Business partners Peter Howlett and Jay Nicholson have previously managed a number of pubs but none had been suitable to serve food which was an area they were keen to develop. They took over the Church Inn in St Helens 18 months ago and started to explore ways to introduce food to the outlet.
They were looking for a simple and cost effective solution when the Big Al’s range of frozen, pre-cooked beef burgers, chicken grills and BBQ pork ribsteaks was recommended by Admiral Taverns.
Peter says: “The Big Al’s range is ideal for us because it’s quick and easy to prepare and it enables us to provide food at all times of the day. We’ve even had requests from customers for takeaway. We recently added the new chicken wings to the menu and they are really taking off.”
The Church Inn serves Big Al’s products with a choice of accompaniments including chips, peas, salad and vegetables.
The selling price is £2.99 and with as many as 35-45 products sold each week the outlet makes around £135 gross profit.
The Big Al’s range provides a quality but convenient menu option that’s ideal for establishments which don’t have kitchen facilities, the need or budget to employ full time chefs or those that want to boost their menu with little effort – all you need is a microwave and freezer.
As Peter himself puts it: “Any licensee not serving food should definitely start selling Big Al’s. In addition to the profits from food we’ve found our wet sales receive a boost as people stay in the pub longer.”
MANAGERS: Peter Howlett and Jay Nicholson
PRODUCTS: Big Al’s 4oz & 6oz beef burger, BBQ pork ribsteaks, chicken steak and chicken wings
