Tate Smith Headlines March - April 2024

Dear customer…

Welcome to the spring edition of Headlines, packed full of great seasonal deals to support you in driving sales and profit during the months of March and April.

We focus on Easter, the first long 4-day bank holiday weekend of 2024 and a key time in the On Trade providing a fantastic opportunity to increase revenue.

Our advice pages encourage venues to create the best buzz possible to attract

customers during these events, such as Mother’s Day on Sunday 10th March and St Patrick’s Day on Sunday 17th March.

Sports once again take centre stage, with plenty of opportunities to increase footfall and create a great atmosphere. The Six Nations reaches its climax in March and for football fans there are the Champions League and FA Cup quarter and semi-finals.

Don’t forget the excitement of the Grand National on April 13th, a unique day in the British sporting calendar. Here’s to a cracking spring for us all!

SPECIAL OFFER!

Make your wine sales

Value of the sparkling wine & Champagne category

18% of consumers typically drink sparkling wine on premise at least once a quarter*

60% of sparkling Sales in the UK are Prosecco**

5 TOP TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR SPARKLING WINE SALES:

1 PROMOTE YOUR SPARKLERS

By promoting sparkling wines you will be signalling that your venue is the place to have a great time. Promotions in this category work well to bring in larger groups of drinkers –consider running a Fizzy Friday offer!

3 BRUNCH

The peak time for sales of sparkling wine is early evening, but the appeal can extend throughout the day. A particularly good opportunity to boost sales is during brunch – offer a bottomless brunch with sparkling wine as an option, or a discounted price for sparkling wine if ordered with a brunch item.

Upsell by giving a better discount on bottles compared to by the glass!

5 ENGLISH SPARKLING WINE

English wine is growing in popularity with huge momentum, aided by both warmer temperatures improving growing conditions & therefore quality over the last decade as well as the rising concern regarding carbon emissions leading both customers & businesses to choose local products over imports where possible.

• Wine growing is now Britain’s fastest growing agricultural sector!***

• In the UK sparkling wine market, English fizz volumes have grown by 22% in recent years***

• Chapel Down, England's biggest wine producer, posted a 21% rise in sales in the first six months of 2023.***

• There are now 943 vineyards across Great Britain****

2 SPECIAL OCCASIONS

Champagne remains the go-to option for special celebrations. When promoting or taking bookings for private hire or parties/ special occasions at your venue, offer a celebration drinks package to boost sales.

4 SPRITZES

Offering spritz cocktails is a perfect way to appeal to customers who enjoy both cocktails & sparkling wine! 42% of sparkling wine drinkers choose cocktails based on Champagne, Prosecco or other sparkling wines.*

GARDEN SPRITZ

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 parts Sipsmith London

Dry Gin

• 2 parts chilled soda water

• 1 part fresh lemon juice

• 1 part elderflower cordial

METHOD:

• Prosecco, to top

• Sliced strawberry, to garnish

• Lemon twist, to express

1. Fill a wine glass three quarters full with cubed ice

2 Add the gin, fresh lemon juice, elderflower cordial & soda water to the glass

3 Stir for five-ten seconds. Then add more cubed ice until the glass is filled & top with Prosecco

4 Garnish with a sliced strawberry, & finish by squeezing your lemon twist over your glass to express the oils

https://sipsmith.com/us/cocktails/garden-spritz/

*https://cgastrategy.com/how-to-put-the-fizz-back-into-wine-sales-five-cga-insights/

WILLIAMS GROVE NOW IN CANS!

£38.99 per case or BUY ANY 3 CASES & PAY ONLY £37.99 per case

SMOOTH RED

Combining jammy Tempranillo with spicy Cabernet gives a chorus of forthright, fruity notes

ZESTY WHITE

Bristling with bright apple, pear, lemon and lime hints, this white is the perfect all-rounder

DRY ROS É

Crammed with succulent raspberry and melon flavours, our Williams Grove rosé is sure to please

TOP TIPPLES TO TOAST IN 2024

Focus on making increased margins & mix it up in 2024 with some creative twists. Boost your sales by benefitting from the popularity of premium cocktails:

SPICY DRINKS

Savoury & spicy cocktails are becoming increasingly popular, as people are looking for more complex & interesting flavours in their drinks. For example savoury cocktails include the Bloody Mary & the Dirty Martini, while spicy cocktails include the Jalapeño Margarita & the Ginger Basil Smash.

2

THROWBACK TO THE 90s

Here comes .… the ‘Tini’, a twist on the firm favourite the Espresso Martini. Fresh takes on the coffee-based cocktail - you could use local high-quality cold-brew coffee, add subtle notes such as vanilla, & even substitute the vodka for scotch. The Apple Martini is also making a huge comeback, a sour cocktail that will be made from fresher ingredients in 2024 than in the 90s.

TWISTS ON THE NEGRONI

Negroni lovers will love new twists on the old classic. Substituting just the gin for Prosecco creates a lower alcohol version known as the Negroni Sbagliato which is light & sweet. Alternatively, substitute the gin for another 2024 favourite, Mezcal, for a smoky, bitter, & sweet drink.

4 FANCY ICE CUBES

2024 is the year that we get creative with ice. From giant cubes to speciality shapes, to herb or fruit-infused. It’s a way of adding value by decorating your cocktail & adding more flavour.

