Cass Clanachan, Author at Jellybean Creative Solutions

Blog Archives

Awards & Events

24th May 2018

The National Pub and Bar Awards 2018

Jellybean had the pleasure of attending The National Pub & Bar Awards last night at Bafta in Piccadilly, thanks to H20 publishing. As the leading foodservice agency we’re avid supporters of the pub sector so were grateful for the opportunity to attend an evening dedicated to celebrating the hard working teams in the pub trade. And what a night it was too, mingling with some of the industry’s finest on-trade elite with the bubbles and Budweiser flowing.

Cass Clanachan

Insight, Interesting Stuff

25th April 2018

A Nation of Wasters

Research has indicated that, as a nation, we throw away a third of the food we produce. Aside from the harmful methane it creates when it ends up in landfill, and the huge amounts of resources used to create it (such as water and fuel for transport) being wasted, the real choker for me is the 8.4 million people in the UK who are struggling to afford to eat. This is equivalent to the entire population of London. 270,000 tonnes of the food that goes to waste each year is still edible. That’s enough for 650 million meals.

Cass Clanachan

Awards & Events

9th April 2018

The 25th Anniversary Cost Sector Catering Awards

Last night Jellybean attended another fabulous evening at the Cost Sector Catering Awards – not only celebrating the many fantastic people in our industry that were nominated for, and won awards, but also raising a glass to the team at Cost Sector Catering for seeing in the 25th anniversary of the CSC Awards.

Cass Clanachan

Uncategorised

13th December 2017

Jellybean dine out at Sorrel, the new restaurant opening in Dorking

As dedicated foodies we were keen to see what ‘Chef Creator’ Steve Drake (previously of Michelin Star restaurant Drakes in Ripley) would be cooking up at his new fine dining restaurant – Sorrel, down the road from us in Dorking. Watch our vlog to find out more…Read More

Cass Clanachan

Jellybean News

18th September 2017

It’s A Gin Thing!

As you may have noticed we recently turned 30 and what better way to celebrate than with gin! As you’d expect from a foodservice marketing agency, we had to mark it with a marketing!

Thanks to our friends at The Gin Kitchen, Jellybean took the first batch of Dancing Dragontail Gin.

Cass Clanachan

Awards & Events, Industry News, Insight

2nd August 2017

Glimpsing the foodservice future with MCA

As the leading foodservice agency, we had the pleasure of attending the 2017 Eating Out Market Data Briefing at the prestigious M by Montcalm in Shoreditch. These MCA events provide a wealth of insightful information about the foodservice industry, such as market forecasts, menu analysis, consumer activity and current trends. It’s a great way to stay on top of what’s going on in the market – which is why Jellybean is always there.

Cass Clanachan

Industry News, Insight

30th May 2017

Tackling childhood obesity through advertising

Approximately one third of children in the UK are now classified as overweight and the government are working hard to reduce this in order to save lives and prevent health conditions later in life. Plans set out over the next ten years include clearer food labelling, a soft drinks industry levy, reducing sugar by 20% in products and improving physical activity programmes in schools. Our very own Neil Brenson recently blogged on the Public Health England guidelines around this sugar reduction plan, read it here.

Cass Clanachan

Jellybean News

2nd March 2017

A Taste of Brunei

I was recently invited to a Bruneian Supper Club through a friend of a friend. My instant question was ‘What is a Supper Club?’ It turns out, it’s a bit like a cross between a dinner party and a restaurant; it’s informal fun with friends and friends of friends, combined with amazing food, excellent service and no dishes to do at the end of the evening. Sounds perfect, I’m in.

Cass Clanachan

Insight, Jellybean News

10th February 2017

An eye on the food-to-go market

The popularity of food-to-go (FTG) has never been greater, showing stronger growth than both the eating out market and food retail market over the last few years. Quick service restaurants and convenience stores across the country are learning to quickly adapt to the growing demands of the consumer. The three pillars of food-to-go – tasty, good value and convenient, no longer cut it for the hard working, tech savvy customer. Now it needs to be fresher, hotter, faster and healthier too.

