Itâs not all snails and frogs legs
It was always a worry of mine, when I moved to France, that I would be force fed the dreaded escargots and cuisses de grenouilles. Needless to say, I survived. I had brief encounter with an andouillette (a kind of pork sausage made with intestines and chitterlings) but Iâm trying to erase that from my memory. Frogsâ legs on the other hand, actually surprisingly bearable, they are very small and mostly just tasted like chicken.
Complain? But Iâm British!
âHave you enjoyed your stay?â
My boyfriend and I catch each otherâs eye. Our conversation is unspoken. Weâre both wondering whether to answer the question truthfully.
The truth of our stay in Ibiza this month was that it wasnât that enjoyable. Hoping for a relaxing stay in the north of the island, the holiday was blighted by my boyfriend getting food poisoning from the all-inclusive food and spending most of it sick or still weak and recovering. Add to that a room in the noisiest part of the hotel, staff that found it difficult to understand us, and an overall drainage smell problem we unfortunately spent a large part of the week pining for the shores of rainy England.
However, faced with the question at check-out we were still stumped with how to react. Acknowledging the British blood that pulses through our veins, we turned back to the reception staff to murmur in unison âMmmm yep, great thanks!â and scurry off to our airport transfer, ashamed at our own inability to speak up.
What I was doing whilst holed up in the hotel room, waiting for my boyfriend to emerge from the bathroom, in which he spent far too much of our holiday, was write a TripAdvisor review in my head, all primed and ready to press send as soon as the wheels of our plane hit Gatwick ground. Given the opportunity to speak my complaint to staff⌠oh god no! I couldnât bear the awkwardness, but put me behind a keyboardâŚ
I laugh at my own ridiculousness, but the sad truth is that I feel more able to air my grievances on a review site or over email, rather than face to face confrontation. Review sites are becoming more and more important for customers, and for businesses. Barclays Feedback Economy Report revealed that 45% of people are more likely to post a review than they were 18 months ago*. Certainly true of me â this is my first foray into the heady world of online reviewing.
Love them or hate them, these review sites are extremely important to foodservice businesses with a whopping 70% of millennials seeing online reviews as key when deciding where to stay or eat**. Restaurants and hotels are being urged to take notice and act on feedback rather than hoping the negative criticism goes away. The Barclays report says that responding to customer feedback could add ÂŁ3.2bn to the sector making it vital they start listening**.
Although I wish I could have had the confidence to tell the hotel how I really felt about our holiday, having the opportunity for an online review gives me the chance to tell them how I feel in a more thought-out way. There may be those who abuse the medium but at least for me it is a comfort to know that despite my 5â5ââ stature and shy nature, at least my voice will be heard!
*https://www.thecaterer.com/articles/367082/better-customer-feedback-management-could-boost-hospitality-revenue-by-32b
**http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Business/Online-reviews-could-provide-3.2bn-boost-to-hospitality-by-2026
Jellybean Creative is a leading food service marketing and communications agency. We help top brands with food service 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.
MCA Menu & Food Trends Report Top Ten Takeouts
As the leading foodservice agency we like to keep abreast of the latest foodservice trends and eating out market insight and so we were delighted to attend the MCA Menu & Food Trends Report this morning. If you werenât lucky enough to be there, worry not, as we have listed our top ten take outs below:
1) The market on the whole is looking positive, as despite falling consumer confidence (likely to be due to uncertainty around Brexit) disposable income is at an all-time high and up ÂŁ12 YOY with the average person having ÂŁ198 per week to spend â hopefully on eating and drinking out of home!
2) GDP is growing at 0.6% and has now been in growth for twelve consecutive quarters. Indeed MCA predict the eating and drinking out market as a whole will grow by 3% this year, out-performing the economy as a whole. You can see why when you look at participation levels which are running at a healthy 92.6% with increasing frequency to boot, with breakfast and snacking/grab & go showing the strongest growth over the next 2-3 years when it comes to day parts.
3) However, as operators look to offset the increased overhead of the National Living Wage (which in general they believe will have a positive effect on the industry) menu prices are on the rise as we see a âmenu pricing stepâ change, with 5% rises not uncommon. Mains and sides currently see the most price rises, whilst overall operators look to rationalise menus (with the exception of premium pubs which are extending menus) with a drive to do less but better, by focusing on quality, which is the no.1 consumer driver.
