MCA Food Safari
Shortly after joining Jellybean I was invited on the MCA Food Concept Study Tour. As the leading foodservice agency it is imperative for us to keep abreast of emerging trends and new concepts so I jumped at the chance of getting to grips with recent changes in the OOH market – as well as sampling a few dishes along the way of course!
MCA Marketing in Foodservice Conference 2016
As a leading foodservice agency we make it our business to stay informed of the challenges that our clients face in the market and endeavour to provide them with solutions. We were therefore delighted to attend the MCA Marketing in Foodservice Conference 2016 which brought together senior marketing professionals from across the foodservice sector to discuss the current challenges faced and how they are dealing with them.
It’s not all snails and frogs legs
It was always a worry of mine, when I moved to France, that I would be force fed the dreaded escargots and cuisses de grenouilles. Needless to say, I survived. I had brief encounter with an andouillette (a kind of pork sausage made with intestines and chitterlings) but I’m trying to erase that from my memory. Frogs’ legs on the other hand, actually surprisingly bearable, they are very small and mostly just tasted like chicken.
To kiss or not to kiss? That is the question.
My first month at Jellybean is now at a close and like time in general, it has flown by. So now I feel less like a ‘new’ Bean and more like an ‘old’ Bean, which is probably more fitting.
Like all those who start at a company, or in fact are new anywhere, I was very aware of those crucial, sometimes awkward first impressions. A particular situation that seems to feature most in these scenarios is the initial greeting, whether it is a client, friend or colleague. What struck me most when I joined Jellybean is that, more often than not, I was kissed by the client, even at the first meeting which, I found quite unusual. One of our clients even commented “that is what we do now”.
Was this a new way of breaking down barriers? I would be very interested to know if this is indeed the norm between agencies and clients. What is the current protocol? I am sure this has been covered in many a magazine but it seems to have passed me by. Perhaps this could be a potential subject to cover in training? Sometimes a handshake/hug/kiss mishap leads to awkwardness, which is fine – but if you’re not careful, it can lead to an unwanted kiss, or worse; head-butting. It did happen to a friend who I believe is still recovering from the embarrassment.
It does not appear that there is any difference between sexes when it comes to the initial greeting. If anything it comes across slightly chivalrous from men. In this respect do we follow our European counterparts more than our American colleagues? In America kissing is seen as very personal and reserved for family and loved ones. However, in contrast their neighbours in Mexico kiss everyone!
The relationship between client and agency has always been an interesting one, and one to nurture and build on so that it becomes an extension of the company. At Jellybean it is evident from the relationships we have developed with our clients that we are very much seen as part of the company’s marketing team.
I am very proud to have become a Bean and to be part of the fantastic work that is created by Jellybean within the foodservice industry. I also look forward to kissing plenty more clients – haha.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice pr agency. We help top brands with food service pr, food service marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
Craft Guild of Chefs Awards 2016
Working at a leading foodservice agency I’ve been lucky enough in my time to attend some of the most prestigious events in our industry’s calendar, but none are more hotly anticipated than the annual Craft Guild of Chefs Awards which are known as the ‘Chef Oscars’.
Last night (1st June) saw the event celebrate its 23rd year and with my invite firmly in hand, me and my fellow Jellybean, Susan, headed to the Lancaster London Hotel – a stunning venue to host the crème-de-le-cream of the chef world. After National Chairman, Lee Maycock welcomed everyone we were presented with four delicious courses by the Lancaster’s talented culinary team, who had the responsibility of feeding the 800 guests.
To kick off proceedings there was ‘A Taste of Nipa Thai’ which included chicken satay, prawn rice paper wrap and spiced papaya salad, the second course was ‘From the Island Grill’ – and my favourite dish of the evening – a creamy Waterloo cheese risotto served with Lancaster London smoked salmon. This was followed by a succulent Grilled Fillet and Cottage Pie of West Country Beef and finally for dessert – just when you thought you couldn’t eat another bite – heaven on a plate appeared in the form of an indulgent Milk Chocolate & Hazelnut Slice, Dark Chocolate Fondant & White Chocolate Ice Cream which I think even chocolatiers Mark Tilling and Will Torrent, who I’d spotted across the room, would have been impressed with!
