Star Pubs and Bars to help tenants capitalise on cocktail sales

Star Pubs and Bars has launched a free cocktail menu builder to help its leased and tenanted licensees capitalise on a post lockdown boom in cocktail sales and aid their pandemic recovery.

Data from the group’s Just Add Talent (JAT) managed operator pubs revealed that cocktail sales have doubled since pubs reopened in May, accounting for 25% of spirits served in the average pub.

The increase has contributed to a 44% surge in spirits’ share of wet sales, with data suggesting that it is now the second biggest category at JAT pubs after beer and ciders.

The new cocktail menu builder has its own website and has been developed in collaboration with spirits suppliers such as Diageo, William Grant and Sons and Bacardi-Martini.

The service enables licensees to access over 450 different cocktail recipes, search for recipes using spirits they have in stock and create two free personalised cocktail menus a year.

Ben Ko-Nkengmo, spirits category buyer, Star Pubs and Bars, said: “Serving cocktails is no longer ‘nice to have’ even for community pubs. Customers expect at least a capsule menu of four really well made cocktails. This trend will be amplified in the festive season when pub goers look to treat themselves.

“Our cocktail menu builder is designed to make it easy for them to tap into demand for cocktails and drive sales with minimum work. It had an amazing response from spirits producers. Our pandemic rent support proved the value of the leased and tenanted model. We will continue to build on that with business boosting initiatives.”