As two avid Spurs fans, it was only right that Nick and I joined Arena’s latest sell-out ‘Behind the Scenes’ event at Tottenham Hotspur’s world-class stadium – a day that combined thought provoking talks with an insider tour of how elite venues are redefining hospitality.
After a morning packed with data and discussion at the Lumina Intelligence Q3 Food Strategy Forum, the afternoon was all about discovery. We swapped charts for cutlery and were whisked around Covent Garden on a Food Study Tour – a curated journey through some of London’s most exciting and innovative food and drink concepts.
There was a time when pickles were mostly relegated to a cheese and pickle sandwich, a Big Mac, or left untouched on a charcuterie board.
But today, pickles (particularly pickle flavour) have gone from a love/hate ingredient, to one of the most enduring and adaptable food trends of the last decade. What started as a novelty in crisps and snacks has infiltrated menus across the UK and world-wide and has solidified its presence in multiple territories and sectors. Read More
At Jellybean, we have a deep admiration for this channel – we know its highs, its challenges, and the vital role it plays in communities. Local shops aren’t just stores; they’re hubs where people connect, shop, and live their daily lives. By understanding retailers, shoppers, and their everyday missions, we help brands and retailers grow and succeed – together.
Of all the ways to be caught cheating on your wife, I’d be willing to bet that being found out by Chris Martin’s roving jumbotron must have been low on Astronomer CEO Andy Byron’s bingo card as he entered his Amex details (or drained the company’s expenses budget) for a night of earnest but enjoyable middle-of-the-road soft rock, yet here we are.
It’s hard not to feel some semblance of sympathy for the fallout that his – and Astronomer HR chief Kristin Cabot’s – very public transgression has engendered. The55,000 people at Boston’s Gillette Stadium may have been the first witnesses to their awkward and very public decoupling – the clunky switch from romantic embrace to shameful, face-saving disowning of each other right there in the kiss cam’s glare, yet the couple – and by proxy their respective partners, and shared employer – are now a firm part of 24-hour wall-to-wall public discourse.
Have you ever felt the need to turn the music off when you come up to a roundabout? Or, when you’ve driven over a pothole and heard quite an alarming bang? No, me either.
As pubs across the UK navigate evolving consumer habits, shifting economic pressures and continued recovery from recent turbulence, innovation has become the cornerstone of resilience. In Lumina Intelligence’s recent webinar “Reimagining the Pub Experience: Trends, Tech & Innovation”, a compelling narrative emerged: the pubs that thrive are those reconfiguring formats, embracing technology and catering confidently to new guest expectations.
Working at jellybean, we’ve always got an ear to the ground for any whisper of new foodie trends. We’ve watched various fads, crazes and diets come and go over the years, some fading out in the blink of an eye, others staying the course, still more regularly coming full circle.
If there’s one thing I’m especially good at, it’s spending money. And well, I can’t think of anything I’d rather spend it on, on a Friday night, than dinner out, and a few drinks.
Now, I’ll be honest, I do have a soft spot for The Plough Inn in Cobham. Not just because they ask for my ID every time I go, but because I used to work there. Many years have gone by since the days of Eat Out to Help Out (in a 40-degree summer no less) and of course menus have changed and staff have moved on, though it’s still got its charm, and a beautiful garden terrace. I do credit The Plough Inn (owned by Rarebreed Dining) for properly introducing me to the world of steak. Prior to my twenties, I was the horrid sort of child who used to order a steak… well done.
It’s the on-trend flavour of 2025 and it’s been embraced at all levels from the high-end indies to supermarket shelves. A beloved ice-cream flavour, we’ve seen it gain new levels of popularity over the last few months. Native to Central Asia, the U.S, Iran and Turkey are the leading producers of the nut that everyone is going crazy for – pistachios.
Ever since returning from Austria, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about their incredible food. I originally booked for the skiing, but I was just as excited to dive into the local cuisine. Rather than sticking to the usual dishes you can find anywhere – like pizza or pasta – I wanted to experience the real flavours of Austria. As someone who never says no to a sweet treat, I was in my absolute element.
Video content is at an all-time high. In fact, research suggests that the global average for video consumption could be up to 17 hours a week![i] This includes time spent on the usual suspects of Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, as marketers and brands look to reach new audiences. Indeed, video content on Instagram has never had a more important place in marketing strategy as it has today.
As we step into Christmas, the UK’s food scene is abuzz with innovative flavour profiles, cultural influences, and consumer-driven trends. I’ve been on an internet hunt to find and combine the top categories trending across ingredients and dishes from newly released Christmas menus, retail launches, and social media trends. Here’s what I found…
As social media and YouTube continue to skyrocket, it’s clear that brands can’t afford to ignore the power of video. With 90% of businesses integrating video into their marketing strategies, and audiences spending an average of 17 hours a week watching content online1, video is where brands need to focus in order to generate leads, attract new audiences and raise awareness.
Earlier this month I attended the Alliance of Independent Agencies’ Festival of Happiness, a day dedicated to exploring the role culture and wellbeing has within a business. Taking place at Google’s Kings Cross HQ, this year’s theme was focussed on leadership – that to achieve as a high performing agency, leaders must pay attention to the wellbeing and happiness of their people.
I was recently featured in an article by grocery industry bible The Grocer on the hot topic of Tesco’s Club Card AI. Tesco CEO Ken Murphy recently said artificial intelligence could be used to monitor how customers were shopping to help persuade them towards healthier choices. He said: “I can see it nudging you over time, saying: ‘I’ve noticed over time in your shopping basket that your sodium salt content is 250% of your daily recommended allowance.”
Halloween 2024 is fast approaching, and so is the surge of creative brand collaborations in the food and drink sector. This year, even the most traditional brands are stepping out of their comfort zone and teaming up with partners to deliver innovative, attention-grabbing products and campaigns. Whether it’s an unexpected flavour twist, or quirky, cross-industry partnerships (think sausage roll socks by Greggs and Primark), these collaborations are letting brands tap into each other’s audiences while generating buzz and excitement through limited-edition, themed offerings.
The Royal Lancaster Hotel, based on the edge of London’s Hyde Park, has recently collaborated with the Natural History Museum, for a Blooming British Afternoon Tea – a floral-inspired twist in celebration of British flowers and fauna. The tea takes inspiration from the Museum’s archives, as well as its newly transformed gardens – an idyllic source of nature within the city’s bustling centre.
In the fast-evolving digital landscape, B2B food and drink brands are leveraging social media to build stronger networks, drive sales, and boost brand visibility.
LinkedIn, as the world’s largest professional networking platform and the oldest (21 years this year and counting), has become an important tool in these efforts, offering unique opportunities to connect with the right audiences.
The traditional sales funnel marketing model is giving way to more sophisticated marketing approaches that prioritise integrated customer journeys and long-term relationships over one-time transactions. We’ve entered the age of the “Infinity Loop.” As a leading food and drink marketing agency we always ensure we are on top of trends be they food and drink or marketing theory.