After the first class feast, everyone settled to see who would be recognised as the greatest culinary talent in the industry and be presented with the prestigious Special Award, which saw Michelin-starred brothers, Chris and Jeff Galvin receive the top honour. My excitement of dining at Galvin at Windows later this summer has now reached a new high after listening to the phenomenal achievements of these two very talented chefs.
As part of the night, chefs and industry observers were asked to vote for the Innovation Award Category. Our table was divided on whether it should be German Gymnasium (everyone go, it’s a fantastic restaurant next to King’s Cross), Sexy Fish and Susan’s favourite, Soho Farmhouse – who proved victorious and is now on my wish list to visit – I’m hoping my fiancée will read this and take note!
Here is a rundown of all the winners:
Apprentice Chef Award
Eleanor De Maria, Eurest Services
Armed Services Award
Flt Sgt Richard Greenhalgh RAF, Royal Air Force
Banqueting and Event Chef Award
James Buckley , Levy Restaurants
Chef Lecturer Award
John Crowe, North West Regional College, Londonderry
Competition Chef Award
Robert Kennedy, Sandhurst Military College
Contract Catering Chef Award
Stuart Nisbet, Elior UK
Development Chef Award
Diane Camp, Reynolds Catering Supplies
Ethnic Chef Award
Chad Rahman, Chez Mumtaj
Innovation Award
Nick Jones, Soho Farmhouse
New Restaurant of the Year
Chris White, the White Spoon, Cheltenham
Pastry Chef Award
Stephen Tarling, Daylesford Organic
People’s Choice Award
Gareth Billington, Sodexo
Pub Restaurant Chef Award
James MacKenzie, Pipe and Glass Inn
Public Sector Chef Award
Scott Pring, Bridgewater College
Restaurant Chef Award
Will Holland, Coast Restaurant
Young Chef Award
Arthur Quin, Punch Bowl Inn & Restaurant Crosthwaite
A big thank you to Dewberry’s Stuart Barnett for the invite who proved the perfect host ensuring our glasses were topped with the brilliantly named Riesling, Kung Fu Girl. I’m a bit bleary eyed this morning but to be part of such a special evening it was worth it – fingers crossed I get a golden ticket for next year.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice pr agency. We help top brands with food service pr, food service marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
Escape to Sri Lanka
I was recently lucky enough to visit Sri Lanka – a fantastic island of culture, scenery and wildlife and, in between enjoying all of the above, the local cuisine proved a real treat. Although famous for its tea and spices it was clear that Sri Lankan food has much more to offer besides.
Our first chance to sample the local food was early at breakfast on day one. Presented with a traditional Sri Lankan spread, we were offered dhal, roti (a type of coconut flat bread similar to naan), string hoppers (little nests of noodles) and sambol (a spicy mix of grated coconut, chilli and onion) and tucked in – although admittedly rather tentatively at first, not quite used to the fiery kick of sambol so early in the morning.
Whilst curry for breakfast definitely took some getting used to, in the evenings we enjoyed some great dishes. Fish and seafood were prominent on menus and the local seer fish with prawns, crab and octopus became a firm favourite of mine. We also tried Jackfruit curry – widely grown in Sri Lanka, the fruit has a meaty texture making it a great vegetarian option.
Sri Lanka was heavily hit by the tsunami in 2004, and 12 years on, the coastline is gradually coming back to life, boasting some fantastic beach front restaurants. One we discovered was Top Secret whose prawn, mango and coconut curry along with a piña colada (or two) became one of my holiday highlights.
My final tasting test was Arrack – the locally distilled whisky. Having watched men climbing palm trees to collect the sap from coconut flowers used to make it I thought I’d better give it a go, but one sip was more than enough for me and a bottle came back in my suitcase for dad to enjoy instead!
