Tag Archives: Customers

Wine

Customer Profile: Maray Restaurants

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Mark Jackson, Bar Operations, Maray Restaurants

Questions – longer form responses:

How would you describe your wine list?

A: At Maray, our wine list features wine primarily from regions that our food is inspired by: Middle Eastern small plates. We try to balance unusual exciting wines with familiar key grape varieties. We want to create wine stories for guests and make it a memorable experience!

How do you lay out your wine list? And why does this work well for your guests?

A: We offer all wines in 175ml glass, by the carafe or bottle. This really opens the list up for guests to try something new without committing to a full bottle, and place key grape varieties at higher price points to encourage them to try something new or unfamiliar. With red and white we structure the list into sections, such as ‘Big & Bold’ or ‘Spice & Fruit-Forward’ to help direct guests toward flavour profiles they enjoy. Keeping the layout clear and concise also so not to overwhelm our guests with pages and pages of words.

Where do you think is the next up-and-coming wine region?

A: With the issues currently impacting New Zealand and parts of Europe, we may see a move from consumers, as they look to more up-and-coming wine regions such as parts of South Africa. It is also an opportunity for us to recommend different wine producing regions – we have a red from Croatia on our list which I love to introduce people to!

What are guests ordering most from your wine list?

A: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir are our strongest sellers, closely followed by a Merlot and Blanc de Blanc from Château Oumsiyat in Lebanon. We have a really good spread of sales across the whole list, some guests may have three glasses of different wines in the same sitting, which is exactly what we are trying to achieve: take them on a journey.

What are your biggest learnings from the pandemic in 2020 and 2021?

A: The value of investing time and energy into team training has proven invaluable and has helped create a wine culture within our company. We focus on the stories behind the wines, the people that produce them, and create wine experiences for guests. Consumers love to learn new things that they can pass on to their friends and family.

Have you seen wine tastes change over the last three years?

A: Consumers are more educated and much more open to discovery than we first thought. Moving away from those same old wines they have drank time and time again, and are in search of something new. We are very well placed at Maray to deliver that. Consumers are also very environmentally conscious, so being able to offer wines on our list that are socially and environmentally responsible has become more important to our guests and will continue to do so.

If you could have any wine on your wine list (past or present), what would it be?

A: All our wines from Château Oumsiyat in Lebanon; particularly the Merlot we currently have is stunning!

What would you like to see guests ordering more of?

A: We have some really interesting wines from Greece, Turkey and North Macedonia that I love. I’d would like to continue directing guests to those wines from that area of world from which our food is so heavily influenced by. What grows together, goes together.

What is your personal favourite wine/food pairing?

A: As a vegetarian and working in restaurant that primarily celebrates vegetables on the menu, I really enjoy a Disco Cauliflower (our top selling dish) with a glass of chilled Kayra, Beyaz Kalecik Karasi Rosé from Turkey. Belter.

Quick-Fire Questions – short responses:

Dinner party or wild party?

A: Dinner party

Cornwall or Ibiza?

A: Ibiza

Pinot Noir from Cote de Beaune or Central Otago?

A: Central Otago, New Zealand

James Bond or Jason Bourne?

A: James Bond

English bubbles or Champagne?

A: Champagne

Rich and robust or delicate and nuanced?

A: Rich and bold

Negroni or Pornstar Martini?

A: Negroni

Wine

Time to get back out there!

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One of the greatest things about going out to your favourite (or new) restaurant is the absolute excitement, and minimal effort required in getting a superb meal being served to you and cooked by professionals with extreme passion for the end product. And generally getting to share it with the people you love or like… There really is nothing quite like it!

You start browsing the food menu, then onto the wines – oh the decisions… Sometimes the wine choice can be hardest element of the adventure, but should we be looking at this differently? With extreme pressure on staffing levels across our industry, we need to try and make things as fun and easy for guests as possible, and help guide them to a wine that is going to elevate their whole experience. Let’s be honest, most people are incredibly nervous when it comes to ordering wine. It is the “face off” of not wanting to look silly in front of your server and mates…”Just go for the wine you can pronounce”, your head says.

This is where I think operators can have some fun. I am certainly not saying we need to reinvent the wheel, and a huge number of operators do this already, but having some fun with your guest is where we can make that lasting experience for them. By simply recommending glasses of wine on your food menu that might otherwise be overlooked, or by having a ‘by the glass’ selection that challenges the ‘norm’ and not being afraid to change these regularly, the customer experience can be greatly enhanced.

I’m not suggesting a complete overhaul of the wine list as I do think having a core wine list and ‘by the glass’ offering is crucial, but a little bit of stardust to make things fun is where it is at for me. It can also make things more interesting when matching wines to your food dishes and can push your customers to be that little more adventurous and out of their comfort zone.

