Hi everyone!

We're looking for feedback from users of our website TheBigMenu.co.uk which we've recently launched in Sheffield so that we can improve the content and surfing experience.

Briefly, TheBigMenu is an online guide to the food and drink sector in Sheffield which provides:

1. searchable descriptions of venues
2. searchable menus
3. ability to compare food & drink prices across the entire sector
4. access to news and special offers by email and text message
5. reviews of each venue by other visitors plus the facility to write your own
6. online ordering — why spend your lunchtime waiting in a sandwich queue?
7. access to job advertisements, from bar staff to restaurant chefs.
8. a diary of events in your area

It's all free (and only £50 per year for venues to sign up btw) so please have a look and let us know what you think. We'll appreciate your feedback in helping us to improve the site.

Cheers
Mike

£50 a year to sign up? Not bad.

I like the site and the idea. It's well presented and easy to use, though I've not yet figured out how to view a menu.

Sorry, I should clarify: it is £50 per year for venues to register for an account with us: directory listing and full venue description, facility to create online menus, email & fax facilities, their own website, access to recruitment ads, events diary, online ordering etc.

You can view a menu by clicking on the 'wine glass & bowl' icon in the directory listing - which takes you thru to the full venue description - and then clicking on the menu links in the top left corner.

Thanks for the feedback

Mike

Wow it's a really nice and well thought out website, easy to navigate round and lots of interesting features. Love it when you scroll over the pictures they become bigger.

Well done and i'll try and think of some bad points you can develop on lol!

Great site but I'd like to be able to search for all restaurants in Sheffield and not limit it by any food type or other criteria ....

I like the site. :)

Not sure how comprehensive it is yet, but was thinking the other day it might be a nice change to go to a seafood restaurant one night. I just used the site and found the Blue Fin.

Nice and simple to use. I assume the venues pay for being listed on it?

Thanks everyone for your replies so far.

Re: Katya's recommendation - this is good to know because we're planning to modify the search box on the homepage so that you can request to view by restaurant, takeaways etc - ie. exactly along the lines you suggest - altho you can do this at present by searching for "restaurant" in "sheffield" or selecting "venue type" on the Browse screen (but we realise this is not so intuitive).

Hi Meaks, we're hoping to cover the whole of Sheffield eventually. Venues pay £50 per year for inclusion plus other services. Our philosophy is to present a level playing field for all venues - big or small, established or new - so a single, affordable price with no hidden extras is part of this philosophy.

I should mention, feel free to register for the free membership if you like the site - click on the link "mybigmenu" - we'll send you special offers and enter you for the free meal for 2 + free bottle of wine at The Bull's Head in Ranmoor (more such offers & giveaways coming soon).

Thanks again for your comments so far - it's really appreciated!
Mike

Had a look at site and think it looks and feels great. Good you have no annoying advert banners everywhere. Think I saw a flyer out and about, think it was something to do with BIG MENU. Have you had flyers done?
Keep going all looks good. Good Luck.

What a great idea just what we need.

Small niggle but when you tab through the registration form it would be good if you didn't have to tab over the field names.

In the browse bit, I'm wondering about whether you've covered all categories - for instance, if I was looking for a fish restaurant (like Blue Fin), I wouldn't be able to only get restaurants specialising in fish - if I search for fish I get every restaurant that has fish on the menu.

Nice site. I like the online menus and events calendar. will you be covering all sheffield? would be great to have menus for all my local take aways.

Hi all,
Thanks for your comments so far, these are very encouraging. And thanks Katya - point taken - we'll look in to this. Yes, we've been leaving flyers everywhere!

I should mention that you can also write reviews for the venues which we have on so far - but please be gentle! ;)
Mike

Do you offer a booking service for restaurants?

Quick question, is everywhere listed in guide cos was looking a bit a go and could not find a restaurant. Do people get a basic listing or only those who pay subscription e.t.c.
Cheers

Hi,
We're contemplating a booking service for restaurants and especially for people wishing to book venues for parties etc. However, we are taking soundings on this from venue owners.

Not all venues are included yet because we only list the venues which pay the small annual subscription (and the site is quite young). Our aim is to offer genuine, useful content which is supplied and maintained by the venues themselves - rather than simply listing the name, address and telephone number of every venue in sheffield. However, we hope to have most places in sheffield on one day!

Cheers for the feedback. Mike