Bank-holiday ice cream and the empty fish special
August bank holiday does not lift every line. Puddings and soft drinks jump; the expensive special often sits, because families share plates and skip the middle course.
A coastal or countryside site in England treats bank holiday Monday as a gift. Covers rise. The mix does not rise with them in a straight line. We routinely see ice cream, chips, and children's plates climb while the fish special written for a quieter Tuesday remains on the pass.
The kitchen demand briefing for that weekend is therefore not a scaled-up Wednesday. It is a different mix: more fryer load, more freezer puddings, fewer delicate garnishes that die under a heat lamp while a family waits for a high chair.
If you have last year's bank-holiday item mix, send it even when this year's menu has changed. The shape of the sitting survives a menu reprint. The names of the dishes do not have to match for the fryer and the pastry section to be usefully warned.
We still will not print a scarcity banner or a fake 'selling fast' note. The wall calendar states expected portions. The specials board remains the chef's to write.