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.
Hot on the heels of our Gambella refugee project of 2019 I am delighted to announce that in 2020 jellybeanis supporting a new initiative for educating adolescent girls in Zimbabwe. Plan International’s project aims to give 21,780 of the most marginalised girls, in one of the world’s poorest countries, the chance to advance their education and go on to earn a fair wage and make a safe living.
We can talk the talk but can we walk the walk? An evening in the kitchen with the Beans…
Anyone who knows or knows of Jellybean, knows that we can most certainly boss our way through the marketing and PR of any food brand… But can we cook?
On Friday 11th January, as a late Christmas celebration, the Beans ventured to The Underground Cookery School in Old Street.
Street food is becoming increasingly popular around the world, giving people the chance to taste authentic specialities and experience local culture. In Europe, there are numerous sweet and savoury delicacies to choose from in each city and country, but here’s a selection of our favourites from around the continent.
Christmas is but a distant memory, the cupboards once overflowing with tubs of Quality Street and boxes of biscuits now sit hollow, with a sheet of dust forming on their shelves. But hey, we’re in a new decade. 2020. TWENTY-TWENTY! It may sound cool but, even so, a new decade doesn’t change the fact that January is quite frankly a drag. Colds and other viruses fly around, mere pennies sit in our bank accounts, rain falls relentlessly at times, dark mornings greet us and dark evenings draw in too early.
Let’s face it, we all check a restaurant’s Instagram before we go there. And we’ve all had a cheeky look at Ella Woodward’s page after buying her Protein Balls because it’s just become second nature to refer to someone or somethings Instagram out of pure and utter curiosity. This is why having an up-to-date and attractive page has become an important part of running a business. It can be daunting and seem like a lot of work, but with this list of 20 must-do’s, it’ll be a breeze and you can always call on the expert services of us beans (#shamelessplug #sorrynotsorry).
I think it is safe to say that I may be the only person in the entire jellybeanoffice who has never had a mince pie… Partly due to the fact that it is not in my Christmas tradition as in France they are not a thing, and also partly due to the fact that I’ve always thought it was meat, which never appealed to me. After doing a little bit of research on the history of mince pies I discovered that I was not entirely wrong and that mince pies were, once upon a time, made using meat.
Last Friday I was fortunate enough to end my week enjoying fantastic food and wine with equally fantastic company. With no less than three clients shortlisted for a Product Excellence Award (The Caterer’s 2019 PEAs in partnership with Delaware North) I ventured out to the London Stadium (2012 Olympic Stadium and home to West Ham United F.C.) to celebrate their success.
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:
jellybeanis proud to be the PR partner to the Quality Food Awards, supporting the prestigious awards programme with social media management, throughout key judging days and managing its press office throughout the campaign year. It was with absolute delight that we got to spend the evening, last Friday, at The Brewery, London, amongst the great and the good of the food and drink industry to celebrate the awards 40th anniversary, none more special to us than our lovely clients, two of whom were shortlisted for an award!
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 London’s Chino Latino within the Park Plaza London Riverbank for the Hospitality Action Christmas Fundraising Dinner.
The recent Extinction Rebellion protests have focused our minds on a global problem and if I have learnt one thing from them it is that “We can choose to be affected by the world or we can choose to affect the world.” Heidi Wills. The XR cause is undoubtedly a worthy one and critical to the future of our planet and I am not here to challenge the essence of their goal or to speculate on their questionable (and sometimes hypocritical) methods, but rather to reflect on another critical world problem that is deserving of the same level of attention – child poverty.
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.
Hi! My name is Caroline, and I am currently at jellybeanon work experience. I have really enjoyed working at an agency focused on food and beverage, as I am a huge foodie. I love cooking but my passion is hands down baking, that’s why I have decided to research the history of pancakes. Yes, pancakes… I absolutely love making them and trying out new recipes and toppings, the possibilities are endless! So, what is a pancake and where did it originate from?
As we turn the corner and practically fall into Halloween, the summer of twenty nineteen fades away. The nights are drawing in, the leaves have begun to change and it’s finally time to dig out the chunky knits again – can I get a hell yeah!? With the pending autumnal festivities fast approaching and with every pub in proximity burning a cheerful blaze on the log fire, it’s unquestionably one of the most loved and popular times of year.
After hearing horror stories from my Dad about what my Mum attempted to cook when they first moved in together I shut my eyes and prayed I wouldn’t follow in her culinary footsteps. What could be so bad you ask? How about slicing up a ‘Ready to Cook’ chicken and sandwiching between two slices of bread with some salad cream for good measure. Don’t say you made the same mistake as Mum and read ‘Ready to Eat’ instead of ‘Ready to Cook’! Luckily Dad questioned the squidgy-ness of the sandwich and opened up the slices of bread to reveal the pink chicken inside – eek! Food poisoning avoided, culinary lesson learned.
My favourite tipple…so I thought I would investigate its origins a bit more. The delicious craft gins which we enjoy today are a long way from the original gin, which is said to have been created by a Dutch physician, Franciscus Sylvius, and was essentially a malt wine base using juniper to disguise its harsh flavour and was deemed to be ‘medicinal’. Although even as far back as 70AD juniper berries mixed with wine were used as a herbal medicine.
I am lucky enough to have visited Nelson in the Marlborough area of New Zealand’s South Island several times now as my daughter lives there and of course I have fallen deeply in love with NZ Sauvignon Blanc or Sav as it is known locally.
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 following…
The time is approaching, and the vermouth revolution is on the brink of worldwide domination.
Many still picture vermouth as an epitome of that dust-gathering liquor at the back of their grandparent’s cupboard (right next to the Advocaat and Maraschino Liqueur) which rarely sees the sunlight. But just like the old proverb says, “Everything comes back into fashion if you wait long enough!”.
