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13th April 2015

La Dolce Vita

This Easter I jetted off in style (speedy boarding all the way – I know how to live!) to Naples and then onto Sorrento which served as our base to explore the Amalfi coast and all it had to offer. In a land famed for its fabulous cuisine we felt it our duty as representatives of the leading foodservice agency to sample as much as possible (purely as a fact finding mission you understand). It was a tough job but someone had to do it, and believe me, we did it! Having been to Italy twice before I was looking forward to their foodie delights, but nothing could prepare me for the gigantic lemons which greeted us in Sorrento, not for the amount of Limoncello that was offered free of charge at the end of every meal (thankfully breakfast excluded).

Our trip took in Sorrento, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, Positano (fleetingly), Amalfi and Ravello and we managed to eat our way around the beautiful coastline.
Here are my personal highlights…

Ice Cream from an Italian TV chef – Gelateria Primavera offers a huge array of ice creams which even the most dedicated connoisseur would be hard pressed to work their way through during a week (although we had a fair attempt). The gelateria is owned by TV Chef Antonio and the walls are literally plastered with photos of him with everyone from the Pope to famous footballers and movie stars.
Michelin star dining on Capri – We took the ferry over to Capri and whilst wandering the winding lanes and alleyways that crisscross the island we stumbled upon Aurora restaurant. Listed in the Michelin guide it also boasts celebrity patrons including Reece Witherspoon and Pierce Brosnan. A real find; the food was lovely and the service great!
Historic dining – The sister restaurant to our hotel (Grand Hotel La Favorita) was O Parrucchiano and dates back to 1868. Famous for its cannelloni ‘Stracinati’ it serves traditional dishes from the Campania region it seems to stretch back from the street forever and offers a beautiful setting complete with atrium and fairy lights as well as great food.
Pizza in Pompeii – Pompeii is a tourist’s ‘must’ do, but just a stone’s throw away from the ancient preserved city is a very unassuming café which offered a ‘self-serve’ pizza to die for! Not the most salubrious of settings but what a pizza!
Giant steaks – Travelling with a true carnivore meant that no trip would be complete without sampling the best local steak which led us to the cleverly named Meating where we were presented with steaks that rivalled even the ones sampled in New York at Keens. Certainly worth a try but make sure you go hungry!
Calzone at the top of the world – On the recommendation of a client we headed up into Ravello on the Amalfi coast to visit the Hotel Caruso. We timed it well as they had opened for the season just the day before. We had one of the most amazing views all to ourselves and enjoyed stunning Calzone and pizza whilst sipping strawberry & mint infused prosecco and taking in the stunningly tranquil setting.
Cocktails at the Excelsior – As you approach Sorrento by sea the imposing sight of the iconic hotel Excelsior Vittoria greets you from the rocky coastline. This classic hotel has played host to anyone who is anyone over the years, so we took a stroll down its lemon and orange tree lined driveway (leading off from the main square) one evening to sip cocktails in style on their terrace and take in the sea air. All very civilised and certainly something not to be missed if you are in Sorrento.

All in all we had a fabulous time and managed to take in both the sights and the tastes of this amazing part of the world. I would highly recommend a visit should you ever find yourself Italy bound.

jellybean is a leading food and drink 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.

Susan Wickes

10th April 2015

I never knew I liked Blueberries…

Until I visited America late last year and had several amazing breakfasts, that all seemed to include them. Never one to waste anything, it didn’t seem such a hardship to eat some goodness in the Big Apple (one of my five a day) along with the crispy bacon, french toast and maple syrup! What a lovely sweet and savoury start to the day. I now even put them on my porridge and eat them as a snack as I try and lose weight for my daughters wedding in three weeks time!

Perhaps this could be a third breakfast option in this country after the fantastic Full English and the lighter continental, how about a Full US? However, I was told recently by a foodservice consultant, that it has been tried in the UK by major hotel chains, but consistently fails to sell, guests preferring to fill up on the Full English!

While there, my wife Gill and I tried several amazing restaurants, one of the best was The Brooklyn Diner, made from what looked like an old railway carriage. We got there too late for lunch, so booked in for early evening dinner, and went exploring. We immediately came across a popup food market where all manner of street food was displayed… from bruffins to bamboo bites and cheddbread to pigs in blankets. Foodservice trends and outlets that maybe coming our way in the future?

Back to the amazing diner where traditional bar stools and typically american decor enthralled us! Such fantastic food as well. Brilliantly simple but so delicious. Starter of fried beans and griddled corn. Gone in an instant. Then the best burger in the world.?.. probably, but one in a beach restaurant in Portugal also comes close. This was the real thing though, in the right location with all the right ambience. Why is it that food tastes better in the right location? I can still taste it now. If you ever get the chance – it is well worth a visit.

Not quite so good however was Katz Diner, yes the place where that scene from Where Harry Met Sally was filmed. We definitely didn’t get the same thrill, but we did take our jellybeanwith us for the experience. Though can someone please explain to me the tipping system in the US… levels unheard of in the UK – our experience certainly didn’t warrant anywhere near these kind of tips!

A thoroughly enjoyable trip and another yet sweet/savoury combo goes on my ok list, along with sweet and salted popcorn and salted caramel chocolate. I absolutely draw the line at peanuts in chocolate though! Can’t think why people think I’m fussy!

jellybean is a leading food and drink 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.

Guest Blogger

26th March 2015

Let’s ‘Taco’ ‘bout Burritos…

Foodservice PR Agency Mexican food has a firm footing in UK dining this year, with 2015 declared as the ‘Year of Mexico in the UK and the UK in Mexico’.* Plus, just last week Horizons named ‘Mexican Fast Casual’ as one of this year’s trends in foodservice. So when I found myself in Guildford hungry for something quick and tasty, I couldn’t resist the look of Burrito Loco, an independent Mexican restaurant (after all, it’s no good just talking about the trends if you don’t try them!).

Burrito Loco aims to put choice into your hands with a ‘build your own’ meal format (bang-on the ‘customisation’ trend). The first choice comes between a Burrito, Taco, Nachos or Salad Box. Moving along the counter we chose between pulled pork, chicken, beef or vegetarian chilli for our main filling, then between black or refried beans. Finally, a choice of salsa (coming in varying degrees of heat), salad and cheese to finish off your meal.