Sri Lanka was a fascinating country to visit, only improved by the food and hospitality we received – a holiday destination I would recommend to anyone.
Jellybean Creative is a leading food service marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with food service pr, food service marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
Complain? But I’m British!
“Have you enjoyed your stay?”
My boyfriend and I catch each other’s eye. Our conversation is unspoken. We’re both wondering whether to answer the question truthfully.
The truth of our stay in Ibiza this month was that it wasn’t that enjoyable. Hoping for a relaxing stay in the north of the island, the holiday was blighted by my boyfriend getting food poisoning from the all-inclusive food and spending most of it sick or still weak and recovering. Add to that a room in the noisiest part of the hotel, staff that found it difficult to understand us, and an overall drainage smell problem we unfortunately spent a large part of the week pining for the shores of rainy England.
However, faced with the question at check-out we were still stumped with how to react. Acknowledging the British blood that pulses through our veins, we turned back to the reception staff to murmur in unison “Mmmm yep, great thanks!” and scurry off to our airport transfer, ashamed at our own inability to speak up.
What I was doing whilst holed up in the hotel room, waiting for my boyfriend to emerge from the bathroom, in which he spent far too much of our holiday, was write a TripAdvisor review in my head, all primed and ready to press send as soon as the wheels of our plane hit Gatwick ground. Given the opportunity to speak my complaint to staff… oh god no! I couldn’t bear the awkwardness, but put me behind a keyboard…
I laugh at my own ridiculousness, but the sad truth is that I feel more able to air my grievances on a review site or over email, rather than face to face confrontation. Review sites are becoming more and more important for customers, and for businesses. Barclays Feedback Economy Report revealed that 45% of people are more likely to post a review than they were 18 months ago*. Certainly true of me – this is my first foray into the heady world of online reviewing.
Love them or hate them, these review sites are extremely important to foodservice businesses with a whopping 70% of millennials seeing online reviews as key when deciding where to stay or eat**. Restaurants and hotels are being urged to take notice and act on feedback rather than hoping the negative criticism goes away. The Barclays report says that responding to customer feedback could add £3.2bn to the sector making it vital they start listening**.
Although I wish I could have had the confidence to tell the hotel how I really felt about our holiday, having the opportunity for an online review gives me the chance to tell them how I feel in a more thought-out way. There may be those who abuse the medium but at least for me it is a comfort to know that despite my 5’5’’ stature and shy nature, at least my voice will be heard!
*https://www.thecaterer.com/articles/367082/better-customer-feedback-management-could-boost-hospitality-revenue-by-32b
**http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/Online-reviews-could-provide-3.2bn-boost-to-hospitality-by-2026
Jellybean Creative is a leading food service marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with food service pr, food service marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
Jellybean Helps Bring Saffron Summer to Surrey
We’re very excited to tell you about Saffron Summer…Surrey’s best kept Indian dining secret – and our new client!
Meeting back in April with a bag of jellybeans splayed across the table, Saffron Summer tasked us with heading up the PR and social media to help launch its fine-dining Indian restaurant, just a short number of weeks away! With our credentials boasting ‘PR and social media experts’, ‘foodies’, and local residents…it was a job made for us!
The Indian Haute Cuisine restaurant is conveniently located on the Claygate, Esher, Hinchley Wood and Surbiton borders. With this in mind we sent out a host of invites to the local press and a handful of coveted VIPS asking them to join us for the restaurant’s not-to-be-missed opening!
With a photoshoot, dedicated launch night menu and social strategy in hand, we opened the doors, alongside the gracious Saffron Summer team, to new friends (and hopefully returning customers!) last Wednesday evening.
Upon arrival guests were treated to street food live – a food station where Executive Chef, Awanish Roy, formerly of London’s famed Cinnamon Club, and team, prepared a selection of Indian street-food style dishes including Gol Gappa, Bel Phuri and Dhai Puri. Much like the full menu at Saffron Summer, the dishes are far from your typical British ‘curry house’ offering, and instead, take Asia’s familiar spices and flavours to produce exciting Indian dishes with an all-important contemporary update.