Cass Clanachan

Interesting Stuff

7th October 2016

Brunch is King in Manchester

The best thing about a city weekend away for me, is discovering new places to eat! A Jellybean through and through…everything is about food! And on a recent weekend to Manchester with friends, being based in the popular Northern Quarter meant that we had no shortage of fantastic restaurants and bars to try out.

Cass Clanachan

Awards & Events

29th July 2016

On the road with MCA – Food Concept Study Tour

I was very much looking forward to my first ‘food safari’ and it lived up to my expectations. With the guidance of Richie and Rich and some flat shoes on ready to cover some serious ground, I was looking forward to getting started. Time to see the latest foodservice concepts on offer in our capital.

Cass Clanachan

Awards & Events, Insight

14th July 2016

Arena Summer Event

The Arena summer event is a firm favourite in the foodservice calendar and as the leading foodservice marketing agency we always attend. This year the headline speaker was a real pull – Steve Richards, CEO of the Casual Dining Group (CDG), which includes brands such as Las Iguanas, Belgo, Bella Italia, Café Rouge and La Tasca, sharing his vision for the group. In addition to the after lunch speaker slot there was also an informative presentation from YouGov on the out of home market, specifically highlighting three key trends: the rise of premium home delivery with the likes of Deliveroo, the growing influence of technology and the ever increasing demand for ‘free-from’ food.

Cass Clanachan

17th May 2016

What makes a happy bean?

Jellybean is a keen advocate of working hard to maintain a highly engaged workforce – so being offered the opportunity to attend an Employee Engagement Seminar last week was a great chance for us to check up on the methods we use and how we can further increase employee engagement going forward. What do we need to take back to our little foodservice marketing agency in order to maximise the motivation and engagement of our workforce?

Our speaker was Russell Beck, Head of Consulting at Impellum, and from beginning to end, Russell provided fantastic insight, statistics, examples and tips to improve engagement levels and better engage with the wider team.

A recent survey by Investors In People (Jan 2016) found that 49% of workers will look for a new job this year. Workers cited poor management and not feeling valued as the top reasons to move. ‘Better pay’ dropped to third place in ‘unhappiness factors’.

It’s clear that employee engagement is one of the most critical factors in business, but often the least understood. So what is ‘employee engagement’? A simple definition of the term was written by David Mcleod (part of the UK Government task force set up to look at employee engagement). He says:

“Engagement is the workplace approach designed to ensure that employees are committed to their organisation’s goals, motivated to contribute to organisational success and are able at the same time, to enhance their own sense of wellbeing”

Our employees are fundamental to the business – they are our one true business differentiator. Our employer brand IS our people! They are the ones that talk about the business, with friends, family, colleagues, clients, strangers, hairdressers, etc. They also use various social media channels on a regular basis, and can spread the word farther and wider than ever before. With this in mind, it is essential to maximise employee engagement wherever possible.

So what is in it for the business? Engagement is the driver for:

• Productivity
• Customer satisfaction
• Innovation
• Reduced absence
• Retention
• Health and safety

All of these things combined, work together to increase profit – a clear business case!

Some of my key take outs from the seminar on how to go about improving employee engagement are here:

Company Alignment – Engagement is about emotion – about people caring and wanting to do well for the business. Be clear about what your company stands for, what your values are and what your story is.

Managers – It’s not enough for managers to fulfil basic admin duties, they need to be empathetic, genuinely interested in an employee’s long term career and personal life. This enables them to better understand, better connect, better motivate and therefore better engage with their team. It’s worth investing in your managers, to spread the engagement throughout the wider team.

Relationships – Work and life are blurring – it’s no wonder as we spend a third of our waking hours at work. As a result, employees crave a meaningful relationship at work. Have they got a best friend, a confidant, a social relationship? Positive relationships with colleagues helps productivity, motivation and employees feel connected to what they are doing.

Recognition – Receiving praise shows employees they are valued. This is free and easy to do – so praise regularly for work done well.

Feedback – Managers giving little or no feedback results in 4 out of 10 employees becoming actively disengaged. It is vital in showing team members that they are important in the wider scheme of things and you want them to do well.