4) When it comes to protein, chicken is still no. 1 with a 20% share of lunch and dinner, but the peak of chickenisation may be waning as Beef and Pork are the fastest growing proteins with vegetarian dishes and seafood in decline. Interestingly the mega trend of healthy eating doesnât seem to be born out when it comes to actual consumer behaviour from the research, as indulgence seems to be winning out. However, healthy eating is sighted by industry chefs as likely to increase in popularity over the next 2-3 years, especially gluten-free, vegetarian, fish and vegan. Consumers are also moving to more on the go and informal eating out styles and tending to eat fewer courses, with a rise of one course meals and move away from traditional format sit-down dining.
5) Menu items in growth include in-bread carriers (think sandwiches and all their various permutations), premium burgers, all day breakfasts, sausages, along with ham, bacon and cheese fillings in bread carriers. However, vegetarian, mushroom dishes, seafood, curry and salad donât seem to be proving as popular. Smoked and slow cooked are both coming through on menus alongside the ever popular, grilled, roasted and fried. Whilst natural cooking methods like wood-fired, BBQ and steaming are growing, especially when they can offer theatre and quality cues to customers. Spices and sauces are being more widely referenced on menus along with a broad variety of cuisines, provenance and up-selling messages to drive spend.
6) Formats such as street food, all day dining, pop-ups and food on the go are topping the chart when it comes to growth with healthier eating, BBQ, premium burgers, street food and Vietnamese tipped by industry leaders to be the fastest growing cuisines over the next 3-5 years. And it will be more important than ever to offer a point of difference aligned to customer demand as menus shrink bringing with it the risk of homogenisation at the same time as increasing prices. Big bold flavours can help to set menus apart, along with authentic cuisines (Asian is especially strong) and of course value for money.
7) Consumers want quality â no change there. With millennials looking for cheaper menus, promotions, fast service and healthier options (despite the fact that only 6% of all consumers polled were driven by health when choosing where to eat out), whilst the 50+ market are more focused on convenience and environment, as well as if they have visited before. Sectors that seem to be upping their game when it comes to delivering against consumer drivers include workplace and colleges, as contract caterers and in-house operators up their game to compete with food on the go and casual dining high street concepts.
8) As for mega trends â they remain the same: healthier eating, indulgence, informality, premiumisation, provenance and value scrutiny. Established cuisine trends include: BBQ, North American, Mexican, Brazilian/South American, Vietnamese, Thai and SE Asian. Coming-up behind them are Caribbean (Turtle Bay is a personal favourite), Modern Spanish, North African, British, Nordic, Modern Greek, Lebanese Persian, Contemporary Indian, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese. Throw in Germanic, Malaysian and Peruvian and youâve got a fair old choice out there.
9) As for ingredients and the ever present question of âwhatâs the next pulled pork?â look out forâŚalternative grains, alternative cuts, âburntâ foods, Cacao, Dosa, fermented foods (pickling), PokÄ and root to stem vegetables coming through on menus. Whilst avocado, Banh Mi, cauliflower, Chia seeds, grilled cheese (yum!), Matcha and sweet potato are listed as hot trends while breakfast pots, Chipotle, Harrisa, Kimchi, Quinoa, sourdough and Siracha come under emerging trends. Then, moving to more established trends you have edamame, fresh pasta, kale & super foods, mac ân cheese, ramen and sushi. But what do the industry experts think will be big? Allergies and healthy is high on their predictions with gluten-free, vegan and raw diets becoming more important to cater for. They see street food as continuing to be strong and cooking methods like wood-fired becoming more popular. Key to success will be concepts which are easy to understand, on-trend, offer value for money and are approachable.
10) Finally, itâs time for the drinks menu, with mocktails, beer cocktails, birch water, Mead, reverse osmosis water and Soju identified as warm trends while hot trends include craft spirits, Japanese Whisky, loose leaf tea and prosecco or wine on tap. Emerging trends include Almond milk, green juice, premium tonics and unusual smoothies. Whilst at the more established end of the trends scale you have artisan coffee, coconut water and craft beer. As for those on the slide, bubble tea, full sugar carbonates, flavoured water and fruit juices may have peaked.
As for the MCA team, they personally have been doing more of the following over the past year: using chopsticks to get the best out of Asian food, using mobile payment apps, âgastro-tourismâ i.e. travelling for food and seeking out the latest restaurant openings, eating more Chia pudding as part of a clean eating regime, enjoying crushed avocado and craft beer â but not all at once! Whilst Simon has been on a gourmet tour of NYC taking in an innovative vegan concept âby Chloeâ, Michelin beer pairing at âLuksus at Torstâ, design led restaurant concepts including âQuality Eatsâ, Jewish Russian Bagel cafĂŠ turn evening Bistro âSadelleâsâ and even sour craft beer!