Following this reception a selection of canapés and bowl foods were served. Highlights included Tandoori Guinea Fowl Tikka, Lamb Seekh Kebab in Rumali Roti and the dish with perhaps the biggest surprise, Wild Boar Vindaloo over rice! Once again, this is where the true authentic Indian cooking style shines through at Saffron Summer; the overwhelming heat of a vindaloo us Brits are familiar with is nowhere to be tasted – instead the dish brings a warmth and rich flavour to your palette. A truly wonderful dish in my opinion!
Also enjoying the delights of Saffron Summer were the great and the good of Surrey. Guests included Taste Awards Judge, Jackie Mitchell; President of the Leatherhead Chambers of Commerce, Jackie Quinn, and The Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, Councillor Geoff Austin with his wife, The Mayoress. From the décor, to the staff, the street-food to the mains, Saffron Summer was a hit with everyone! It’s different, it’s exciting, it’s true Indian cuisine but not as you know it!
Just check out the reviews on Facebook and TripAdvisor…the people of Surrey agree!
For everything Saffron Summer follow us on Twitter too and check out the website to book.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
Duck and Waffle
Yes, they serve duck and waffle. To celebrate the big milestone that was my Mom’s 50th birthday, we thought it be no better occasion to check out the exclusive Duck and Waffle restaurant.
Due to its overwhelming popularity, we had to book the table 3 months in advance – easily making this the most well planned event in our family history.
After a series of travel blunders on the day (with all trains to London being cancelled!) we piled into the car and madly dashed to London. Despite heavy traffic we arrived in Liverpool Street with five minutes to spare.
On the 40th floor Duck and Waffle is the highest restaurant in the UK. With glass windows surrounding the entire floor, the seating area offers an almost 360 degree view London – and at night, the views were spectacular.
After what seemed to be the fastest elevator ride in history, we were warmly greeted by the maitre d’ and were ushered to our table. Seated next to the window our table offered amazing views. The dark decor and dim lighting in the restaurant highlighted the spectacularly lit up London skyline.
Surprisingly there was not a lot on the menu, and unsurprisingly, everything was slightly bizarre. Starters included ‘foie gras crème brûlée’ and ‘spicy ox cheek doughnut’ – both too intriguing to turn down. With 6 of us at the table, we decided each to order a different starter with the aim of sampling as much of the menu as we could. It comes as no surprise that for the main course, all six of us ordered the famous ‘duck and waffle’.
Unexpectedly, the starters each arrived at separate times – although a shock to the system at first, it actually worked out better as it gave us the opportunity to savour each of the dishes individually.
Out of the six starters we ordered – while each delicious – my favourite was the freshly baked onion jam and stilton bread – warm, soft, fluffy bread drenched in oozing melted cheese and topped with decadent caramelised onions. If Heaven was a taste this would be it.
After our starters were all cleared up it was time for the dish we had all been waiting for – the notorious duck and waffle! Any reservations one might have had at the start were quickly overcome by the delicious aroma that the dish brought with it as it was served.
The duck leg was served between a waffle and a lightly fried duck egg, and was accompanied by a little pot of wholegrain mustard maple syrup (!) on the side. All conventions say this shouldn’t have worked, but it did. Well.
By the time we had polished off our plates we had all eaten far more than our stomachs could cope with, but after waiting so long for a reservation it seemed a shame not to try any of the desserts.
The dessert menu was just as bizarre as the main, with ‘mushrooms on toast’ being the first item on the list. We settled for ‘torrejas’ – a sweet Cuban toast with maple caramel apples and cinnamon ice cream – and their ‘chocolate blondie’ – served with pistachios and raspberry sorbet.
When the desserts turned up we were wise to have only ordered two dishes between the six of us as they were huge! I’m sure if we weren’t so full from the earlier courses we could have devoured another portion – they were absolutely delicious.
