The Food & Drink Wedding Trends of 2024.
It’s wedding season! And, as an incoming Bridesmaid, ‘wedding trends’, ‘hen party ideas’ and ‘wedding reception décor’ are all my Google account has seen recently.
Each year sees new trends in the wedding industry – child-free celebrations, unplugged ceremonies, live painting and even holiday hen dos.
But, as a perpetually hungry individual, there’s one thing on my mind when it comes to weddings – the food. So, what better pastime than to explore the biggest food and drink trends inspiring brides and grooms to be, so, join me as I delve into what wedding planners are committing to this year.

Arena Savoy Lecture 2024: Hospitality is the Best Kept Secret
With a stellar line-up including Kate Nicholls OBE, CEO, UK Hospitality, James Brown, CEO, BrewDog Bars, Pano Christou, CEO, Pret A Manger, Dame Karen Jones DBE, and Simon Stenning, Founder, Future Foodservice, this year’s Savoy Lecture was a must-attend date in the foodservice calendar. Of course, as the leading foodservice agency we were there to hear what these leading lights of the industry had to say and enjoy the wonderful hospitality of The Savoy, whilst also getting to catch-up with contacts new and old.

Ecologi and Earth Month
Here at jellybean, we’re passionate about the environment, and making small, everyday changes that can help make a difference towards fighting climate change.

Launching into Foodservice
I recently attended the Bread & Jam Foodservice Summit, which aims to help start-up food and drink brands navigate their way through the somewhat daunting foodservice sector. Sometimes referred to as out of home or away from home, or even HORECA, it offers start-ups a huge opportunity outside of traditional grocery retail. As the leading foodservice agency, we sponsored the inaugural event last year (read more here), whilst this year I could relax and enjoy the excellent line-up of speakers and panel discussions as a delegate.

Public Sector Catering Award 2024
The Public Sector Catering Awards were held last week at the Hilton London Metropole and as a leading foodservice agency we were of course there to celebrate these amazing caterers. These awards are the benchmark for excellence in public sector catering, a sector which, despite its size, can often be overlooked in favour of the more glamourous profit sector. Be it catering in education, hospital catering, care home catering and even catering for the military and the prison service, public sector catering is the oft-unseen force that keeps Britain running.

HRC 2024
HRC, (Hotel, Restaurant & Catering) was back at ExCel for 2024 as part of Food, Drink and Hospitality Week which also hosts IFE Manufactoring, IFE, The Pub Show and International Salon Culinaire. And as the leading food and drink agency we were there in force, exploring the exhibition hall and supporting our wonderful clients.

April Fool’s – The Good, The Bad, The Ones we Want to Try
It’s that time of year when you log onto Instagram and your feed is flooded with the latest NPD food and drink the world has to offer… but all is not as it seems.
We’ve collated some of our favourite April Fool’s pranks we saw this year – and honestly, some aren’t too bad!

Lumina Intelligence Food Strategy Forum Debrief Q1
As a leading food and drink agency, insights and data are at the heart of our marketing campaigns. So, understandably, we make a point of keeping our finger on the pulse by attending Lumina Intelligence’s Food Strategy Forum.

Insights from Arena’s ‘Audience with Tom Aitkens’ event
With working life increasingly dominated by virtual meetings, the opportunity to step away from the screen and engage in face-to-face interactions is a refreshing change of pace, so it was an absolute pleasure to attend the Arena event ‘An Audience with Tom Aitkens’ on Friday 15 March, held at the esteemed Rosewood Hotel in London.

MCA Food to Go Conference 2024
As a leading food and drink marketing agency with a passion for foodservice and eating out, we make it our business to keep on top of all the latest trends in the food and drink arena. The world of food to go, or quick service restaurants as it’s sometimes referred to, is a hotbed of innovation and has proved to be one of the most resilient sectors of the eating out market, both during Covid more recently the cost-of-living crisis. So, we hot-footed it along to The Ham Yard Hotel last week to hear from some of the key players in the food to go market at MCA’s Food to Go Conference.

The Rise of DGAF Marketing
Anti-marketing is seemingly on the up once more, with Oatly, Surreal and Days all leaning into, whilst simultaneously calling out, traditional marketing methods. Although outwardly work-shy in approach, this tactic is entirely well-thought-out and speaks to increasingly savvy consumers in a relatable, funny and memorable way. It seems the subtle art of not giving a f***, actually includes giving many f***s, and could be paving the way for a new type of tongue-in-cheek advertising.

Get Ready for National Cocktail Day!
Who doesn’t love a themed cocktail night? Just around the corner on March 24th, is National Cocktail Day, and if the fact that it falls on a Sunday doesn’t dampen your spirits, we’ve got you covered!
A couple of weeks ago, my friends and I got together for a chill night-in which consisted of us each making a round of cocktails inspired by our jobs. What ensued, was a boozy insight into each other’s 9-5.

Leap Year Foodie Traditions
As a leading food and drink agency, it is fair to say we think about food 365 days a year, but this year we’ll be adding an extra day as it is a leap year. Every four years, February boasts an extra day, a curious anomaly in our calendars known as ‘leap day’. While some see it merely as an additional date on the calendar and possibly the chance for women to propose (more of this later!), others view it as an opportunity to create customs, including those surrounding food and feasting. From Greek feasts to Chinese banquets, we take a look at how leap day is marked across the world…

National Burger Awards – 20th February 2024
Burger fanatics, talented chefs and of course, a number of us beans found ourselves travelling to the Big Penny Social in North London for the hotly anticipated 10th National Burger Awards. Hosted by DJ BBQ, and organised by Dine Out Magazine, the event promised talent, passion and camaraderie.
Guests were treated to a range of delicacies, with sides from Urban Foodservice, featuring the delicious PEPPADEW® Bites, a Pepsi Cocktail Bar, wine from Greasy Fingers and of course, burgers – from beef brisket and bacon to plant-based offerings, all gratefully received by us bunch of hungry beans.

A Culinary Journey Through St. Lucia: Exploring the Flavors of Paradise
In May of last year, I visited the tropical paradise of St Lucia, to explore the breath-taking Caribbean landscapes complete with beaches and rainforest, and also to experience the vibrant and diverse cuisine of the island.
St. Lucia’s cuisine is a delightful blend of African, French, and Caribbean influences. The island’s rich history is reflected in its food, creating a unique combination of flavours that is sure to leave any food enthusiast craving more.

jellybean values….
If you are an avid follower of our socials, you may have noticed recent posts featuring an animation of care, expertise & collaboration. These are the values which underpin jellybean as a brand and that we live by and do business by.

Top 10 London restaurants to wine & dine your Valentine
Wondering where to take your Valentine’s? Well, being both an avid foodie and a Londoner, I have the insiders track to the top London restaurants for your date. Most options are slightly off the beaten track and dare I say it… better than the typical hot spots in central London that will no doubt be bustling with other lovestruck couples.

An insider guide to Amsterdam
An insider guide to Amsterdam
Purely by coincidence, November saw four jellybeans trot off to Amsterdam over four consecutive weekends. By the time each of our respective trips were over, we had, as you might expect, compiled an (increasingly long) list of recommendations for one another. Full of our favourite foodie hotspots in the Dutch capital, we’ve whittled it down to our top three each. Here are our favourites:

Berenjak: A Review
Packed inside the bustling streets of Borough Market, you’ll find Berenjak, a Persian restaurant, inspired by the home-cooked, family dining occasions often found in the Alborz Mountains. This compact restaurant, complete with dimmed lighting and beautiful décor came highly recommended, and it’s not hard to see why.