As ever the briefing was highly enjoyable and informative, and really the above barely scratches the surface of the full report which is available to MCA Forum members. Well done to the team at MCA on a great event and a comprehensive round up of the market.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice trends 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.
Tea Time
With my upcoming nuptials fast approaching, my mum decided it was time to take a break from the stress of planning and organised an afternoon tea treat at The Landmark, London.
Set in the Winter Garden, a soaring glass-roofed atrium in the centre of the hotel, the quintessentially English afternoon tea kicked off with an elegant array of sandwiches â classic cucumber, organic egg mayonnaise and mustard cress, free-range corn-fed chicken with tarragon crème fraĂŽche and Lapsang Souchong smoked salmon. Then it was on to the freshly baked raisin and apple scones with Cornish clotted cream and five different jams, followed by a selection of miniature desserts such as raspberry macaroon and spiced carrot cake â all rounded off with Champagne of course!
It was a truly special afternoon and got me thinking me thinking â why do we hold afternoon tea in such high regard?
A British institution since 1840, afternoon tea has experienced a resurgence in recent years, with the organisers of Afternoon Tea Week reporting a 70% increase in bookings since 2013^. Itâs said that seventh Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Stanhope, âinventedâ afternoon tea to fill the void between lunch at noon and dinner at 8pm. While it gradually became popular with her friends, as well as those outside her social circle, it wasnât considered a formal event until Queen Victoria introduced a âtea receptionâ with up to 200 guests between 4pm and 7pm.
Today, itâs considered a special event, often used as part of a celebration with friends and family. One thingâs for sure, it was certainly an extravagant and sophisticated âmini-henâ!
For more information about The Landmarkâs afternoon tea, visit www.landmarklondon.co.uk
^ http://www.afternoontea.co.uk/blog/the-afternoonteacouk-team/all-about-afternoon-tea/
Jellybean Creative 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.
A Foodie Up North â Day One
This long awaited weekend just gone, was a perfect blend of friends, food, cocktails, beer and more food! On our 7th annual city break, six girlfriends and I took the super speedy Virgin train to Manchester, to spend time catching up, having laughs, drinks, and eating in some fabulous places.
No sooner had we jumped off the train and dumped our bags in the apartment, we headed out the door to Almost Famous in the Northern Quarter which was very handily five doors down from us. Now one of four restaurants, all based in the North, Almost Famous certainly appears to be making a mark in the casual dining arena. With a quick check on the website, we established the rules:
âWE DON’T TAKE RESERVATIONSâITâS BURGERS. CHILL OUT AND TURN UP.â
You could be forgiven for missing it, just an A-Board on the High Street, with a doorway revealing some seriously steep stairs, but as itâs âOne to Watchâ according to insight experts Horizonsâ 2015 report, my eagle eye noticed the sign and in we went.
There is nothing classic about the menu in Almost Famous. The ultimate in great comfort food with a twist. Fries come topped with Bacon Rain, marmite butter or even popping candy. Burger fillings go from the sublime (shoestring onions, âBacon Bacon Mayoâ and frazzles) to the ridiculous (Cheerios and Strawberry Pop Tarts). As my adventurous side doesnât stretch to pop tarts, I selected the Johnny Mac â the perfect burger in my mind, topped with a MacânâCheese Ball.
With burgers remaining the No.1 item on casual dining menus* itâs little wonder that the twisted up menu @AlmostFamousNQ is a hit. Take a look at the menu, and if ever you are in Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds, rock up and test your taste buds!
*Source: Horizons Menu Trends Report. February 2016
Jellybean Creative 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.
Trump to Blow a Hole in Beer Market with ÂŁ250,000 Kickstarter Campaign
He may be viewed as unwelcome in the UK by some, but if one Somerset micro brewer has his way, Donald Trump is set to make his presence felt through a controversial new high strength, methane-infused bitter.
Jed Pendleton, owner of Boon Breweries in Yeovil, is using popular crowd funding site, Kickstarter, in an attempt to raise ÂŁ250,000 to fund a line of limited edition âDonaldâs Trumpsâ beer.
The new brew is set to contain the methane of the flaxen-haired megalomaniac billionaire â an unintentional by-product given off through the sheer intensity of his rousing public speaking â the resultant gas having been stealthily collected by an âanonymous aideâ.
