As a relatively new bean, this month’s MCA Food Concept Study Tour was a brilliant opportunity for me to gain some great insight into growing food trends, try some delicious food and feed my findings back to the food service design team.
Britain is a nation of animal lovers. The PDSA estimates that 24% of the UK adult population own a dog with an estimated population of 8.9 million pet dogs in the UK. So with so many of us devoted to our furry friends it makes good business sense to pander to our pets and offer dog friendly dining and accommodation. Once the domain of the country pub, fine dining restaurants and hotels across the UK are embracing the ‘hound pound’ as a valuable revenue stream.
I have always loved cooking. I find the whole process relaxing and very rewarding. But throw a new baby into the mix and suddenly our fridge was looking rather sparse and the idea of heading down to the supermarket with an ever-so screamy little one was too anxiety-inducing to handle.
Chr. Hansen is a leading, global bioscience company delivering natural innovative solutions that address global challenges by advancing food, health and productivity. We have been working with their Food Cultures & Enzymes (FC&E) division which develops and produces cultures and enzymes for the food industry.
In today’s society, food is no longer a way to feed yourself. It has now become a lifestyle, which many millennials call being a ‘foodie’. A person who has a passion or refined interest in food, who eats food not out of hunger, but due to their interest or hobby. A ‘foodie’ is constantly in search of the perfect photograph, consisting of perfectly composed food on a perfect plate, in a perfect setting. ‘Foodies’ will do whatever it takes to capture their desired shot, whether that means standing on a chair or table in the middle of a busy restaurant to get the ideal angle.
Every year, millions of pictures of food are posted on social media with Instagram being the pivotal platform for a picture of the perfect pastry, or two. As it stands, there are currently 188 million hashtag mentions on Instagram under #Foodporn. A recent study from YPulse shows 63% of people between thirteen and thirty-two years old post their food pictures on social networking sites while they are still eating. Moreover, 57% of people in the same age range posted a description of the food they were eating at that time – it is no wonder that the #FoodPorn trend has exploded. Food on social media is a key trend to watch and using the hashtag #FoodPorn means the food industry can easily track audiences on social networking services to see what’s hot!
As a leading food and drink agency, the eating out market is our bread and butter (so to speak) which is why we are MCA Insight’s Forum members. One of the benefits of membership is access to their regular debriefs ensuring we are completely up to date on market trends and dynamics, so here are our top ten take-outs from the latest on the eating out market from MCA:
We recently attended the annual MCA Food to Go Conference at Ham Yard Hotel, London. With the MCA forecasting that the Food to Go market is set to reach a value of £21.2bn in 2019 and continue outperforming growth from the wider eating out market, it therefore represents a vital area of growth for operators. We heard from an array of fantastic speakers including Welcome Break, Sustainable Restaurant Association, LEON, Pret A Manger, Yo! Sushi, Eat and many more.
Here are 5 Food to Go Trends arising from the day that we think will impact and drive Food to Go growth in 2019.
The way we eat is changing and choice is becoming more important than ever. Consumers want the opportunity to try new things and street food markets are providing a world of exciting opportunities right at their fingertips.
We recently attended the HIM Future of Convenience 2019 event and spent a fascinating day immersed in the exciting and ever-changing world of convenience retail. We heard from an array of speakers from retailers, suppliers and industry experts.
Today marks the official launch of an exciting new Jellybean Creative Solutions’ platform and service for challenger brands wanting to take-off in the food and drink market. JellyPad has been created especially for innovative and disruptive brands and offers a suite of essential food PR & marketing services from our expert team who have a wealth of experience and a proven track-record in launching and growing new food and drink brands.
January has a canny reputation for making us all feel a bit doom and gloom. Christmas is all but a distant memory, jeans are twenty inches too tight and temperatures are twenty degrees too low. At such a time, positive mental attitude is key; if we look for things to bring us joy, we’re going to find them, right? Equally, if we look for an excuse to feel miserable, let me tell you, we’re going to feel miserable. This January, I have been determined to feel the joy. Let me tell you about an initiative I have encouraged my fellow beans to join me in supporting, this month…
Hot off the press, the B2B Agency Benchmarking Report for 2019 has been issued and I am delighted to announce that Jellybean is ranked 57th overall (so top 60) for all UK B2B agencies and is in 33rd place in the top Integrated B2B agencies in the UK. Drilling deeper we are in the top 25 agencies with less than 50 employees. How proud I am of the hardworking and dedicated team at Jellybean who make this business what it is.
Edinburgh, the home of Haggis, Whisky (no, not the office dog) and the Loch Ness Monster. What better way to spend the lead up to Christmas than enjoying all the sights and foodie delights Edinburgh has to offer by fully immersing ourselves in everything festive. Hannah Burchell of Hospitality Marketing Agency Jellybean reports back from north of the wall…
As Great Britain faces the challenges surrounding business and economic planning and the impacts of the political and social unknown, Jellybean can be sure of one project that is close to our hearts which definitely knows where it is heading. We are now 6 months into our Safe Schools Project in the Gambella region in Ethiopa and I’m delighted to report that Plan International has made some important progress, often against the odds.
Veganuary is here, with every man and his dog jumping on the vegan bang wagon, it’s hard to avoid this upgrade to the standard ‘New Year, New You’ start to 2019.
The Jellybean Safe Schools project in the Gambella region of Ethiopia is progressing and we are look forward to construction commencing early in 2019. I am delighted that our contribution will be helping people like Sarah* whose harrowing story is shared below. Initiatives like this not only help refugee children get into school but also help their parents get an education too through the Community Learning Hubs which provide numeracy and literacy support, life skills training, and peace-building initiatives.
Together with fellow bean Nick, it was our absolute pleasure to spend half a day with the residents and staff at Hartfield House Care Home. Newly opened in Leatherhead, we were welcomed at the shiny new home by a bright and bubbly team and a wonderful group of residents. “The entertainers are here”, one of the staff members announced. At first, panic and nerves waved through me but then I remembered the significance of what Nick and I were doing; giving up our time to put smiles on these gorgeous residents’ faces and bring some extra joy to the already chirpy care home – the nerves soon vanished.
For Jellybean’s 12 Days of Giving I joined the team at Celia Cross Greyhound Trust to help with all the great work they do and fully immerse myself in a doggy-filled day. Based just outside of Guildford, in acres of beautiful land, Celia’s was founded in 1977 and has been a registered charity since 1993. Celia’s Trust rescues and rehabilitates retired racing greyhounds and lurchers that have either been abounded or ill-treated; passionate about what they do, it offers a place of love and nurture, helping to lead (no pun intended!) to their forever homes.
For my charity morning, I decided to work at the Princess Alice Hospice charity shop. This charity is dedicated to making end of life care the best it can possibly be and supporting families through this difficult time.
For my 12 days of Giving charity donation (of time) I wanted to support a local charity. I chose Loveworks – they are based in Reigate and have one simple aim; to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable groups of people in the area, from the elderly to the hungry.