With dinner finally finished and our bellies just about ready to burst, we paid the bill and headed back to the car before the inevitable food coma kicked in. As a first time guest I can confirm that the restaurant undeniably lives up to the hype. I definitely plan on going back (reservation depending!), although perhaps during daylight hours to see the beautiful view from a different perspective.
A definite recommend.
Jellybean Creative is a leading food service marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with food service pr, food service marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
Sandwich Week 2016
As you cannot have failed to notice, this week is British Sandwich Week, which features the British Sandwich Designer of the Year competition and the Sammies Awards. Sandwiches are of course a British staple and with the food-on-the-go market continuing to grow, out-stripping the rest of the eating out market, according to the British Sandwich Association, sandwiches currently contribute a staggering £7.85bn to the UK economy and around £4.4bn to the food on-the-go sector*. They have come a long way from the humble white bread sandwich, with the sector embracing bagels, wraps, speciality breads, open sandwiches and much, much more. Indeed, sandwiches are seen on menus across practically all sectors of the foodservice market proving popular across the board. Interestingly Kantar research have identified that sandwich penetration (in and out of home) is currently running at 79% which means there are 9 million consumers in the UK who are yet to be converted – so there is still a good opportunity for growth. Indeed, 70% of us spend over £3 on a sandwich, with the BLT topping the chart of fillings, although chicken has the broadest appeal in all its forms. Surprisingly hot drinks are more likely to accompany a sandwich than cold drinks and cake is twice as likely to accompany a sandwich than crisps although 40% are eaten on their own. Two thirds of us have a sandwich at least once a week, but the real opportunity for those selling sandwiches out of home is, as ever, to drive more consumers to choose sandwiches more often and trade up to higher priced, more premium options by inspiring them with innovative new flavours and formats. As to what a sandwich looks like these days, well the sky is the limit and the British Sandwich Designer of the Year Award showcases just that.
With the offer of a day up in town at the Lancaster London sampling some of the best sandwiches in the country it seemed sheer madness to refuse. The event was hosted by Gethin from the BSA who did a sterling job, taking us through the thirty different competitor sandwiches split into six rounds (excuse the pun) each having to incorporate one of the sponsor’s products into their creation. Having showcased some of the finalists on Sunday Brunch with some controversial opinions expressed by Piers Morgan (no surprises there) as to what constitutes a sandwich, it is fair to say the contestants were keen to push the traditional boundaries in their quest to develop the most innovative, and of course delicious, sandwich. From venison to sushi, scotch eggs to sage, not to mention a ‘French Dip’, Chipotle & Mexican flavours and Indian street food, it was all there to see and taste. The only observation that could be made was the absence of much in the way of vegetarian or vegan options (indeed Eating Better found in recent research that only 4% of 500 sandwiches were plant based) also free-from options to cater for the growing demand from consumers seemed thin on the ground, which has to be front of mind for caterers in light of the allergen legislation. That said the day was a triumph and you never know perhaps they’ll add additional categories next year to cover off these areas.
You can see the finalist recipes here, but be warned they will make you hungry! It was a tough job that respected chef Theo Randall and his fellow judges had on their hands to decide on the winner for each of the six rounds and of course the overall winner of Sandwich Designer of the Year. However, they managed it and the winner was announced at the Sammies Awards ceremony in the evening. Congratulations go to Nathan Baker from On a Roll who won British Sandwich Designer of the Year with his pulled cooked venison sandwich. Personally I had a soft spot for the chicken and tarragon brioche, but I have to say the venison was delicious as well.
