There are lots of ways to use your menu as an upselling tool. A great place to start is by nailing your dish descriptions, especially when you want to increase the perceived value of high-margin items. Use evocative language that taps into people’s senses, e.g. ‘rich’, ‘crispy’, ‘succulent’ and ‘velvety’, and don’t be afraid to flag your green credentials and provenance.

Menu items can generally be broken down into four categories: ‘stars’, ‘dogs’, ‘plough horses’ and ‘puzzles’. In order to make your menu as profitable as possible, you’ll need to suss out which camps your dishes fall into so you know what stays and goes.

Dining out is a social event, with more

than half of us doing so to spend time

with friends or family*. More than ever,

customers are seeking memorable

multisensory experiences that connect

good food with a stimulating or comforting atmosphere.

Each corner of your menu serves a

different purpose and there’s some real psychology behind what goes where. We’ve mentioned the golden triangle, but the rest of your menu should be thought out, too.

The first port of call for prospective diners is your website and social media, so you need to show off your best bits online. Features like behind-the-scenes footage, an illustrative origin story and strong food photography are essential.

Today’s customer demands transparency and appreciates a true story, making provenance a key part of your menu. It can be as simple as a line under each dish mentioning where the key ingredients are sourced, a bigger box-out flaunting collaborations with local farmers, or a link on your online menu taking users through to a page detailing your farm-to-fork journey.