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.
Food on the Go Conference 2016 – Top Ten Take-outs
With a jam-packed agenda for the day it’s quite a challenge to cram all the key take-outs from M&C Allegra’s Food on the Go conference into one blog, but as the leading foodservice agency we’ll do our best!
1) Currently the on the go market is possibly the most innovative, dynamic and competitive sector of the out of home market. Growing an impressive 5.4%, it’s outstripping the rest of the market by some way, as food bought to eat off premise (the definition of on the go) accounts for 1 in 4 of every pound spent out of home! With lunch hours now around 27 minutes (dropping from 36 minutes in 2000) the pressure is on for operators to deliver great food, fast!
2) Highly fragmented, the top ten players account for only 33% of the market with large retailers dominating at the top due to their proliferation of sites. C-stores are gaining share but suffer from a lack of innovation and often limited offer due to the independent family run nature of the business.
3) Street food is still on the increase and millennials are driving the market with their demand for high quality, good value food on the go. As for the recipe for success? Well, according to M&C Allegra it’s simple – fresher, faster & hotter!
4) What does the on the go consumer look like (versus the general outing out consumer)? Research findings from M&C Allegra indicates the following: 53% Male (vs. 49% of total Eating Out participants), 66% Under 50 (vs. 51%), 17% London (vs. 13%), 67% Full-time workers (vs. 56%), 36% Earn £40k+ (vs. 31%). What consumers want when it comes to food on the go is pretty simple – fast service, close to work, product freshness and healthier options. Queuing, unsurprisingly, is the biggest frustration, joined by lack of choice and over pricing. Whilst promotions definitely drive sales with 65% of consumers using promotions and 1 in 6 consumers stating they would choose to go elsewhere if a promotion was removed. As for what people are buying on the go, sandwiches and cola are key purchases, as is bottled water, but the popularity of sandwiches is in decline as the rise of other bread carriers and salad options increases.
5) The rising trends in on the go food include: Pan-Asian, gluten-free, vegetarian, healthier, hot product, Americana, premiumisation and hotter sauces. And if you’re looking to be inspired by some new and different food to go concepts it’s worth visiting: Wolf Street Italian, The Bowler, Hai Street Kitchen, HOP (exciting Vietnamese concept), ŰGOT (too cool for school, clean eating concept set up by an unfeasibly precocious (in a good way!) gluten avoider instead of a frozen yogurt bar), Friska (with a real vision to ‘refine expectations within our industry from the inside out’), Coco di Mama (owned by Azzuri who also own ZiZi and Ask), Crussh Juice Bars (so much more than just food!), Hackney Eat 17 (a Spar convenience store!) and Vital Ingredient (defining healthy on the go).
6) Transport hubs are of course a key focus of food on the go and Tom Dobson from Network Rail is responsible for the 18 largest stations in the UK and their F&B offering. In 2020 he predicts 1 billion people will visit these stations and this will generate 1 billion in F&B revenue – impressive stuff. In 2015 alone they experienced 900 million visits to these top 18 stations, an increase of 7%, with like for like sales growing at 6% last year, so food to go concepts looking for a sure bet could do worse than consider key stations for their next opening it would seem.
7) McDonald’s is the goliath in the food to go market and also boasts some impressive stats….90% of people visit McDonald’s, they have seen 39 consecutive quarters of sales growth, from their research with 5,000 consumers they know that 17-24 year olds want more spice on the menu and don’t feel that McDonald’s is contemporary enough. This is something the company is addressing with its roll-out of new concept stores, which include: a signature range of more thicker, more premium burgers, customisation, a new look including a new style uniform and convenient touch screen ordering points. Keep an eye out for these new and improved stores coming soon! The bad news, unlike the US they won’t be doing all day breakfast (sad times).
