It was only in September that as a very nervous bean in my first week of work, I got the chance to go along to the filming of the Hotelympia launch video to (try) to help in any way possible. Little did I know that by the end of the day I would have ‘helped’ by featuring in it myself!

Fast-forward four months, and not only have I seen my acting skills come to life, but I have also been able to experience how such a renowned and large-scale exhibition like Hotelympia, comes together. It is now just over a month until the ExCeL opens its doors to some of the largest and well-respected names in the world of hospitality as well as almost 1,000 exhibitors. As a first time visitor, I cannot wait to experience all that it has to offer and, not wanting to miss any of its highlights, here are my top five ‘not to be missed’:

1. The Staff Canteen Live
   Featuring an incredible line-up of chefs, including Clare Smyth and Tom Kerridge, Staff Canteen Live is an opportunity for visitors to experience cooking with some of the best in the business. Interactive cooking displays galore, this is the place to be for a glimpse of the pros at work.
2. Walk-In Immersive Experience
   Designed by digital developers Soluis, a ‘virtual’ visit to some of the newest openings in the capital is in store for everyone who goes along to the walk-in immersive experience. Explore some of the most exciting design projects in London (and marvel at the technology that allows you to while you’re at it).
3. Salon Display
   As a (very) amateur baker, I am particularly excited to see some of the sugarcraft creations that come out of Salon Display. Anyone wanting to be wowed or maybe even looking for inspiration should head to the display by the Auditorium entrance, which showcases some of the amazing skills within the industry. The expo also includes works hand-crafted out of chocolate, pastillage and fat.
4. Innovation Awards
   Revealing the best in Design, Technology and Equipment, head to this year’s Innovation Awards if you’re looking for the very best in modern products. Solutions and suggestions set to revolutionise the way the industry works have been entered – prepare to be amazed by temperature changing plates, a chef specific job search app and more.
5. The Stage
   Over the course of the exhibition, a whole host of high-profile speakers will take to The Stage to give advice and share experiences of the hospitality industry. Want to hear the latest recommendations about crowdfunding? Need some advice to improve service? Whatever your question, someone on The Stage will have the answer.

These are just the tip of the iceberg, and, once I’ve made a beeline for the above, my biggest problem will be where to turn next! Don’t miss out on the best opportunity for everything you need in the hospitality industry. Register now to visit and see you there!

https://www.livebuzzreg.co.uk/2016/hot16/

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and food service design agency. We help top brands with foodservice 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.

Free-house establishments are always looking for new ways to entice customers in and The Unicorn pub in my village of Cublington, Bucks, is no exception.

Despite being an award winning establishment with an AA two rosette restaurant, the peaks and troughs in demand mean extra ways are always sought to drum up extra custom. That’s where I come in. Being on the board and as a foodservice marketing expert, I always look for new and different ways to help promote fun themed evenings that appeal to customers. In the past we’ve promoted and I’ve taken part in ‘Come Dine With Us” chef challenges, Call my Bluff wine tastings all served with amazing food and this leap year I have suggested a Leap Year Lunch – with a special fun set menu. Yes you’ve guessed it – frog’s legs to start and kangaroo burgers on the menu. Sure to be another fun event.

Of course there are all the usual themed days. This month there was Burn’s Night, coming soon is Valentine’s Day, St Patricks Day and Mother’s Day on the horizon as well as the annual Six Nations Rugby – Pie and a Pint for £10 is always a magnet for thirsty fans.

So, early next month, on a quiet Sunday night, the Unicorn is joining in with Pub Aid to take part in a unique world record quiz attempt. So far over 1340 pubs have signed up to take part and at 7.30pm on Sunday 7 February 2016, thousands of quizzers will simultaneously answer the first in a series of questions in the World’s Biggest Quiz. I have my team of six organised and will enjoy a special quizzers meal before applying my mind to answering questions and raising money for the pub’s nominated charity, the Florence Nightingale Hospice, in memory of a departed colleague.