We are very lucky in the UK to have such a huge variety of wines to choose from. Literally, every wine producing corner of the world is accessible to us here in the UK and they are making some insane wines. We should be celebrating this, but also understand how utterly daunting this is for someone not in the wine trade. For a little perspective, I was not scared to omit Sauvignon Blanc and Malbec from a restaurant’s ‘By the glass’ selection. These wines have this unique gravitational pull that guests would automatically select without fully engaging with all that is on offer. This then helps free up a couple of slots by the glass and allows the operator to have some fun by selecting more esoteric wines!

I do appreciate that some might think that the food and wine matching scene is quite tricky, however it is very ambiguous and subjective. Yes, that Sauvignon Blanc will go perfectly with that Goats Cheese but the Assyrtiko from Lebanon will be much more fun and do the exact same job. Rib-Eye steak and Malbec you say? Why not go Tannat instead…

I’m not saying that we have to go completely rogue here as there as there are producers in the well-known regions of both the Old World and the New World doing some really cool stuff as well, but all I can emphasise is giving your guest that little X-Factor experience when dining with you.

I always used to liken a service in the restaurant as a show, of sorts that people have come to experience. So surely, doing something different to what they might have been to on their last outing is more attractive whether that’s on the food or wine side of things? Serving sizes is also key to me. By recommending 100ml or 125ml glasses of wine gives people the option to try and have a couple of different glasses throughout their meal.

For me, I always enjoyed the part of my previous roles within the restaurant trade where I had the opportunity to guide customers out of their comfort zone. It created conversations with guests, and also gives you the chance to share some of your expertise and wine discoveries. Of course, staff training (especially wine specific training) is crucial to this working well. I think every operator should invest more time in this aspect as it builds the foundations for our industry as well as creating confidence in your guests and team. Also, it makes the whole experience more engaging and fun for your team which will ultimately rub off on your guests. After all, we all started not knowing a lot at some point in any career path you choose.

So, have some fun and make it easy for your guests to choose something that they might not necessarily have chosen without you!

Wine

Putting the Customer, into Customer Service

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The Customer Service department is the beating heart of any business; processing customer sales orders, ensuring deliveries arrive in the right place at the right time and, above all, making sure our customers are looked after from start to finish.

The Customer Service team are a close-knit group, working alongside each other every day. Some of the team have been with the company for one year, some for over 25 years – a testament to just how close-knit they all are. Adding all these up, their combined experience at Hallgarten totals over 138 years of service!

The team of 16 have varied roles within the department. The majority are on hand daily to accept, prioritize and input orders within the area deadlines, accounting for any special requirements, promotions, pricing, samples and doing their upmost to make sure all orders are entered correctly.

As part of our Customer Service, our Delivery team ensures all orders are sent across to the warehouse as swiftly as possible, all stocks are correct and work closely with our logistics partner, LCB, to make sure delivery planning is carried out efficiently.

However, we are not resting on our laurels, as we are constantly working on projects to help improve our in-house systems, led by our order and delivery Supervisors, and the Customer Services Manager. The team take great pride in offering the best service possible and are always looking at ways to build better relationships with customers and colleagues.

The pandemic has hit the country hard in the last two years, and our Customer Service team was no different as we dealt with much publicised issues with stock availability due to HGV driver shortages and port delays. Working closely with our Shipping and sales teams, we were able to ride out the storm and offer suitable replacements where we could. Whilst the challenges we faced were new to all of us, we retained our over-riding desire to ensure Customer Service was not affected. The hospitality sector may have been in hibernation, but our partnership with these businesses did not stop as we pulled out all the stops to help them diversify their businesses, whether into local delivery or online wine shop!

With the Customer Service team, and the full company, moving to working from home during this time we were able to utilise video calls to kept our spirits up – sometimes just from sharing what we watched on TV that week. From being such a tight group in the office, it was great to see nothing changed when we moved to our home offices. Over the last year we have worked hard with the support of our sales teams and other departments, building ourselves back up and know we can now handle anything that comes our way!

In spite of all the issues in 2021, it ended up being a huge year for order entry, processing over 54,000 invoices (equating to over 380,000 product lines), and with everything else going on we still managed to keep our team accuracy at 99.01%.

To say I am proud of the team for everything they have achieved in the last two years would be a huge understatement. They continue to increase levels of customer service each and every day, and with exciting plans in-store for 2022, I know this is going to be another incredible year.

Onwards and upwards!

Katherine Hughes, Customer Service Manager

Wine

Creating Buy-in

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As with so many things, the last two years have forced change at a faster pace. Countless businesses have managed to pivot to a ‘work from home’ model seemingly in a matter of weeks. Zoom calls became a novelty, then standard fare, then the butt of jokes almost overnight.

How people choose their wine has also evolved. There will always be those that scoop the cheapest wine offering into their trolley while debating if that MIG welder in the middle aisle is a sound investment. But the number of those that want to learn a little more about what they drink has swelled dramatically. Possibly because furlough afforded people the time to drink more and to google more, and because the information is so readily available and increasingly user-friendly.