Contrary to modern brewing practices, methane is the key to a new fermentation process, created by Pendleton and it is hoped â with the addition of Trumpâs gas â that the new bitter will be the most carbonated, high-strength ever bottled.
Said Jed Pendleton: âYes, it goes against everything ever written about beer and, yes, itâs unconventional, but I donât care â modern day micro brewing is about getting yourself noticed and doing something edgy and fresh.
âWe see Donald Trump in the news every single day, saying something stupid, offending people, not really understanding the world around him, but at no point has anyone stopped to say âwhat if we could harness his farts for a new beerâ. Questions need to be asked about why that is.â
Unbeknownst to the perma-tanned magnate and TV star-turned-tub-thumping-tyrant, Pendleton has been in talks with one of Trumpâs closest US aides, codenamed âDeep Guffâ who initially noticed the âeerieâ release during an early Alabama caucus and has been collecting the gas via Tupperware ever since âfor insurance purposesâ.
The aide is, according to Pendleton, in receipt of 10 metric tonnes of gas and willing to âtalk serious businessâ.
âApparently he âoff-gassesâ like one of those futuristic mattresses or a traction engine at a steam fair â heâs always at it! Now is the time to collect his gusts and profit from him before he gets the nuclear codes and blasts us all to Bethlehem.â Added Jed.
Pendleton is looking to raise ÂŁ250,000 via Kickstarter â ÂŁ150,000 for the brewing and bottling process, ÂŁ50,000 for a specially constructed, hermetically sealed gas transportation unit and ÂŁ50,000 in air fares.
If successful, âDonaldâs Trumpsâ would be brewed, bottled and available to the on-trade in time for Novemberâs Presidential elections, with stakeholders promised a four pack of the new beer as recompense for donations.
To find out more about Boon Brewery and donate to their Kickstarter project, click here: www.kickstarter.com/boonbrew
Vauxhallâs Best Kept Secret
If thereâs one thing my Dad and I can agree on itâs our love of good food. Heâs a Microsoft user and loves sport, while Iâm a Mac user who would always choose a bit of light retail therapy over watching a ball get kicked around. But we always agree on the importance of high quality, scrumptious food and we strive to find the best independent restaurants in our local area to share with each other. As I’m now working at a foodservice marketing agency, this seemed like a good way to combine work and pleasure.
When my 22nd birthday rolled around, my Dad and I decided to try out Boqueria restaurant in Vauxhall. Named after Barcelonaâs most acclaimed Food Market and serving the most wonderful tapas, this is perhaps Vauxhallâs best kept secret.
As a self-proclaimed cheese connoisseur, I knew I had to have the SelecciĂłn de quesos – a mix of yummy Manchego, Goatâs cheese and Cabrales with a sprinkling of nuts and grapes. This was followed by a number of delicious sharing plates including: Croquetas de JamĂłn y pollo (Croquettes with Iberian ham and chicken), Chorizo ibĂŠrico (Iberian chorizo) and Pan con ali-oli (Bread with ali-oli sauce).
The star of the show was definitely the Cochinillo asado – suckling pig with sweet potato crisps, apple sauce & lemon sorbet. This is a must-try for anyone visiting the Boqueria Restaurant, with the lemon sorbet being a perfect pallet cleanser mid-meal.
If you are a tapas-loving foodie or a supporter of local independent restaurants like my Dad and I, Boqueria is a breath of fresh air. Tucked away in the outskirts of Vauxhall and far away from the cry of the city, it provides a truly sensational experience.
Website: www.boqueriatapas.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BoqueriaTapas
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BoqueriaTapas
Jellybean Creative 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.
Why Wagyu?
Working for one of foodserviceâs leading agencies means that Iâve been lucky enough to sample a range of amazing new cuisines and food trends over the years. One opportunity that hadnât crossed my path until now was Wagyu, which appeared on my localâs menu, The Bell in Godstone â well worth a visit if youâre ever in the area â as their new premium burger.
Well this raised my curiosity, I was aware of all the buzz around Wagyu being the beef equivalent of champagne and caviar, but why was Wagyu so darn expensive? With a table booked to sample this ultimate burger, I set upon doing some research and this is what I discovered.
1. Wagyu is a Japanese beef cattle breed, âWa’ means Japanese and ‘gyu’ means cow.
2. There are just four breeds that are considered Wagyu in Japan, though export now means it can be found in America, Australia and Britain.
3. Wagyu is the worldâs highest grade of beef and the most expensive.
4. Wagyuâs high fat marbling is what makes for its unique taste and a velvety texture, prime beef contains 6-8% versus Wagyuâs 20-25% marbled fat, which melts like butter when cooked.