5 EXPERIENTIAL COCKTAILS

The experience-seeking culture of Millennials & Gen-Z’s with their insatiable appetite to capture unique moments for their social media has led to the trend of cocktails becoming experiential. Now mixologists must also think about the performance & producing a ‘wow’ moment for the drinker.

6

LOW-AND-NO-ALCOHOL COCKTAILS

Cocktail trends also have a growing consumer market for delicious low-abv & virgin options which are as satisfying as their alcohol counterparts. It pays to add thought & creativity into taste & presentation.

7 SPIKED SLUSHIES

Slushies, Tequila & Mexican-inspired drinks have been named as top on-trade trends for 2024. Try adding Teisseire grenadine syrup to Tequila, fresh lime juice & orange juice for a classic Tequila Sunrise.

8 MIXERS YOU USE MATTER

For example, the Turmeric Tonic is a refreshing cocktail that uses turmeric syrup & tonic water.

Almond, Apple, Banana, Caramel, Cherry, Chocolate, Coconut, Gingerbread, Gomme, Green Mint, Grenadine, Hazelnut, Jasmine, Lavender, Lime, Mango, Passionfruit, Peach, Raspberry, Salted Caramel, Strawberry, Tiramisu, Vanilla, Watermelon

If the flavours you require are not listed, please let us know and we can add them to our next order.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

SUNDAY 17TH MARCH

It’s a huge weekend with the final battles of the Six Nations on Saturday 16th March & St Patrick’s on Sunday 17th March providing a fantastic opportunity to boost sales.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CRAIC...

St. Patrick’s Day promotional activity is all about creating fun, displaying unique Irish decorations and costumes as well as enticing customers with a live band or special food and drink offers. In the weeks leading up to the big day, let your customers know what you are doing via social media and POS inside and outside your venue. Build the buzz online.

Alcohol spend is high on and around St. Patrick’s Day. Why not attract higher engagement by pairing drink promotions with food? Creative food and drink pairings, themed menus, and special promotions can make your venue more appealing to customers looking for the full St. Patrick’s Day experience.

Sunday 10th March

FREE FIZZ! Encourage early bookings with a free glass of wine, fizz or chocolates for all mums.

MOTHER’S DAY MENU - Make the most of multiple opportunities with breakfast or brunch for starters, followed by a lunch sitting and then evening meals.

BOOST BUSINESS - Offering a set menu at a good price is a guaranteed winner.

MAKE IT EXTRA SPECIAL - Go the extra mile and give mum a memorable experience. This can include booking a live band for the day, giving a free bouquet of flowers to all mothers, maybe even a small box of delicious chocolates, or a complimentary glass of Prosecco.

COCKTAILS FOR MUM - Introduce a range of Mother’s Day cocktails e.g. Mojito, Pimm’s Royale and Gordon’s Elderfower & Tonic.

FINAL SIX NATIONS FIXTURES

WALES v ITALY - 14:15

IRELAND v SCOTLAND - 16:45

FRANCE v ENGLAND - 20:00

Mother’s Day is a key dining occasion in the On Trade calendar. It pays to plan in advance and create a feel-good factor for mums and families in your venue.

SALES POTENTIAL

With two bank holidays Easter weekend provides the On Trade with cracking opportunities to boost drink & food sales during potentially one of the busiest & most profitable dates in the calendar. It’s the perfect time for friends & families to meet up in our Great British pubs, bars & restaurants across the country.

LET THEM KNOW

Make sure you start advertising your Easter Weekend offers at least 2 weeks in advance. Use banners & A boards to promote your events & offers to passing trade. Don’t forget posters & tent cards for inside too!

SPRUCE IT UP

Drinkers consumed 64.2 MILLION PINTS* in UK during the EASTER BANK HOLIDAY 2023 (6th -10th April)

Use bright & colourful hanging baskets outside your venue & decorate the inside with themed decorations.

GET SOCIAL

Promote your offers & events on all social media platforms #Easterdrinksoffers #EasterSundayRoast

FAMILY FUN

5.4% INCREASE on 2022!

DRIVEN BY STOUT with an impressive 36.2% INCREASE on 2022 followed by WORLD LAGER 16.1% UP

Easter is a family occasion so make sure your events are geared up for the family. You could host an Easter egg hunt, competitions, & quizzes. Why not get other businesses in the community involved as well?

NO & LOW

Add value to your soft drinks menu with interesting garnishes to make your offering more enticing for both children & adults that are actively seeking a non-alcoholic option. Include No & Low Alcohol beers and ciders within your Easter drinks range.

MIX IT UP

Make extra margin with special Easter cocktails. Creamy & chocolatey liqueurs are perfect as a starting point. Don’t forget mocktails to appeal to drivers & health conscious drinkers.

MINI EGG MARTINI

INGREDIENTS:

• 25g mini chocolate eggs

• 1 tsp honey

• 25ml crème de cacao

• 25ml Irish cream

• 50ml vodka

• Ice

MA

METHOD:

1. Crush the chocolate mini eggs then tip onto a small plate. Brush the rim of a martini glass with a little of the honey then dip the glass into the crushed chocolate eggs.

2. Pour the crème de cacao, Irish cream and vodka into a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice and shake. Strain into the glass and serve.