A Long Weekend in Lisbon
I recently had the joy of visiting Lisbon – Portugal’s vibrant capital – a city perched on the edge of the River Tagus and bathed in warm September sunshine.
With a rich, seafaring heritage and situated, as it is, so close to the Atlantic, fish and seafood are the order of the day at restaurants across the city, with the infamous Bacalhau (salted cod) and Sardinhas (sardines) appearing almost ubiquitously on menus. Delve deeper though, and Lisboans know seafood on a much grander scale.
On our first evening we headed to Cervejaria Ramiro, a family-run Seafood Restaurant which started its days as a local ‘beer hall’. With warnings of hour-long queues we ventured out early and managed to get seated within about 10 minutes (although longer would have been well worth the wait). Sizzling prawns and garlicky clams were fantastic openers before we tackled the largest crab I’d ever seen – all complimented with local Sagres beer.
Lisbon also plays host to Time Out’s first food hall. Launched in May 2014, the market is a snapshot of all the best culinary offerings Portugal has to offer. Open from 10am to midnight, the market buzzes throughout the day without ever seeming to experience a ‘down-time’. Having done a thorough sweep of all the stands, we opted for Marlene Vieira, a female chef with roots in Northern Portugal with a flair for reinventing traditional Portuguese cuisine. A portion of Fried Cuttlefish and Squid Ink Risotto later and I was sold – Vieira’s dishes are absolutely fantastic.
Of course, no trip to Lisbon would be complete without paying a visit to Belém – the home of the famous Pastel de Nata. At just one euro a pop, they appear in Patisserie windows across Lisbon but Pastéis de Belém is the undisputed origin of the sweet, custard-filled tarts. Served with individual packets of icing sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle til your heart’s content and rest easy, knowing that the hilly streets of the city centre more than justify the delicious calories.
Four days in Lisbon passed in a blur of food, drink, hills, trams, tiles and sunshine. If you get a chance to visit this wonderful city, don’t pass it up – you won’t be disappointed.
Escape to Sri Lanka
I was recently lucky enough to visit Sri Lanka – a fantastic island of culture, scenery and wildlife and, in between enjoying all of the above, the local cuisine proved a real treat. Although famous for its tea and spices it was clear that Sri Lankan food has much more to offer besides.
Our first chance to sample the local food was early at breakfast on day one. Presented with a traditional Sri Lankan spread, we were offered dhal, roti (a type of coconut flat bread similar to naan), string hoppers (little nests of noodles) and sambol (a spicy mix of grated coconut, chilli and onion) and tucked in – although admittedly rather tentatively at first, not quite used to the fiery kick of sambol so early in the morning.
Whilst curry for breakfast definitely took some getting used to, in the evenings we enjoyed some great dishes. Fish and seafood were prominent on menus and the local seer fish with prawns, crab and octopus became a firm favourite of mine. We also tried Jackfruit curry – widely grown in Sri Lanka, the fruit has a meaty texture making it a great vegetarian option.
Sri Lanka was heavily hit by the tsunami in 2004, and 12 years on, the coastline is gradually coming back to life, boasting some fantastic beach front restaurants. One we discovered was Top Secret whose prawn, mango and coconut curry along with a piña colada (or two) became one of my holiday highlights.
My final tasting test was Arrack – the locally distilled whisky. Having watched men climbing palm trees to collect the sap from coconut flowers used to make it I thought I’d better give it a go, but one sip was more than enough for me and a bottle came back in my suitcase for dad to enjoy instead!
Sri Lanka was a fascinating country to visit, only improved by the food and hospitality we received – a holiday destination I would recommend to anyone.
Jellybean Creative is a leading food service marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with food service pr, food service 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.
Hotelympia 2016
As the UK’s largest foodservice and hospitality event, Hotelympia has always been the exhibition to visit for anyone looking for the latest developments in the foodservice industry not to mention unrivalled networking.
The PR team here at Jellybean has been trusted with running the show’s press office for the last four consecutive events, as well as that of its sister show, Hospitality, in alternate years. What’s more, with many of our clients involved in the show, including Tilda, McCormick, Hobart, Ferrero and Essential Cuisine, Hotelympia showcases Jellybean’s handiwork in a variety of forms, from stand design and on-site management to press liaison and literature design.
And 2016 was no exception. Over the four days of the show, the ExCeL London played host to 26,000 visitors all hungry to see what the 1,000 strong food and drink, technology, catering equipment, interiors and waste management companies had to offer. Running the press office for a show of such a scale is no mean feat, but one which, in between writing press releases and tweeting updates, undoubtedly has its perks; meeting and greeting famous speakers, sampling stand goodies and listening in on top-tips from chefs, to name a few!
Strolling around the show the wealth of talent on display was second to none, from The Staff Canteen Live – Skillery, which saw a line-up of chefs with no less than 24 Michelin stars between them presenting live on-stage demos, to the incredible entries on display for the International Salon Culinaire. The Innovation Awards showcased the best of what’s to come in hospitality, whilst The Stage provided a platform for debate for some of the industry’s most pressing issues, including: the chef shortage with Jellybean client Martin-Christian Kent of People 1st, the proposed taxation on sugar, and the national living wage.
