OPINION: Hot food sales are a hit with customers

It’s been absolutely manic recently and I have trouble to cope sometimes.

Our hot food sales have gone up two-fold, but we haven’t taken on more staff so we’re flying around the shop floor.

We try to prepare as much as we can, but even then it’s still difficult. I can’t moan about the increase in sales, but you understand the pressure. The morning is our busiest time – between 10am and midday. We prepare our toasties with the various fillings then freeze them, so when the order comes in we only have to pop them on the preheated toaster for a couple of minutes. We make sure our bacon is cooked and bread rolls are buttered. But when customers come in during a busy time there’s often a conflict about who will get served first – the hot food customer or the Post Office?

Our pies are popular, with traditional meat fillings as well as Indian recipes, but it’s surprising how customers’ tastes change from week to week.

Even though the warmer months are here hot food sales haven’t started to dwindle yet – I’m especially happy that they come in and buy a cake with their main meal.

But to keep it fresh I’ve introduced Kershaws ready meals. For an extra 50p I offer customers the opportunity to have them microwaved in-store, so they can eat them straight away. They seem to be popular with the guys from the nearby construction site – I guess it’s a change from sandwiches.