As the leading foodservice agency, we had the pleasure of attending the 2017 Eating Out Market Data Briefing at the prestigious M by Montcalm in Shoreditch. These MCA events provide a wealth of insightful information about the foodservice industry, such as market forecasts, menu analysis, consumer activity and current trends. It’s a great way to stay on top of what’s going on in the market – which is why jellybeanis always there.
In less than a minute, discover the industry’s most influential factors and examples of restaurants that are really hitting the mark when it comes to these foodservice mega trends.
This Sunday (30th) a team of four Jellybeans; Nick, Laura, Sam and Neil, will take part in the Prudential Ride London cycle – 100 miles around the streets of London and leafy roads of Surrey, finishing at The Mall in London some seven hours later. Every penny raised of our £4,000 target will go towards furthering the work of DEBRA as jellybeancontinues its proud patronage of the charity. It’s true what they say – truly we are the foodservice marketing agency with the big heart.
When it comes to the eating out market there is a huge amount of research around consumer drivers and what motivates different demographics. Every aspect is analysed, from pre-visit online research, to the impact of special diets and the type of cuisine and format consumers are looking for.
Soaring temperatures can mean soaring sales for convenience stores. Key categories like soft drinks, ice cream, BBQ food and booze see huge spikes in sales as shoppers spend lots of time in the sunshine. However during long spells of hot weather there’s a danger that demand can out strip supply and that can be a big problem.
At Jellybean, we’re always on top of the latest goings on in the world of food and drink marketing, indeed we thrive on knowing what’s happening in the foodservice industry. To see all the latest food trends in action, a few of us Beans decided to get out there and experience for ourselves exactly what’s going on. Well… any excuse for some good food!
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in July, I found myself heading to Hoxton based pizzeria, Radio Alice, to take part in a pizza masterclass. Taking its name from a pirate radio station in 1970s Italy, Radio Alice promises pizzas done a little differently and by the end of the session I was hoping to find out why.
The Cateys is, and will always be, the Oscars of the hospitality industry. On the 4th July this year, anyone who is anyone in our industry could be found in the Great Ballroom at the Grosvenor House Hotel and this year they numbered at an impressive 1,250. Nominees, suppliers, sponsors, restaurateurs, hoteliers, contract caterers, food marketing, chefs (including Tom Kerridge, Jason Atherton, Tom Aitkens and many more) and even the odd marketer (some odder than others!) from the world of foodservice and hospitality were in attendance, catching-up with industry friends and contacts. This year the great and the good gathered once again to see who would walk away with the iconic awards and were greeted by stunning table displays from The Pig. The boutique hotel group which started off in the New Forest, not only made the Great Ballroom look amazing, bringing their rustic contemporary styling to bear on this traditional setting, but also; in conjunction with the Grosvenor’s team; pulled together a show-stopping menu for the night.
With Wimbledon upon us, everyone is getting into the spirit of the tournament. Hopes of Andy Murray retaining his title are strong and with many preparing to glue ourselves to our screens our minds have, of course, turned to food. When thinking of the quintessential food for Wimbledon, everyone thinks of strawberries and cream, an important snack for court-side viewing. It’s the lot in life of those of us who work at a food and drink agency, to often see the event catering in action as much as we do the back and forth of the ball! It is so popular, in fact, that 140,000 portions of strawberries were sold at the tournament in 2016, not to mention those eaten by viewers at home.
For over 30 years jellybeanhas held its position as an award winning and leading food and drink agency, and as the founder I am delighted to announce the appointment of Susan Bolam to Managing Director from June 2017. Having set the company up in 1987 I have been closely involved in its growth and evolution across the last 3 decades and still feel passionately about this industry and company and so will continue to be involved in the business albeit in a much less visible way as CEO.
Although conferences, seminars, briefings and alike are all crucial to help keep us up to date with the latest in the food and drink market – be it foodservice, convenience or retail – as with many things, you can’t beat some real life experience. Often in the world of foodservice marketing we can become obsessed with trends and statistics, but we really need to be out there living and breathing the market to properly understand some of the dynamics and trends at play.
As jellybeancelebrates its 30th year in business, I take a moment to reflect on the year of 1987 when it all started in a small office for 2 in Croydon.
At that time the average price of a house in the UK was £44,000, a gallon of petrol cost £1.89, inflation was running at 4.2% and interest rates were at 8.4% and within this economic scenario Margaret Thatcher was re-elected Prime Minister for the third time. Little did I know (or anyone else for that matter) that we were just a spit away from a serious recession which I am pleased to say we survived.
According to newspaper reports Sainsbury’s has entered into exclusive discussions with Nisa about a potential acquisition of the retail business for a reported £130m.
Eating out is one of life’s luxuries and any opportunity for a meal out you can count me in, especially when you find somewhere you’d happily go back to time and time again. Last month on a sunny Saturday evening we headed to the small town of Biborough and the Tanner Brothers’ charming pub The Kentish Hare – where better place to take a food enthusiast on their birthday? On arrival, we were seated in the picturesque restaurant with a great view of the bustling kitchen and even managed to catch a glimpse of James Tanner in action.
The reputable Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards 2017 took place on Monday evening hosted by Restaurant Magazine at the Hurlingham Club, a very suitable venue for such an auspicious event. Fortunately for me, working at a leading foodservice marketing agency an invitation had kindly been extended to both myself and PR Director Sam Rooke.
Although the weather might not always agree, summer is just about upon us. And with summer not only comes warm weather, sunny days and a generally happier population, but also a time where the BBQ can be brought out of hibernation. (Ironically, I am writing this as rain is pounding against the window).
Back in August 2015, Facebook added a new feature to their social media platform: the ability to broadcast live video streams. It’s now taken off and we’re seeing all sorts of brands getting involved.
The Hospitality Action quiz is one of our favourite industry events – delicious food, great company and a dose of healthy competition – what’s not to love?
We were lucky enough to attend the prestigious Craft Guild of Chefs Awards on Thursday evening, and what an evening it was. Black tie all round, fantastic food and wine (as you’d expect) and of course a great crowd of chefs and industry fellows alike.
Earlier this year we launched our jellybeanshowreel. As part of the launch we ran a competition for foodie start-ups to win the chance to work with us for free to develop their brand story via video. Foodservice PR is an ever moving feast and video ought to be an essential part of your PR toolkit by now.
