The Royal Wedding gives the trade ample opportunity to capitalise on public excitement. With opening hours extended for specific licensable activities extended to 1:00 am without the need for a temporary event notice, you’ve got even more hours with which to keep the after-party going. The Morning Advertiser is predicting the occasion will be worth £10 million to the trade owing to those extended trading hours, increased UK tourism and of course, the FA Cup final.
With the local remaining at the heart of communities and a trip to one a quintessential part of the British Identity, you can be confident that arranging, and shouting about, a viewing party at your outlet will attract customers. Make sure to check your licensing situation and compare the activities permitted by the extension and what you’re intending on doing. If street parties are taking place in your area, you can still benefit, people will look to head out in the trade and keep celebrations going as the day progresses.
Sparkling Wine, Pimm’s and gin are set to be the big winners. Pimm’s and Sparkling Wine typically grow by 29% during the summer, and gin sales increase by 6.6%. How about pairing a traditional fish and chips with a glass of fizz for a fixed price during the wedding? You could take this a step further with a ‘Tipsy Afternoon Tea’ event. Sandwiches and cakes paired with a bottle of Sparkling or a pitcher of Pimms, all wrapped up in one package.
English Sparkling Wine, in particular, is set to stand out from the crowd this summer. 70% of the UK’s total wine production is sparking, and its popularity is growing. Many people point to Nyetimber Classic Cuvée, new to the range this year, and its performance at the World Sparkling Wine Championship in Verona as the moment English Sparkling began its forward march. When tasted blind alongside grand marque Champagne houses, the English sparkler was declared the winner. With the nation set to explode with patriotism next weekend, stocking English may pay dividends; we’ve got a wide choice in our range.
It’s also worth noting that the occasion will be a family event, with guests likely to be accompanied by children and designated drivers. Ensure you have an excellent soft drinks range. The market has continued to grow with so many new and exciting products available, offering you fantastic choice in a market increasing 20% in the last 12 months. According to Mintel, 58% of buyers would like to see more choice of premium soft drinks in the On-Trade, so look to quality British brands such as Franklin & Sons, Hartridges, and Luscombe.
One of the best ways to improve your drinks sales during a big event is through creating a bespoke occasion based drinks list. This separate focused menu should feature a range of speciality cocktails, simple mixed drinks, premium spirits and sparkling wines. Handing a customer this concentrated menu, tailored and themed to the occasion when seated or at the bar immediately turns there attention to choosing one of these drinks, serves that should be ones that make you more margin. Remember, the vast majority of consumers have not decided their drink by the time they reach your bar or take their seat, giving you the opportunity to move them away from considering a draught beer or house wine.
With the Royal Wedding, a tailored drinks menu should, of course, highlight English Sparkling Wines, Champagnes, Pitchers of Pimm’s, your selection of gin and some high-margin cocktail serves, we’ve created three themed cocktails to get you started below;
The Royal Gin & Tonic
How to
Fill a highball glass with ice. Build the cocktail by adding 37.5ml gin, 12.5ml Vanilla Syrup, 2 Dashes Orange Bitters and 50ml Tonic Water. Top with Sparkling Wine, garnish with orange and serve.
Royal Love
How to
Fill a rocks glass with ice. Build the cocktail by adding 50ml Eden Mill Love Gin, 25ml Apple Juice, 25ml Elderflower Cordial and 12.5ml Lemon Juice. Give the drink a stir and top with Sparkling Wine. Garnish with a strawberry and sprig of mint.
American Honey and The King's Ginger
How to
Fill a highball glass with ice. Build the cocktail by adding 25ml American Honey, 25ml Kings Ginger, 12.5ml Fresh Lime Juice and 50ml Apple Juice. Add a Ginger Beer top and garnish with lime.
About the author
Luke Siddall (alumni)
I'm Matthew Clark's resident content creator, looking after our social media, website and customer communications. I was a cocktail bartender for while before joining but I now spend most of my time on the other side of the bar.