5. Itâs Wagyuâs superior genetics and painstaking care that lead to the meatâs higher marbling, they are not fed grass but given a special diet of corn, soybean, barley, wheat bran and arenât slaughtered until 3 years old.
6. The mono-unsaturated to saturated fat ratio is higher in Wagyu than in any other beef making it healthier.
Sharing my findings with my fiancĂŠe that we were actually being healthy by eating this burger, we headed to the pub. The burgers proved a taste sensation! Topped with smoked cheddar, crispy onions, relish and gherkins with a side of sweet potato fries Wagyuâs âmelt in the mouth textureâ and flavour was delicious and well worth the ÂŁ16 price tag given the care that goes into this delicacy.
If youâve sampled Wagyu Iâd love to hear your thoughts on the worldâs most expensive beef, as for me Iâm already planning when I get back to my local to sample another!
Jellybean Creative 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.
Digital Food and Drink Conference
As you would expect from the leading foodservice digital agency, much of our time is spent ensuring we are abreast of the latest trends in our industry. And so it was that I found myself bound for this yearâs Digital Food and Drink Conference held at America Square in London.
With a truly impressive selection of speakers I was looking forward to the thrust and parry of debate as retailer and brand alike took to the stage to put forward their presentations and debate how each can help one and other deliver success in the digital space.
For those of you not lucky enough to have attended, here are my top 10 take outs from the dayâs speakers. Ready? Right, here goes.
1) Kate Douglas from Twitter talked about their exciting new products â namely Amplify, Moments and Niche. Want to keep up to speed on social? Go and read up on those.
2) ASDA noted that âincentivisedâ emails outperformed Supplier Branded emails by a factor of 30%. Looks like money off or a giveaway still reigns supreme.
3) Steve Millard of Burtonâs Biscuits revealed that the value of online sales in food is set to double by 2020 â those not exploiting digital are missing out â big time.
4) A straw poll of attendees showed zero plans for adoption of iBeacon technology â the need for an app, bluetooth enabled, lack of signal in store all seems too high a barrier.
5) Jamie Nascimento from Orangina spoke of his âcomma, not full stopâ approach â always think of the next step you wish a consumer to make to continue their marketing journey.
6) Gordon Morrin of Kerry Foods shared the success of Sausage and Chip â his Christmas campaign, and how emotional marketing drove great results for Richmond sausages.
7) Jamie from Orangina talked of âthumb-stoppingâ video â quick, video edits from a longer cut without audio that encourage mobile users to stop in their scrolling and take note.
8) Dan Jeffreys from Bettys / Taylors of Harrogate showed the room his case study for how a viral video of their ÂŁ250.00 Easter Egg drove online chatter and ultimately sales uplift. Seems like a good stunt, well executed is still a very powerful way of getting virtual tongues wagging.
9) Nick Bamber of Asda and Joe Comiskey of Unilever spoke of the power of customer reviews online, and how they even power shopper behaviour in store as well as via the e-commerce experience.
10) On average we unlock our phones 150 times a day, Twitter sends 6000 tweets per second, 1 in 5 of us follow a food brand on Twitter, we tweet more about #meat than #chocolate, and Greek food is fastest growing food trend on Twitter. Enough stats for one day? Thought so.
So an all-round great event, and a fascinating collection of speakers from the world of foodservice digital. Thanks to Global Insight Conferences for a great event and for providing a platform for us digital foodies to congregate and thrash out the hot topics. Events as thoughtfully curated as this are hard to come by in my experience. We’re looking forward to next year’s event already!
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice digital 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 Asian food trend thatâs taking over my life
Did you know that Asian food is the UKâs fastest growing cuisine? With a market value of ÂŁ3bn!* The rate of growth in popularity for this style of food is insane, but I can totally see why, because since I started experimenting with Asian ingredients (specifically Pan-Asian) I literally canât stop.
It all came about when a few of my clients started manufacturing Pan-Asian ingredients and I began to research and find out more about this fascinating, absolutely delicious cuisine. Iâve always been a fan of a noodle broth but now Iâm experimenting daily with more unusual (for me) ingredients. Edamame beans, miso, Sriracha, udon, rice wine vinegar, Gochujang, the list goes on.
And limes. Iâm sure everyone agrees that limes literally make everything taste like a million dollars (but much less papery).
Next on my list to tackle â KIMCHI.