I had a Beef Burrito, with plenty of salad, salsa and guacamole (worth the 80p extra) which was delicious – my friends and I were all full and happy with our individually built burritos!

I would definitely recommend stopping by Burrito Loco, and with my only regret being that I didn’t try one of their Mexican Brownies, I will definitely be going back very soon.

For more information on Burrito Loco, go to www.burrito-loco.co.uk or follow them on Twitter @BurritoLocoGfrd.

*www.bighospitality.co.uk/Trends-Reports/Restaurant-trends-for-2015

jellybean is a leading food and drink 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.

Guest Blogger

26th March 2015

The Drum Design Agency Census 2015

Food and Drink PR Agency - The Drum Design Census As a truly integrated agency specialising in the foodservice market we pride ourselves on delivering outstanding creative based on sound insight and excellent strategy. With our six strong creative team we cover both print and digital design in-house, and through this fact and our RAR recommended agency status, thereby qualified for The Drum’s Design Agency Census. This year was the first time we entered and we’re very pleased to make it into the top 25 of all three tables for the 10-19 staff category (which includes account handling and other agency design dependent functions). The Drum Design Agency Census provides a comprehensive review of the design marketing agency landscape in the UK, highlighting the key players, trends and growth in this exciting sector and the full report can be found here.

The research is conducted by The Drum in partnership with the Recommended Agency Register, and ranks UK design marketing agencies across three main categories; financial performance, client satisfaction and peer recognition. We were thrilled to come 20th in the client satisfaction table, 24th in the peer recognition table and 23rd in the financial performance table. All pretty impressive rankings when you consider we are a specialist agency working in a sector not exactly known for its big budgets! The particularly nice thing about this census though is that it is based on client reviews collected through the RAR and ratings from our peer agencies. So well done to our fabulous studio and of course, thank you, to our wonderful clients who appreciate the work we do for them.

Hot on the heels of the Design Agency Census is the Independent Agency Census which comes out later this year which we are also in the running for (you may very well have received a ‘can you do us a little favour’ email requesting you vote for us). Voting is now closed so we await with baited breath our rankings – we will of course keep you posted!

jellybean is a leading food and drink 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.

Susan Wickes

25th March 2015

Arena Savoy Lecture

Foodservice Marketing Agency - Arena Savoy Lecture Image of Speaker Addressing the Room As the leading foodservice agency we’ve yet to miss an Arena Savoy Lecture, which is arguably the jewel in the crown of the networking association’s calendar. This year it was the turn of Martin Robinson to take the lectern and enlighten the gathered ‘movers and shakers’ of the out of home world. Martin is the Chairman of Center Parcs UK as well as The Casual Dining Group (Tragus). He started out ‘back in the day’ studying geography at university including a somewhat left field dissertation on the effect on the local economy of the Last of the Summer Wine series (interesting!). His career then progressed via Bonjela, Dettol, Sara Lee, lingerie in Paris (a high point), management consulting across brewing, oil and food and onto Scottish & Newcastle, culminating with the start of his current role at Center Parcs in 1997. But Martin, by his own admission, is bored easily and likes to have a few things on the go. So not content with just having one high flying job he also managed to multi-task across a number of senior roles including Holmes Place, Disneyland Paris and a middle east property investment company (the latter two of which he is still involved with).

The Center Parcs concept was the inspired brainchild of a Dutchman back in the fifties (1958 to be precise) – a genius idea, the concept was completely new and focused around the following ground breaking features: families taking short breaks, getting away from the city to the countryside, being active and doing outdoor activities, being environmentally friendly, people arriving either on a Monday or Friday, being car free and based around bikes and offering guests lots of choice in what they do. It worked, and has been especially successful in the UK, where consumers are keen to spend money on leisure and holidays (often taking up to six holidays a year) and where often exiting our beloved island often involves costly and high stress air travel (especially when considering 75% of guests come with children this is a key factor for choosing Center Parcs over a package holiday abroad). Currently Center Parcs has a 97% occupancy rate and a 68% repeat rate which are impressive figures. It manages to keep its market position by sticking to the original concept, investing in the business, keeping close to customers (guests) with consumer feedback routes, clever revenue management (there is no set tariff it sets the price for optimum margin similar to budget airline flights) and of course innovation, ensuring the concept is kept fresh and keeps those guests coming back time and time again. The other handy thing that works in Center Parcs’ favour are the huge barriers to entry. Even with its proven track record and contacts, it took the company ten years to get planning for Woburn so it really has been able to corner the market.

One of Martin’s many other strings to his bow is his Chairmanship of The Casual Dining Group. He takes a keen interest in the sector and predicts that the market will continue to grow with 2 to 3% added to the size of the out of home market each year through casual dining openings. He also expects to see themed concepts experience some ‘weeding out’ as only those that are truly differentiated and authentic succeeding. He also foresees branded concepts taking healthy eating more seriously and delivering in the mainstream, the rise of mass market premium brands as the middle ground dwindles, the proliferation of eating occasions in line with all day dining, and the rise of fast casual concepts like Nandos. With casual dining, QSR and coffee shops blurring into one, the market is changing and he believes only those brands which offer the consumer what they want when they want it will thrive.

As for the ever present issue of customer service and staffing, across the industry he can see a real gap where a ‘lost’ generation went onto university rather than into hospitality roles, but in recent years with the increase of university fees this is coming back around with vocational learning and apprenticeships picking up. However we are left with this legacy and he is passionate about getting good talent into the industry. Anne from Springboard pointed the great work the charity does and especially the Future Chef programme which generates a pipeline of talented chefs for the industry. But with dry GCSEs in business (as Martin has experienced with his daughter) and hospitality still battling to build a more positive perception of the industry as a career of choice there is still much more to do.

Following a few ‘challenging’ questions from the floor around the quality of the food offered at Center Parcs it was time for the networking to commence and then it was on to dinner prepared by the team at the Savoy. As you would expect it was excellent, (although I have to say I am not one hundred percent on-board with basil meringue – but top marks for pushing the boundaries!). Well done to Lorraine, Berenice and the team at the Savoy on another great event – we look forward to the next with Andrew Guy CEO of Ed’s Easy Diner on 26th June. To find out more about Arena you can visit www.arena.org.uk

jellybean 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.

