FSM Awards 2016
The world of contract catering is often the unseen side of the industry, working across all sectors from education to hotels, leisure to event catering and of course in the workplace. The average man in the street will generally have no idea that the likes of Compass or Elior or ISS is serving him, but never the less the sector is huge and in recent years it has upped its game to compete with the high street and the rise of food to go, including the street food revolution.

MCA Hotel Market Debrief
On a cold and frosty Thursday morning myself and fellow ‘bean’ Gemma made our way to the M by Montcalm hotel in Shoreditch to hear the latest insight on the UK hotel market from MCA. As the leading foodservice agency, representing a number of clients for whom the hotel sector is a key market focus, we were there ready to take it all in. Simon Stenning and his team took it in turns to run us through every aspect of the report including quantitative market data, consumer insight and even decision maker opinion, but here are our top ten take-outs…

EDUcatering Awards 2016
School caterers are often the unsung heroes of our industry, but this was certainly not the case on Monday evening as The Royal Garden Hotel played host to the annual EDUCatering Awards. The evening saw the great and the good of the school meals industry gather to see who would walk away with these coveted awards.

EDUcatering Awards 2016
School caterers are often the unsung heroes of our industry, but this was certainly not the case on Monday evening as The Royal Garden Hotel played host to the annual EDUCatering Awards. The evening saw the great and the good of the school meals industry gather to see who would walk away with these coveted awards. With contract caterers – big and small, local authorities, individual schools, food and drink brands, and of course the leading foodservice agency represented, the night honoured every aspect of the sector, from primary to secondary, innovation to marketing, CSR to newcomers, and everything in between. The awards were judged by a panel of 21 industry professionals from the world of school catering with one notable exception – the Innovation Award, which was judged on the night by the audience via their key pads. But this wasn’t the only technological touch to the evening. At each end of the room was a Twitter wall screening tweets using the hashtag #EDUAwards and included a leader board of most influential accounts tweeting, helping to drive the social media amplification of the event (nice one!).

A Legendary Luncheon
When it comes to fundraising events, blending good food, good wine and good company with a generous smattering of sporting celebs is a clear recipe for success. The annual Hospitality Action Sporting Legends Luncheon took place on Friday 7th of October at the Lancaster London and as a loyal supporter of the charity and the leading foodservice marketing agency we were of course there. Joined by some of our lovely clients we gathered at the drinks reception where the beans could be found propping up the bar whilst scoping out the gathering sporting celebrities.

Zoo-ing Good
It has to be said that Michelin starred cuisine and zoos are not likely bedfellows, but when it comes to fundraising for Hospitality Action anything is possible! So last week we hot-footed it down to ZSL London Zoo to be greeted by llamas (would you believe?) to enjoy a fabulous menu devised and cooked by Michelin stared chef Ollie Dabbous of Dabbous London. We arrived and made our way through the zoo to mingle with other diners surrounded by the zoo’s enclosures and their resident wildlife within. As the leading foodservice agency we are lucky enough to go to all sorts of fabulous events and meals, but never before had we been entertained in a zoo, so this was a first for us!

Arena Face 2 Face 2016
As the leading foodservice agency we make sure we get along to as many Arena networking events as possible and certainly never miss the annual Face 2 Face with Alistair Stewart. This year it was held at the stunning Landmark London Hotel with a line-up including the headline interview with Dennis Hogan MD of Compass Group UK & Ireland, as well as a panel discussion on the impact of Brexit on the hospitality industry.

And the Winner is…
Over recent years video has become an increasingly important part of the marketing mix and it’s little wonder with stats like this…

Let’s do Lunch!
With the all-day-dining and on-the-go eating trends showing no sign of abating, the ever popular annual Lunch! Exhibition couldn’t be more on-trend. So little wonder the aisles were packed with trade visitors looking to check-out the latest trends and products. The Business Design Centre was packed with exhibitors, plus two keynote theatres, a start-up zone and innovation challenge area so there was lots to see and taste. Of course as the leading foodservice marketing and PR agency we were there to check out the show, support our clients who were exhibiting and meet up with friends and contacts.

