Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

UK Pub Group Promotes Healthy Eating with New Fun Kids Menu - trial offer enclosed

*** Your invitation to trial the new family menu
at your local Spirit Group pub ***


HEALTHIER OPTIONS FOR CHILDREN THIS EASTER
With an estimated 80 million Easter eggs sold in Britain last year and similarly huge sales expected this year, it’s not easy for parents to curb their children’s appetite for chocolate.

But for families concerned about maintaining the good health of their youngsters, while still giving them treats and fun over the holidays, one pub company has cracked it.

The Spirit Group has responded positively to the ongoing debate on children’s eating and health by launching a new menu at its family-friendly pubs.

It has reduced the fat and salt content of all the children’s main courses, provided gluten free meals and flagged up a nutritional table on the menu to give greater guidance. In addition, all the ‘build your own’ healthy food sections have no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners.

Youngsters treated to a meal out at these pubs will find a choice of dishes, not just the undoubtedly popular chicken nuggets and burgers. These young consumers can tuck into pasta dishes, cottage pie and curries for example, while fajitas stuffed with healthy vegetables are proving a fun make-it-yourself option.

Jason Fellows is a regional manager at Spirit Group, the managed house division of Punch Taverns, the UK’s largest pub operator with more than 9,300 leased, tenanted and managed pubs across the UK.

He said: “We know a meal out at the pub is a popular family treat. And with the Wacky Warehouses and outdoor play areas at many of our pubs they are a great place to go to burn off excess energy and the extra calories from the Easter eggs which children love.

“The meals we serve are an important part of that family experience and we offer quality food and value for money for children.”

Young customers and their needs are taken seriously at Spirit pubs with a menu which offers them real choice; it’s not the limited and unimaginative one you may find elsewhere.

Jason explained: “To ensure we got the right balance we tested our menus on experts – seeking the opinions of a children’s consumer panel. We asked for their feedback, which gave us some strong views to build our menu around.

“Healthy diets for children start in the home, so eating out at a pub has to be put in context, it is a treat; it is not where they have meals every day. Having said that, we do take our responsibilities to healthy eating seriously. It is why we have put renewed efforts into improving our menus from a nutritional point of view.”

Spirit introduced Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) onto the nutritional table on the back of the children’s menu. The guidelines help parents choose options which allow them to mix treats with healthy, staple foods to get a balance that meets recommended daily intake.

All main dishes were reviewed for fat, saturated fats, sugar and salt with a notable reduction gained. The dishes were tasted by Spirit’s consumer panel with fantastic feedback from the children and parents alike.

*** JOURNALIST OFFER ***

If you or a colleague would like to take your family along to trial the new Spirit Group children’s menu, contact Lorna Bishop or Melissa Freeman on 0121 200 0780.

*** COMPETITION ***

WIN TASTY AND HEALTHY CHILDREN’S MEALS AT A SPIRIT GROUP FAMILY PUB

For a chance to try out the new menu for free we are offering readers the chance to win a meal for five children and two adults at a participating Spirit pub. If you aren't lucky enough to win one of the two prizes on offer, why not call in anyway and treat yourself and your family?

For a chance to win simply answer this question: what kind of table will you find on the children’s menu?

Send your answer to…………………………………………… (newspaper’s details) by ………………..(add closing date).

* Terms and conditions apply

1. Entrants must be 18 or over and employees of this newspaper and companies associated with the competition aren't eligible to take part.

2. The prize must be claimed before April 30 at the named pub and excludes Bank Holidays.

3. The prize is for two courses and one soft drink for each person.

4. There's no cash alternative.

5. The editor’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into

(add any other of the newspaper’s standard conditions)

For more info please contact:

Lorna Bishop or Melissa Freeman at Seal Communications
Tel: 0121 200 0780.