Doing the Right Thing
With the on-set of UK lockdown and the effective closure of a large proportion of foodservice and hospitality businesses, foodservice focused brands find themselves in a tough position. What is the right thing to do?

Necessity is the Mother of all Invention
The Pivot
In these unprecedented times the hospitality and foodservice sector has been thrown a curve ball of unfathomable proportions. As a specialist foodservice agency we feel for all the restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels trying to make the best of a what is a hugely challenging and scary situation. Of course the wellbeing and safety of staff and the population as a whole is paramount and Boris was quite right to do what he did in the circumstances, but it has been a belly blow to the sector.

Top B2B Marketing Agency
As a specialist food and drink agency targeting the foodservice, grocery and retail trade we do more than our fair share of B2B communications. As such we have long been an advocates of B2B Marketing and the report and league table it produces each year ranking agencies and providing insight to the industry. This year we are delighted to rank as 61st overall and in the âTop 30 Independent Integrated B2B Agenciesâ at 28th, coming in 4th for independent integrated B2B agencies with less than 25 employees (we are after all â as trite as it may sound – big enough to matter but small enough to care).

MCA Top of Mind Debrief
As a leading foodservice agency we make it our business to stay abreast of the latest trends and goings on in the eating out world. So last Wednesday saw us hot-foot it to the MCA & Him Top of Mind Debrief. Here are some of our key take-outs from what was a highly comprehensive report.

12 Days of Giving – The British Heart Foundation
The British Heart Foundation is a charity that is close to my heart (excuse the pun), so it was great to head back to their Dorking charity shop to help out again this Christmas as part of Jellybeanâs 12 days of Giving. Liz who runs the show and her team of volunteers were as welcoming as ever and I was happy to help out with whatever needed doing. The big change from last year was the number of volunteers, which meant that whereas last year there was masses to do, this year I arrived to see a back room which was very much in order with only a few bags and boxes to unpack. My first task was to head to the shop floor to refresh the shoe and bag display, taking off all the stock that hadnât sold, adding new shoes and bags and re-merchandising the display to help attract shoppers (with a bit of light dusting thrown in for good measure).

The Delivery Boom
It is fair to say that in recent years delivery has taken the eating out market by storm. This disruptive change in how we enjoy restaurant food brings with it both challenges and opportunities, which is why MCA has devoted a whole report to the subject. As Food Strategy Forum members and a leading food and drink strategic agency we went along to hear what they had unearthed. Here are our top ten take-outs:

Hospitality Action Christmas Fundraising Dinner
As a leading foodservice agency, we have long been supporters of the great work Hospitality Action does. And as Christmas is of course a time for giving, we jumped at the chance to celebrate the arrival of the festive season and at the same time give back, at a time of year when those less fortunate often feel it the most. So it was glad rags on and off we headed to Londonâs Chino Latino within the Park Plaza London Riverbank for the Hospitality Action Christmas Fundraising Dinner.

An Evening with Tom Kerridge
He may not be the heavyweight of the industry he once was, but Tom Kerridge in his new slimline form is just as influential and we were lucky enough to enjoy an evening in his company courtesy of Arena. The Audience for Tom Kerridge event was held at the stunning Corinthia Hotel and saw people from across the hospitality and foodservice industry gather to network, dine and hear from the man himself. After taking on the challenge of the wine tasting quiz, catching up with industry contacts and partaking in the obligatory bubbles and canapes, not to mention the delicious three course meal prepared by the team at the Corinthia, it was time for the main event as Tom took to the stage. He regaled us with his path to success from his school days in Gloucestershire to cooking meals on a Wednesday to eat on a Thursday, through to his current empire with the latest addition due to open in Manchester on 15th November.

MCA Winning in Foodservice 2019
Previously known as the MCA Foodservice Marketing Conference, the Winning In Foodservice Conference certainly covered marketing, but this year went further, hearing from a range of speakers covering everything from eco pubs to e-commerce. Packed with content there was a lot to take in and some great speakers, but if pressed for our key take-outs we would have to go with the followingâŠ

Arena Autumn Event
The Arena networking events are always a highlight in the hospitality industry calendar, but Lorraine and the team excelled themselves with this Autumnâs event at Haberdashers Hall. With not one, but six speakers and the culmination of the Hospitality Hero search, not to mention a fabulous three course meal from the CH&Co team and the usual excellent networking opportunities, the day was chock-full! Themed around the importance of maintaining brand reputation in an ever competitive market, we heard from a range of speakers all with differing backgrounds and angles on the issue.

The Perfect Eating Out Concept
Despite the title of this blog, it is fair to say that there really is no perfect eating out concept. We all know that where we want to eat out depends entirely on the occasion, location, mood, our food preferences, company you are in, how long it is until pay day and a myriad of other factors. However, that said, we thought it might be interesting to distil the latest MCA Eating Out Report findings to hypothesize the perfect eating out concept based on what currently seems to be hitting the mark.