A Taste of Venice
“If you read a lot, nothing is as great as you’ve imagined. Venice is — Venice is better”.
Fran Lebowitz
Read More

Sandwich Week 2016
As you cannot have failed to notice, this week is British Sandwich Week, which features the British Sandwich Designer of the Year competition and the Sammies Awards. Sandwiches are of course a British staple and with the food-on-the-go market continuing to grow, out-stripping the rest of the eating out market, according to the British Sandwich Association, sandwiches currently contribute a staggering £7.85bn to the UK economy and around £4.4bn to the food on-the-go sector*. They have come a long way from the humble white bread sandwich, with the sector embracing bagels, wraps, speciality breads, open sandwiches and much, much more. Indeed, sandwiches are seen on menus across practically all sectors of the foodservice market proving popular across the board. Interestingly Kantar research have identified that sandwich penetration (in and out of home) is currently running at 79% which means there are 9 million consumers in the UK who are yet to be converted – so there is still a good opportunity for growth. Indeed, 70% of us spend over £3 on a sandwich, with the BLT topping the chart of fillings, although chicken has the broadest appeal in all its forms. Surprisingly hot drinks are more likely to accompany a sandwich than cold drinks and cake is twice as likely to accompany a sandwich than crisps although 40% are eaten on their own. Two thirds of us have a sandwich at least once a week, but the real opportunity for those selling sandwiches out of home is, as ever, to drive more consumers to choose sandwiches more often and trade up to higher priced, more premium options by inspiring them with innovative new flavours and formats. As to what a sandwich looks like these days, well the sky is the limit and the British Sandwich Designer of the Year Award showcases just that.
With the offer of a day up in town at the Lancaster London sampling some of the best sandwiches in the country it seemed sheer madness to refuse. The event was hosted by Gethin from the BSA who did a sterling job, taking us through the thirty different competitor sandwiches split into six rounds (excuse the pun) each having to incorporate one of the sponsor’s products into their creation. Having showcased some of the finalists on Sunday Brunch with some controversial opinions expressed by Piers Morgan (no surprises there) as to what constitutes a sandwich, it is fair to say the contestants were keen to push the traditional boundaries in their quest to develop the most innovative, and of course delicious, sandwich. From venison to sushi, scotch eggs to sage, not to mention a ‘French Dip’, Chipotle & Mexican flavours and Indian street food, it was all there to see and taste. The only observation that could be made was the absence of much in the way of vegetarian or vegan options (indeed Eating Better found in recent research that only 4% of 500 sandwiches were plant based) also free-from options to cater for the growing demand from consumers seemed thin on the ground, which has to be front of mind for caterers in light of the allergen legislation. That said the day was a triumph and you never know perhaps they’ll add additional categories next year to cover off these areas.
You can see the finalist recipes here, but be warned they will make you hungry! It was a tough job that respected chef Theo Randall and his fellow judges had on their hands to decide on the winner for each of the six rounds and of course the overall winner of Sandwich Designer of the Year. However, they managed it and the winner was announced at the Sammies Awards ceremony in the evening. Congratulations go to Nathan Baker from On a Roll who won British Sandwich Designer of the Year with his pulled cooked venison sandwich. Personally I had a soft spot for the chicken and tarragon brioche, but I have to say the venison was delicious as well.
Well done to the British Sandwich Association on a great week and a great event! To find out more about the BSA visit their website here.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice pr 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.