Susan Wickes

19th March 2015

Social Media in Foodservice – as featured in QuickBite Magazine

Twitter, Facebook, Google +, Instagram, LinkedIn…the list goes on. Sometimes it feels as if there is a new social media channel to consider every six months. Is it for me? How does it work? Will I be left behind if I decide it’s just one channel too many?

We feel your pain. Hopefully this bite-sized review will help you decide.

Each successful social media channel has a key distinguishing feature that makes them unique, and which they hope will gain them their following.

Here’s our list of the primary social media channels, what makes them unique, and what benefit you might gain from them.

Twitter

A great site for sending short updates to your following, and a simple way to gain a following. Tweets are quick to compose and quick to read resulting in the huge growth in uptake in recent years. #hashtags mean you can easily join larger conversations and the SEO benefits of being part of these conversations are growing.

Facebook

The ‘like’ button on Facebook is the easiest way to allow your brand to be promoted to prospects, and a successful company page invests in publishing content of real value to your audience, increasing your chances of a ‘thumbs up’ – play to the strengths of the platform building your reach through joining groups.

LinkedIn

Make the most of a workforce who very possibly already have a presence and connections Create a business page for staff to follow, join relevant groups on LinkedIn and ensure that your services are updated so that premium members who use LinkedIn to find suppliers, find you.

Instagram

Is your product or service a visual one. Are you either a premium product or brand that is shown off best in beautiful photographs? Do you find your competitors or conversations around your product or service via hashtag searches on Instagram? If so, this might well be for you.

Pinterest

Similar to Instagram in some senses but built around ‘Pins’ which are links back to a webpage containing the original content. This has real benefits in terms of SEO and also in driving leads back to your website. Still a significantly female audience, but if that’s what you’re after it might be for you.

Google +

If the majority of your new business leads are from search traffic then Google + might just be the platform for you. Due to it’s integration with the search engine giant, it is an easy SEO win to link your Google + account with your website.

As with any content marketing online, be it social or otherwise, we would always encourage businesses to think from the user back, rather than brand forward.

Find out which social media channels your audience use and what they use them for. Then decide what content you can easily develop that has real value to the end user; be it an online tool, white paper or video.

Broadcast this on social media and your audience will share the content for you, amplifying your business’ reach.

jellybean is a leading social media foodservice 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.

Andy Wickes

18th March 2015

jellybeanSupport the Weir Archer Academy

Social Media Foodservice - jellybeanSupports the Weir Archer Academy Last Friday found Susan and I guests at a glittering fund-raiser for the Weir Archer Academy, held at the magnificent and mighty Great Fosters in Egham.

Little prepares you for the sight of Great Fosters in Egham, and arriving at night to see the exterior illuminated with flame only makes it more dramatic.

Built in 1550 amidst 50 acres of carefully clipped gardens and lawn, this grand old pile of bricks and in particular its tithe barn was our venue for the evening.

The Weir Archer Academy was set up by now legendary Paralympian David Weir CBE and his trainer Jenny Archer. The Academy provides athlete and coaching support and expertise across all levels and abilities including working with Schools in South London, Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire; working with clubs and coaches from the South East and providing access to the Academy for international development for under resourced counties.

After witnessing first hand the paucity of British Paralympic athletes at the Beijing Games when compared with other nations, Weir felt that the sport was fighting for its very survival in Britain. The Weir Archer Academy seeks to nurture the very best athletes and in doing so generate the Paralympians of the future.

As a supporter of the charity, jellybeandonated both design work in the production of much of the printed material on the night, but also in donating an internship to be auctioned off in the silent auction.

And so on the night we were extremely fortunate that both David and Jenny were able to join us, as well as a great number of Academy athletes shortly to race in the marathon.

Festivities kicked off with a champagne reception to the strains of ‘Sweetheart Swing’, a female duo channelling the forces-era close vocal harmonies of The Andrews Sisters.

Suitably refreshed we decamped to the vast tithe barn and to our table for a delicious three course meal of salmon terrine, followed by tender lamb with mint sauce and lastly a trio of chocolate mousse, salted caramel cream and salted caramel ice cream.

Speeches from David followed by a video presentation set out the amazing work the Academy does and what an enormous difference it brings to the lives of children living with disability.

Next came the main business of the evening – raising some much needed money from the guests via the auction – expertly helmed by the effervescent and energetic Joe Gallagher, things got off to a great start. Some amazing lots were generously donated including a ‘money-can’t-buy’ VIP package for Bestival including backstage passes as well as a highly prized Victoria Beckham clutch bag.

Once the final lot had been auctioned, duties fell to the band, Fully Funktional, who kicked off the dancing – right away vocalists, guitarists and even the trombone player were amongst the audience pulling people up onto the dance floor.

As we speak the total raised is already over £20,000.00 – a magnificent sum which will transform the lives of so deserving children and young adults.

Enormous thanks go to all involved in the production of the event and the hospitality on the night, but special thanks go to Tania and Joe Gallagher whose idea for the event and organisation in every area was carried out with determination, dedication and above all else a smile.

For more information on the vital work that the Weir Archer Academy carries out, please visit the website here.

jellybean is a leading social media foodservice 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.

Andy Wickes

16th March 2015

For the love of food!

We all know that Mother’s Day is a time to spoil the most important person in your life, your mum, but when the treat you have planned turns into something special for the whole family, you know you’re onto a winner!

Typically after a week of sunny, mild weather, Mother’s Day was a dull and wet affair, but that didn’t dampen the celebrations as tucked away in leafy Cobham, Surrey, Fego was a hive of Mother’s Day activity.

Awarded a place in The Times ‘25 Best Places for Brunch’ 2014, Fego’s is proud of its love affair with food and its extensive brunch menu is something to behold. From gourmet Brunch Burritos to Spicy Scrambled Eggs to Boston Triple Beans on Toast or Buck and Bunny (classic rarebit with grilled thick-cut bacon and fluffy poached eggs), and not forgetting the sweet toothed amongst us who would happily devour an ‘All American Pancake Stack’, the menu alone is a joy to read!

With the option to add a Bloody Mary or glass of Bucks Fizz with any brunch order you can certainly go to town, but for those who want to opt for a healthy alternative there’s an array of fruit based delights such as Greek and Granola Sundae Berry or Berry Chilly to choose from.

Fego’s also caters fantastically for coeliacs with a full and diverse gluten-free menu that includes many of the delicious dishes from the main menu.