Satisfaction – there are a number of contributing factors to job satisfaction:

• Salary will always matter. Pay people fairly – employees want to feel that they are paid what they deserve.
• Companies are offering a wider range of benefits now, increasing candidate’s expectations. Meaningful benefits such as flexible working hours or childcare incentives could make a difference to employee engagement.
• Workload – it’s all about balance. Challenged but not overworked, comfortable but not bored. If the balance is wrong they won’t be engaged.
• Clarity of expectations – employees need to be absolutely clear about what is expected from them, both on a daily basis and long term. Without a clear vision and regular feedback/recognition, employees can become frustrated, and therefore disengaged.
• Enablement – sufficient training and equipment is needed to prevent very quick disengagement. Have they got the right tools, have they been trained, does the equipment work?
• Environment – employees need to be comfortable in every sense – is the temperature right, is there enough space, is it too noisy, do they have a social area etc.? All of these things impact on how well employees perform and how they engage in the workplace.

Lots to think about! Engagement should be all year round – it’s a constant. Engagement levels change rapidly and any changes need to be picked up before there is an impact on the wider team, company vision and therefore profit.

Businesses can no longer afford to hire someone, pay them and leave them alone. No matter whether you work at a foodservice marketing agency or a hospital, everyone wants to be engaged on a deeper level – a point to get up and go to work. What makes us ‘Beans’ get up and go to work? A vast array of things…. challenging briefs, friends, variety of work, knowledge sharing, learning, personal development and growth, social activities, great clients, the list goes on. Enough from me now…back to work!

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.

Keep reading! Why not read our blog on Jellybean ranked in B2B Agency Benchmarking Report 2019

Cass Clanachan

6th April 2016

A Foodie Up North – Day One

Foodservice Marketing - A Foodie Up North This long awaited weekend just gone, was a perfect blend of friends, food, cocktails, beer and more food! On our 7th annual city break, six girlfriends and I took the super speedy Virgin train to Manchester, to spend time catching up, having laughs, drinks, and eating in some fabulous places.

No sooner had we jumped off the train and dumped our bags in the apartment, we headed out the door to Almost Famous in the Northern Quarter which was very handily five doors down from us. Now one of four restaurants, all based in the North, Almost Famous certainly appears to be making a mark in the casual dining arena. With a quick check on the website, we established the rules:

“WE DON’T TAKE RESERVATIONS—IT’S BURGERS. CHILL OUT AND TURN UP.”

You could be forgiven for missing it, just an A-Board on the High Street, with a doorway revealing some seriously steep stairs, but as it’s ‘One to Watch’ according to insight experts Horizons’ 2015 report, my eagle eye noticed the sign and in we went.

There is nothing classic about the menu in Almost Famous. The ultimate in great comfort food with a twist. Fries come topped with Bacon Rain, marmite butter or even popping candy. Burger fillings go from the sublime (shoestring onions, ‘Bacon Bacon Mayo’ and frazzles) to the ridiculous (Cheerios and Strawberry Pop Tarts). As my adventurous side doesn’t stretch to pop tarts, I selected the Johnny Mac – the perfect burger in my mind, topped with a Mac‘n’Cheese Ball.

Foodservice Marketing - A Foodie Up North - Cocktails and Menu With burgers remaining the No.1 item on casual dining menus* it’s little wonder that the twisted up menu @AlmostFamousNQ is a hit. Take a look at the menu, and if ever you are in Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds, rock up and test your taste buds!

*Source: Horizons Menu Trends Report. February 2016

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.

Cass Clanachan

5th April 2016

Cost Sector Catering Awards 2016

Foodservice Marketing Agency - The Cost Sector Catering Awards 2016 The Cost Sector Catering Awards at the Hilton London Metropole took place last week, celebrating the fantastic work and achievements of many an unsung hero in the catering industry over the last year. The evening began with an inspiring speech from Springboard UK’s Anne Pierce, followed by a fantastic short video showcasing the charity’s incredible work in the hospitality and leisure industry. As your leading foodservice marketing agency, we were in attendance to bring you the highlights of a glittering night.

The awards were hosted by comedienne Kerry Godliman so the evening got off to a very entertaining start. Eighteen awards were given out on the night to very worthy winners including Petty Officer Logistician Daryl Hall, Royal Navy for the Armed Forces Award and Owen Sidaway, National Offender Management Services for the Public Sector Award.