Caffe Culture 2016
With around 1.7bn cups of coffee sold each year in the UK, across more than 18,000 outlets, the coffee shop market is a substantial one which shows no sign of slowing. Indeed, predictions see it reaching 21,000 outlets by 2020, so it’s little wonder that this foodservice industry sector has its very own show – Caffè Culture – held over two days at Kensington Olympia 10-11th May. The show is targeted at groups like Costa and Nero, as well as the growing number of independent coffee shops, and indeed all those involved in the coffee market, which extends of course to the world of contract catering with operators like Compass, Sodexo, Bartlett Mitchell, etc. With 1 in 5 people in the UK visiting coffee shops in the UK, its big business for this boutique show. As your leading foodservice marketing agency, you’d expect us to be in attendance and report back, right? Too right. Here goes.
Recent research carried out by the Caffè Culture Show with over 1,600 consumers and 100 café owners found that over two thirds of café businesses saw an increase in turnover of over 10% YOY, with 51% seeing an increase in coffee sales, 42% seeing an increase in lunch sales and 26% seeing an increase in breakfast sales. A staggering 33% saw an increase in turnover of over £150,000. However, it seems the biggest challenge they face is driving healthy profits with 52% of established businesses naming this as a key issue and 41% of start-ups. Staffing is also a hot topic with 37% of established businesses identifying this as a key challenge, along with 41% of start-ups. Interestingly with so much focus on the on-the-go market Caffé Culture’s research showed that 60% of consumers choose to drink-in with only 40% opting to take-out.
As to what is driving customers through the door, well, great coffee is unsurprisingly the main driver with 81%, followed by a convenient location 45% and friendly and professional staff 30%, so get all these three right and you’ll be on to a winner. In general, 51% of consumers would like to see more independent coffee shops with 63% preferring to use an independent. They also want to see better quality coffee (42%) and more differentiation between coffee shops (35%).
In light of this insight the show’s aim is to blend business and coffee in order to help big and small operators alike find new ideas and suppliers to build a profitable business. By its very nature there is a fair amount of coffee about (as you would expect), however, with coffee shops looking to differentiate their offer and cater to the growing demand for all day dining there was far more than just coffee on offer. Incremental sales of snacks, breakfast and lunch are a big revenue driver for coffee shops, as is offering a wide and varied beverage menu with added theatre, so it was little surprise to see the likes of Twinings there wowing the gathered visitors with their masterclass on the theatre of tea (it’s not all about coffee!). Whilst new and niche soft drinks looked to catch the eye of passing buyers with Birch Water, Aloe Water, the exhibitor award winning Peanut ‘Hottie’ (a delicious peanut version of hot chocolate – is the best way I can describe it), flavoured syrups, funky furniture, innovative packaging, crazy flavours of crisps and popcorn, shiny equipment, tempting cakes and melt-in-the-mouth biscuits, were all there to be viewed and sampled. And as the leading foodservice agency, frankly it would have been rude not to try it all (all in the name of market research you understand).
With a background accompaniment from the obligatory hipster duo on guitar and box drum, the show was small but perfectly formed to appeal to the coffee shop market. The packed line-up at the business theatre and masterclass stage, not to mention the cupping zone, independent coffee roasters village and artisan food market meant there was something for everyone. So if you didn’t make it along this year and the coffee shop market is ‘your bag’ make sure you have the dates in your diary for 2017.
To find out more about the show click here.
Sources: Market stats from Allegra Strategies & insight from Cafeconomy 2016 Results
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.