If you have a mind to, there are apps that offer you wine reviews with the scan of a label, there are even apps that bring the label to life. There are QR codes and embedded links everywhere, even in this magazine. But the strongest platform for enquiry is social media. Posts can introduce you to the wine maker, the brand, the vision even!

An occasional mistake in wine is to try and feed the customer stats. The level of oak or maturation time is important, but very few get excited by numbers. People buy into anecdotes and authenticity. Stories they can then tell their guests when they hold court at a dinner party. Perhaps the producer still ploughs its vineyards with the help of a horse?

These stories play out brilliantly on social media. This can take a consumer product and personalise it to the point that can inspire emotional investment. In some cases this can become a brand following as in the case of Grande Marques or the latest Provence Rosé but, for those that aren’t dripping in marketing budgets and celebrity endorsements, personal honesty can shine through.

In the past few years there has been a surge in demand for organic and regionally authentic wines. The Indie retail customer is no longer content with international grapes grown everywhere. With access to much more information and, recently, more time, the customer is prepared to buy into not just a bottle of wine but the principals and ideas that made that wine. There is a greater level of enquiry which demands a greater level of accountability. As an evolution to brand alignment based on aspiration (those Veuve Wellies may have had their day) we are now seeing emotional alignment to ethical principles. There is more kudos at the dinner party to a wine that has been ethically produced using sustainable principals and region specific grapes than one seen on reality television. I hope…

The increase in access through social media has been bolstered further by online tastings. In order to tap into the demand for experiential tastings a numbers of Indie retailers hosted tasting events during lockdown. Although the logistics of getting wine to anything up to 200 individual homes may have been a headache the opportunity to have the winemaker, often sitting in his or her winery, on the call more than justified it. This offered a level of connection not seen to the average customer and a huge spring board to emotional investment. In a lot of cases it also translated into sales. Not just of the wine tasted but of all wines from the maker.

Some customers will consider a £3 wine excellent value. Some will never leave a specific grape or region. However, there are increasing numbers of the inquisitive, the scrutineers. With phones in hand and apps at the ready looking to introduce new wines and new places to their circles but only once they have scrolled the ‘gram and checked the credentials. Everyone likes a good a story, especially if there is a horse involved.

Wine

Getting to know Phil Innes, Loki Wines

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In the latest issue of our wine-focused magazine, Assemblage, we took a step away from the Hallgarten business to catch up with some of our partners in the wine sector about how they have fared over the last two years. Here we spoke to Phil Innes, owner of Loki Wines.

What are your biggest learnings from the pandemic in 2020 and 2021?

A: The biggest learning is that even in adversity companies can adapt and thrive in any situation. We are coming out of the pandemic with an additional store, plus a significant online operation. As well as areas such as virtual tasting which I never thought would be so popular per pandemic. Also I really learned the importance of all the years of customer engagement that built up good will that we managed to use to our advantage during the pandemic.

What trends are you seeing from consumers in 2022?

A: South Africa has been massive, the country has always had a very strong following, however the last 12 months has seen big growth which I don’t see decreasing.

Where do you think is the next up-and-coming wine region?

A: Although we already do a lot with Greece, I think we will see this area growing in importance as people are actively trying to discover new wines, and have an understanding of the world of wine prior to France and Italy. I think that whole area including Croatia, Slovenia, Armenia, Turkey and Lebanon will continue to see an increase over the next couple of years. I am still waiting for places like Bulgaria and Romania to come more into the consumer consciousness. I have seen some great examples coming out of these countries.

Which grape variety are you most excited about?

A: Can I tentatively say that Riesling is going to be very exciting… I just think Riesling has struggled with consumers, but certainly the dryer styles are becoming more popular now. It may be Riesling’s time to shine.

Are you seeing an increasing demand for sustainable and natural wines?

A: I think we are seeing a slight plateauing in interest, however vegan wines are continuing to grow in popularity.

What is your personal favourite wine/food pairing?

A: You can’t beat a good steak and Bordeaux

How do you organise the wines on your shelves?

A: By country

What are your plans for your shop in 2022?

A: We are currently refurbishing our first two sites, and also looking for a 4th site in the Midlands. I think as we come out of the pandemic traditional bricks and mortar retailers will see a big increase in demand as people continue to use online, but also want to go back to more face to face and expert opinion.

What is the best-selling style of wine in your shop?

A: Still Argentinian Malbec and New Zealand Sauvignon.

Quick-Fire Questions 

Dinner party or wild party?
A: Dinner Party

Cornwall or Ibiza?
A: Ibiza everyday.

Pinot Noir from Cote de Beaune or Central Otago?
A: Cote de Beaune

James Bond or Jason Bourne?
A: Bond

English bubbles or Champagne?
A: Champagne – Sorry England

Rich and robust or delicate and nuanced?
A: Rich and Robust

Negroni or Pornstar Martini?
A: Negroni – who in the wine industry chooses Pornstar Martini!?!