8) The challenges and opportunities common to operators big and small consist of – the crazy London property market with exorbitant rents and unreasonable contracts, minimising queue times, getting and keeping good people, competition, standing out in the market, creating an emotional engagement to their brand which keeps customers loyal and delivering consistently high quality food to a highly discerning and increasingly impatient customer base. Whilst opportunities include: focusing on what they do well rather than becoming a jack of all trades, the use of technology around payment and pre-ordering both in store and pre-store visit, social media engagement and use as a real time customer relations and service tool, expansion into other locations and even countries, partnering up with other operators (e.g. Starbucks and Pod / Costa and Chop’d), understanding consumer behaviour around food on the go, the rise of Pan Asian, Middle Eastern and free from.
9) In at nine and more of an observation than a take-out, it would seem that the majority of food on the go start-ups are run by ex-bankers who obsess about their lunch for years from the confines of the city before taking the plunge and leaving the trading floors, boardrooms and city bonuses behind to make lunchtimes more enjoyable for the rest of us!
10) Finally and possibly the key take-out for the day – if you stack two keep cups from Friska they are the same height as a groundhog! Good to know.
Thankfully having been to the 2015 Food on the Go conference, I can say without a doubt that this year’s was far from a groundhog day (see what I did there!) as it brought together all players in the food to go market from the big boys like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Leon, Wild Bean Café and Pret to new innovative start-ups like Friska, Hop and ŰGOT offering up the latest market data and insights to keep everything aptly fresh. Well done to the team at M&C Allegra on another great event. To find out more about M&C Allegra visit http://www.mcallegra-fs.com/
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing agency. We help top brands with foodservice web design, 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 will soon be upon us, and as the great and the good of the industry gather at Excel to see what’s hot for 2016 it’s also a great excuse for a party – or should I say ‘gala dinner’. And what better cause than industry charity Springboard, who’s excellent work helps young and under-privileged people into careers in hospitality, leisure and tourism across the UK. Of course, as the leading foodservice agency we will be there, at the St David’s Day themed, ‘Big Event’ on the 1st March, joined by some of our clients who are exhibiting at Hotelympia.
As the PR agency for Hotelympia it’s a busy time for us, but we’re always up for supporting such a good cause and if it means glamming up and enjoying a lovely meal washed down with fine wines, well, so be it – it’s a tough job but someone has to eh. If you haven’t booked your table already make sure you don’t miss out and get booking today.
Equally if you can offer any prizes or would like to get involved with sponsoring do get in contact with Springboard and offer your support. We look forward to seeing you there!
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.
Catering Insight Awards 2015
When it comes to awards our industry does pretty well, and as the leading foodservice pr agency we tend to get along to most, if not all of them. But as they say there’s always room for one more and to that end the latest addition to the foodservice awards calendar kicked-off last night at the Hurlingham Club with the inaugural Catering Insight Awards. Brought to us by Catering Insight Magazine, the awards set out to recognise the very best in the catering equipment sector, covering manufacturers, distributors and dealers. With categories voted by over 100 judges (manufacturers for dealers and dealers for manufacturers) the categories covered everything from the national regions to sustainability and light and heavy equipment – to name but a few.
The industry gathered in black tie to quaff champagne under the beautiful Christmas lights and of course to see who would walk away with these coveted awards. The atrium of the venue buzzed with chatter as friends and colleagues caught up and networked. Then it was on to enjoy an excellent meal prepared by the team at The Hurlingham Club and to find out which of the nominees would be celebrating later at Mahiki (the after party). As the wine flowed so did the conversation and I was lucky enough to be in good company on a table with Chris Brazier and the team from Diversity (who are behind the Casual Dining Show, Lunch! and the Commercial Kitchen Show). To add even more excitement to the evening there was a close-up magician to entertain us with tricks and even a bit of mind reading. We were also joined on the night by our clients Hobart and Fresh Montgomery (the team behind Hotelympia and Hospitality, to name but a few of their many shows!) who both sponsored categories and presented awards. The evening culminated with the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ron Neville of CHR Equipment Ltd. for his contribution to the industry over his long and illustrious career. The night flew by and soon it was time to find our carriages and either head home or party on. Sadly I didn’t make it to celebrity hot spot Mahiki for the after party, but I will wait with baited breath to hear the gossip from later in the night!
Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, and of course well done to the team at Catering Insight, especially Andrew Seymour and Clare Nicholls who hosted the evening – not forgetting the sponsors and front and back of house teams who made the night possible. To see the full list of winners click here.
Keep reading! Why not read our blog on A guide to food and drink PR in Foodservice
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.
Arena Christmas Event
The Arena Christmas Event is the official start to the Christmas festivities for the foodservice industry and as the leading foodservice agency we make a point of attending every year. This year there was a double bill, featuring a review of the year from Horizons and a key note speech from Wendy Bartlett of Bartlett Mitchell, not to mention a fabulous meal at the Mandarin Oriental. The day kicked-off with coffee and complimentary porridge, courtesy of our client Ferrero, who’s nutella hazelnut spread added a much needed sweet addition to the hand-held porridge pots, and was especially appreciated by those attendees who had an early start to make it into Knightsbridge for the Horizons briefing.
Then it was time for Peter Backman and his team to take us on a romp through 2015 and a look ahead at what might be in store for 2016. Taking each month at a time we enjoyed a summary of the highs and lows, winners (Costa, Byron, Leon, Wahacca) and losers (soft drinks companies) of the year. From the raft of acquisitions over the year to the somewhat disappointing Rugby World Cup, the review took in everything from ‘ones to watch’ high street brands on the up (Cau, Turtle Bay and WrapChic to name but a few), to examples of casual dining and QSR operators venturing outside their comfort zones in order to attract consumers in an increasingly competitive market place (Subway in a car showroom, McDonald’s table service, alcohol in Burger King and breakfast at Five Guys). With all day dining and ‘what you want when you want’ driving menus, hand-held options seems to be the future with ‘wellbeing’ rather than ‘healthy’ firmly established, along with American and Mexican influenced dishes still going strong. From Jamie’s sugar tax to the rise of technology in all its forms impacting on foodservice, be it payment apps or online ordering hubs like Hungry House and Just Eat, not to mention social media, the face of foodservice is ever changing. The good news though, things are pretty positive and although consumer confidence is fragile the ratio of new opening restaurants to closures hasn’t looked this good in years (although mainly driven by group casual dining operators as independents continue to struggle).
Then it was onto the year ahead and what might be on the Horizon (so to speak!). With the terror threat ever present, a likely referendum in the offing over Europe and continued austerity, as well as the impact of the national living wage, there is a backdrop of uncertainty both with business and consumers. Whilst on the positive side we have Rio 2016 and Euro 2016 to look forward to next summer. The secret to success in the year ahead? Peter Backman would urge operators to innovate and move outside of their comfort zones to stand out from the crowd – sound advice at any time. So after a morning of food for thought it was then on to the actual food of the day, with a stunning lunch prepared by the team at the Mandarin Oriental and having had an elegant sufficiency, it was then time to hear from Wendy Bartlett…
First off she took the opportunity to set the record straight and make clear that Ian Mitchell is her friend, not her husband, a widely held misconception in the industry. As Founder and CEO of Bartlett Mitchell, the hugely successful boutique contract caterer, with 87 locations, 800 staff and over £30 million turnover, Wendy knows a thing or two about contract catering. She, like many other achievers in her field came from a Sutcliff Catering background which spawned so many contract catering companies. She took the brave move fifteen years ago when she and Ian left their stable careers in contract catering to set-up their own business from Wendy’s back bedroom with two phones (after Ian resigned on her behalf, would you believe, after leaving an incriminating document on the photocopier at their current work – oops!). With no salary for two years (but a holiday booked as soon as they set-up oddly enough!) the company started off with a £20,000 budget from each founder and a tight hold on overheads (despite Ian’s allowance for dry cleaning his shirts – a top priority).