MCA Menu & Food Trends Report Top Ten Takeouts
As the leading foodservice agency we like to keep abreast of the latest foodservice trends and eating out market insight and so we were delighted to attend the MCA Menu & Food Trends Report this morning. If you weren’t lucky enough to be there, worry not, as we have listed our top ten take outs below:
1) The market on the whole is looking positive, as despite falling consumer confidence (likely to be due to uncertainty around Brexit) disposable income is at an all-time high and up £12 YOY with the average person having £198 per week to spend – hopefully on eating and drinking out of home!
2) GDP is growing at 0.6% and has now been in growth for twelve consecutive quarters. Indeed MCA predict the eating and drinking out market as a whole will grow by 3% this year, out-performing the economy as a whole. You can see why when you look at participation levels which are running at a healthy 92.6% with increasing frequency to boot, with breakfast and snacking/grab & go showing the strongest growth over the next 2-3 years when it comes to day parts.
3) However, as operators look to offset the increased overhead of the National Living Wage (which in general they believe will have a positive effect on the industry) menu prices are on the rise as we see a ‘menu pricing step’ change, with 5% rises not uncommon. Mains and sides currently see the most price rises, whilst overall operators look to rationalise menus (with the exception of premium pubs which are extending menus) with a drive to do less but better, by focusing on quality, which is the no.1 consumer driver.
4) When it comes to protein, chicken is still no. 1 with a 20% share of lunch and dinner, but the peak of chickenisation may be waning as Beef and Pork are the fastest growing proteins with vegetarian dishes and seafood in decline. Interestingly the mega trend of healthy eating doesn’t seem to be born out when it comes to actual consumer behaviour from the research, as indulgence seems to be winning out. However, healthy eating is sighted by industry chefs as likely to increase in popularity over the next 2-3 years, especially gluten-free, vegetarian, fish and vegan. Consumers are also moving to more on the go and informal eating out styles and tending to eat fewer courses, with a rise of one course meals and move away from traditional format sit-down dining.
5) Menu items in growth include in-bread carriers (think sandwiches and all their various permutations), premium burgers, all day breakfasts, sausages, along with ham, bacon and cheese fillings in bread carriers. However, vegetarian, mushroom dishes, seafood, curry and salad don’t seem to be proving as popular. Smoked and slow cooked are both coming through on menus alongside the ever popular, grilled, roasted and fried. Whilst natural cooking methods like wood-fired, BBQ and steaming are growing, especially when they can offer theatre and quality cues to customers. Spices and sauces are being more widely referenced on menus along with a broad variety of cuisines, provenance and up-selling messages to drive spend.
6) Formats such as street food, all day dining, pop-ups and food on the go are topping the chart when it comes to growth with healthier eating, BBQ, premium burgers, street food and Vietnamese tipped by industry leaders to be the fastest growing cuisines over the next 3-5 years. And it will be more important than ever to offer a point of difference aligned to customer demand as menus shrink bringing with it the risk of homogenisation at the same time as increasing prices. Big bold flavours can help to set menus apart, along with authentic cuisines (Asian is especially strong) and of course value for money.
7) Consumers want quality – no change there. With millennials looking for cheaper menus, promotions, fast service and healthier options (despite the fact that only 6% of all consumers polled were driven by health when choosing where to eat out), whilst the 50+ market are more focused on convenience and environment, as well as if they have visited before. Sectors that seem to be upping their game when it comes to delivering against consumer drivers include workplace and colleges, as contract caterers and in-house operators up their game to compete with food on the go and casual dining high street concepts.
8) As for mega trends – they remain the same: healthier eating, indulgence, informality, premiumisation, provenance and value scrutiny. Established cuisine trends include: BBQ, North American, Mexican, Brazilian/South American, Vietnamese, Thai and SE Asian. Coming-up behind them are Caribbean (Turtle Bay is a personal favourite), Modern Spanish, North African, British, Nordic, Modern Greek, Lebanese Persian, Contemporary Indian, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese. Throw in Germanic, Malaysian and Peruvian and you’ve got a fair old choice out there.
9) As for ingredients and the ever present question of ‘what’s the next pulled pork?’ look out for…alternative grains, alternative cuts, ‘burnt’ foods, Cacao, Dosa, fermented foods (pickling), Pokē and root to stem vegetables coming through on menus. Whilst avocado, Banh Mi, cauliflower, Chia seeds, grilled cheese (yum!), Matcha and sweet potato are listed as hot trends while breakfast pots, Chipotle, Harrisa, Kimchi, Quinoa, sourdough and Siracha come under emerging trends. Then, moving to more established trends you have edamame, fresh pasta, kale & super foods, mac ‘n cheese, ramen and sushi. But what do the industry experts think will be big? Allergies and healthy is high on their predictions with gluten-free, vegan and raw diets becoming more important to cater for. They see street food as continuing to be strong and cooking methods like wood-fired becoming more popular. Key to success will be concepts which are easy to understand, on-trend, offer value for money and are approachable.
10) Finally, it’s time for the drinks menu, with mocktails, beer cocktails, birch water, Mead, reverse osmosis water and Soju identified as warm trends while hot trends include craft spirits, Japanese Whisky, loose leaf tea and prosecco or wine on tap. Emerging trends include Almond milk, green juice, premium tonics and unusual smoothies. Whilst at the more established end of the trends scale you have artisan coffee, coconut water and craft beer. As for those on the slide, bubble tea, full sugar carbonates, flavoured water and fruit juices may have peaked.
As for the MCA team, they personally have been doing more of the following over the past year: using chopsticks to get the best out of Asian food, using mobile payment apps, ‘gastro-tourism’ i.e. travelling for food and seeking out the latest restaurant openings, eating more Chia pudding as part of a clean eating regime, enjoying crushed avocado and craft beer – but not all at once! Whilst Simon has been on a gourmet tour of NYC taking in an innovative vegan concept ‘by Chloe’, Michelin beer pairing at ‘Luksus at Torst’, design led restaurant concepts including ‘Quality Eats’, Jewish Russian Bagel café turn evening Bistro ‘Sadelle’s’ and even sour craft beer!
As ever the briefing was highly enjoyable and informative, and really the above barely scratches the surface of the full report which is available to MCA Forum members. Well done to the team at MCA on a great event and a comprehensive round up of the market.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice trends 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.