If you work as a caterer in the hospitality market I would massively encourage you to try Essential Cuisineâs new Asian range. So good. I never want my sample pots to end! Check them out here:
Photography by Essential Cuisine.
Source: Zest Quest Asia 2015
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice pr agency. We help top brands with foodservice web design, pr, food service marketing, foodservice digital marketing and foodservice design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
How fast is your website?
As the leading Foodservice agency, we are always looking at how we can improve the user experience and usability of all our clientsâ websites.
We all know that the design, functionality, layout and content is key to making a website great but are you overlooking one of the most important factors of usability and user experience, how fast your site and pages load.
Is page speed important?
The simple answer is yes, optimizing your page speed is more important now than ever before. Fast loading sites perform better on every front, better user experience, more engagement, higher conversions and even higher search rankings. Trust us, you would be surprised how much slow page speed can affect your search rankings. All search engines like Google want to provide their users with a great user experience and a fast site will improve the overall experience, site quality and increase the userâs satisfaction.
How fast is fast enough?
In our experience, and with lots of research, we find on average most users expect a site to load within 4 seconds or less. Some good guidelines to follow when checking your siteâs page speed are: if your page loads in under 1 second, that is excellent; under 3 seconds, that is perfect; 3 to 7 seconds, this is average but you could have room for improvement; over 7 seconds, this is not great and you could be losing users and conversions.
Are you thinking about mobile users?
If not then you should be. With mobile internet usage expecting to overtake desktop usage, itâs never been more important to think about faster site loading times. Most mobile users will be using a slower connection and in most cases be out and about trying to access information fast.
Just imagine youâre in a hurry, trying to find a telephone number or an address for a hotel or restaurant and every page on their website is taking forever to load. How frustrating and annoying to the user would this be. They may even give up and look at a competitorâs site that is quicker to load and access this information.
ConclusionâŚ
Remember, everybody deserves a fast web experience. Improving your site speed should always be a serious factor in your overall site optimisation. In turn, this will boost your userâs confidence and trust in your site.
If you want to find out more about how we can help you increase your siteâs speed and performance, give us a call!
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and foodservice design agency. We help top brands with food service 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.
An Ode to Homemade Bread
I started baking bread about 3 or 4 years ago. I already loved baking, and at first it fed my need to bake and create without consuming my own weight in sugar, but it soon became an obsession on its own, overtaking my love of baking sweet treats.
Due to living in a shared house, bread making took a pause for the last year or so – a kitchen covered in flour all the time doesnât make you a popular housemate. However, having jumped on the property ladder last December, now itâs just my boyfriend who is bribed with fresh bread in turn for ignoring the heavy dusting of flour that covers the counter tops. Over January alone I baked; multiple batches of Fougasse, currently par-baked and filling up my freezer ready to grab and warm up; naan breads; pizza dough for some stonkingly good homemade pizzas; Foccaccia ; Bagels (always a tricky beast â did you know they are boiled before baking?); and a weekly white loaf from James Mortonâs âBrilliant Breadâ (recipe below).Yes, I am obsessed. There is something fascinating about the process of yeast coming alive and feeding on the flour, and its temperamental nature â the fact that a heat or pressure change can be the difference between a lovely loaf or one as flat as a pancake.
Whatever the reason for my obsession, thereâs little doubt that homemade bread is superior to any store bought sliced white. Four things go into a homemade loaf – Flour, Salt, Yeast and Water. A manufactured loaf from a supermarket could have any number of additions to those, including flour proteins, vinegar, dextrose, fructose, soya flour, re-hydrogenated vegetable fat, preservatives, E472e emulsifier, E300 flour treatment agents⌠none of that sounds particularly appetising, plus it ups the calories, sugar and fat in your sandwich. An additional benefit is the crust on homemade loaves. All that chewing through the thick tasty crust builds saliva which helps the bread digests in the stomach. As for the consistency of store bought bread, one of the key signifiers of an under baked loaf is when you squeeze it it turns back to dough (you may have seen Paul Hollywood wrench the middle of a loaf out in search of such a cardinal sin on The Great British Bake Off). Most manufactured loaves do just that and all that under baked dough is enough to make anyone feel bloated.
Ok, so I may be getting a bit preachy, and I know not everyone is like me, reading bread cookbooks like study books with my highlighter pen and a note pad, but it sure is enough reason to go buy proper bread from a baker rather than heading to the usual sliced store-bought manufactured loaf.