This was our first time at Fego’s, but it was nothing short of a delight. Not only was the food scrumptious, the staff were friendly and attentive, the prices were reasonable and as it was a special occasion, the simple gesture of giving every mum a homemade fairy cake to take home was the cherry on the top!

We may have only just begun to explore the brunch menu, but we will most certainly be coming back. Although trying to decide between one of the gorgeous homemade afternoon sweet treats or a full blown evening meal will be no easy feat – we may just have to do both!

To find out more about Fego’s and to read its mouth-watering menus, visit www.fegocaffe.co.uk or follow them @FegoUK.

jellybean 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.

Guest Blogger

12th March 2015

Alternative CV – Adam Gray

What was your favourite subject at school?
Music / Music Technology.

What was your best subject as school?
Music / Music Technology.

What was your first-ever job?
Folding paper in a paper factory.

What was your worst ever job?
I’m going to go with folding paper in a paper factory.

What was the first music single you bought?
Maroon 5 – Songs about Jane.

What is the most entrepreneurial thing you have ever done?
I’ll get back to you on that one.

What is your motto in life?
Don’t worry so much, no one else knows what they’re doing either.

If you were allowed one dream perk what would it be?
Be paid to travel the world.

What’s your favourite movie and why?
Shaun of the dead, because zombies.

If you could pick a celebrity to join the agency who would it be and why?
Grumpy cat.

What luxury would you have on your desert island?
Super-fast broadband.

What animal best reflects your personality and why?
A cat, because they’re pretty laid back.

If you could be anybody in the world (alive or dead) who would you be and why?
I would be myself, but maybe with a poncho or something.

jellybean is a leading foodservice public relations and marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice public relations, 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.

Guest Blogger

11th March 2015

What's on the Horizon for 2015?

Foodservice Marketing - Horizons It is often said that there is a lack of real insight in the foodservice marketing compared to consumer and retail, but with the likes of Horizons and the often untapped resource that is wholesaler ‘sales out’ data, we work with our clients to effectively unearth those killer nuggets of insight that can help brands open up the foodservice opportunity. We have partnered with Horizons on a number of projects through the years, as well as incorporating its Key Club sessions into our staff training to ensure we keep our edge as the leading foodservice marketing agency. We strongly believe that only by really understanding the market landscape, influences and trends can you create effective campaigns which offer cut-through and deliver ROI for brands in the OOH arena. To that end we always make a point of attending the Horizons annual breakfast briefing to get the very latest insight on the market.

This time around the event was hosted by Dentons – the largest law firm in the world! But we weren’t surrounded by lawyers, instead anyone who’s anyone in the industry was present to get the inside track on what is happening and a glimpse into the year ahead from Peter and his team. As ever the session kicked-off with an introduction from Mike Southon and a state of the nation view on the economy from Peter Andrews of the Bank of England. Due to ‘Chatham House Rules’ I can’t divulge the details but as he took me back to the days of A level economics with a range of charts and graphs detailing the state of the economy one thing was clear (in contrast to the briefings of the past few years) things are looking up.

Then it was on to Peter and the Horizons team to take us through the foodservice market. Below is my executive summary of the presentation…

The Market Headlines – F&B sales in 2014 rose to £46.6bil (+3.8% nominal growth, +2.9% real growth). 2015 will continue to see growth as we return to 2008 levels (the previous peak) as Horizons believes (at constant prices) F&B sales will total £47.8bil up by £1.2bil in the coming year. Whilst long term the market is likely to hit £56.3bil in 2019 (+3.9% nominal CAGR).
Winners and Losers – Based on growth the top performing sectors include: pizza delivery, managed pub brands (e.g. Wetherspoons), pub restaurants (driving the restaurant sector), primary schools and coffee shops. Overall groups are performing better than independents and casual dining groups & fast casual (e.g. Pret) in particular are doing well. Lowest performing sectors are: staff catering, healthcare, police stations(?!), Chinese and oriental take-away, airline catering, fish & chip shops and cafes. Moving away from operators to the route to market, 2014 looked positive with growth across all temperatures and channels, with the strongest growth showing in fresh and contract distribution.
Vouchers – Gone are the days of blanket 2-4-1s. Now discounting is hard-wired into the menu engineering and is used tactically around occasions and opportunities to attract consumers in and drive sales in a far more sophisticated and strategic way.
Operator Margin – Good news! After the days of food inflation and consumer price inelasticity which put huge pressure on operator margins, we now see food prices lower and selling prices increasing, giving operators better margin and therefore money to invest in the future.
Growth Factors – Population growth, an increase in meals served in the profit sector, an increase in average spend per meal and inflation at +2.2%.
Eating Out – Overall, consumers are eating out more in 2015. With penetration growing, as well as average spend rising. 25-34 year olds have the highest eating out penetration.
Cuisines – Burgers remain the No.1 item on menus with US inspired, world cuisines (including Peruvian & Lebanese), health & wellbeing and premiumisation and indulgence all coming through strongly on menus from the Menurama insight.
Ones to Watch – Based on the fastest growing small brands (5-25 outlets) and growth of >20% since 2011, here are some of the names to watch out for: Fuel Juice Bars, Dunkin’ Donuts, Abokado, Tortilla Mexican Grill, Pieminster, Boost Juice Bars, Chozen Noodle, Decks, Five Guys, Farmhouse Inns, Wildwood, Brasserie Blanc, Coast to Coast and El Mexicana.
Trends – As far as concepts go, the strong trends include: healthy quick service / fast causal, Italian (all sorts), Mexican fast casual / casual dining, British casual dining, steakhouse casual dining and coffee shops.
Beyond London – Smaller brands are avoiding the prohibitive rents of the capital and opting for other top conurbations such as Manchester, Bristol, Glasgow and Leeds. Some are even actively focusing on market towns and secondary cities to drive growth.
The London Bubble – The eating out market in London is growing, out-performing (as usual) the rest of the country. This has been driven predominately by groups. Why the London bubble though? Well it has a lot to do with the demographic mix with a higher concentration of consumers in their twenties and thirties who tend to eat out the most.
The UK Leads the Way – It’s fair to say that London has one of the most dynamic, influential and vibrant eating out sectors, indeed over 50% of the top casual dining brands in Europe are UK based e.g. Nandos, Pizza Express, Frankie & Benny’s, Harvester and Hippopotamus. These alone account for half of the top ten casual dining brands in Europe, with Nandos topping the chart achieving F&B sales of over $700mil based on their latest year-end figures.
Risks for 2015 – Despite the more rosy outlook for the eating out market there are still some risks which could throw everything off-kilter, including: the economy (volatile oil prices, Eurozone etc.), political uncertainty (May’s election in the offing), international uncertainty (terrorism, Syria, Ukraine etc.), the British weather (and all its many extremes), the unexpected (e.g. ‘horsegate’) and even operators hitting the headroom ceiling, as growth opportunities are ‘maxed out’.
Crystal Ball – The foodservice market is never an easy one to predict, but looking ahead to the rest of 2015, Horizons believes (at constant prices) F&B sales will total £47.8bil, up by £1.2bil. QSRs, restaurants (including pub restaurants) and hotels will continue to grow, whist, staff catering will see a downturn and healthcare will remain static. Indeed education is the most promising area of the cost sector, showing growth which is mostly driven by the universal school meals initiative.
2015 in a Nutshell – Less uncertainty! Phew!