Organised by Pubaid, supported by JustGiving, the aim of the evening is to raise money for local causes and charities. Over 550 have already been nominated. The quiz also qualifies as an attempt at the Guinness World Record for the largest multi-venue quiz.

http://worldsbiggestquiz.pubaid.com/

http://www.theunicornpub.co.uk

http://fnhospice.org.uk/

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and food service design agency. We help top brands with foodservice 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.

Hotelympia will soon be upon us, and as the great and the good of the industry gather at Excel to see what’s hot for 2016 it’s also a great excuse for a party – or should I say ‘gala dinner’. And what better cause than industry charity Springboard, who’s excellent work helps young and under-privileged people into careers in hospitality, leisure and tourism across the UK. Of course, as the leading foodservice agency we will be there, at the St David’s Day themed, ‘Big Event’ on the 1st March, joined by some of our clients who are exhibiting at Hotelympia.

As the PR agency for Hotelympia it’s a busy time for us, but we’re always up for supporting such a good cause and if it means glamming up and enjoying a lovely meal washed down with fine wines, well, so be it – it’s a tough job but someone has to eh. If you haven’t booked your table already make sure you don’t miss out and get booking today.

Equally if you can offer any prizes or would like to get involved with sponsoring do get in contact with Springboard and offer your support. We look forward to seeing you there!

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and food service design agency. We help top brands with foodservice 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.

When it comes to awards our industry does pretty well, and as the leading foodservice pr agency we tend to get along to most, if not all of them. But as they say there’s always room for one more and to that end the latest addition to the foodservice awards calendar kicked-off last night at the Hurlingham Club with the inaugural Catering Insight Awards. Brought to us by Catering Insight Magazine, the awards set out to recognise the very best in the catering equipment sector, covering manufacturers, distributors and dealers. With categories voted by over 100 judges (manufacturers for dealers and dealers for manufacturers) the categories covered everything from the national regions to sustainability and light and heavy equipment – to name but a few.

The industry gathered in black tie to quaff champagne under the beautiful Christmas lights and of course to see who would walk away with these coveted awards. The atrium of the venue buzzed with chatter as friends and colleagues caught up and networked. Then it was on to enjoy an excellent meal prepared by the team at The Hurlingham Club and to find out which of the nominees would be celebrating later at Mahiki (the after party). As the wine flowed so did the conversation and I was lucky enough to be in good company on a table with Chris Brazier and the team from Diversity (who are behind the Casual Dining Show, Lunch! and the Commercial Kitchen Show). To add even more excitement to the evening there was a close-up magician to entertain us with tricks and even a bit of mind reading. We were also joined on the night by our clients Hobart and Fresh Montgomery (the team behind Hotelympia and Hospitality, to name but a few of their many shows!) who both sponsored categories and presented awards. The evening culminated with the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ron Neville of CHR Equipment Ltd. for his contribution to the industry over his long and illustrious career. The night flew by and soon it was time to find our carriages and either head home or party on. Sadly I didn’t make it to celebrity hot spot Mahiki for the after party, but I will wait with baited breath to hear the gossip from later in the night!

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, and of course well done to the team at Catering Insight, especially Andrew Seymour and Clare Nicholls who hosted the evening – not forgetting the sponsors and front and back of house teams who made the night possible. To see the full list of winners click here.

Keep reading! Why not read our blog on A guide to food and drink PR in Foodservice

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.

The Arena Christmas Event is the official start to the Christmas festivities for the foodservice industry and as the leading foodservice agency we make a point of attending every year. This year there was a double bill, featuring a review of the year from Horizons and a key note speech from Wendy Bartlett of Bartlett Mitchell, not to mention a fabulous meal at the Mandarin Oriental. The day kicked-off with coffee and complimentary porridge, courtesy of our client Ferrero, who’s nutella hazelnut spread added a much needed sweet addition to the hand-held porridge pots, and was especially appreciated by those attendees who had an early start to make it into Knightsbridge for the Horizons briefing.

