, but we can show you a few options that might work on your menu…

Red velvet bundt cake
We know that desserts are generally a little naughty, which might be why this new offer from Delice De France is nicknamed the “Devil’s Cake”. It has dark red chocolate sponge,
with Belgian chocolate chunks, a white chocolate coating and raspberry crumbs. It could be one that customers find far too tempting.

Nice rice
Rice pudding (pictured) is a classic for many, but you can go sweet with rice in other ways too. Stuart Fray, of The Bell Inn in Hornden-on-the-Hill, Essex, has teamed up with Tilda to create the likes of caramelised risotto and Basmati baked mango tart served with coconut ice cream and crËme br˚lÈe.


Chocolate heaven
Easter is on the horizon, so chocolate will be a popular choice. Swedish baker Almondy has created the
Almondy Tarta. It has an almond base, rich chocolate cream and smooth, milk chocolate mousse, and is sprinkled with Toblerone pieces and smothered in milk chocolate.

New flavours
Ice cream maker Movenpick has recently launched two new flavours – Apricot Sorbet and Fior di Latte. According to Julia Jones, head of customer marketing, there is a huge opportunity for desserts, with 85 per cent of customers currently going without. She says: “The reasons for poor dessert sales range from uninspiring menu options to diners having a lack of funds or appetite. Whatever the reason, the maths is simple – by encouraging an additional 10 per cent of diners to opt for a dessert, there is the potential to increase total dessert sales by 50 per cent.”

HOW TO SELL DESSERTS

TALK THEM UP
Words on the menu such as ‘luxurious’,
and ‘indulgent’ will get customers
drooling. Men like to think big, so hint at portion size with words such as ‘Farmer’s Wife’, ‘New York’, and ‘Alabama’

WORK THE NOSTALGIA
Things like ‘sticky toffee pudding with lashings of custard’ will evoke memories

THINK LOCAL
Local sourcing can remove some calorie-
based guilt as many customers like to
support local businesses

GET DOWN WITH THE KIDS
Children like to get stuck in. Let them build their own
dessert with toppings such as sprinkles, chopped-up chocolate bars and sauces

PRICE IT RIGHT
Trends show a growth in meal spends
below £5 and a decline above £10. You may want to create an
offer accordingly.

Tips from Sally Sturley, head of marketing for Brakes Group