As I am doing work experience at a leading food and drink agency, it has made me reflect on my day-to-day food experiences at school. I currently attend Weald of Kent Grammar School in Tonbridge, and have done for the past five and a half years. You may think that half a decade of eating at the same canteen may get a bit dull, however input from students and discussions with the dinner-ladies ensures that the catering staff are always adjusting their services in order to please everyone at Weald.
We’re tremendously excited to be returning to a revitalised Hotelympia next week where the beans will be out in force, running the dedicated press office throughout the four-day show.
The National Burger Awards is the a world away from the usual formal black-tie award events of the foodservice calendar. Held at The Islington Metal Works it was a smoky, boozy, bustling, celebration of burgers in all their wonder – our kind of food and drink awards. And with burgers topping the charts at lunch according to the MCA’s latest report and increasingly their already strong share of dinner, this is a trend that looks set to stay with burger concepts popping up on high streets all over the country, many of whom were represented at the awards.
The annual MCA Top of Mind Report debrief offers both an overview of the eating out market over the past year, as well as some predictions for the year ahead. Now in its 11th year, the briefing took us through macros trends, 2017 consumer behaviours, predictions for 2018, a state of the nation across casual dining, growth drivers, the results of their decision maker survey and of course concepts to watch for 2018.
On the 12th February 2018 jellybeanwas lucky enough to attend the fifth Zest Quest Asia Gala Dinner and Awards night as a guest of our lovely client and sponsor of the event Tilda.
The MCA annual Food To Go conference is a must attend for anyone in this dynamic sector and this year boasted some heavyweight speakers including the godfather of food to go, Julian Metcalfe of Prȇt and Itsu fame and Gerry Ford founder and group CEO of Caffè Nero. Currently the UK food to go market is set to reach a value of £20.7bn in 2018, outperforming the wider eating out market and retail with growth set to be around 2.8% compared to the 1.5% predicted growth for the eating out market, making it a land of opportunity for operators. But why is this? Well quite simply there are more of us, working longer and commuting more, we are ‘time-poor’ and grabbing food ‘on the hoof’ as table meals are replaced by food in the car, on the train, at our desks, etc. Whilst the proliferation of outlets and choice means that picking up food on the go is easy and we have a wide range of cuisines and formats to choose from.
The UK pub market is valued at £22bn* and despite the current economic headwinds it is an exciting and vibrant sector. From the craft beer revolution to the proliferations of gins and outlandish cocktails there is more to today’s pubs than the humble pint.
Either by accident or design (who’s to say?) the inaugural National Breakfast Awards was held on National Croissant Day – how apt I hear you call. The new kid on the awards block sets to recognise the growing importance of the breakfast occasion out of home with their aim to find the ultimate breakfast. Read More
The grocery convenience sector is experiencing seismic changes and trade communications is rapidly evolving too. Neil Brenson discusses the six key trends and take outs that suppliers need to act upon in order to re-focus their trade communications and ensure they win with convenience retailers. Watch the video to learn more about:
Those of you who are familiar with the near-legendary jellybeanBlog will know it to be a regularly updated repository for all the latest news, views and insight on the foodservice, hospitality, out of home and convenience retail sector. But those of you who might be new to the party perhaps don’t. And so it is with great pleasure that we can announce, right here, right now, that we’ve been rewarded for our efforts by the Surrey Digital Awards, as we’re proud to announce that we’ve been shortlisted in the ‘Best Blog’ category. Stick the champagne on ice someone. Read More
The jellybeanChristmas party is the perfect opportunity for us to scrub up and don our finest ‘Glam Chic’ attire. It’s a much anticipated celebration for us beans and one which is firmly-fixed in our diaries. This year we visited Tuttons, a Covent Garden landmark in its own right, it’s a fantastic restaurant offering a menu full of classic English cuisine. With its warm red tones and modern interiors, we were lucky enough to enjoy this timeless establishment in one of their two stunning vault dining rooms, a perfect location for a festive celebration.
I recently attended a breakfast briefing with key players from the convenience retail sector to hear an announcement from one of the leading trade publishers about changes they are making to the way they deliver content to convenience retailers. Read More
Over 250 of the great and the good in convenience-land gathered at London’s Barbican for the hotly awaited HIM Future of Convenience 2018 event. Here are my top seven take-outs and the key actions for convenience retail marketing communications that I think suppliers need to consider in the brave new world of convenience retailing.
When the rest of the world is kicking-up their heels, pulling crackers and donning their rather fetching paper hats in December, the world of hospitality is hard at work making it all happen. So it makes sense that the ‘Hospitality Rocks’ event took place last Friday night when all the excitement of Christmas was out of the way and those who work in the hospitality industry could draw breath and finally enjoy their Christmas party – and what a party it was!
The foodservice industry is changing. Consumers are no longer seeing the concept of food as a strict commodity. It’s becoming more of a lifestyle choice and experience. This coupled with their greater awareness of options – from the booming grab & go market to Michelin-starred restaurants – makes now the perfect time for operators in all global markets to get creative with foodservice concepts and offer consumers something fresh and exciting. Read on for the latest in foodservice trends. Read More
Once again we hit the streets of London for another MCA food safari, looking at some of the latest food and foodservice trends within the out of home market. Renowned for its eating out scene London offers an endless supply of options, tapping into some of the newest and most popular food trends. As the leading foodservice marketing and PR agency, we thrive on the knowledge and insight gained from this hands-on experience into what the ever-developing food and drink market has to offer.
As dedicated foodies we were keen to see what ‘Chef Creator’ Steve Drake (previously of Michelin Star restaurant Drakes in Ripley) would be cooking up at his new fine dining restaurant – Sorrel, down the road from us in Dorking. Watch our vlog to find out more…Read More
In the current challenging environment, togetherness is everything. Hearing from peers and sharing best practice can make for a better understanding of the world and our place in it. Crucially it can act as inspiration to think and do different.
As 2017 draws to a close in what has been one of the most tumultuous years in convenience retail, I wanted to find out how the industry is feeling and what they are doing to face up to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the sector.
The coveted Caterer Product Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate the very best food, drink and equipment products in the foodservice market. As such we are always keen to gain this solid-gold endorsement for our clients’ products and of course the acclaim it brings with it. To that end we spend a great deal of time in partnership with our clients identifying the products we feel are possible award winners and drafting that all important award entry. This year we had a record six products shortlisted for the awards, quite some achievement in itself, and as Lisa Jenkins took to the stage we were crossing our fingers along with all the other nominees.