If making a homemade loaf does appeal, this recipe for a âNo-Kneadâ white loaf from former Great British Bake Off Finalist James Morton is a great way to start. Even alongside trying all those fancy breads, I still return to this simple no fuss recipe for my regular loaf as I can spend a total of about 20 minutes in the kitchen and still come out with something delicious.
Basic White Bread
500g Flour
10g salt
7g yeast
350g water (I weigh my water rather than use ml as you get more exact measurements that way)
- Put the flour in a bowl, adding the salt to one side of the bowl and the yeast to the other (the two touching can stop the yeast working).
- Add the water and mix together with your hands. When everything has come together into dough, cover the bowl with a tea towel of cling film and leave in a warm place for 30 â 40 minutes. It should noticeably increase in size in that time.
- Wet the fingertips of one hand and slide between the bowl and the dough, and then fold the dough in half. Turn the bowl and fold again. Keep doing this until you have knocked the air out of it and the dough is smoother (although I have left it looking not so smooth and it still comes out great). Cover again and rest for an hour where it will rise again.
- Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface, flour your hands and shape into a ball (there are tons of YouTube guides for how to do this â this one shows you how from 3:25 â 3:48 – ).
- Place onto a heavily floured surface like upside down baking tray or chopping board and loosely cover (I usually use an oiled piece of cling film) and leave for another hour to rise again. Preheat the oven to 220°C, at least 20 minutes before you want to bake (with a pizza stone in the oven if you have one).
- Give the loaf some shallow slashes on top with a serrated knife (I usually do four lines on the top in a noughts and crosses pattern). Slide off the floured surface onto pizza stone, or bake on a lightly oiled baking tray for 30-40 minutes until deep golden brown.
The way to know if you bread is done is by turning the loaf upside down and knocking on the bottom of it. If it sounds hollow, itâs done. This is because if itâs all light and fluffy and baked inside, the sound can travel from your knock, to the other side of the crust and back creating the noise. If itâs still stodgy and under baked, the sound canât travel so you wonât get that lovely hollow sound!
Not everyone will share my bread obsession, but I can assure you that a homemade loaf is well worth the time. Next for me – itâs time to return to potentially the most temperamental of breads, but absolutely my favourite, Sourdough. To be continued.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing agency. We help top brands with foodservice web design, Â pr, food service marketing, foodservice digital marketing and design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
February 1st, the new January 1st
Has your dry January turned into âI only had a couple of glasses because it was my friendâs 30thâ and âI couldnât not!â? Or is that shiny gym membership card in your new sports bag you got for Christmas gathering cobwebs? And as for the 5:2 diet, let me guess, itâs more 7:0 now…
Finally, what is perceived as the worst month of the year is coming to a close, and it seems our January health kicks came to an end very rapidly, with most people giving up on the 17th January (itâs even marked National Ditch New Yearâs Resolutions Day!). But is it any wonder that the nation only lasts just over two weeks before indulging in the leftover Christmas Thorntonâs, and splurging on a glass of red, we had been stuffing ourselves with mince pies and washing those down with prosecco for the past month after all…we deserve more than a lettuce leaf!
So, as itâs time to start dreaming of your summer holiday now that all festivities are FINALLY over, why not kick start your health regime in February?
Here are just a few reasons why February 1st should be your January 1st:
- You arenât going to be queuing for the treadmill in the gym, letâs face it… nobody is in there anymore!
- Youâve finally been paid after what has felt like a lifetime! So do a big food shop and start meal prepping for the weeks ahead and be sure to add any meals out into your diary in advance.
- Itâs a shorter month… less days to countdown until you break your dry spell and can have that drink on the 1st of March!
- The mornings arenât as dark so exercising before work may be slightly more appealing than snoozing your alarm three times.
So as February 1st quickly approaches, itâs time to don those lycra leggings, start that holiday countdown and prep your meals in advance…February is a shorter month after all.
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, foodservice public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.
72 hours in Rome
Ask anyone who knows me and theyâll agree on one thing â when it comes to Italy and all things Italian, I donât know when to shut up. Whilst at university I was lucky enough to spend a year studying in Genoa, and so in early December it was with great anticipation that I returned to Italy for the first time in three years, this time heading further south to la cittĂ eterna: Rome.
Rome is renowned for the amount it has to offer and this was certainly the case, the three days we spent exploring seemed to disappear in a whirlwind of fountains, churches and ruins. But in between pounding the streets of the old city, dodging mopeds and saying a quick prayer at the Vatican, we managed to find some time to do what the Italians do best: eat.
