What better way to enjoy a fine meal than to have an accompanying drink that compliments the flavours of each dish?
What was traditionally a common feature in high-end, luxury restaurants is now spreading wider into other areas. And instead of suggesting fine wines, restaurants are looking to beers, ciders and even fruit juices to find a dishes perfect partner.
Diners go out to share an experience with their friend or family. Providing customers with a drink and meal to match will improve their experience, as well as your revenue.
It may seem like a small change to make, but pairing your food and drink is an effective way of giving your restaurant a unique appeal that sets you apart from the competition. Customers don’t have to follow your recommendations, but you’d be surprised at how many do. After all, you’re the expert and they’re likely to trust your judgement.
Tips for pairing food and drink in your restaurant
Perhaps the most important step in creating a food and drinking pairing program is to have a knowledgeable team of waiters and waitresses. Your staff should be in a position to know the range of drinks available and suggest a choice of beverage that will go with their meal.
Having the waiter/waitress provide recommendations for an accompanying drink once the food order has been placed is probably the most effective upsell. But you could also list recommended pairings on the menu itself. A section of your menu could be dedicated to go-to, popular choices for a handful of dishes.
Choosing the right pairing can be a daunting task for a newcomer, similarly many will not want to be lectured on the benefits of each pairing and why it should be chosen. It’s about finding the right balance. Menus or blackboards are commonly used to invite interested customers to ask about what drinks should accompany their choice of meal.
Getting restaurant furniture right
It’s not just food and drink that should come as a pair, a restaurant’s chairs and tables should go hand in hand and complement each other too! An example of some match-made-in-heaven restaurant furniture is the Abbruzzo chair in brown leather with the rectangular shaker table and the loopback side chair and the dolphin table.
If your restaurant furniture is in need of a reboot, browse our selection or call our team on 0116 2989 897 for advice.