With such a comprehensive round-up on the market, once again congratulations must go to Horizons on a hugely informative event. Thanks also to Dentons for hosting and providing a stunning view and pretty impressive breakfast spread. Not to mention our facilitator Mike Southon and the panel discussion group from Dentons, Elior, Wafflemeister and of course Peter Backman himself. Catching-up with friends and contacts afterwards I know I wasn’t alone in thinking that the early start was well worth it – the early bird and all that! Now I’d better get off and put all this solid information into action for our clients!

To find out more visit http://www.hrzns.com/

jellybean 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.

Susan Wickes

6th March 2015

Cheggers Plays FPA Awards

Foodservice Marketing Agency - Cheggers Plays FPA As the leading foodservice agency we get invited along to a fair few events during the year. It is fair to say that the world of foodservice is full of lavish events and gala awards, but in the blur of Park Lane venues and gourmet dinners there is one that stands out from the crowd. The FPA (Foodservice Packaging Association) Annual Awards breaks the unwritten rule that all foodservice black tie dos must be held in London, by heading off to the seaside and holding its night of the year at The Grand. In the classic opulence of this Brighton landmark the event also starts far earlier than most with afternoon tea and an exhibition of award entries for guests to peruse. Then from 6pm there are cocktails and mingling, so by the time dinner is served at 7.30pm the mood is, to say the least, ‘buoyant’.

Add to the mix a delicious meal from Alan White and his team at The Grand, a charity raffle and silent auction to raise money for Hospitality Action and Springboard, and of course, the awards themselves – you have a great night. But The FPA didn’t stop there. Oh no, this year as compere they had none other than Keith Chegwin – oft known as ‘Cheggers’! Fresh from the Big Brother house with tales of Katie Hopkins and a compere set straight out of panto, Cheggers put his all into the evening and even did his homework before the night, managing to comment on winners’ and sponsors’ websites and product ranges (on occasion informing them of things they didn’t even know!). After the fun and games, including some strictly dancing heads and tails and even a chance to win a boating experience for two (bring on the mini inflatable dingy) it was then onto the main even of the night – the awards!

I was honoured to be asked to judge the marketing award and awaited the announcement eagerly to see the consensus of the judges as the winner of the FPA Marketing Award was announced*. Myself and fellow judge Lorraine from Arena were even asked to stand up and received a somewhat embarrassing round of applause (all the time hoping that those who failed to win the marketing award didn’t ‘hunt us down’ at the bar and interrogate us as to why).

The awards culminated with the Member’s Award which is voted for (unsurprisingly) by the membership of FPA, to honour the person who has done the most to promote the foodservice packaging industry. As the description was read out it soon became clear that our friend Martin Kersh of the FPA was the winner – much deserved it was – congratulations Martin! But congratulations must also go to not only all the winners including, TriStar Packaging, Planglow*, The Smith Anderson Group, Duni, Vegware, Prêt a Manger, Euro Packing and Sybron UK, but also to the sponsors, 3663, BPI Recycled Products, Bunzl, Celebration Paper and Plastics, Wrap Film Systems (our new client), Coveris, SCA and SEDA. And finally congratulations to the team behind the FPA, including Martin, who as ever, managed to put on a fabulous event which lasted long into the wee small hours and was greatly enjoyed by all.

jellybean 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.

Susan Wickes

5th March 2015

Walking away the winter blues

Foodservice PR - The Tower Inn After a busy year at the leading foodservice marketing agency and a hectic festive season, what better way to drive away the post-Christmas blues than a weekend in an old English village pub? That was our excuse to stay at The Tower Inn in Slapton, a tiny village in South Devon, between Salcombe and Dartmouth. The Tower Inn is about as quaint as you can get – sloping floors, roaring log fires and almost entirely lit by candles. The pub stands next to a crumbling tower (hence the name) that belonged to a 14th century ecclesiastical school that used to stand on the site.

The village itself is set around windy country lanes and is a short walk from Slapton Sands which is a glorious expanse of sand with a nature reserve behind it, but a bit bleak for walking in February! The sands are famous for being used by the American Army in April 1944 to rehearse for the D-Day landings. However it turned into a tragedy as hundreds of American soldiers were killed by the use of live ammunition to make the exercise as life-like as possible. A disused American tank still remains as a memorial to those who died.

The area is perfect for walking, a wonderful mixture of coastal and inland footpaths – we were spoilt for choice – and the weather was ideal, bright sunshine with a little bit of a brisk wind, and of course we had the Tower Inn to come back to. What can be better than being able to step out of your room and into a warm old English pub, with local ales and a wonderful dinner to look forward to?

Locally caught seafood was a feature of the menu – mussels, sole and fresh fish of the day. I really enjoyed a roast pigeon breast risotto, a meat I had never tried before, but it was delicious and I followed it up with a selection of English cheeses. The pub also had a good range of English wines from the West Country – this pub really knows how to make the most of the wonderful food and drink we British can produce. The breakfast also lived up to expectations, of course you have to have the full English, and it was eaten beside a log fire and by candlelight which was the perfect antidote to the pouring rain which greeted us on Sunday morning!

jellybean 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.

Sue Foulsham

4th March 2015

THE INSANITY BURGER!

Foodservice Marketing Agency I don’t normally feel the impulse to share recipes with the rest of the world, but this is one I must!