Then it was time for Peter Backman and his team to take us on a romp through 2015 and a look ahead at what might be in store for 2016. Taking each month at a time we enjoyed a summary of the highs and lows, winners (Costa, Byron, Leon, Wahacca) and losers (soft drinks companies) of the year. From the raft of acquisitions over the year to the somewhat disappointing Rugby World Cup, the review took in everything from ‘ones to watch’ high street brands on the up (Cau, Turtle Bay and WrapChic to name but a few), to examples of casual dining and QSR operators venturing outside their comfort zones in order to attract consumers in an increasingly competitive market place (Subway in a car showroom, McDonald’s table service, alcohol in Burger King and breakfast at Five Guys). With all day dining and ‘what you want when you want’ driving menus, hand-held options seems to be the future with ‘wellbeing’ rather than ‘healthy’ firmly established, along with American and Mexican influenced dishes still going strong. From Jamie’s sugar tax to the rise of technology in all its forms impacting on foodservice, be it payment apps or online ordering hubs like Hungry House and Just Eat, not to mention social media, the face of foodservice is ever changing. The good news though, things are pretty positive and although consumer confidence is fragile the ratio of new opening restaurants to closures hasn’t looked this good in years (although mainly driven by group casual dining operators as independents continue to struggle).

Then it was onto the year ahead and what might be on the Horizon (so to speak!). With the terror threat ever present, a likely referendum in the offing over Europe and continued austerity, as well as the impact of the national living wage, there is a backdrop of uncertainty both with business and consumers. Whilst on the positive side we have Rio 2016 and Euro 2016 to look forward to next summer. The secret to success in the year ahead? Peter Backman would urge operators to innovate and move outside of their comfort zones to stand out from the crowd – sound advice at any time. So after a morning of food for thought it was then on to the actual food of the day, with a stunning lunch prepared by the team at the Mandarin Oriental and having had an elegant sufficiency, it was then time to hear from Wendy Bartlett…

First off she took the opportunity to set the record straight and make clear that Ian Mitchell is her friend, not her husband, a widely held misconception in the industry. As Founder and CEO of Bartlett Mitchell, the hugely successful boutique contract caterer, with 87 locations, 800 staff and over £30 million turnover, Wendy knows a thing or two about contract catering. She, like many other achievers in her field came from a Sutcliff Catering background which spawned so many contract catering companies. She took the brave move fifteen years ago when she and Ian left their stable careers in contract catering to set-up their own business from Wendy’s back bedroom with two phones (after Ian resigned on her behalf, would you believe, after leaving an incriminating document on the photocopier at their current work – oops!). With no salary for two years (but a holiday booked as soon as they set-up oddly enough!) the company started off with a £20,000 budget from each founder and a tight hold on overheads (despite Ian’s allowance for dry cleaning his shirts – a top priority).

Having started out with their first ever contract with a Swedish TV company, now Wendy is one of the top 100 influential people in hospitality, has an MBE and Bartlett Mitchell is counted amongst the ‘Sunday Times Top 100 Companies to Work for’ and is accredited by the Sustainable Restaurant Association. All in all it’s safe to say things have gone pretty well. Indeed, Wendy never found being a woman in foodservice a barrier, as without the worry of a wife and kids to support she feels she had the freedom to take risks her male counterparts might have shied away from, and loves the business as much as ever, especially the food and the people side. She welcomes the national living wage and to date 50-60% of their clients have taken this on and will always put forward sustainable options to clients, but accepts that they are spending other people’s money so often the decision is out of her hands. Her words of wisdom to the room included – working with friends, not using a lower case font for a logo as it causes a nightmare with autocorrect and to mentor and nurture the next generation of leaders to ensure the industry has the right talent coming through. Her Christmas wishes included…the end of demitasse cups, easier Wi-Fi codes, a simple qualification for chefs – so we’ll have to see what Santa brings.