MCA Eating Out Market Report Top Ten Takeoutâs
As a leading out of home agency we pride ourselves on keeping up to date with the latest trends and insights in the eating out market. Little wonder therefore that we are active MCA Insight Forum Members. Last week they held their quarterly debrief of the Eating Out in the UK Report and we were there to get the latest on the market. The report and briefing were, as always, hugely comprehensive but here are out top ten takeouts!

Arena Summer Event
As a leading food and drink agency we pride ourselves on keeping abreast of the latest developments in the world of foodservice and a key part of that is attending the regular Arena networking events. This week saw the summer event, held at the roof top venue of 30 Euston Square, it was impressively jam-packed with content and of course a rather fabulous lunch to boot. The day kicked-off with a presentation on the breakfast and brunch market from Deli France. As the only meal occasion in growth (at time of publication) itâs little wonder there is a desire to really understand the consumer drivers around this growing opportunity. Unsurprisingly, as with most of out of home eating market, there is a split between health and indulgence and with our busy lifestyles convenience is a big factor. As well as the more functional breakfast on-the-go, the rise of brunch was also examined in our millennial led âinsta-focusedâ world where brunch has become the go to for meeting up with friends. (For the full report visit www.delifrance.com/uk/breakfast-brunch-report to download.)

Pub in the Park 2019
When it comes to festival food long gone are days of the dodgy burger van. With the rise of street food you can now eat everything from Thai to stone baked pizza, Korean BBQ to Moroccan wraps. But there is one festival that takes things to the next level when it comes to food. Tomâs Kerridgeâs brain child âPub in the Parkâ blends music with truly great food â genius! With eight of these pop-up festivals planned this summer, everywhere from Leeds to Tunbridge Wells, it seems Tom is adding festival organiser to this many talents.

The History of Fish & Chips
As temperatures rise and we head to the seaside this summer, what better treat than fish & chips (with lots of salt & vinegar) enjoyed on the beach, as the waves break on the pebbles and the sun sets. MmmmâŠyou can just taste them now canât you? But if that vision hasnât already made you run straight to your nearest chippie, you might be interested to know a little about the history of the Great British fish & chips. Currently the Federation of Fish Fryers estimates there are in the region of 10,500 specialist fish & chip shops in the UK, more than McDonalds or KFC. They are predominately independent, with some obvious exceptions such as Harry Ramsdenâs, and serve hungry punters around 167 million portions of fish & chips every year. That’s six servings for every man, woman and child! In fact, our annual spend on fish & chips in the UK is in the region of a staggering ÂŁ1.2 billion, with 80% of people visiting fish & chip shops at least once a year and 22% every week (possibly not the healthiest of consumers), while 56% of people buy fish and chips to eat in the home as a family.

Cateys 2019
As you will know The Cateys is known as the Oscars of the hospitality world and plays host to those at the top of their game. As the leading foodservice agency we were delighted to join the team at The Caterer for a night of fabulous food from Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Exec Chef at Northcote, great compering from newly-wed Rachel Riley of Countdown fame and of course the awards themselves.

Silent Pool Gin Tour
Gin was once notorious as âmotherâs ruinâ, but it is fair to say that since legislation was relaxed to allow small gin distilleries, there has been an undeniable boom in craft gin and itâs popularity has rocketed. We may not be back to the halcyon days of gin in the 1700âs when we were consuming 10 litres of gin per head, but weâre not doing badly! In fact Kantar World Panel reported that âGin is officially the nation’s favourite spirit (having overtaken whisky) â over a quarter of the population have purchased Gin (including flavoured/gin liqueurs) in the last 12 months, up from just over 10% 4 years ago. Gin brands have also really succeeded in connecting with younger consumers: 4 years ago, 43% of 18-24s told us that they drink gin, itâs now 55%.â.

A Big Fat Fundraiser
Hospitality Action do great work for those in our industry who have fallen on hard times, and as the leading foodservice agency, Jellybean have been supporting them for over 20 years. As a thank you for our support and pro-bono design work, we were invited to their Big Fat Quiz at the London Hilton on Park Lane â an opportunity we jumped at.

The History of…The Cornish Pasty
With our annual pilgrimage to the foodie paradise of Padstow on the North Cornish Coast set for June, my thoughts have been wandering to the joy that is a Cornish Pasty wolfed down in the county of its origin. As you look out over the harbour and the crumbly pastry gives way to a perfectly seasoned mix of piping hot meat, swede, onion and potatoes all seems right with the world. But how did this classic Cornish fayre come about? In this latest addition of our âHistory ofâŠâ series I look at the culinary delight that is the Cornish pasty.