Arena Savoy Lecture 2016
As the leading foodservice agency we will always be found at the regular Arena events, keeping abreast of the latest news and gossip and networking with friends and colleagues. This Monday was no exception, as we headed to the Savoy to hear from Ken McMeikan, CEO of Brakes. The Arena speakers are of course always very informative, but to hear from the man at the helm of Brakes in the wake of the Sysco acquisition was certainly something of a draw! The evening began with bubbles and a selection of delicious canapés and then it was through to the River Room for the main event.
Ken McMeikan was introduced by Andy Kemp of Bidvest (which must have been a little strange for them both as direct competitors), who outlined his distinguished career which started in the Royal Navy and progressed through senior roles with Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Greggs and then of course onto Brakes where he took up the role of CEO in March 2013. Then it was time for Ken to take to the stage and address the audience. It was a polished and well researched piece, the key take-outs of which are below:
1) Brakes – Their market share is 21% in the UK, 6% in France and 14% in Sweden, serving 200,000 customer sites across Europe. They combined their IT systems and are now completely multi-temp having invested £125m in infrastructure. 2015 was a big year with the purchase of Fresh Direct (the national fresh food wholesaler) and Davigel from Nestle which extended their market share in Spain, Belgium and Luxemburg, and doubled their French market share. Then this year, having been on the brink of floating, they were at the very last minute purchased by US food giant Sysco in a $3.1bn deal which will complete in July and which is likely to signal further growth for Brakes as a pan European player offering further scale and efficiencies to the business.
2) Eating Out – Over the past 30 years the market has seen excellent growth at around a 3.5% compound annual growth rate with continued growth forecast. The growth in eating out is being driven by population growth which is predicted to increase by over 4.5m over the next decade, whilst a record 12.5m women are in work, creating 60% of duel income households with less time to cook. Also the influx of tourism which peaked in January 2016 with a record 2.5m visitors to the UK – over 6% more than in 2015. Indeed in 2015 it was estimated that there are 1million more adults eating out and that more people are eating out more often than ever before, but interestingly spending less as eating out becomes a lower ticket meal occasion, with generation Y key to this growth in eating out. And when eating out, 38% of adults say that food quality is the most important factor when choosing an outlet. Sadly, there is still an incredible failure rate for food businesses as 2014 saw 22,000 new business open but a staggering 20,000 close representing a high churn rate. It is of course still a positive growth, but more is needed to help businesses thrive in this sector as foodservice offers real promise for growth over and above retail.
3) Growth Trends – Well unsurprisingly Ken identified fresh produce as a growth trend (having bought Fresh Direct) which links in with the consumer demand for high quality. Also, fast casual and food on the go, along with locally sourced products and the demand for provenance which they are focusing on via their 25 regional distribution hubs. In Scotland alone they currently buy £75m worth of Scottish sourced products and intend to grow this to £120m by 2020.
4) Closing the Gap – Ken believed that when he started with Brakes that foodservice was 10-15 years behind retail but believes the gap is closing and will continue to lessen as foodservice companies make the most of advances in technology including ecommerce, data analytics around tracking orders and the rise of internet penetration which is forecast to hit 7.6billion in 2020.
5) Three Risks – He also identified three key risks to the industry: cost challenges, skills shortage and obesity. The first is of course top of mind with the National Living Wage taking the over-twenty-fives onto £7.20 per hour with a view to rise to £9 per hour by 2020. It is estimated that this may result in the loss of 60,000 jobs across the hospitality sector. These unintended consequences are something he believes could have been avoided with greater government consultation with businesses and may very well result in hikes in prices. The skills gap has long been talked about and with 51% of catering colleges seeing a downturn in enrolment and 11,000 chefs needed by 2020 (according to the recent People 1st report) and 870,000 staff needed to simply replace those leaving the industry there is likely to be a substantial experience gap on the horizon. It could be that the industries potential growth could be limited by lack of people and relevant skills, therefore we need to attract good people into the industry by making a career in foodservice more enticing, which it should be as few industries offer such an opportunity for creativity and entrepreneurialism. Finally health and nutrition is key both to our nation and our sector with 400,000 deaths in the EU attributed to excess weight. Six out of ten of us are overweight and over 30% of children are overweight or obese. The sugar tax has of course hit the headlines and personal accountability must play some part, but Ken argues the industry must do its part and help to reduce hidden sugar in food much like they have done with salt and trans fats. Companies must take a proactive role and help us overcome the obesity crisis.
6) Meals & More – Ken believes passionately that businesses should help the less fortunate. It is true that ‘hunger is born of poverty and inequality not food scarcity’, as global food production is 1.5 times enough to feed us and globally the statistics on the amount of food wasted is terrifying at around a third. In the UK 1 in 4 children will only have a hot meal in school which highlights the importance of the free school meals programme. However, in school holidays children are going hungry which is one of the reasons Brakes has launched its charity initiative, ‘Meals & More’ offering regional clubs to feed children after school and in the holidays. In September 2014 it had raised £370,000 through 31 suppliers to help feed hungry children who for whatever reason were not getting the right food to help them thrive. If you’re interested in supporting this initiative you can find out more here: www.makelunch.org.uk/blog/meals-more
7) What I love – When it comes to foodservice there’s a lot to love, but Ken picked out these key points: the most amazing people, a heritage of food innovation leading retail, changing consumers experience’ with food from around the world and helping to build the high street brands of tomorrow. All in all a dynamic and exciting industry.
8) Four Predictions – The UK eating out of home market will grow to be more like the US, accounting for over 50% of all food consumed (in 2014 it accounted for 42%). Casual dining will continue to grow and help to make our high streets more attractive. Under 30s / Gen Y will be hugely important to market success and technology will be key to reaching them. Finally, (and perhaps this is a hint at the future of Brakes?) Ken sees more consolidation in the market ahead as bigger players buy up smaller ones to generate growth.
Ken then went on to face some challenging questions from the floor where we saw his personality and quick thinking come to the fore. His opinions? Well on Brexit, unsurprisingly for the CEO of a pan-European company he’d prefer to avoid uncertainty and stay in (as the thought of renegotiating all those trading agreements isn’t an attractive one) – but with no crystal ball it’s too close to call. On leadership, the way ahead is to listen to colleagues and customers and develop a plan for leaders and future leaders around the outputs (as they have). On procurement vs. quality, purchasing well is key as customers want the best price without compromising on service, quality and innovation (easy said!). On the future of foodservice, he sees technology playing a greater role in the kitchen with gains in efficiency from using pre-prepared food and even robots for basic tasks. And finally on the Sysco purchase, he feels Brakes would have suited floating well and have offered an opportunity for investors to buy into a growth sector but the Sysco synergies and cultural match is a good one and he sees a bright future with increased scale and opportunity ahead.
Having digested Ken’s food for thought it was time to enjoy a fabulous meal prepared by the team at the Savoy and finished off with an impressive cheese board from sponsors Futura Foods. Well done to Lorraine and the team at Arena on another outstanding event and to Ken on an informative talk at a very interesting time!
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.