In addition, two very special Lifetime Achievement Awards were given out on the night. The Contract Caterer Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Hobart Cooking Solutions went to Sean Valentine from Bartlett Mitchell, and the Public Sector Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Hobart UK Warewashing was awarded to Ministry of Defence’s head of food, Nigel Shepherd. Congratulations to all the winners.

Our friends at The Craft Guild of Chefs were deservingly recognised too, with an Industry Contribution Award, and Myles Bremner, director of the School Food Plan, receiving an award for Special Contribution to the industry.

Over 700 guests from all corners of the catering industry enjoyed a delicious gluten-free three course menu, and a little wine was had too! To top it all, the generosity of the guests on the night resulted in over £6,000 being raised for Springboard UK – a great night all round!

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.

Cass Clanachan

29th September 2015

A Bajan Occasion

I recently had the pleasure of holidaying in Barbados and along with the friendly locals, the beautiful beaches and the fantastic weather, I was able to experience some traditional Bajan food too. Not only in the nearby restaurants and bars, but also home cooked.

Whilst out and about I indulged in delights such as pan fried Swordfish on a bed of pureed yam and sweet potato, with a melon and mango salsa. Light, tasty and so fresh! Combined with the odd Dark and Stormy – a cocktail made from dark rum, ginger ale and fresh lime – all couldn’t have been more right with the world!

Back at the villa (our temporary home for the week), creating our own traditional Bajan fayre was easier than I thought! Using simple ingredients sourced locally, such as fresh tuna, red snapper, chicken and flying fish, together with farm grown vegetables like yams, okra and breadfruit, it was easy to add traditional spice combinations and apply simple cooking methods to create many a pool side feast.

A must have for every meal was Bajan hot pepper sauce. Made with mustard, scotch bonnets and turmeric, it’s a thick hot sauce with a bright yellow colour, speckled with pieces of red Bonney hot peppers. At first you have a good strong mustard flavour, but then, wait for it….the heat kicks in! This was perfect mixed up with mayonnaise and used as a spicy dip for our pre-dinner crisps and snacks!

A firm favourite was fresh tuna steak from the local fisherman (see pic) rubbed in Bajan Seasoning and seared on each side. The famous Bajan Seasoning is made up of a number of herbs and spices, including Bonney hot peppers, cloves, garlic, parsley, marjoram and thyme to create a fairly fiery kick. As much as we had all the time in the world on holiday, we didn’t want to spend it making the seasoning from scratch when there was a pool to be swum in, so we did cheat and used a jar – choosing the one with the best brand name (see pic).

We served our delicious fish with salad and Bajan Macaroni Pie, also known simply as ‘pie’. Pie is one of the most popular foods in Barbados – it’s their own take on macaroni and cheese, specially seasoned and baked to perfection so that it can be sliced and served (see pic).

Another culinary delight we were more than willing to try our hands at, was Rum Punch – essential to wash down the fantastic food of course! The Bajan’s mix a mean rum punch and we learned a little rhyme from some of the locals to help us create the perfect mix…

One of sour, Two of sweet, Three of strong, and, Four of weak… So as long as we remembered lime, sugar syrup, rum (Mount Gay of course) and water – we were set.

If it hadn’t been for the rum punch, I think Barbados offered me one of the most healthy holiday cuisines and it’s one I’m already recreating back in England!

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing agency and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, food and drink pr, digital and foodservice design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.

Cass Clanachan

Interesting Stuff

10th June 2015

Top tips to avoid misleading advertising

There is a lot to think about when creating good marketing material – does it have impact? Will it engage and connect with the audience? Is all key information included? Is it timely? Is there a clear call to action? The list goes on…

Ensuring that all of these boxes are ticked becomes second nature to good marketers, but there are also some boxes you don’t want to tick to avoid confusing or ambiguous campaigns.

Marketing communications should not mislead consumers by making exaggerated claims, leaving out key information or by presenting it in an unclear or untimely way. It is also essential that marketers are able to provide documentary evidence to support any claims they are making.

Following the CAP (Committee of Advertising Practice) Misleading Advertising advice morning in May, I have put together my five top tips to avoid misleading consumers.

