‘Twas the countdown to Christmas and all through the public house, Hydes’ chefs were stirring, keen to serve hungry mouths…

Salford-based brewer and pub retailer Hydes is gearing up for a bumper festive period with bookings for 2024 already at maximum capacity for Christmas day dinners.

The family-owned independent business reports that Christmas Day bookings for pubs across its estate were already at 75% capacity by July.

Last year, over 1,000 6-7kg turkey crowns were served to visitors to Hydes premium dining pubs between 22 November – 31 December, equating to over 12,500 Christmas dinners and resulting in Hydes’ most successful Christmas on record. In addition to turkey, 3,600 braised feather blades of beef portions were also sold to guests.

Over the festive period last year, Hydes chefs served up 10.6 tonnes of potatoes, 3.5 tonnes of carrots, 3.2 tonnes of swede and 1.6 tonnes of sprouts.

Hydes’ catering development manager David Oldham predicts that advance sales of turkey Christmas dinners are already significantly up on last year, resulting in a 10% uplift in sales for 2024.

In accounts for the year to 31 March 2024, Hydes reported turnover of £39.3m, up £5m from the previous year.

David commented: “We start planning our festive menus in January so they can be printed and, in the pubs for the start of July, and it’s around this time I begin conversations with all my suppliers. We needed to be even quicker off the mark this year as one of the biggest suppliers of turkey in the UK unexpectedly decided not to produce any turkeys this year, choosing instead to concentrate on supplying chickens. This is bound to have an impact on turkey supplies for the hospitality trade but thankfully visitors to our dining pubs will not miss out on their turkey dinners.

“By July of this year festive menu bookings were already up 15% on the same time last year so 2024 looks like being a record year for us. Some customers even re-book for the following year on Christmas Day itself but typically most of our pubs are full by September. This year is no exception.”

With 27 years in the hospitality sector as a chef and more than a decade at Hydes, David works very closely with all Hydes chefs to ensure the kitchens are fully equipped and prepared for the busiest time of the year, as well as liaising closely with trusted suppliers to guarantee plentiful supply stocks.

Christmas is the busiest trading period of the year for Hydes and the festive menu normally runs from 22 November until the end of the year. Every October, the business hosts a festive workshop with all managers where they get to sample the Christmas meals and learn about the new festive drinks added to the menu.

Adam Mayers, managing director of Hydes, added: “Christmas dinner is one of the most important meals of the year. Training and communication across the business is key to guarantee that customers are well looked after. We always go above and beyond to guarantee guests get the best Christmas meal we can deliver.

“This Christmas looks like being our busiest ever and we are looking forward to welcoming lots of families who enjoy getting together to eat in one of our pubs, with the real fires burning and drinks flowing. And nobody has to wash up!”

Formed in 1863, Hydes’ Brewery is a pub retailer and brewer headquartered in Media City, Salford. It supplies beers to wholesalers, pub companies and other brewers throughout the UK and has a pub retailing estate of nearly 50 pubs across the North West of England and North Wales comprising 33 managed and 12 tenanted pubs,  including a wide selection of premium dining destination outlets and traditional community pubs.

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Image: David Oldham