If you’re a burger fan like me, and love the likes of Shake Shack, Meat Liquor and Hawksmoor (to name a few) then this is a recipe for you!

I cheated slightly as I didn’t make my own burgers, as I already had good quality steak burgers in the freezer, but I don’t think this mattered too much – they still tasted delicious! In fact, as long as you have good quality, thick steak burgers I’d encourage it!

I especially like the technique of brushing the burgers with mustard and Tabasco Chipotle sauce as they cook to build up the seasoning. Delicious!

So ‘what’s the recipe?’ I hear you scream! It’s a Jamie Oliver (who else) recipe for the INSANITY BURGER – from part of his recent ‘Comfort Food’ series.

I’m not sure I can do it much more justice in words, so check out my pic and take a look at the recipe, I urge you to make it!!

Find the recipe online here

PS: It’s great with sweet potato fries (as we had)!

jellybean 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.

Guest Blogger

3rd March 2015

Keep your eyes on the pies

Finally, British Pie Week has arrived. I feel like I have been waiting for months – mainly because it’s been the talk of the office for months while we have been working closely with one of our clients to plan it.

It was all the way back in January when I attended a pie photoshoot – a tough job but somebody has to do it. Seven delicious pie recipes were specially developed for JusRol’s British Pie Week, cooked fresh on the day, photographed and then devoured by the team. I now have a new favourite – Beef Ragu & Chorizo Pie, it’s truly delicious.

My own local pub, The Fox, doesn’t wait for British Pie Week, embracing the feel good factor of a range of handmade pies all year round. But for those pubs that don’t, there’s no excuse. JusRol has produced a fantastic recipe book to help caterers create its perfect pies, from Venison, Red Wine and Root Vegetable to Glazed Banana, Chocolate and Peanut Butter – there’s a pie for everyone.

Inspired by some of these, a group of friends and I recently went away for a weekend, staying in a beautiful Townhouse on the seafront in Kent – and we hosted a pie themed night-in. There were some amazing offerings, from ham hock and pink peppercorn, to key lime pie, a delicious way to spend a rainy night!

In fact, the recent cold snap couldn’t be more perfectly timed for British Pie Week, allowing us to indulge in our love of pies at a cosy warm local, with a glass of red or maybe a pint of ale, and a tasty, freshly cooked pie to warm us through.

To download the JusRol Recipe Book visit www.britishpieweek.co.uk or join in the conversation on Twitter @BritPieWeek.

jellybean 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.

Cass Clanachan

2nd March 2015

Brunch at The Aqua Shard

Foodservice Marketing Agency - Lunch at The Aqua Shard, London Last weekend, I was surprised with an early birthday present, and a lovely one at that! I was treated by my boyfriend to a three course brunch at The Aqua Shard. Located on level 31 of The Shard in London, this contemporary restaurant not only has incredible views of London, but also serves innovative, delicious British cuisine.

A snapshot of our dishes we enjoyed below…

Starters – I opted for Butternut Squash Soup with chestnut cubes and truffle popcorn, served with warm soda bread and Ash went for Eggs Benedict with Colchester Blue lobster which was amazing (food envy!).

Main – I chose Roasted Cornish lamb’s leg served with a yorkshire pudding, honey-glazed carrots, beef dripping roasties, smoked bacon and red wine jus which was possibly the best meal I have ever had. Ash went for a maple smoked salmon omelette with crème fraiche and Oscietra caviar which was also delicious.

Dessert – Pudding is always my favourite course and this didn’t disappoint. I had a lovely lemon meringue tart and also couldn’t help pinching some of Ash’s chocolate pecan tart with butterscotch ice cream.

The Aqua Shard is the perfect venue if you want to celebrate a special occasion and indulge in some really great food. If you’re okay with heights, I would definitely recommend a visit!

Address: Aqua shard, Level 31 The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, London, UK SE1 9RY
Reservations : 020 3011 1256
Twitter: @aquashard

jellybean 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.

Guest Blogger

2nd March 2015

Cheers to Gorgeous Gerties!

Foodservice Marketing Agency - Gorgeous Gerties Nestled amongst the endless antique shops that occupy the narrow streets of Dorking, Surrey, sits a delightful gem that is Gorgeous Gerties.

A vintage emporium combining cream teas, an olde worlde sweet shop and creative workshops, Gerties is quite simply a treasure chest of loveliness – the perfect place to hold a surprise birthday party!

Arranging a date when friends are all free to meet can be tricky at the best of times, but when the offer of a delicious cream tea and a spot of retail therapy is thrown into the mix, the date seems surprisingly easy to sort out. However, keeping it a secret from the birthday girl, despite her interrogations was another matter!

The staff at Gertie’s are lovely and were incredibly helpful, offering to organise an area suitable for our party of nine, including room for a pram for our honorary boy – at just 18 days old he was more interested in sleeping than listening to all the girlie gossiping! On arrival we were greeted with a table set up with an eclectic mix of china cups and saucers, tea pots with homemade tea cosies (which you can buy) and beautiful flowers – it was a lovely to surprise to all of us, not least the birthday girl who was met with a sea of smiling faces, none of which she was expecting to see.

As the chatter got underway an impressive array of fresh, crustless sandwiches, slices of homemade cake (including lemon drizzle, chocolate, Victoria sponge and coffee and walnut) and homemade scones with cream and jam, were placed on the table, followed by a chorus of ooohs and aaahs – and lots of picture taking!

It’s fair to say that the food was nothing short of a culinary delight, but despite full bellies it was time for some retail therapy. Gerties is basically a 15th century tardis. Seemingly small and compact from the outside, it’s a joy to anyone visiting when they discover that it’s filled from floor to ceiling with an endless array of independent retailers. Selling anything from jewellery, clothes, arts, crafts, furniture and accessories (not to mention the sweet shop), Gerties is a modern day vintage department store!

Although we opted to sit back and relax (in-between cake consuming and shopping), Gerties also offers an array of creative workshops. From sewing, crochet and cake decorating to card making and furniture painting, there’s something for everyone.

This was the first time we had paid a visit to Gerties, but after such a fantastic afternoon we will definitely be going back. Big groups may need to book, but the staff welcome all visitors so there’s no excuse not to pop in, say hello, have a natter, enjoy some delicious cake and have a mooch amongst the gifts.

