As the foodservice market starts to brush itself down, dust itself off and look to take its first tentative steps now is the time to look at what is in store for the immediate future of foodservice. Today Simon Stenning shared his latest predictions with a CEDA audience, the topline summary of his far more in-depth report (which is available to purchase via futurefoodservice.com) shone a light on the industry as a whole as well as further sector specific impacts. Below are my top takeout’s…
Usually when you think of Arena events you think palatial venues, glasses of bubbles, canapés and of course a fabulous three course lunch. Not to mention the shared insights from those at the top of their game and the chance to catch-up with industry contacts old and new.
Coined the ‘new normal’ there are numerous predictions about how our ‘adjusted normality’ will pan out. Of course, nobody knows for sure how this unprecedented pandemic will affect UK consumers and the eating out scene in the months ahead, but here are some of the top predictions across both…
Since lock down, 9,000,000,000 mins of video meetings are being hosted on Microsoft Teams each week. Google searches on ‘language learning’ are up 100% yoy. Facebook Group calls are up +1000% in the last month. Web content download traffic up 90%. (Source: The Goat Agency.) What does this mean for future behaviour? Read More
I normally analyse the key factors, macro trends and drivers of change for the long-term future of our industry, forecasting through to 2030; this is of course irrelevant at this point when it is difficult to see what the next few weeks and months will bring.
Right now, business in retail and across the supply chain is very far from usual. Amidst the hell of this pandemic, the mantra of ‘business as usual’ should be followed by suppliers because that’s exactly what retailers need now more than at any other time in recent history. Effective communication, business continuity and your firm support is critical to them and critical to feeding the nation. Retailers need to hear how suppliers are working hard to not let them down and how they are pulling out all the stops to meet the unprecedented demand for food and drink.
As a leading foodservice agency we make it our business to stay abreast of the latest trends and goings on in the eating out world. So last Wednesday saw us hot-foot it to the MCA & Him Top of Mind Debrief. Here are some of our key take-outs from what was a highly comprehensive report.
It is fair to say that in recent years delivery has taken the eating out market by storm. This disruptive change in how we enjoy restaurant food brings with it both challenges and opportunities, which is why MCA has devoted a whole report to the subject. As Food Strategy Forum members and a leading food and drink strategic agency we went along to hear what they had unearthed. Here are our top ten take-outs:
Previously known as the MCA Foodservice Marketing Conference, the Winning In Foodservice Conference certainly covered marketing, but this year went further, hearing from a range of speakers covering everything from eco pubs to e-commerce. Packed with content there was a lot to take in and some great speakers, but if pressed for our key take-outs we would have to go with the following…
The Arena networking events are always a highlight in the hospitality industry calendar, but Lorraine and the team excelled themselves with this Autumn’s event at Haberdashers Hall. With not one, but six speakers and the culmination of the Hospitality Hero search, not to mention a fabulous three course meal from the CH&Co team and the usual excellent networking opportunities, the day was chock-full! Themed around the importance of maintaining brand reputation in an ever competitive market, we heard from a range of speakers all with differing backgrounds and angles on the issue.
As a merry band of devoted foodies, we’re fascinated by the Great British Chefs recent survey from a nationally representative panel of 4,000 people, which examines the attitudes and behaviours of the UK’s foodies. We couldn’t claim to be a leading integrated food and drink agency if we didn’t deliver the best and latest insight in the food and drink world, so with that in mind, let’s dive into our top ten take-outs:
I was recently asked to contribute to a feature in Convenience Store magazine about how a growing number of retailers in the sector are creating their own label brands and delivering a real point of difference and big profit opportunities. In the article https://www.conveniencestore.co.uk/your-business/retailer-brands-make-your-mark/596052.article I provided some important advice and top tips for any retailer who is looking to develop and launch a brand for themselves. For a full and extended list of the top 10 steps you need to follow and how to get you brand launch right you can read them here in this blog.
As a leading out of home agency we pride ourselves on keeping up to date with the latest trends and insights in the eating out market. Little wonder therefore that we are active MCA Insight Forum Members. Last week they held their quarterly debrief of the Eating Out in the UK Report and we were there to get the latest on the market. The report and briefing were, as always, hugely comprehensive but here are out top ten takeouts!
As the leading foodservice agency we make sure we always keep abreast of the latest insights and trends in the food and drink market, which is why we were once again delighted to attend the MCA’s Food Strategy Forum which this time took place at the Courthouse Hotel in Soho.
I was recently interviewed by The Grocer magazine for its feature on “how to get in front of a food and drink buyer”(The Grocer 27th April 2019). You can find a link to the full article here.
Helping challenger brands to explode onto the market
A prestigious food and drink award, particularly one that is voted for independently by consumers and or industry professionals has the power to help a challenger brand explode onto the market and unlock huge sales growth.
The annual Arena Savoy Lecture is one of the most hotly anticipated events of our industry. 12 months on from her last lecture Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality – which represents 70,000 outlets – was back to share her thoughts on Brexit and what it means for the food and drink industry and food and drink agencies.
As a relatively new bean, this month’s MCA Food Concept Study Tour was a brilliant opportunity for me to gain some great insight into growing food trends, try some delicious food and feed my findings back to the food service design team.
As a leading food and drink agency, the eating out market is our bread and butter (so to speak) which is why we are MCA Insight’s Forum members. One of the benefits of membership is access to their regular debriefs ensuring we are completely up to date on market trends and dynamics, so here are our top ten take-outs from the latest on the eating out market from MCA:
We recently attended the annual MCA Food to Go Conference at Ham Yard Hotel, London. With the MCA forecasting that the Food to Go market is set to reach a value of £21.2bn in 2019 and continue outperforming growth from the wider eating out market, it therefore represents a vital area of growth for operators. We heard from an array of fantastic speakers including Welcome Break, Sustainable Restaurant Association, LEON, Pret A Manger, Yo! Sushi, Eat and many more.
Here are 5 Food to Go Trends arising from the day that we think will impact and drive Food to Go growth in 2019.