Horizon's Annual Briefing 2016 Ten Top Take Outs
As the leading foodservice marketing agency we were lucky enough to be invited along to the ‘invitation only’ Annual Horizons Briefing, at the world’s largest firm of lawyers, Dentons. As ever the great and the good of the foodservice world gathered to hear what Horizons FS had to say on the state of the ‘out of home’ nation. The day kicked off as usual with a confidential talk from a leading economist on the wider macro setting which of course influences the foodservice market. Then it was on to the specifics of the out of home market. There was as ever a huge amount of information to digest from Peter and his team, not to mention the pearls of wisdom from M Restaurants, GBK and Dentons, as part of the panel discussion and Q&A session, but here are my top ten takeouts from the day…
1) The foodservice market (based on food and beverage sales) rose to around £47.9bil in 2015 and is growing at around 2%, taking us back to similar levels seen in 2008 – an expanding market at a slower rate of growth. But there are, as Horizons put it ‘stones in the road’ to bear in mind such as the slowdown in the economy, consumers becoming more cautious, Brexit, national living wage, rising rents and business rates and even England’s future football performance! However, the long term forecast is positive with 2020 set to see the market hit £56.1bn
2) QSR, Hotels and Pubs (and education) are doing well with strong growth, whilst staff catering, healthcare and services are in decline. Food and drink sales in QSR, restaurants and hotels are forecast to grow in 2016. As for overall winners and losers, on the winning side are pizza and pasta restaurants, pub restaurants, coffee shops, sandwich shops and of all things, holiday camps (!), whilst the losers (lowest performers) are tenanted and leased pubs, airlines, off shore, fish & chips / kebab shops and traditional cafes.
3) The smaller casual dining chains are driving innovation in the market with ones to watch like Creams, Turtle Bay and Filmore & Union.
4) Discounting and vouchers are still around but operators are far more savvy, using more sophisticated techniques to drive brand loyalty via online marketing or brand apps and clever vouchering to drive traffic in downtime or to upsell around occasions.
5) After some dips, eating out penetration is back to 72% where it was back in June 2012. Burgers remain no.1 on menus, whilst healthier food to go is also on the rise demonstrating how consumers want to be good but only sometimes!
6) New twists on old favourites are coming through on menus, such as Lobster mac ‘n’ cheese, arctic roll, toasties and even popping candy. Whilst Wagyu beef, cholla buns and chilli jam fillings along with wellbeing superfoods and gluten free options seem to be cropping up more and more.
7) The trend seems to be for acquisition, whether it’s Sysco buying up Brakes or larger high street brands to buy up the smaller ones. However, bucking the trend and still independent are ‘bubbling under brands’ like Shoryu Ramen, Almost Famous Burgers, Tootoomoo, Snowflake Luxury Gelato and M Restaurants.
8) As far as operator trends go, coffee shops, Mexican fast casual, Italian casual dining, sandwich bars, healthy quick service and juice bars seem to be doing well. London is still key but other large conurbations offer eating out ‘hot spots’.
9) The restaurant market could learn a thing or two from the airlines when it comes to things like being able to choose your table prior to dining and re-marketing online to traffic that has visited their site and then shops around online. Whilst with the rise of the likes of Deliveroo, restaurants need to make dining-in attractive to drive bookings by offering a real experience, differentiating it from the delivered option whilst still benefiting from the incremental sales ‘delivery’ can offer.
10) Finally a word of wisdom on menu innovation from a very experienced operator – simply put…try stuff and see if it sells – sounds fair enough to me!
So in summary for 2016, as Peter Backman puts it, ‘There are lots of opportunities, but also plenty to stumble on!’
#HrznsAB
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.