Having started out with their first ever contract with a Swedish TV company, now Wendy is one of the top 100 influential people in hospitality, has an MBE and Bartlett Mitchell is counted amongst the ‘Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work for’ and is accredited by the Sustainable Restaurant Association. All in all it’s safe to say things have gone pretty well. Indeed, Wendy never found being a woman in foodservice a barrier, as without the worry of a wife and kids to support she feels she had the freedom to take risks her male counterparts might have shied away from, and loves the business as much as ever, especially the food and the people side. She welcomes the national living wage and to date 50-60% of their clients have taken this on and will always put forward sustainable options to clients, but accepts that they are spending other people’s money so often the decision is out of her hands. Her words of wisdom to the room included – working with friends, not using a lower case font for a logo as it causes a nightmare with autocorrect and to mentor and nurture the next generation of leaders to ensure the industry has the right talent coming through. Her Christmas wishes included…the end of demitasse cups, easier Wi-Fi codes, a simple qualification for chefs – so we’ll have to see what Santa brings.
Then it was time for the charity draw, with Wendy doing the honours, and the great news that the event had raised £1,540 for Hospitality Action. As the day drew to a close and the bar called, there was a little more time to catch-up with contacts old and new and toast the imminent festivities. Well done to Lorraine and the team at Arena, as well as Peter and the team at Horizons and Wendy Bartlett on a great event, as well as the sponsors that make it all possible. Roll on 2016 and what will doubtless be an excellent line-up of events. To find out more about Arena visit their website.
FSM Awards 2015
From event catering to healthcare, CSR to marketing, the FSM Awards (Foodservice Management Awards) aim to celebrate the best and the brightest in the field of contract catering. This year the glittering awards night, was held at the Lancaster London and hosted by Mark Durden-Smith (a foodservice favourite it would seem). The awards were dispersed between courses, prepared by leading contract caterers Elior, Sodexo, CH&Co and of course our hosts for the night, The Lancaster London – all of which were equally delicious.
The format worked well and as the evening progressed the conversation flowed along with the wine, as we welcomed onto the stage the well-deserved winners to receive their awards. The charity nominated for the evening was Sue Ryder who offers support to those suffering from life changing illnesses, offering hospices and neurological care. The charity was one close to the heart of Robyn Jones who sadly passed away earlier this year and in tribute to the outstanding work Robyn did in the contract catering industry she was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award which her husband Tim Jones collected for her. It was a poignant moment which honoured a hugely respected and much missed figure in our industry.
The full list of winners can be found here FSM Awards 2015. Congratulations must go to all the nominees and winners, along with the sponsors of the evening (which included our client Pritchitts) and of course the great team at H2O headed up by Alan Dewberry. Another great event celebrating the best talent in the realm of contract catering.
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.
Propel Multi Club Event
The Propel Multi Club events are a must attend for those in the pub and casual dining world. Offering a range of expert industry speakers covering everything from the economic outlook to practical case studies, these events throughout the year have to deliver solid content in order to justify a day out of the business for these key players in the industry. The programme is very much aimed at multiple operators looking to build and grow a successful business and as such they offer a great opportunity for brands to highlight their products and services and even get to sample their wares. With an exhibition area used for breaks and lunch there is ample time to get face to face with the kind of individuals that are very difficult to pin down any other way.
With an attendee list that reads like a who’s who of the pub and high street dining world the day kicked-off with a look at the current economic trends and how they may impact on the eating and drinking out market. Speaking with no notes (quite an achievement) Ian King of Sky News talked knowledgably about the past twelve months and what might be in store for the months ahead, in what he termed as currently a pretty ‘benign’ market, as the impact of the national living wage takes effect.
The day went on to cover the headline grabbing world of mergers and acquisitions, synonymous with the pub sector, with Peter Hansen from Sapient Corporate Finance looking at the structure of the market and the impact of the MRO (market rent only) option. He ran through and what models are available in the market, from free of tie leases like Duck and Rice, to joint ventures with pub co freehold and Managed Expert Programmes like Hippo, where everything apart from the labour is controlled by the pub co and the manager receives a percentage of income. With low food inflation, low interest rates and a recovering economy the pub sector is looking good for the moment despite uncertainty over the possible impact of the MRO and growing competition from casual dining and retail. However with rates in London soon to rise and the possibility of food and energy costs increasing we will have to see what happens. Although it is fair to say that with more flexible options available there are still opportunities in the sector, although those with less than five years on their leases face an uncertain future and would be well advised to look at what deals can be done with their pub co’s property director.