The stands themselves were equally impressive. On the show floor, Artis’ wonderland stand wowed passers-by, long queues formed for a taste of Carpigiani’s freshly made gelato, Hobart impressed with its range of catering equipment and Essential Cuisine made a stir with the launch of its new Asian Range. And things only got better after Nutella on toast at Ferrero’s breakfast bar (delicious!).
It was all-systems-go on all fronts and though jam-packed, it was a fantastic, eye-opening experience for a first-time visitor like myself and one which left me with little doubt as to why it is the industry’s most distinguished exhibition. Bring on 2018!
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing agency. We help top brands with foodservice web design, pr, food service marketing, foodservice digital marketing 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.
Hotelympia Hype
It was only in September that as a very nervous bean in my first week of work, I got the chance to go along to the filming of the Hotelympia launch video to (try) to help in any way possible. Little did I know that by the end of the day I would have ‘helped’ by featuring in it myself!
Fast-forward four months, and not only have I seen my acting skills come to life, but I have also been able to experience how such a renowned and large-scale exhibition like Hotelympia, comes together. It is now just over a month until the ExCeL opens its doors to some of the largest and well-respected names in the world of hospitality as well as almost 1,000 exhibitors. As a first time visitor, I cannot wait to experience all that it has to offer and, not wanting to miss any of its highlights, here are my top five ‘not to be missed’:
- The Staff Canteen Live
Featuring an incredible line-up of chefs, including Clare Smyth and Tom Kerridge, Staff Canteen Live is an opportunity for visitors to experience cooking with some of the best in the business. Interactive cooking displays galore, this is the place to be for a glimpse of the pros at work. - Walk-In Immersive Experience
Designed by digital developers Soluis, a ‘virtual’ visit to some of the newest openings in the capital is in store for everyone who goes along to the walk-in immersive experience. Explore some of the most exciting design projects in London (and marvel at the technology that allows you to while you’re at it). - Salon Display
As a (very) amateur baker, I am particularly excited to see some of the sugarcraft creations that come out of Salon Display. Anyone wanting to be wowed or maybe even looking for inspiration should head to the display by the Auditorium entrance, which showcases some of the amazing skills within the industry. The expo also includes works hand-crafted out of chocolate, pastillage and fat. - Innovation Awards
Revealing the best in Design, Technology and Equipment, head to this year’s Innovation Awards if you’re looking for the very best in modern products. Solutions and suggestions set to revolutionise the way the industry works have been entered – prepare to be amazed by temperature changing plates, a chef specific job search app and more. - The Stage
Over the course of the exhibition, a whole host of high-profile speakers will take to The Stage to give advice and share experiences of the hospitality industry. Want to hear the latest recommendations about crowdfunding? Need some advice to improve service? Whatever your question, someone on The Stage will have the answer.
These are just the tip of the iceberg, and, once I’ve made a beeline for the above, my biggest problem will be where to turn next! Don’t miss out on the best opportunity for everything you need in the hospitality industry. Register now to visit and see you there!
https://www.livebuzzreg.co.uk/2016/hot16/
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and food service design agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, food service 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.
72 hours in Rome
Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll agree on one thing – when it comes to Italy and all things Italian, I don’t know when to shut up. Whilst at university I was lucky enough to spend a year studying in Genoa, and so in early December it was with great anticipation that I returned to Italy for the first time in three years, this time heading further south to la città eterna: Rome.
Rome is renowned for the amount it has to offer and this was certainly the case, the three days we spent exploring seemed to disappear in a whirlwind of fountains, churches and ruins. But in between pounding the streets of the old city, dodging mopeds and saying a quick prayer at the Vatican, we managed to find some time to do what the Italians do best: eat.
After our first busy day sightseeing, we headed to Trastevere, a district known for its traditional trattorias and Roman specialties, to seek out ‘Dar Poeta’, a pizzeria recommended by our lovely Air BnB host, Rita. After walking round in circles for what felt like hours we eventually found it tucked away down a tiny side street and it was definitely worth the perseverance. Huge Italian pizzas and a large glass of vino bianco were a wonderfully guilt-free reward after the amount of walking we’d done! I had been thinking about gelato ever since we’d arrived and since it is never too cold or too late for an ice-cream in Italy, for dessert we set off to find a gelateria. Faced with an amazing choice of flavours and a difficult decision I went for an old favourite – caffè e nocciola (coffee and hazelnut) which definitely didn’t disappoint.
Pizza and ice-cream was just the beginning of three days’ indulgence and over the course of the weekend I managed to sample spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams), freshly baked focaccia, roasted chestnuts sold by street vendors and at the market at Campo di Fiori, Rome’s speciality, supplì, – deep fried rice balls with mozzarella.
Unfortunately it all came to an end far too quickly, and leaving Rome I promised myself it wouldn’t be another three years before I returned to Italy again.
Jellybean Creative is a leading food service marketing and food service design agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, food service 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.
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