Award Winning Work – FPA Marketing Award 2016
As the leading foodservice agency we pride ourselves on creating strategically-led, highly creative, integrated campaigns for clients. Frankly it’s our job, and what’s kept us in business for nearly twenty nine years, working for some of the leading out-of-home brands. But it has to be said that it’s always nice to get a bit of recognition for a job well done and last night at the FPA Awards we got just that.
When Wrap Film Systems came to us last year to help them convert chefs and caterers to their Wrapmaster dispensing system for cling film, foil, parchment and more, we put our best heads on the brief and the ‘Wrap Smart’ campaign was conceived. This integrated campaign across digital, social, design, print, video and PR drove trial and conversion, along with chef engagement and brand awareness. Not only did it go down a storm with Wrap Film Systems themselves, but it also had great feedback from distributor partners and national accounts. However, most importantly, it drove sales – delivering an impressive 15% uplift for the brand during the campaign! Little wonder the esteemed panel of judges from the FPA Awards saw fit to select it as the winner of the marketing award last night.
Paul Feery, Marketing Director Wrap Film Systems had this to say about the award winning campaign “We’ve really enjoyed working with Jellybean Creative on what has been a very successful foodservice campaign. As a member of the FPA we really value this award especially as we were up against some great work from other entrants. We look forward to building on the success of the Wrap Smart campaign as we continue to work with Jellybean and hopefully create more award-winning campaigns.”
Congratulations must go to all the nominees and winners from the night and of course to the team at FPA on arranging another fabulous event. As the celebrations went on into the wee small hours there’s sure to be a few sore heads today. As there is one thing you can say for the foodservice packaging industry – they work hard but they can party even harder.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and foodservice pr 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.

The Big Event 2016
Hotelympia is always a busy time for us at Jellybean, whether it’s preparing clients to exhibit at the show, or running the PR, show press office and social media for Fresh Montgomery, you can guarantee there will be a buzz in the office (and possibly the odd nervous breakdown). But as the leading foodservice agency we try to take it all in our stride and somehow make time for the social side of the show as well, especially The Big Event!
This gala dinner – in aid of Springboard and its good work helping the young and underprivileged into careers in hospitality and promoting the sector as an attractive career choice – is one of the highlights of the Hotelympia calendar. Attracting exhibitors and visitors alike, this year the ‘do’ was themed around the date of the event –1st of March…St. David’s Day. From the cheer of ‘Oggy Oggy Oggy’ to kick off the evening to the dulcet tones of the London Welsh Rugby Club Choir, followed by the hip thrusts of Tom Jones (AKA Ian Anthony) and the belting high notes from Shirley Bassey (AKA Paula Randell) the entertainment came straight from the valleys! The food, thankfully ( no offence to the Welsh) was not traditional Welsh fare, but instead a sophisticated menu featuring what else but Welsh Lamb. All prepared by the team at Compass under Nick Vardis, the meal was a triumph (and even included a little help from our client Vegetarian Express). But as with all of these events it’s the company that makes it and we were lucky enough to host a table (which was kindly given to us by Springboard for creating their new Team Velo Challenge Website) and were joined by some of our lovely clients exhibiting or speaking at the show including: Hobart, Essential Cuisine, Ferrero and People 1st.
As the champagne flowed along with the conversation, the night seemed to speed past in a blur of good food, good company and quite a few bids on the charity auction, not to mention a hotly contested ‘Shirley or Tom’ (a new take on heads or tails) and some impressive ‘Dad dancing’ to the RPJ Band. Possibly the most poignant part of the evening however was hearing from two Springboard beneficiaries. With a difficult background Rocky has made-good and now works for Bartlett Mitchell, and having come through the Future Chef programme Ruth is now working at the Ritz no less! Inspiring stories which really demonstrated how Springboard makes a difference to people’s lives. After a fabulous evening all too soon it was time to do a Cinderella and depart for our carriages.
I suspect if you happen to be walking around the show on Wednesday you’ll see a few sore heads but be gentle, it was all in a good cause! To find our more about the great work Springboard do and how you can get involved visit http://springboard.uk.net/
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice pr 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.