Keeping with the finance theme, accountancy firm haysmacintyre took to the stage to advise the audience on the best way to manage their tax liability. My main take out…I think I’m in the wrong job, as there looks like there is some serious money to be made in pubs! Then it was on to hear from Enterprise Inns about building an 800-strong managed pub estate and the investment and progress in the leased and tenanted part of the business. Paul Harbottle talked us through the profiling of the Enterprise Inn estate and threw in some top tips when opening a site, such as getting prominent PTA, WI or Parish Council individuals on-side to help ensure its a success. In his experience it takes twelve months for a pub to get up and running and you should never expect to change history, if a site has a drug or violence problem then the chances are it still will have when you take over. But most importantly he stressed getting the right people who were ‘up for the challenge’ and made the point that often a good landlord doesn’t make for a good pub manager.
Then it was time for delegates to catch-up and network over lunch and take a stroll around the sponsors’ stands and after a delicious meal from the team at The Lancaster London it was time for the afternoon session. Toby Smith of Novus Leisure showcased their makeover of the Balls Brothers concept along with their real time social media feedback loop employed in everyone’s favourite nightspot – Tiger Tiger. He was followed by the irrepressible Martin Wolstencroft of Arc Inspirations whose passion for his business came across from the off. With thirteen (and one in the pipeline) bars/restaurants, predominately in the North, he’s been building his operation for the last thirteen years and has a portfolio of nine brands, ranging from sophisticated cocktail bars in city centre locations like Manahatta to American inspired craft beer and ribs concept ‘The Pit’. By ensuring all his staff really care, sourcing locally and insisting on consistency across the estate, he has built up an extremely successful business with concepts to match any location. Run on home-grown talent, many of his senior team started out as part time bar or restaurant staff as students, but by offering a culture they love (not to mention the odd performance related ski trip or jaunt to Ibiza) Arc have managed to keep staff engaged and motivated to deliver the very best for their customers.
Event Sponsor Fishbowl then took to the stage in a double header to take us through the technology behind sophisticated menu engineering which can help maximise both profit margins and customer base. With impressive case studies from the US, some of the more techy elements may have met a few blank faces, but the message was clear – with the use of the right programmes you can ensure you have the best money making menu possible. Whereas once gutfeel was all there was, now technology can let light in on the magic of a successful menu.
Loungers was next up to share their learnings. With seventy one sites and another four planned before Christmas the chain, which started with three friends and a vision, is big business now with venture capital backing. Their all day dining concept and strategic decision to go for secondary high streets has worked well. They even have their own in-house build team which means they can streamline fitting-out a site in five to six weeks. They also have the Cosy Club brand which although smaller is doing well with seven to eight opening every year. With Loungers seeing 100% overtrading honeymoon period for new sites, that can last up to four months, they are certainly doing something right and Nick Collins MD plans to continue the journey for a long time to come.
Another operator who seems to have made a niche for themselves is Brewhouse & Kitchen. With an actual craft brewery on every site they offer not just a bar and restaurant but an experience. With brewing days and masterclasses hosted by their master brewers, not to mention gift ideas I might very well have to take a trip up to Islington (the nearest one to us in leafy Leatherhead).
The day ended with an insight into what makes a great leader with Anne Elliott, event sponsor, sharing the outputs of many a conversation with some of the most successful individual in the industry. The answer? Vision, listening, asking why?, engaging, surrounding yourself with the best, helping people achieve what they never thought possible, saying thank you, putting yourself in others shoes, being yourself and leading from alongside your team. Indeed, many felt they were still learning every day. A topic which was then taken up by the panel discussion with business leaders from Spirit, Ego Restaurants and Thorley Taverns to get their thoughts on the principles of high quality leadership – and on that inspiring note the day came to a close.
