FoodFocus by UFS Chef Mark Baylis

Mark Baylis, Executive Chef of Unilever Foodsolutions shares his thoughts and ideas on what's happening in the foodservice industry.

It's interesting to see what Chefs and Cooks will do these days to get bums on seats and entice diners into their establishments, and from what I hear it's working!

Theme nights are becoming more popular with establishments offering everything from Italian Nights to Oriental Nights and Curry Nights, I know it's not the newest idea on the block but if you are looking at ways to increase turnover, I am seeing more clubs, pubs and hotels offering this to their diners.

Theme nights are all very focused around offering different cuisines to the customer on particular nights of the week, the kitchen basically cooks a special menu outside of their menu and this creates interest to diners.

Don't be put off by thinking you have to offer a whole cuisine. A theme night can simply focus on one dish and offer different flavours or variations of that dish. It can be as simple as a Burger Night by offering six different styles of burgers, or Rib Night with different types of ribs in different sauces. Don't forget Pizza night, as the trend towards sharing meals increases in popularity. With the return to simple food, maybe a good old fashioned roast night with different meats, vegetables and sauces. The possibilities are endless, it just depends on how adventurous you want to be.

It's all about offering a point of difference and dining experience to your diners which will hopefully keep them coming back for more! Just remember to do it well and your customers will be happy diners!

Regards and Eat Well

Mark Baylis
UFS Executive Chef