One of my ‘bucket list’ holiday destinations has always been Vietnam, and as my daughter, Rachel, lives in New Zealand we recently decided to meet half way and tick it off my list!
Although the idea of ‘veganism’ originated in the 1940s, there was not a valid definition confirmed until the late 1970’s when ‘The Vegan Society‘ became a registered charity. So, what is the definition of being a vegan? ‘The Vegan Society’ states “A philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals”. Ellie Murrell from food and drink marketing agency Jellybean reports.
As a leading integrated food and drink agency we make it our business to keep up to date with the latest trends and dynamics in the eating out market. Part of this ongoing commitment is our membership of the MCA Forum who shared their latest report on the eating out market last week. As you can imagine this a hugely comprehensive report which covers off economic trends, operator challenges, consumer insights and much more (and well worth joining to receive). However, these are my top five take-outs from the half day briefing to help keep you in the loop when it comes to foodservice, hospitality and eating out as a whole.
Since the days of David vs. Goliath the underdog has won out over the big guys. As the leading food and drink agency, the underdog or as we call it ‘challenger brand mind-set’ is one we love. There is nothing better than shaking-up a market with a new entrant who can re-write the rules and take no prisoners. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for the big household names and we are lucky enough to work with a number of food and drink big boys across foodservice, convenience, retail and consumer markets, but even when we’re working with the established names we bring a challenger brand mentality to bear.
As an avid foodie I love to eat out (all in the name of industry research of course – foodservice social media is our game after all). Part and parcel of this (in this digital age) is documenting and sharing dishes on social media. It’s a running joke that I basically have a visual diary of everything I’ve ever eaten (that looks pretty) and I’ll always be the first to get my phone out, pleading with my fellow diners to hold back until I can get just the right Dutch angle (Google it).
Devastation struck at the age of 10 when I was told that I could no longer eat bread, waffles, and even doughnuts. Although my favourite foods were taken away from me, it didn’t stop me, and so began my love/hate relationship with bread. As a foodservice pr agency we thought we’d delve a little deeper into this.
Working at a leading foodservice marketing agency, I hear about amazing places to eat all the time either through insight reports, foodservice news, or indeed my fellow foodie colleagues.
I’ve always believed that there is no such thing as perfection. However, I soon changed my views after dining at K.O.B by Olivier in Lisbon.
K.O.B stands for Knowledge of Beef and the restaurant lives up to its name. It isn’t your usual steakhouse; it’s more of an experience. As the leading foodservice pr agency, we take our food seriously so we thought we’d investigate.
Research has indicated that, as a nation, we throw away a third of the food we produce. Aside from the harmful methane it creates when it ends up in landfill, and the huge amounts of resources used to create it (such as water and fuel for transport) being wasted, the real choker for me is the 8.4 million people in the UK who are struggling to afford to eat. This is equivalent to the entire population of London. 270,000 tonnes of the food that goes to waste each year is still edible. That’s enough for 650 million meals.
We all love food, but even more so when it’s served to you with entertainment – and if you enjoy a touch of theatre with your meal, you are going to love this!
The Brexit vote in 2016 hasn’t dampened our demand for global cuisine – quite the opposite in fact, with the booming street food sector encouraging us to be even more adventurous. According to the Nationwide Caterers Association, there are over 2,000 street food businesses in the UK, drawing customers to stalls, trucks and food halls offering a whole host of dishes from around the world. Last weekend, we swapped our traditional sit-down dinner and drinks for a night at Dinerama, the latest in the trend for street food markets in the heart of Shoreditch.
As I am doing work experience at a leading food and drink agency, it has made me reflect on my day-to-day food experiences at school. I currently attend Weald of Kent Grammar School in Tonbridge, and have done for the past five and a half years. You may think that half a decade of eating at the same canteen may get a bit dull, however input from students and discussions with the dinner-ladies ensures that the catering staff are always adjusting their services in order to please everyone at Weald.
Either by accident or design (who’s to say?) the inaugural National Breakfast Awards was held on National Croissant Day – how apt I hear you call. The new kid on the awards block sets to recognise the growing importance of the breakfast occasion out of home with their aim to find the ultimate breakfast. Read More
The grocery convenience sector is experiencing seismic changes and trade communications is rapidly evolving too. Neil Brenson discusses the six key trends and take outs that suppliers need to act upon in order to re-focus their trade communications and ensure they win with convenience retailers. Watch the video to learn more about:
Once again we hit the streets of London for another MCA food safari, looking at some of the latest food and foodservice trends within the out of home market. Renowned for its eating out scene London offers an endless supply of options, tapping into some of the newest and most popular food trends. As the leading foodservice marketing and PR agency, we thrive on the knowledge and insight gained from this hands-on experience into what the ever-developing food and drink market has to offer.
Searching for winter sun usually requires adventuring far away, which becomes quite tricky for a short trip, but after some research I found the perfect place only two and a half hours away – Seville! Read More
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without the traditional space race for festive sandwich Valhalla. Here, Nick and Neil taste five of the best in an attempt to decide conclusively which retailer has won Christmas 2017.
The saying goes ‘an army marches on its stomach’ and regularly I’m told by my boyfriend Jonathan (a military man himself) about Field Rations he uses during training exercises. Boil in the bag meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, powdered tea and coffees and some much needed extras like biscuits, nuts and chocolate.
On the 13th of July Clodagh & Ellie were the lucky ones to be chosen for this month’s MCA Food Concept Study Tour.
