Signature Pubs:
Food Strategy & Business Support
Project Overview
Signature Pubs, a leading Scottish hospitality group, asked Egg Soldiers to bring structure, process and clarity to their food offer.
With each site operating independently, they needed a more cohesive approach - one that could balance creativity with consistency, especially in the face of rising labour and ingredient costs.
Our direct brief was to help refine their food strategy, define clear food visions, implement smarter systems, and unlock commercial opportunities across the estate - starting with four key venues: Copper Blossom, The Spiritualist, McLarens on the Corner, and Cold Town House.
With each site operating independently, they needed a more cohesive approach - one that could balance creativity with consistency, especially in the face of rising labour and ingredient costs.
Our direct brief was to help refine their food strategy, define clear food visions, implement smarter systems, and unlock commercial opportunities across the estate - starting with four key venues: Copper Blossom, The Spiritualist, McLarens on the Corner, and Cold Town House.
Egg Soldiers x Signature Pubs
Our Approach
Our Approach
Immersion & Review
With the goal of improving consistency, efficiency, and commercial performance, we first carried out deep-dive site visits, spending time with Signature pub teams on the ground, tasting dishes, and observing kitchen operations and guest experience.
Alongside this, we reviewed existing data, operational systems, and menu structures.
While each site had distinct characteristics, common themes emerged that were applicable across the wider estate, providing the team with standout foundations for our strategic recommendations.
Alongside this, we reviewed existing data, operational systems, and menu structures.
While each site had distinct characteristics, common themes emerged that were applicable across the wider estate, providing the team with standout foundations for our strategic recommendations.
Strategic Recommendations
Following our immersion, we worked alongside the Signature team on four strategic pillars
Clarity of Vision
Each venue was given a defined food identity rooted in its brand DNA, customer base and commercial objectives, ranging from modern Scottish gastropub to beer-hall-meets-food-hall vibes.
Menu Governance
We recommended segmenting the estate by site type and performance.
Smaller, wet-led venues would be governed more centrally, while flagship sites retained creative autonomy – supported by a curated core dish bank and executive oversight.
Smaller, wet-led venues would be governed more centrally, while flagship sites retained creative autonomy – supported by a curated core dish bank and executive oversight.
Smarter Menu Structures
We introduced a more strategic approach to menu architecture – designed to improve both customer experience and kitchen efficiency.
This included clearer planning around dayparts, stronger alignment between menu content and brand positioning, and opportunities to streamline operations through smarter ingredient usage and more commercially relevant dish development.
This included clearer planning around dayparts, stronger alignment between menu content and brand positioning, and opportunities to streamline operations through smarter ingredient usage and more commercially relevant dish development.
Operational Tools & Standards
We created a new menu development process – one that would bring together all relevant departments and requirements and help structure a clear development process and path.
This would help the business manage menu change across their venues without sacrificing creativity.
We also supported improvements to recipe specs and training materials – giving venue kitchen teams the tools they needed to improve consistency.
This would help the business manage menu change across their venues without sacrificing creativity.
We also supported improvements to recipe specs and training materials – giving venue kitchen teams the tools they needed to improve consistency.
Results & Next Steps
The review equipped the Signature Pubs leadership team with a clear roadmap for elevating their food offer across the estate, with the business owning a platform to:
This was a project rooted in both insight and inspiration - balancing brand, operational efficiency and customer appeal to unlock Signature’s next phase of growth.
- Make better commercial decisions
- Deliver consistent, high-quality food
- Tell stronger stories about their food - digitally and on-site
This was a project rooted in both insight and inspiration - balancing brand, operational efficiency and customer appeal to unlock Signature’s next phase of growth.
Client Feedback
- Louise MacLean, Business Development Director
"Egg Soldiers were brilliant - straight-talking, full of energy, and genuinely enjoyable to work with!
"From the start, they brought a fresh, expert perspective - pinpointing not only the gaps we were aware of, but also highlighting ones we hadn’t spotted.
"They helped us rethink how we approach menu development across the whole group, and their review was both honest and insightful -packed with practical, no-nonsense recommendations we can actually run with.
"We’ve come away with a much clearer food vision for each of our sites, a stronger development process, and the confidence to raise the bar across the board.
"We couldn’t recommend them more highly."
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