Anyone who knows me well is aware of my mildly unhealthy fascination with smells. I’m like an olfactory David Attenborough, but with less authority, gravitas, respect, knowledge, experience, expertise, grace, standing and qualifications. Basically, I’m the Steve Backshall of odours.
jellybean was delighted to attend the MCA Live Restaurant Conference at the Ham Yard Hotel on November the 7th. The event featured insightful discussions from industry leaders on a range of topics, including menu engineering, tech innovations, delivery, and gender diversity. Here are the key highlights:
I was recently featured in an article by grocery industry bible The Grocer on the hot topic of Tesco’s Club Card AI. Tesco CEO Ken Murphy recently said artificial intelligence could be used to monitor how customers were shopping to help persuade them towards healthier choices. He said: “I can see it nudging you over time, saying: ‘I’ve noticed over time in your shopping basket that your sodium salt content is 250% of your daily recommended allowance.”
I recently spent the perfect Autumn get away visiting Chania in Crete, not only did we enjoy the sunshine, we also had the best time sampling the delicious local foods and trying top restaurant hot spots. For any foodie, when going on holiday food is top of the agenda. My key method of research recently has been focused more on social media, especially TikTok to help me decide where to eat – which has offered up some great recommendations for recent trips. Again, this did not disappoint for Chania, resulting in us eating at amazing restaurants throughout the trip! Here are some of my favourites that are well worth a try if you are visiting the old town.
Halloween 2024 is fast approaching, and so is the surge of creative brand collaborations in the food and drink sector. This year, even the most traditional brands are stepping out of their comfort zone and teaming up with partners to deliver innovative, attention-grabbing products and campaigns. Whether it’s an unexpected flavour twist, or quirky, cross-industry partnerships (think sausage roll socks by Greggs and Primark), these collaborations are letting brands tap into each other’s audiences while generating buzz and excitement through limited-edition, themed offerings.
The Royal Lancaster Hotel, based on the edge of London’s Hyde Park, has recently collaborated with the Natural History Museum, for a Blooming British Afternoon Tea – a floral-inspired twist in celebration of British flowers and fauna. The tea takes inspiration from the Museum’s archives, as well as its newly transformed gardens – an idyllic source of nature within the city’s bustling centre.
In the fast-evolving digital landscape, B2B food and drink brands are leveraging social media to build stronger networks, drive sales, and boost brand visibility.
LinkedIn, as the world’s largest professional networking platform and the oldest (21 years this year and counting), has become an important tool in these efforts, offering unique opportunities to connect with the right audiences.
As further news on the employment bill hits the headlines we take a look at the changes to tipping laws which came into effect at the beginning of the month (1st October 2024). As consumers we are of course keen to see our tips go to those who deserve them, but how will the new tipping legislation affect the hospitality industry? We take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly of this new change to tipping laws.
In an ever-changing digital world, with AI exploding and hospitality businesses seeking new ways to drive customer experience and business efficiencies, digital transformation was the obvious topic for Arena’s Autumn Event. As the leading foodservice agency, we jumped at the opportunity to catch up with industry friends and contacts, whilst getting to hear from innovative events catering company Freemans Event Partners and Jeremy Blain CEO of Performance Works International, not to mention the chance for a sneaky peak behind-the-scenes at Lords Cricket Ground.
After a short hiatus for a worldwide pandemic, the Universal Cookery and Food Festival was back with a bang this year. With the location set appropriately in the Garden of England (Kent) the imposing big top at Loddington Farm played host to a wide range of brands, along with a trends and debate stage and The Staff Canteen Live. Not only was the event, dubbed Glastonbury for chefs, awash with food and drink, it also offered farm and foraging tours for those up for braving the elements and getting back to nature.
My cousin recently came to visit from Bermuda, and since she’s vegan and I’m always keen on trying new plant-based dishes, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take her on a vegan food safari in London. We decided to explore Soho and Fitzrovia – two lively areas known for their exciting food scenes. From street-food-inspired eats to refined dishes, we indulged in some truly delicious flavours. Here’s a recap of our vegan adventure!
I was lucky enough to attend Lumina Intelligence’s most recent Food Strategy Forum with fellow bean Caitlin, to understand the latest insight and trends shaping the food and beverage sector.
As the leading UK Food and Drink Marketing Agency, we make it our business to keep up to date with the latest trends and insight. At Lumina Intelligence’s latest Food Strategy Forum, we learnt about the top new restaurants to add to your must-try list, and the trends that have been emerging across menus.
What’s better than reading about the latest out-of-home trends? Eating and drinking them! As you know, we are experts in the out-of-home market and as such we regularly keep up to date with the latest developments through Lumina’s Food Strategy Forum Debrief. But even better than hearing about the latest trends is getting out and about to try out a range of restaurants leading the way in setting these trends.
As September draws to a close, so does another successful year of Lunch! Show. With a show packed full of exclusive new launches in the world of food to go, QSR and snacking, we’ve prepared a roundup of the top themes that emerged this year (as well as a peak into the co-located Casual Dining Show). Read on to find out more!
This month, we have brought our latest client campaign platform Make it Mutti to life in an extraordinary way, staging a 3-night immersive dining experience at the Saatchi Gallery, London (17-19 September 2024). This unique event, took invited guests on a culinary journey through the life cycle of the tomato, combining incredible food, technology, and multi-sensory storytelling in a celebration of the tomato and Mutti’s heritage and values.
As the founder of jellybean 37 years ago I am proud to announce that as of September 2024 we are an employee-owned business through an EOT (Employee Ownership Trust).
As the leading food and drink agency we make it our business to stay ahead of foodservice market trends. One of the many ways we do this is via Lumina Intelligence. This week we attended their informative webinar on the pub and bar market. These are our top 10 take outs… Read More
Despite having worked at jellybean, the leading food and drink agency, for the past 6 years, surrounded by dedicated foodies and food and drink brands on a daily basis, when it comes to eating out, I’m not someone who typically experiments. I tend to play it safe with the usual Italian’s, Indian’s and Burger places, so you can imagine, I’m not the most experienced when it comes to ramen. But… after visiting Bone Daddies in Soho, I might be rethinking that!
The Paris 2024 Olympics closing ceremony saw this year’s games come to a spectacular finale with Team GB ranked a very respectable 7th in the medal league table (we’re only a small island!) – having achieved a spot on the podium every day of the Olympics. The games legacy of inspiration and excitement will doubtless go on to inspire future generations of athletes, but not only did it leave behind memories of incredible athletic feats it also left a culinary legacy…