Well done to the British Sandwich Association on a great week and a great event! To find out more about the BSA visit their website here.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice pr agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
Caffe Culture 2016
With around 1.7bn cups of coffee sold each year in the UK, across more than 18,000 outlets, the coffee shop market is a substantial one which shows no sign of slowing. Indeed, predictions see it reaching 21,000 outlets by 2020, so it’s little wonder that this foodservice industry sector has its very own show – Caffè Culture – held over two days at Kensington Olympia 10-11th May. The show is targeted at groups like Costa and Nero, as well as the growing number of independent coffee shops, and indeed all those involved in the coffee market, which extends of course to the world of contract catering with operators like Compass, Sodexo, Bartlett Mitchell, etc. With 1 in 5 people in the UK visiting coffee shops in the UK, its big business for this boutique show. As your leading foodservice marketing agency, you’d expect us to be in attendance and report back, right? Too right. Here goes.
Recent research carried out by the Caffè Culture Show with over 1,600 consumers and 100 café owners found that over two thirds of café businesses saw an increase in turnover of over 10% YOY, with 51% seeing an increase in coffee sales, 42% seeing an increase in lunch sales and 26% seeing an increase in breakfast sales. A staggering 33% saw an increase in turnover of over £150,000. However, it seems the biggest challenge they face is driving healthy profits with 52% of established businesses naming this as a key issue and 41% of start-ups. Staffing is also a hot topic with 37% of established businesses identifying this as a key challenge, along with 41% of start-ups. Interestingly with so much focus on the on-the-go market Caffé Culture’s research showed that 60% of consumers choose to drink-in with only 40% opting to take-out.
As to what is driving customers through the door, well, great coffee is unsurprisingly the main driver with 81%, followed by a convenient location 45% and friendly and professional staff 30%, so get all these three right and you’ll be on to a winner. In general, 51% of consumers would like to see more independent coffee shops with 63% preferring to use an independent. They also want to see better quality coffee (42%) and more differentiation between coffee shops (35%).
In light of this insight the show’s aim is to blend business and coffee in order to help big and small operators alike find new ideas and suppliers to build a profitable business. By its very nature there is a fair amount of coffee about (as you would expect), however, with coffee shops looking to differentiate their offer and cater to the growing demand for all day dining there was far more than just coffee on offer. Incremental sales of snacks, breakfast and lunch are a big revenue driver for coffee shops, as is offering a wide and varied beverage menu with added theatre, so it was little surprise to see the likes of Twinings there wowing the gathered visitors with their masterclass on the theatre of tea (it’s not all about coffee!). Whilst new and niche soft drinks looked to catch the eye of passing buyers with Birch Water, Aloe Water, the exhibitor award winning Peanut ‘Hottie’ (a delicious peanut version of hot chocolate – is the best way I can describe it), flavoured syrups, funky furniture, innovative packaging, crazy flavours of crisps and popcorn, shiny equipment, tempting cakes and melt-in-the-mouth biscuits, were all there to be viewed and sampled. And as the leading foodservice agency, frankly it would have been rude not to try it all (all in the name of market research you understand).
With a background accompaniment from the obligatory hipster duo on guitar and box drum, the show was small but perfectly formed to appeal to the coffee shop market. The packed line-up at the business theatre and masterclass stage, not to mention the cupping zone, independent coffee roasters village and artisan food market meant there was something for everyone. So if you didn’t make it along this year and the coffee shop market is ‘your bag’ make sure you have the dates in your diary for 2017.
To find out more about the show click here.
Sources: Market stats from Allegra Strategies & insight from Cafeconomy 2016 Results
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
An Elephant on Dartmoor
An early Spring break took us to one of my favourite parts of England – the South West and I would thoroughly recommend the pub we stayed in.
We were staying in the tiny village of Horndon, just north of Tavistock in Devon, on the western tip of Dartmoor. We stayed at the unusually named Elephant’s Rest, which apparently was named after a previous rather portly landlord who weighed in at 20+ stone and who served his customers by swivelling around on a stool behind the bar. One of his regulars told him he looked like an elephant sitting on a nest, and so the pub was re-named.
The dinner menu was very English and the pub prides itself on only using locally sourced fresh produce, including locally farmed beef, pork and lamb, fish delivered fresh every day from St. Ives and cheeses from Tavistock. I can never resist a Steak & Kidney pudding and mine certainly lived up to expectations.