Then it was time for the charity draw, with Wendy doing the honours, and the great news that the event had raised £1,540 for Hospitality Action. As the day drew to a close and the bar called, there was a little more time to catch-up with contacts old and new and toast the imminent festivities. Well done to Lorraine and the team at Arena, as well as Peter and the team at Horizons and Wendy Bartlett on a great event, as well as the sponsors that make it all possible. Roll on 2016 and what will doubtless be an excellent line-up of events. To find out more about Arena visit their website.

It speaks volumes that the very first external event to be held at Lambeth Palace was this week’s Arena Face2Face. A key date in the calendar for any food and drink pr agency, this year Alistair Stewart was face to face with not one but two industry heavyweights. With the big news in contract catering being the merger of CH&Co and HCM Group; to have both, Bill Toner – Group CEO and Tim Jones – Chairman, there in person was quite a coup for Arena.

The day started with a tour around the historic Lambeth Palace and its stunning grounds. Home to archbishops through the ages, the palace was stunning and the talk very informative. Then it was onto the main event – the Face2Face. The fact that Tim made it along at all was a real achievement and testimony to his professionalism, in the light of the sad passing of his wife Robyn Jones last week. Alistair paid tribute to Robyn as the hugely respected business woman with a passion for the industry and the driving force behind the merger which it turns out was really her vision.

Alistair Stewart kicked off the interview with a question on how the merger was received by the banks. Predictably with the city, they needed convincing and reassuring that the current brands would retain their brand equity and that the whole would, as they say, be greater than the sum of its parts. Bill, Tim and Robyn were confident that merger was the right course and went to great lengths to ensure the team dynamic worked and the business strategy benefited both parties with high performing brands remaining managed by their separate MDs. The message was clear to the banks and the industry it would be business as usual, but with a tougher business edge.

The interview then turned to what advice Bill and Tim had for the rising stars of the industry. Tim advocated gaining a range of experience in your twenties across a portfolio of companies without jumping around too much. Then looking to set up on your own to reap the substantial rewards, both financial and personal. Whilst Bill, who was very happy as a corporate man, also recommended the startup root, as having experienced both he was happy to say that going out on your own is far more fun.

When it comes to recruitment they of course want people who are driven and ambitious, but equally they have to care about the business and understand it. They look to get exactly these kinds of people onboard and by delegating effectively they have built strong teams where people have the opportunity to shine and show initiative, responsibility, and challenge the business to do better. Of course renumeration is an important part of attracting quality people and the national living wage can pose a challenge for business, but it’s one that is welcomed by both Tim and Bill. Plus, as part of their CSR commitment (which is even written into their investors contract), they support both Hospitality Action and Springboard and offer apprenticeships, as well as a comprehensive staff development programme, which gives them an enviable retention rate and helps attract the best and the brightest.

At the heart of their business is of course the food and with Tupperware their biggest enemy (as consumers often choose to bring in food from home over eating at work – including much to his continuation, Bill’s lawyer son) they have to ensure their food offer is on trend, high quality and offered at a reasonable price. With menu fatigue a constant danger they also have to keep things fresh when it comes to staff feeding with innovation and pop-ups to trial new cuisines and concepts.

As for the ideal supplier…It has to be a partnership where trust is paramount. Innovation and quality are of course very important, but honesty is key, as nobody likes nasty surprises. Whilst purchasing tends to specify supplier partners for each of the operating brands, Tim was keen to stress that clients can be specific if there is a particular product they want, as in his words, “the client is king”.

The interview then turned to the wider world and how the economy affects business. Working in so many sectors of staff feeding they believe their sales offer a fair measure across different sectors, but overall consumers seem to be more confident and are spending with a stabilised economy. As much as things do change, people will always need to work and eat when they are there. So with a growth strategy aiming to get them to £300million in the next 3-5 years and a growth strategy ‘somewhat different to big boys’ it will be interesting to see how Robyn Jones’ legacy develops under the guiding hands of Tim and Bill in the coming years.

