The “Tap Water” Table of Doom

We have all seen them. Table 4. A group of four adults. They order four Roast Beefs (£20 each). The waiter asks: “Drinks?” They reply: “Just a jug of tap water for the table, please.”

Your heart sinks. You are running that table at a loss. By the time you pay for the beef, the chef, the waitress, the laundry, and the heating, a food-only table with zero “wet” spend is basically a charity event. The margin in hospitality is in the liquid. The Roast is the bait; the Wine is the hook. If your staff are scared to sell wine, or if your menu doesn’t encourage it, you are leaving hundreds of pounds on the table every single Sunday.

The Philosophy: The “Anchoring” Effect

Rory Sutherland would tell you that wine is a “Credence Good.” Most people don’t really know what it should cost. They look for cues. If you ask: “Do you want the house red?” you are anchoring them to the cheapest product (£18 bottle). If you ask: “We have a fantastic Argentinian Malbec that goes perfectly with the Roast Beef, shall I bring a bottle?” you are anchoring them to the experience, not the price (£28 bottle).

Will Guidara (Unreasonable Hospitality) teaches that upselling isn’t “selling”; it is “enhancing.” You aren’t trying to trick them. A Roast Beef dinner tastes better with a glass of red wine. By not offering it, you are denying them the full experience. You are doing them a favour by suggesting the perfect pair.

The Tactics: The “Wet-Led” Sunday Strategy

Stop waiting for them to order. You need to interrupt the pattern.

1. The “Default” Pour Remove the friction of choice.

• The Tactic: Don’t put a massive wine list on the table. It overwhelms them (Paradox of Choice).
• Instead, put a small “Sunday Specials” card on the table.
• “The Perfect Pair: Roast Topside of Beef + Large Glass of [Name] Malbec = £28.”
• By bundling it or highlighting it, you make the decision easy. “I’m having the beef, so I should have the Malbec.”

2. The “Magnum” Visual (The Theatre) If you have a large table (6+ people), selling by the bottle is inefficient.

• The Tactic: Buy a few Magnums (1.5 Litres) of a decent red.
• Place the empty Magnum bottle on the pass or the bar where it can be seen.
• Train staff to say: “For a table this size, we can do a Magnum of Rioja? It’s equivalent to two bottles but looks much more impressive.”
• It creates a “moment.” It creates envy in the other tables. And it guarantees £60+ of revenue in one sentence.

3. The “Second Bottle” Timing Most staff miss the second sale because they are too busy clearing plates.

• The Tactic: The second bottle must be sold before the main course is finished.
• If the bottle is empty and they still have food, ask immediately: “Another bottle for the table to finish the beef?”
• If they have finished eating, they will switch to coffee. You missed the window. Speed of service is speed of sales.

4. The “Carafe” Compromise Some people don’t want a whole bottle, but a glass isn’t enough.

• The Tactic: Offer a 500ml Carafe.
• It sits perfectly between the two. It feels like “less of a commitment” than a bottle, but usually results in them ordering a second Carafe (Total: 1 Litre sold). It is the silent upsell.

The Software Pitch: Forecast the Thirst

How much Malbec do you need? If you run out of the “Perfect Pairing” wine, you look incompetent.

The connection between Food and Wine is mathematical.

• Beef Eaters: 70% will drink Red Wine.
• Pork/Chicken Eaters: 60% will drink White Wine or Cider.
• Vegetarians: Mixed.

You need the Roast Forecaster.

This tool tells you who is coming.

• It predicts: “You are serving 85 Beef portions this Sunday.”
• That data tells you: “We need to have at least 20 bottles of Malbec and Shiraz open and ready.”
• It allows you to stock the bar accurately based on the kitchen’s demand.

Link the wet to the dry. Protect your margin.

👉 Get the tool here: https://smartpubtools.com/sunday-roast-forecaster/

The Conclusion

The difference between a £25 head spend and a £40 head spend is usually fermented grape juice. Train your staff to be sommeliers, not just order takers. “Water is for washing; Wine is for profit.”

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