Breakfast next day was exceptional (recommend the sausages) and it was also accompanied by visits from the pub’s dog Bertie, a Glen of Imaal Terrier, who looked like a teddy bear in doggy form. His party trick on realising there were sausages around, was to sit up on his back legs and look longingly at your plate – he didn’t have any luck with us though, it was all too delicious to give away! So now fully fuelled up I was taken on a bracing long hike across Dartmoor where we encountered troupes of students practising for the Ten Tors and preparing to camp out on the moor (it was 3˚C during the day!). They seemed scarily excited about the prospect while all I could think of was getting back to the log fire in the bar at The Elephant’s Nest!
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
MCA Menu & Food Trends Report Top Ten Takeouts
As the leading foodservice agency we like to keep abreast of the latest foodservice trends and eating out market insight and so we were delighted to attend the MCA Menu & Food Trends Report this morning. If you weren’t lucky enough to be there, worry not, as we have listed our top ten take outs below:
1) The market on the whole is looking positive, as despite falling consumer confidence (likely to be due to uncertainty around Brexit) disposable income is at an all-time high and up £12 YOY with the average person having £198 per week to spend – hopefully on eating and drinking out of home!
2) GDP is growing at 0.6% and has now been in growth for twelve consecutive quarters. Indeed MCA predict the eating and drinking out market as a whole will grow by 3% this year, out-performing the economy as a whole. You can see why when you look at participation levels which are running at a healthy 92.6% with increasing frequency to boot, with breakfast and snacking/grab & go showing the strongest growth over the next 2-3 years when it comes to day parts.
3) However, as operators look to offset the increased overhead of the National Living Wage (which in general they believe will have a positive effect on the industry) menu prices are on the rise as we see a ‘menu pricing step’ change, with 5% rises not uncommon. Mains and sides currently see the most price rises, whilst overall operators look to rationalise menus (with the exception of premium pubs which are extending menus) with a drive to do less but better, by focusing on quality, which is the no.1 consumer driver.
4) When it comes to protein, chicken is still no. 1 with a 20% share of lunch and dinner, but the peak of chickenisation may be waning as Beef and Pork are the fastest growing proteins with vegetarian dishes and seafood in decline. Interestingly the mega trend of healthy eating doesn’t seem to be born out when it comes to actual consumer behaviour from the research, as indulgence seems to be winning out. However, healthy eating is sighted by industry chefs as likely to increase in popularity over the next 2-3 years, especially gluten-free, vegetarian, fish and vegan. Consumers are also moving to more on the go and informal eating out styles and tending to eat fewer courses, with a rise of one course meals and move away from traditional format sit-down dining.
5) Menu items in growth include in-bread carriers (think sandwiches and all their various permutations), premium burgers, all day breakfasts, sausages, along with ham, bacon and cheese fillings in bread carriers. However, vegetarian, mushroom dishes, seafood, curry and salad don’t seem to be proving as popular. Smoked and slow cooked are both coming through on menus alongside the ever popular, grilled, roasted and fried. Whilst natural cooking methods like wood-fired, BBQ and steaming are growing, especially when they can offer theatre and quality cues to customers. Spices and sauces are being more widely referenced on menus along with a broad variety of cuisines, provenance and up-selling messages to drive spend.
6) Formats such as street food, all day dining, pop-ups and food on the go are topping the chart when it comes to growth with healthier eating, BBQ, premium burgers, street food and Vietnamese tipped by industry leaders to be the fastest growing cuisines over the next 3-5 years. And it will be more important than ever to offer a point of difference aligned to customer demand as menus shrink bringing with it the risk of homogenisation at the same time as increasing prices. Big bold flavours can help to set menus apart, along with authentic cuisines (Asian is especially strong) and of course value for money.
7) Consumers want quality – no change there. With millennials looking for cheaper menus, promotions, fast service and healthier options (despite the fact that only 6% of all consumers polled were driven by health when choosing where to eat out), whilst the 50+ market are more focused on convenience and environment, as well as if they have visited before. Sectors that seem to be upping their game when it comes to delivering against consumer drivers include workplace and colleges, as contract caterers and in-house operators up their game to compete with food on the go and casual dining high street concepts.