Well done to Paul Charity, Jo Charity, Sharon Dickinson and Adam Dickinson, the team behind this great day, not to mention the sponsors who make it all possible. To find out more about Propel or sign-up to their e-newsletter visit www.propelinfonews.com
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.
EDUcatering Awards 2015
When it comes to unsung heroes school caterers are definitely up there. Juggling challenging budgets, picky pupils, government guidelines, special dietary requirements and of course forever doing all they can to keep parents and governors happy. But every year the EDUcatering Awards seeks to give these hard working individuals the recognition they deserve with a gala awards night. This year the awards took place at the prestigious Royal Garden Hotel. With over two hundred and fifty entries across fourteen categories and twenty eight judges, only the highest quality entries made it through to the list of nominees and then only the very best were lucky enough to walk away with a coveted EDUcatering Award.
The evening kicked-off with the irrepressible Alan Dewberry, who began proceedings in his inimitable fashion, however this year he handed the compere baton over to Tim Baker, Head teacher of Charlton Manor Primary School, which is known for its standout school meals programme. The evening flew by in a haze of good company and fabulous food from the team at the Royal Garden headed up by Steve Munkley, but some of the highlights included…founder of Mary’s Meals, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow being honoured with The Special Award (which was collected by London Mary’s Meals fundraiser Gerrard McMahon), a standout performance from the renowned Sylvia Young theatre school pupils and of course Jeanette Orrey, founder of the Food for Life Partnership at the Soil Association, receiving her Lifetime Achievement Award. You can of course view the full list of winners here, but without naming them all, suffice to say congratulations must go to all the nominees, winners and of course the sponsors and organisers H20. A great night for a great sector!
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.
Lifting the Lid on The Out of home Opportunity
The out of home market, foodservice, eating out, away from home, catering, HORECA – whatever you call it, it’s a growing market that has long been the poor cousin to retail.
This comes down to a number of reasons, one, retail, although highly competitive and hard on margins, is a bigger market and realistically the number of trade buyers you need to convince to make your brand a success can fit into one room (although you probably wouldn’t want them to be). Then, once you understand your consumer, it’s all about reaching them wherever they may be, with a strong (ideally emotionally engaging) message and then prompting them to purchase with effective shopper marketing during their retail journey. Whereas with the out of home market, although margins can be healthier, it is a complex and fragmented beast, which, when viewed by the untrained eye, can be rather daunting. First there’s the route to market listings that need to be secured through the national big hitters as well as the myriad of regional wholesalers, then there’s the challenge of communicating to thousands upon thousands of buyers with vastly different agendas, both independent and group and ensuring that messaging is tailored to them and their particular needs. You might manage to get listed at head office in a huge organisation, but if it’s an undisciplined multiple (not working off a centrally developed menu) pulling those sales through is quite another challenge. Whilst the independents can be fickle creatures opting for whatever is on promotion at the time. Sounds fun doesn’t it! (And that’s just the start).
So why bother? Why not just ignore it? Well, as the out of home market accounts for over a third of consumer spending on food (38.8p in the pound), is valued at £85.3bn and growing at 2.8%*, I think you’ll agree that although it might be a tricky nut to crack it’s well worth it! However, when it comes to convincing the board and colleagues who may not appreciate the out of home opportunity there is nothing quite like facts and stats (and of course the accompanying ‘so whats?’) to give credence to your argument for budget, resource and focus on the out of home market. That’s why we’ve created our ‘Out of Home Facts in a Flash’ infographic – lifting the lid on the out of home opportunity in an easy to digest format which is available to download here. We hope it helps you fight the foodservice corner and of course you know where to come when you decide to go for it!
*M&C Allegra Eating Out Report 2015
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.
Arena Face2Face with Ch&Co
It speaks volumes that the very first external event to be held at Lambeth Palace was this week’s Arena Face2Face. A key date in the calendar for any food and drink pr agency, this year Alistair Stewart was face to face with not one but two industry heavyweights. With the big news in contract catering being the merger of CH&Co and HCM Group; to have both, Bill Toner – Group CEO and Tim Jones – Chairman, there in person was quite a coup for Arena.
