Upside Downturn

I went to lunch at the new River Cottage cafe in town. I have to say that the food was faultless. That and the values he runs the place by make it a winner but there was a one, quite big problem: the cost.

The prices charged were presumably so high because no corners were cut in the ethical sourcing of ingredients (that and Bath’s sky-high business rates!) and, as I mentioned, the quality of what was on the plate was fantastic.  But there was an issue with the overall experience. The setting was nice (in the foyer of an old cinema) and the decoration simple and taseful but really basic. On the downside, the chairs were uncomfy, the presentation sloppy,  the portions small, the staff were forgetful and the service chaotic.

None of that would have really mattered had it been ‘just a cafe’ or had been priced more reasonably. I know that the whole River Cottage thing is about keeping things local, natural, inclusive and simple but the experience didn’t match up to, for instance, the Jamie Oliver restaurant in town. There the food is also faultless but so is everything else! The Oliver brand isn’t present everywhere your eyes rest, the service is slick, the decor perfect, the presentation immaculate and the end result is a memorable place to eat.

The lesson here is branding. If you are trading on a name you need to make sure that the experience you give people is what they would expect from it. And that experience is much more than just the product itself.

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andy Brands, marketing