As my new favourite weekend haunt, I can recommend all to visit Gorgeous Gerties. I can guarantee you will leave smiling… if not a little full!

To find out more about Gorgeous Gerties visit www.gorgeousgerties.co.uk, follow @Gerties1, like www.facebook.com/gorgeousgerties or email info@gorgeousgerties.co.uk

jellybean 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.

Guest Blogger

20th February 2015

Top tips for the perfect foodie photo shoot

As a newbie to foodservice, I was excited to attend my first foodie photo shoot last month. As well as being able to sample each of the recipes made (all for research and testing of course), I also had great fun setting up the composition of the shots to ‘create a scene’ and assist the photographer with ensuring the food looked as good in the photos as it did right in front of me.

Here’s a summary of my top five learnings from the shoot:

1)Be PROPared – Although the food is the main star of the shot, it is important to set the scene. Make sure you have a selection of props to hand including table cloths, cutlery, bowls, side dishes, sauces and even salt and pepper pots. Think about what the shot is needed for and the scene that needs to be created – the viewer will acknowledge this subconsciously.

2)Plan ahead – Prior to the shoot, trial different settings and compositions for each shot incorporating props. Try to imagine what angles the food would be shot from. This is all trial and error, and planning ahead for this will save time on the day and help contribute to the success of the shot.

3)Be prepared to improvise – Things can look very different through a lens to right in front of you. The ideas you had for a shot may not shoot well so be prepared to improvise on the day, and if something isn’t working, try a new angle and think outside the box.

4)Add moisture to maintain freshness – When food is sat around, it can start to look dry, which isn’t going to look good in photographs. Have some water to hand to spritz or a brush of oil to bring the shots back to life.

5)Look out for the little details – Watch out for the little details, for example polished cutlery, spillages, and clean linen. These little details will make a big difference to the success of the final shot.

We all know that a picture is worth a thousand words, so plan ahead and consider the above tips to ensure you create the perfect shot!

jellybean is a leading foodservice marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice public relations, 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.

Guest Blogger

18th February 2015

Zest Quest Asia 2015

Foodservice PR - Zest Quest As one half of TV’s ‘The Spice Men’, Cyrus Todiwala has long been a highly respected chef, pioneering contemporary Indian cuisine, and with Café Spice Namaste, Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen, The Park Café, Assado Restaurant and his first in India – the Acron Waterfront Resort in Goa, his mission looks to be going rather well. With his passion for Asian food and support from The Master Chefs of Great Britain, Cyrus is the driving force behind the Zest Quest Asia competition, which aims to highlight the ever growing £3bn Asian food industry in the UK and the real demand for highly skilled chefs to deliver this complex and delicious cuisine. Previously known as the Asian Junior Chefs Challenge this is the second year of the competition which encourages student teams from catering colleges from across the country to compete in live cook-offs to win the amazing prize of a culinary trip to Sri Lanka and of course the huge endorsement of their skills the title brings.

Last year the title went to Westminster Kingsway College but this year, with eighteen colleges competing, Farnborough College of Technology took the crown with Sheffield as runners up. The culmination of the competition took place at the Hilton Terminal 5 with a live cook-off between the finalists in the day. Whilst the evening saw the great and the good of the industry gathered for an Asian feast devised by Cyrus and of course to find out the overall winner. We were lucky enough to attend as guests of our long standing client Tilda Foodservice, a gold sponsor of the event and hosts of true or false quiz, ‘Grains of Truth’ where guests could win a trip to eat out at Mr. Todiwala’s Kitchen.

With an amazing four course dinner and excellent company the evening went by in a flash, but the highlight (along of course with Cyrus’s usual witty repartee) was seeing the tutor from Farnborough College shed a very proud tear or two when her team of fresh faced young chefs went up on stage to be crowned the winners. In an industry where the skills gap is often talked about, these young men and women show how commitment and hard work, not to mention a good teacher, can get you a long way. Well done to all the team behind the competition and of course all the competitors who cooked their hearts out and are all winners in their own way. With initiatives like Zest Quest around, the future of Asian cuisine in the UK is looking bright!

jellybean 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.

Susan Wickes

12th February 2015

On Safari in Soho

Foodservice Design Agency - On Safari in Soho

Often in the world of foodservice marketing there is much talk of new concepts and exciting breakthrough ideas, but sadly little time to do more than note it as an interesting titbit and get back to work. Therefore when the M&C Report Food on the Go conference offered the option to tag on a ‘safari’ (or ‘study tour’) around Soho, I thought – mmm, why not?
As the leading foodservice agency it’s important for us to keep in touch with the real world of foodservice and with food on the go driving OOH growth this dynamic sector is certainly worth a closer look.

So after a day of top-notch speakers and discussion around food on the go it was time to take to the pavement and see what was actually going on around us. Led by Simon from Allegra Foodservice we set-off in true school trip style to look at, and on occasion sample, the delights of foodie Soho…

First on our itinerary was…

apostrōphe – With 20 sites across London it offers a solid lunch offer focused around the classic sandwich / soup menu. So why stop here when as good as it is, apostrophe doesn’t exactly break any new ground? Well, the interesting thing about this high street concept is that it is actually run by contract caterer CH & Co., which shows how all our vertical market maps are slowly blurring at the edges!

Carbon – Then it was onto one of the hippest kebab shops ever! However, to describe it as such really doesn’t do it justice. With its funky styling and diverse menu it is so much more than your average charcoal grill. But a charcoal grill it is, if a little more ‘sophist’. Little wonder when you discover that this concept was set-up by a former exec chef from The Ivy (no less!). With fresh ingredients sourced daily the smell alone in the small corner site on Brewer Street is reason enough to give it a try.

Wrapchic – Wraps have been around for some time, indeed jellybeanwas involved in the original branding for the Wrapid concept many years ago. But Wrapchic is quite different; an innovative concept fusing freshly prepared Mexican and Indian food, it started off in Birmingham’s city centre offering a ‘build your own’ offer allowing consumers to create or ‘personalise’ their wrap. Currently they have eight locations in the UK, with two in London, and although we didn’t get to try any they did look great.

Pure – When it comes to presentation few do it better than Pure. With a commitment to fresh, everything is made on-site to a seasonal menu, with a strapline of ‘made for you’ which underpins all they do. They specialise in salads and flatbreads (which they bake themselves) and go to great lengths to offer full nutritional information. Currently they have seven locations across London and are certainly worth a try next time you’re passing.