The day started with a tour around the historic Lambeth Palace and its stunning grounds. Home to archbishops through the ages, the palace was stunning and the talk very informative. Then it was onto the main event – the Face2Face. The fact that Tim made it along at all was a real achievement and testimony to his professionalism, in the light of the sad passing of his wife Robyn Jones last week. Alistair paid tribute to Robyn as the hugely respected business woman with a passion for the industry and the driving force behind the merger which it turns out was really her vision.
Alistair Stewart kicked off the interview with a question on how the merger was received by the banks. Predictably with the city, they needed convincing and reassuring that the current brands would retain their brand equity and that the whole would, as they say, be greater than the sum of its parts. Bill, Tim and Robyn were confident that merger was the right course and went to great lengths to ensure the team dynamic worked and the business strategy benefited both parties with high performing brands remaining managed by their separate MDs. The message was clear to the banks and the industry it would be business as usual, but with a tougher business edge.
The interview then turned to what advice Bill and Tim had for the rising stars of the industry. Tim advocated gaining a range of experience in your twenties across a portfolio of companies without jumping around too much. Then looking to set up on your own to reap the substantial rewards, both financial and personal. Whilst Bill, who was very happy as a corporate man, also recommended the startup root, as having experienced both he was happy to say that going out on your own is far more fun.
When it comes to recruitment they of course want people who are driven and ambitious, but equally they have to care about the business and understand it. They look to get exactly these kinds of people onboard and by delegating effectively they have built strong teams where people have the opportunity to shine and show initiative, responsibility, and challenge the business to do better. Of course renumeration is an important part of attracting quality people and the national living wage can pose a challenge for business, but it’s one that is welcomed by both Tim and Bill. Plus, as part of their CSR commitment (which is even written into their investors contract), they support both Hospitality Action and Springboard and offer apprenticeships, as well as a comprehensive staff development programme, which gives them an enviable retention rate and helps attract the best and the brightest.
At the heart of their business is of course the food and with Tupperware their biggest enemy (as consumers often choose to bring in food from home over eating at work – including much to his continuation, Bill’s lawyer son) they have to ensure their food offer is on trend, high quality and offered at a reasonable price. With menu fatigue a constant danger they also have to keep things fresh when it comes to staff feeding with innovation and pop-ups to trial new cuisines and concepts.
As for the ideal supplier…It has to be a partnership where trust is paramount. Innovation and quality are of course very important, but honesty is key, as nobody likes nasty surprises. Whilst purchasing tends to specify supplier partners for each of the operating brands, Tim was keen to stress that clients can be specific if there is a particular product they want, as in his words, “the client is king”.
The interview then turned to the wider world and how the economy affects business. Working in so many sectors of staff feeding they believe their sales offer a fair measure across different sectors, but overall consumers seem to be more confident and are spending with a stabilised economy. As much as things do change, people will always need to work and eat when they are there. So with a growth strategy aiming to get them to £300million in the next 3-5 years and a growth strategy ‘somewhat different to big boys’ it will be interesting to see how Robyn Jones’ legacy develops under the guiding hands of Tim and Bill in the coming years.
With the interview drawn to a close by Alistair, Lorraine took to the stage to announce the winner of the charity raffle along with a new trial format for the rest of the event, based around bowl food and crucially more opportunity to network. Then it was time to adjourn to the great hall to enjoy five delicious dishes (not to mention the amazing canapés) and some rather stunning cheeses courtesy of sponsors, Futura Foods.
With conversation and wine flowing, the afternoon went by in a flash, as yet another successful Arena event came to a close. Well done to Lorraine and her team on breaking new ground and trying both a new venue and new format. The jury will soon be in as to its popularity as the new format was gauged via live feedback on tablets at the event so everyone got to have their say.
But here’s a worrying thought – the next event on the Arena calendar is the Christmas Lunch at the Mandarin Oriental on 7th December which will doubtless be with us before we know it so I’d get booking now if I were you! Maybe see you there?
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