After our first busy day sightseeing, we headed to Trastevere, a district known for its traditional trattorias and Roman specialties, to seek out âDar Poetaâ, a pizzeria recommended by our lovely Air BnB host, Rita. After walking round in circles for what felt like hours we eventually found it tucked away down a tiny side street and it was definitely worth the perseverance. Huge Italian pizzas and a large glass of vino bianco were a wonderfully guilt-free reward after the amount of walking weâd done! I had been thinking about gelato ever since weâd arrived and since it is never too cold or too late for an ice-cream in Italy, for dessert we set off to find a gelateria. Faced with an amazing choice of flavours and a difficult decision I went for an old favourite â caffè e nocciola (coffee and hazelnut) which definitely didnât disappoint.
Pizza and ice-cream was just the beginning of three daysâ indulgence and over the course of the weekend I managed to sample spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams), freshly baked focaccia, roasted chestnuts sold by street vendors and at the market at Campo di Fiori, Romeâs speciality, supplĂŹ, â deep fried rice balls with mozzarella.
Unfortunately it all came to an end far too quickly, and leaving Rome I promised myself it wouldnât be another three years before I returned to Italy again.
Jellybean Creative is a leading food service 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.
Get me to the slopes
Ok, so maybe this year I am not able to get to the slopes, but what is the next best thing after that? Delicious mountain themed food, of course! And as a proud representative of the leading foodservice marketing agency, this seemed like my kind of research!
Having lived in the French Alps for two seasons and loving nothing more than to fill my time with friends, food and everything après, I could not wait to get myself to the ever so popular pop up restaurant The Lodge.
Having booked a month and a half in advance, my friends and I were expectant of a really great night. We wanted to feel as though we had just stepped into a typical resort restaurant. That sensational world of skiing – wood inspired interior design. Burning open log fires. Tonnes of mulled wine. And, an atmosphere which bursts with excitement. We can happily say it lived up to everything!
After taking an age to discover the discreet doorway hidden away opposite Clapham North station, we climbed the stairs to be welcomed by an enormous Christmas tree and hit with the smell of delicious cheesy fondues. The bar had a magical buzz with everyone in their best chunky knits sipping Thermos flasks of mulled wine and cider.
Once sat at our comfy table it was time to order. What were the two most popular starters? Pan fried wood pigeon and a classic chicken liver and foie gras parfait. And, for mains? It was a unanimous vote, easy decision â all for a comte and coolea cheese fondue! Served up with bread, meats, potatoes and salad, we were all in cheese dipping heaven!
So, I would hugely recommend sneaking off from reality for an evening. Pretend you have just hit the slopes hard and enjoy this great pop up whilst it is still there!
Find out more on their website.
Jellybean Creative is a leading foodservice marketing and food service design agency. We help top brands with food service 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.
Should you be using A/B Testing?
When designing websites itâs all too easy to get bogged down producing seemingly well-written content, and beautiful design that we feel works best… but is it really working?
Should we be doing more to find out what actually works and what the user likes?
There are many different ways of testing if your users are reacting positively to your design, and in todayâs fast moving market we should use what tools are available to us to find out what actually works and delivers results.
One way of doing this is by using a technique called A/B testing.
A/B testing (sometimes called Split Testing) is a method of comparing two versions of a web page (or content within that web page) against each other to work out and determine which version performs better and produces greater results.
How does A/B Testing work?
A/B testing is a way of taking your web page and creating two versions for your audience to see. Once you have worked out what you would like to test, you would have your original version of the webpage (A) and then create an alternative/modified version (B), where you would change a heading, an image, colours, positions of elements, etc. Then half of your traffic to your page would be shown the original version and the other half of your traffic would be shown the modified version of the page.
The user engagement for each version would then be measured and that data is collected into an analytics dashboard, giving you all the results as to how they performed. You can then determine whether changing the experience had a positive, negative, or no effect on the visitorâs behaviour. You donât even need to stop here, as these results could give you more ideas to run further tests and modifications to how your page performs.
Almost everything on your website or web page that affects a visitorâs behaviour can be tested. Below is a list of the elements it is worth thinking about when deciding what to test:
1. Headings and subheadings
2. Colours
3. Content text
4. Call to actions
5. Buttons
6. Position of content on page
7. Images
8. Form positioning and content
9. Links
10. Promotions
Whatever the outcome of your testing, this should provide you with a lot of useful insight into the userâs engagement with your site or page.
If you would like to find out more about how A/B testing could help your website performance and give you greater results, give us a call.
Jellybean Creative is a leading food service marketing and food service design agency. We help top brands with food service 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.