With the interview drawn to a close by Alistair, Lorraine took to the stage to announce the winner of the charity raffle along with a new trial format for the rest of the event, based around bowl food and crucially more opportunity to network. Then it was time to adjourn to the great hall to enjoy five delicious dishes (not to mention the amazing canapés) and some rather stunning cheeses courtesy of sponsors, Futura Foods.

With conversation and wine flowing, the afternoon went by in a flash, as yet another successful Arena event came to a close. Well done to Lorraine and her team on breaking new ground and trying both a new venue and new format. The jury will soon be in as to its popularity as the new format was gauged via live feedback on tablets at the event so everyone got to have their say.

But here’s a worrying thought – the next event on the Arena calendar is the Christmas Lunch at the Mandarin Oriental on 7th December which will doubtless be with us before we know it so I’d get booking now if I were you! Maybe see you there?

Jellybean Creative is a leading food and drink pr agency and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, food and drink pr, 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.

Well they say there is more than one way to skin a rabbit, but it seems that if you’re going to do it properly there is only one way to skin a deer. This and much more I discovered at the Universal Cookery and Food Festival this week.

Held at Vallum Farm, the Craft Guild event attracted chefs from all walks of life, as well as suppliers, farmers and even little old me. I kicked off my day with the intriguingly named ‘Feature & Fur’ tour. Not for the faint hearted, chef Jose Souto set about skinning and butchering a deer (minus the head and antlers in case you’re interested). With hints and tips galore for any budding game chefs on how to get the most from the carcass, it was rather more Dexter than To the Manor Born, but all the same very interesting.

Then it was time to take a turn around the big top tent, where suppliers, including our friends at Essential Cuisine, displayed their wares for chefs to sample. From chef knives to edible flowers, Cornish salt to water from just down the road, there was lots on offer and the tent was abuzz with chefs chewing the fat (mainly metaphorically speaking, but possibly literally in some cases).

Then it was time for lunch, and as you might expect from a chef event, the food was to die for! I opted for black n blue beef burger in a blue cheese and white chocolate roll – amazing! After lunch it was time to catch up with familiar faces, take another turn around the tent and wander outside to meet some of the livestock in attendance (and that isn’t a rude reference about the chefs I might add).

You have probably heard of Wagyu beef and how it is renowned as one of the very finest meats in the world. And I can assure you having sampled a little (prepared by the talented Nigel Crane) that it is indeed very tasty. However, what you may not be aware of, is that they are also amazingly cute. If they didn’t retail for breeding at over £6,000 and I didn’t live in a Victorian end terrace, I might have been tempted to take one back home with me (much to the consternation of Virgin East Coast I suspect). Having stared lovingly at the beasts, there was then just time to hear all about the rise of Wagyu in the UK and take a look at the rare breed pigs and sheep before embarking on the farm tour.

Run by husband and wife team, Vicky and Peter Moffitt, the farm not only hosts events like this one, it also has a tea room, full restaurant, mini cheese production, bakery and space for budding food producers to use. And if that weren’t enough, they also have their own chickens and vegetable & herb garden, which helps stock the tea room and restaurant, plus plans to add a bee hive. Goodness knows how they also manage to run the working farm on top of all that, but they do!
Back in the tent the speaker and demo programme hosted by Nigel Barden continued with industry movers and shakers (including Terry Laybourne, John Williams, Nigel Howarth and Craig Bancroft) sharing their thoughts on how the industry has changed along with a good few recollections, including bed hopping hotel guests, pot washers who doubled as bookies and even tales of Mrs Thatcher’s love of M&S ‘ping’ meals.

It made a fitting end to a busy day for me as I boarded the shuttle bus back to Newcastle and left the chefs to tuck into the local beer and dance the night away with the band and BBQ. As I write this on the train back down south I’m sure the party is in full swing, but what I miss out on this year I promise to make up for next year when the #UCFF2016 heads to Laverstoke Park Farm in Hampshire. Maybe see you there!

But before I sign off, praise must go to Billy and Jacki and the team at McCullough Moore, The Craft Guild and Vallum Farm on a great event – well done guys!

Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing agency and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, food and drink pr, 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.