Introducing Boyds Grill & Wine Bar
It has to be said that as the leading foodservice agency we don’t do badly for eating out. Our social calendar is often peppered with nights out on Park Lane and alike, so it takes something that bit special to make an impression. This Wednesday saw such an event, as Boyds Brasserie relaunched as Boyds Grill & Wine Bar with a spectacular launch party at their central London location on Northumberland Avenue.
The new restaurant concept puts local artisanal ingredients at the heart of everything they do – there’s cheese from Brockley, Wagyu beef from Sussex, gin from Peckham and even beer from Norwood!
Having designed and built their shiny new website in time for the relaunch we were lucky enough to be invited for a fantastic meal as part of their soft launch the week prior, so we were expecting the grandeur and the impeccable service, not to mention the fabulous food and wine. However, the glittering launch night surpassed even our high expectations, as we were treated like royalty from start to finish and had a truly fabulous evening.
Some of the highlights included…
· Our Digital Director Andy achieving an ambition of a lifetime with a cocktail (including his tipple Bourbon) named after him – try it – you won’t be disappointed! Ask for ‘The Andy’ at the bar.
· Meeting some of the amazing suppliers of British and locally sourced produce which features on Boyds’ menu, as well as nibbling the odd sample – well it would be rude not to.
· Trying ‘Dragon’s Breath’ – a palette cleanser like no other you will have tried (think Puff the Magic Dragon but tastier and more refreshing).
· Sampling the most amazing ice creams from Head Chef Nate who talked us through each one in turn. Would you believe sweetcorn, Parmesan and bacon were amongst those we encountered, not to mention pea and mint. Heston eat your heart out!
With an impressive turn out for the evening, including the great and the good of the restaurant industry, we were in fabulous company and it was sad to see the evening come to a close. But we were seen off in style with a delicious goodie bag full of treats so we could continue the Boyds experience in not so sunny Surrey, which softened the blow somewhat.
Congratulations of course must go to Charles Boyd and his team on a wonderful launch and what is sure to be a hugely successful venture. My advice? Book now while you still can.

The Casual Dining Show 2016
The Casual Dining market has been the success story of the past few years with the sector thriving and branded concepts attracting the all-important millennial market. Little wonder therefore that the Islington Design Centre was buzzing with visitors at the Casual Dining Show this week. Buyers, owners, managers and chefs all descended on North London to see what was new and network with colleagues and contacts. With four of our clients exhibiting it was a busy time for us as well, with journalists to host, press releases to draft and of course, the stand design and management to top it all off. But as we took to the aisles to take-in the show it was clear that all the hard work was well worth it. From sampling delicious smoothies and fat free frozen yogurt at the Coolicious* stand, to treating ourselves to a sweet potato fry (or two) at Aviko’s diner themed stand, not to mention trying the delicious new Chicken Ballotine from Moy Park’s new casual dining range on their street food inspired stand and of course catching up with the guys at Essential Cuisine – frankly there was hardly time to draw breath, let alone take in the rest of the stands and catch-up with the familiar faces that seemed to be around every corner. But as the leading foodservice agency we did of course scout the show for some interesting new products and brands. So what did we find? Top of my list was Twinings Super Fruity infusion which was very refreshing indeed, the new LOVO low cal Vodka RTD concept with coconut water (yum) and last, but far from least, the Sechuan Button which has to be tasted to be believed, as this seemingly innocuous looking little yellow flower can do things to your mouth you cannot imagine – I dare you to try one from Koppert Cress – it’s quite a taste sensation!
As well as sampling the myriad products on offer at the show there was also the inaugural Casual Dining Restaurant & Pub Awards and the National Burger Awards. Driven by our love of the dirty burger we headed to the Islington Metal Works for possibly the most edgy awards night of the year as this industrial venue hosted a burger grill corner and a street food van open bar, both of which were very well received. The show and the awards were both winners for us, but of course congratulations must go to the real winners of the evening – the results for both of which you can find here:
Casual Dining Restaurant and Pub Award Winners
National Burger Award Winners
Well done to Diversify on the show and the first year of their Casual Dining Awards and to H2O’s Casual Dining Magazine on the second successful National Burger Awards – I for one will be beating a path back to both next year. But that’s enough about Casual Dining, as this week draws to a close the biennial goliath of a show that is Hotelympia is soon to be upon us and I must rest my weary feet in preparation, as our PR team gird their loins to run the press office and social media at the show for what is sure to be a fun if hectic four days!
*Finalists in the Casual Dining Show Innovation Awards
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing agency. We help top brands with foodservice web design, pr, food service marketing, foodservice digital marketing and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