Ensure marketing communications are recognisable as such.
Do not attempt to disguise the fact that it is an advertisement/editorial/campaign etc, even when communicating via social media platforms. The communication should always be identified as an advert and the commercial intent should be made clear. e.g. #advertorial
Do not omit significant information.
Be careful not to mislead consumers by omitting key information which is required by the consumer to make informed decisions in relation to the product/service. If constrained by time or space, the information should be made available to consumers by other means. e.g. full terms and conditions available on www.webaddress.com
Qualification of any statements/claims must be presented clearly.
Qualification of any claims or statements on a communication should be clearly presented – so not in tiny font and not in white font on a light background. They may clarify but must not contradict the claims that they qualify. e.g. ‘Delivered same day’ should not then be qualified with small print to the effect of ‘Only on orders received between 2am and 3pm and subject to a three mile radius’.
Hold supporting evidence.
Ensure you hold robust documentary evidence to prove any claims that consumers are likely to regard as objective. e.g. survey outcomes, testimonial contact details, testing results including placebo group/control group (where relevant) etc.
Stay informed and ask the experts.
Make use of the services offered by CAP and ASA. Contact the copy advice team and use the free advice service or the express advice service (for quick turnarounds) if ever you are unsure. Sign up to their newsletters, twitter feed and attend events to stay up to date.

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and foodservice public relations agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, foodservice public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.

Keep reading! Why not read our blog on Tackling childhood obesity through advertising

Cass Clanachan

3rd March 2015

Keep your eyes on the pies

Finally, British Pie Week has arrived. I feel like I have been waiting for months – mainly because it’s been the talk of the office for months while we have been working closely with one of our clients to plan it.

It was all the way back in January when I attended a pie photoshoot – a tough job but somebody has to do it. Seven delicious pie recipes were specially developed for JusRol’s British Pie Week, cooked fresh on the day, photographed and then devoured by the team. I now have a new favourite – Beef Ragu & Chorizo Pie, it’s truly delicious.

My own local pub, The Fox, doesn’t wait for British Pie Week, embracing the feel good factor of a range of handmade pies all year round. But for those pubs that don’t, there’s no excuse. JusRol has produced a fantastic recipe book to help caterers create its perfect pies, from Venison, Red Wine and Root Vegetable to Glazed Banana, Chocolate and Peanut Butter – there’s a pie for everyone.

Inspired by some of these, a group of friends and I recently went away for a weekend, staying in a beautiful Townhouse on the seafront in Kent – and we hosted a pie themed night-in. There were some amazing offerings, from ham hock and pink peppercorn, to key lime pie, a delicious way to spend a rainy night!

In fact, the recent cold snap couldn’t be more perfectly timed for British Pie Week, allowing us to indulge in our love of pies at a cosy warm local, with a glass of red or maybe a pint of ale, and a tasty, freshly cooked pie to warm us through.

To download the JusRol Recipe Book visit www.britishpieweek.co.uk or join in the conversation on Twitter @BritPieWeek.

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.

Cass Clanachan

9th January 2015

Alternative CV – Cass Clanachan

What was your favourite subject at school?
Spanish

What was your best subject at school?
Spanish “Dos cerveze y un bocadillo de jamon por favor” – it’s all you need to get by J

What was your first-ever job?
I worked in a golf club café serving fry-ups, sandwiches and muffins

What was your worst ever job?
Being a promo girl for The Telegraph at East Croydon train station in rush hour

What was the first music single you bought?
Bros – Drop the boy (oooherr)

What is the most entrepreneurial thing you have ever done?
Made and sold lavender bags to neighbours when I was 6

What is your motto in life?
Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

If you were allowed one dream perk what would it be?
Free flights around the world

What’s your favourite movie and why?
Shrek. Gingy is by far the best character!

If you could pick a celebrity to join the agency who would it be and why?
Channing Tatum. So I could look at him. A lot.

What luxury would you have on your desert island?
Mojitos

What animal best reflects your personality and why?
A cat. Independent, like a fuss every now and then but on my terms, bit of a night owl, partial to a daytime nap, mastered the look of disdain, jump at loud noises and pretty low maintenance.

If you could be anybody in the world (alive or dead) who would you be and why?
Me. Because if I wasn’t me I wouldn’t have met the people I have met, done the things I have done and seen the things I have seen. And so far, it’s been pretty good.

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice digital agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.

Cass Clanachan