For this is the time of year when people try to turn over a new leaf and live a relatively healthy lifestyle, at least until they get bored or until payday comes around.
But those “athletes” are still potential customers, so what can you do to entice them in once they have finished their work-out?
Not every landlord is convinced that healthy options and calorie-counting have a rightful place in the pub. In fact, several we spoke to suggested the pub should be the one sanctuary from the January health craze. It is the place where people come to let their hair down, so punters might not want to find menus lecturing them on nutrition or pork scratchings replaced with carrot sticks.
However, there is no escaping the fact that as a nation we are trying harder to eat a more balanced diet.
Recent research by Unilever Food Solutions revealed that 60 per cent of UK consumers want more healthy options and 30 per cent would be willing to pay more for the privilege.
This is certainly the experience of Corin Earland (pictured), chef operations manager at multiple operator Peach Pub Company. He and the team have developed a “super-food salad” to keep the growing numbers of health-conscious customers happy.
Corin says: “These are now on all of our menus and include lentils, couscous and nuts and seeds for crunch and texture.
“We use lots of raw veg so people get plenty of nutrients. The key is to get the dressing right to really give it some bite. We do some with venison and some with omega 3 fish.”
The super-food salads are priced at around £6 to £7 for a starter and £12 to £14 for a main meal. Corin says:”They are not our highest-margin product, but they are very popular and people have a great sense of satisfaction when they have eaten one because it feels so good for them.”
The trend for healthy grub has been witnessed across the estate, with more people ordering veg sides and requesting dishes without dairy.
Peach has also developed healthy menu options with local schoolchildren and helped them look at their diet.
At freehouse Ye Old Sun Inn in Colton, Yorkshire, licensee and chef Ashley McCarthy tries to tempt customers with healthy-sounding desserts.
“At this time of year people often try to cut out the desserts, so we concentrate on lighter options such as fruit-based jellies and sorbets and move away from the rich chocolates and creams,” he says.
Pubs in general are also following a wider trend of displaying calorific content on menus. A simple “H” for healthy on the menu can do the job.
Companies such as Punch, Marston’s, Greene King and Wetherspoons have also been praised by the Food Standards Agency for reducing salt and fat levels.
But while customers are becoming ever more health-conscious, pubs don’t need to turn into some kind of hippy-hang out that serves only bean-burgers and lentils.
There is nutritional value in many traditional pub classics such as jacket potatoes, steak, bangers and mash, and fish and chips. Small changes can make a big difference, such as using lean meat and less pastry and butter, or offering wholegrain options.
A few tweaks here and there will mean you can get those joggers in from the cold without sending your regular clientele running for the hills.
