MAXIMISING SALES OF BEER AND CIDER

Here are ways to maximise your beer and cider sales:

Draught beer and cider

• Serve at the correct temperature and in perfect condition.
• Use immaculate glassware.
• Use branded glassware.
• Train your staff to serve the perfect pint and to be knowledgeable about your products.
• Make sure your beer founts and handpulls are situated on your bar where they can be seen by customers.
• Make sure your founts and handpulls (and pump clips) are sparklingly clean.
• Use gleaming brass (or similar style) drip trays which enhance the presentation of draught products to customers.
• Use chalkboards to advertise in advance forthcoming cask ales or other new products that you are introducing.
• Offer customers the chance to try small samples before buying.
• Use chalkboards and professional looking ‘beer menus’ to describe the style, taste and strength of each of your draught beers and ciders.
• If you offer cask beers join the Cask Marque scheme and aim to be accredited to display their plaque.
• If you offer a range of cask ales contact your local Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) branch and aim to get into their Good Beer Guide (see their website: www.camra.org.uk).

Bottled beers and cider

Bottled beer and cider is served in different ways depending on the product, the customers’ expectations, the type of pub and the occasion. For example, in YPVs it is normal practice to serve bottled products without a glass. In other types of pub, customers will expect to be served bottled products with a glass. There is also growth in demand for certain bottled ciders to be served over ice.

Here are ways to maximise your bottled beers and ciders:

• Stock the biggest selling brands.
• Serve at the correct temperature (see the section, ‘Bottle Fridges’ below).
• Display products effectively in your bottle fridges (see section, ‘Bottle Fridges’ below).
• Use back of the bar displays to promote products.
• Serve in a branded glass (where applicable).
• Ask your brewery, pub company or other supplier for any promotion kits or point of sale material (POS) that may be available.
• Make enticing displays of bottles stacked in ice.
• Run a bottled beer of the month promotion.