8) As for mega trends – they remain the same: healthier eating, indulgence, informality, premiumisation, provenance and value scrutiny. Established cuisine trends include: BBQ, North American, Mexican, Brazilian/South American, Vietnamese, Thai and SE Asian. Coming-up behind them are Caribbean (Turtle Bay is a personal favourite), Modern Spanish, North African, British, Nordic, Modern Greek, Lebanese Persian, Contemporary Indian, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese. Throw in Germanic, Malaysian and Peruvian and you’ve got a fair old choice out there.
9) As for ingredients and the ever present question of ‘what’s the next pulled pork?’ look out for…alternative grains, alternative cuts, ‘burnt’ foods, Cacao, Dosa, fermented foods (pickling), Pokē and root to stem vegetables coming through on menus. Whilst avocado, Banh Mi, cauliflower, Chia seeds, grilled cheese (yum!), Matcha and sweet potato are listed as hot trends while breakfast pots, Chipotle, Harrisa, Kimchi, Quinoa, sourdough and Siracha come under emerging trends. Then, moving to more established trends you have edamame, fresh pasta, kale & super foods, mac ‘n cheese, ramen and sushi. But what do the industry experts think will be big? Allergies and healthy is high on their predictions with gluten-free, vegan and raw diets becoming more important to cater for. They see street food as continuing to be strong and cooking methods like wood-fired becoming more popular. Key to success will be concepts which are easy to understand, on-trend, offer value for money and are approachable.
10) Finally, it’s time for the drinks menu, with mocktails, beer cocktails, birch water, Mead, reverse osmosis water and Soju identified as warm trends while hot trends include craft spirits, Japanese Whisky, loose leaf tea and prosecco or wine on tap. Emerging trends include Almond milk, green juice, premium tonics and unusual smoothies. Whilst at the more established end of the trends scale you have artisan coffee, coconut water and craft beer. As for those on the slide, bubble tea, full sugar carbonates, flavoured water and fruit juices may have peaked.
As for the MCA team, they personally have been doing more of the following over the past year: using chopsticks to get the best out of Asian food, using mobile payment apps, ‘gastro-tourism’ i.e. travelling for food and seeking out the latest restaurant openings, eating more Chia pudding as part of a clean eating regime, enjoying crushed avocado and craft beer – but not all at once! Whilst Simon has been on a gourmet tour of NYC taking in an innovative vegan concept ‘by Chloe’, Michelin beer pairing at ‘Luksus at Torst’, design led restaurant concepts including ‘Quality Eats’, Jewish Russian Bagel café turn evening Bistro ‘Sadelle’s’ and even sour craft beer!
As ever the briefing was highly enjoyable and informative, and really the above barely scratches the surface of the full report which is available to MCA Forum members. Well done to the team at MCA on a great event and a comprehensive round up of the market.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice trends and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
National Jelly Bean Day
A whole 24 hours to celebrate how wonderful it is to be a Bean!
Thanks to a lover of the sweet chewy treat (President Ronald Reagan, perhaps?) our namesake has got its very own national day (22nd April), and as the leading foodservice marketing agency we think it’s a brilliant excuse to celebrate our passionate team, wonderful clients and the exciting work we’ve got up to over the last 28 years (hint, hint).
This year we’re asking you to answer our quiz to be in with the chance of winning your very own personalised Jellybean machine – courtesy of our ever-so talented Creative Director, Gary Brazier.
You’ll learn a bit about us, you’ll receive some Jelly Belly Jellybeans for your efforts and you’ll be helping us celebrate our special day – what’s not to love about that?
To enter the quiz, click here.
And be sure to stop by our Twitter this Friday, where we’ll be celebrating #NationalJellybeanDay in style.
See you there!
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, foodservice marketing, digital and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.