Itsu – Hardly a new face on the high street, Itsu was created by Pret founder Julian Metcalf and now has 50 sites across London. With health and wellbeing at its core and a positioning of ‘eat beautiful’, Itsu is a successful example of truly healthy food on the go and shows the growing acceptance of Japanese food into the mainstream.

CRUSSH – An import from California, Crussh has 25 stores across London and has recently re-position the brand with new store design and branding (although the one we found ourselves in was in the older style). Originally a juice bar it has become much more over time and offers a wide selection of healthy food on the go including an £8 smoothie! (mmm….).

Hummus Bros – Middle Eastern cuisine is definitely far more mainstream than ever, with quinoa taking over from couscous and humus a permanent fixture in the fridges of the middle class. So this concept is very much on-trend as it offers humus with a variety of toppings. As consumers look to reduce their meat consumption and some move to flexitarian diets, Hummus Bros is well positioned in the market and offers an authenticity others fail to achieve. Few may know what a ‘Levantine Kitchen’ is, but it is authentic and sounds great (FYI Levantine – describes the people of Western European origin, whose long term domicile was in the Eastern Mediterranean, within the former boundaries of the Ottoman Empire). We were lucky enough to hear from the founder and get to try some of the menu and I for one will be heading back next time I’m in the area for some tasty humus and ginger and lime lemonade! Top tip – for those with a food allergy the website has a filtering system which displays (as per the new legislation) all the allergens in their dishes so you can eat at ease.

bunnychow – The name rang a bell but I couldn’t place it, until we turned up and I saw the ‘Shake up your Wake-up’ Best Breakfast Award. Of course! – I’d seen bunnychow on Twitter and in the press, featuring its innovative bread ‘bucket’ (referred to as a bunny hence the name) which they had filled with a Full English to win the coveted award. This South African street food concept started out in Brixton market and has since moved into bricks and mortar in Wardour Street (its one-and-only site).
Its homespun street food charm runs across everything from the brown paper roll down menu boards to the informal warmth of the staff. We were treated to all of the outlet’s signature dishes including the award winning breakfast, all of which were delicious, although I would have to recommend the piri piri pork bunny which was amazing!! The day we visited was an exciting one for bunnychow and not because a load of suits trolled through and eat them out of house and home, but rather because it had just got its liquor licence and would be serving booze for the first time. Cocktails and bunnychow – it sounds like a winner to me and I look forward to going back soon! (I would also recommend the salted caramel chocolate which was amazing and free, as they wouldn’t let me pay for it – very kind and very tasty!)

Herman ze German – Well simply on name alone I liked the sound of this one! On Old Compton Street, it’s one of three in London and offers authentic German bratwurst (hotdogs) which are made in Germany and are gluten and lactose free. With chips and mayo and whopping great hotdogs it sits in stark contrast to the ultra-healthy concepts the tour started out with. But indulgence will always have a place in the market and these substantial dogs seem to have found their niche (where other hotdog concepts have risen and fallen) – possibly due to the authentic concept which has helped the brand stand out in the market. There were samples for all, but having eaten my way around the safari I had to pass – I’ll have to head back another day with an empty stomach and give them a go as they looked fabulous.

Thanks to M&C Report and specifically Allegra Foodservice for a very interesting and tasty tour and for arming me with some top tips for the next time I find myself hungry on the streets of London!

jellybean 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.

Susan Wickes

Industry News

11th February 2015

It’s a Gluten-Free Life

Since I’ve been a coeliac for two years now, I thought I’d blog about life as a coeliac and my transition to a gluten-free diet. Being a fairly new bean, and gluten-free, I’ve found it extremely interesting working in the hospitality industry, especially as part of such a dynamic and thriving PR Agency in Foodservice.

My transition to gluten-free has been challenging at times, but after trying various different brands offering gluten-free, I’ve found certain ones that have passed my taste bud challenge. Which ones would I recommend? Hmm, let’s see…Warburtons for their sliced bread & sandwich thins, Udi’s for their bagels, Heinz for their pasta, Nestle for their Corn Flakes, Delicious Alchemy for their Golden Syrup Porridge Oats, and not to mention Almondy, the gluten-free Swedish Bakery, who I am lucky enough to have as a client here at Jellybean.

The demand for gluten-free is no doubt on the rise, whether this is for coeliac / gluten intolerance reasons, or simply a wish to eat a little healthier. Food operators are recognising this – a recent survey conducted by Horizons / JRA revealed that 78% of them acknowledged that gluten-free dishes were gaining importance*. I have certainly found that dining out at restaurants is becoming easier. Many chains offer a separate menu specifically for gluten-free, and the rest are pretty good when it comes to altering a dish. Many pizza outlets offer a gluten-free base, and I have to say that Pizza Express have the most amazing one!

On the subject of Pizza Express, I recently visited my local branch, and with the new Food Information Regulation having come into force in December 2014 (requiring all businesses to provide information about the allergenic ingredients they provide or sell), I was able to see this in action (lucky me!). As I ordered my usual La Reine on a gluten-free base (swapping mushrooms for artichokes of course!), the lovely waitress proceeded to present to me an entire booklet featuring all their dishes, each indicating allergenic ingredients where relevant. I was very impressed with the way in which this was done, and how thorough they were, although I was ready to chew my own arm off when my pizza finally did arrive!

So it’s pretty clear that dining out at restaurants is becoming a lot easier for coeliacs, however, I’ve found that trying to grab something ‘on the go’ is extremely difficult. The problem is choice – there isn’t a big one (or none at all in some cases). For example, it’s almost impossible to find a snack / quick lunch in a coffee shop. I would definitely like to see more availability of gluten-free foods in such outlets, and I’m sure many other coeliacs out there would agree. In fact, 73% of people do! These consumers do not think that food operators do enough to cater for gluten intolerances**.

I hope that these businesses start to utilise the help and resources supplied by Coeliac UK in order to tap into this lucrative market. The one in 100 people who suffer from coeliac disease, including the friends and family they eat out with, are worth a potential £100m†, so caterers, you could be missing out!

Sources:
*Horizons, December 2014
** Toluna research, 2014
† Coeliac UK

jellybean 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.

Keep reading! Why not read our blog on Life as a bread-loving coeliac

Guest Blogger