Sunday lunch Pub 21/10/09 16:07 Page 43
Tuesday November 3, 2009 – Intercontinental Hotel, London thePublican Monday 26/10/09 43
FOOD & DRINK
SPONSORED BY
AWARDS 2009
MARK CROSS INN
THE FACTS
Crowborough, East Sussex
• Type of pub: Riverside
managed house
The Mark Cross Inn is part of gastropub chain Whiting & Hammond, and is • Wet/dry split: 62/38
managed by Lisa Mordan. • Average GP on food:
71%
Describe the Sunday lunch offer
A selection of classic roasts – plus the popular mixed roast for those who
can’t make their minds up – runs alongside the normal daily menu and a
specials board. All dishes are made in-house and all ingredients are sourced
locally from suppliers within a one-hour radius of the pub.
What innovations have been introduced?
As well as the mixed roast there are ‘light bites’ for those who just want a
snack or want to try a selection of dishes. The specials board offers seasonal
dishes and something different, and might include a seafood platter for two
to share or mussels in a choice of sauces.
THE SHIP
How is excellent customer service maintained?
Pre-service briefings twice a day by the chef make sure staff know what’s
Wandsworth, London
coming out of the kitchen, and tastings introduce them to new dishes. This
helps them make recommendations to customers and answer their questions.
A computerised reservation system has improved efficiency and allows The Ship is a famous old inn that is now part of Young’s managed estate. In
customers to leave comments. Weekly management meetings discuss any charge is manager Oisin Rogers.
issues while monthly team meetings promote creative analysis.
Describe the Sunday lunch offer
How is Sunday lunch marketed? For the busiest session of the week, the Ship’s à la carte menu is updated with
The Mark Cross welcomes everyone from barristers to binmen. The environ- chicken, lamb and beef dishes altered to suit the changing seasons. Over
ment projects a calming, homely, relaxed atmosphere where you might plan the summer a salmon dish was added and there are also child-friendly dishes
to call in for a quick bite but end up staying the whole day. as Sunday is a family day. All meat is free range and organic. For the more
informal occasion a barbecue operates all year round.
What innovations have been introduced?
The Ship has stopped taking reservations for Sundays which means people
arrive earlier and creates a fluid afternoon service. On the food side, chef
Peter Murray has added to the menu half a roast chicken and rib of beef in
addition to topside.
THE FACTS How is excellent customer service maintained?
This is entirely down to hiring the right staff. With the sheer volume of custom
• Type of pub: Rural on a Sunday they must work well under pressure and perform to the same
managed house high standard as they would if there were only two people in the restaurant.
• Wet/dry split: 40/60
• Average GP on food: How is Sunday lunch marketed?
70% Sunday lunch at the Ship mainly markets itself through word of mouth. In
addition, press releases and a monthly newsletter – mailed to a database of
3,700 customers – are issued and the pub has had some fantastic reviews.
Social networks Facebook and Twitter are used, and increasingly people are
attracted via the web.
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