Ask anyone who knows me and they’ll agree on one thing – when it comes to Italy and all things Italian, I don’t 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 città 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 ‘Dar Poeta’, 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 we’d done! I had been thinking about gelato ever since we’d 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 – caffè e nocciola (coffee and hazelnut) which definitely didn’t disappoint.

Pizza and ice-cream was just the beginning of three days’ 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, Rome’s speciality, supplì, – deep fried rice balls with mozzarella.

Unfortunately it all came to an end far too quickly, and leaving Rome I promised myself it wouldn’t be another three years before I returned to Italy again.

http://darpoeta.com

jellybean 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.

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 – 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 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.

When designing websites it’s 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 today’s 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 visitor’s behaviour. You don’t 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 visitor’s 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 user’s 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 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.

There are two things that usually happen when I tell people I have a degree in neuroscience:

1) What on earth is that?!

And

2) How on earth did you get into marketing?!

Little do they know neuroscience and marketing have a lot more in common than they might think!

Neuroscience itself is the study of the brain and nervous system; in essence, the processes underlying how and why we do what we do. Using this knowledge and applying it to the world of marketing through the aptly named field of ‘neuromarketing’ can give rise to an abundance of benefits – benefits that many big brands are paying top dollar to explore!

Neuromarketing looks at how the consumer brain responds to various forms of advertising and other brand-related activities. It makes use of various brain imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), to monitor brain activity while consumers are exposed to different forms of marketing stimuli. One of the most famous studies, commonly known as the ‘Pepsi Paradox’, involved blinding participants and giving them samples of either Pepsi or Coca-Cola, whilst simultaneously being monitored using fMRI. Just over half of the participants were found to prefer Pepsi. However, when the participants were made aware of what they were drinking, these figures changed significantly, and three-quarters were now found to prefer Coca-Cola. Dr Montague, who led the study, found that the association of the Coca-Cola brand with the sample being consumed activated certain ‘reward centres’ in the brain that were not found to be active when the brand was unknown. The study provided some of the first evidence of a correlation between branding and neuroscience.

A brand’s visual identity (such as colour scheme, font style, and logo) is perhaps the most important part of ensuring that the brand is seen by – and has a positive effect on – their target audience. The human brain is able to identify, analyse, and make judgement on this identity in less than a second – clearly illustrating that the correct first-impression is essential!

So what happens in our brains when we see a logo? The image is initially detected by our eyes and relayed to the fusiform gyrus, an area of the brain that plays an essential role in the recognition of objects and words, and distinguishes whether an object is foreign or familiar. The information is then transferred to the primary visual cortex, where shape, outline, and edges come into play. Studies have found that many people are predisposed to prefer certain types of shape or font-style – statistically, more people prefer those with curved edges than sharp.

Colour is then processed in the secondary visual cortex, and, interestingly, it has been found that images shown in colour appear to be more memorable than those in black and white, as well as being more eye-catching. The final stage of image perception is association. Identifying an image with a positive, or ‘rewarding’ experience largely increases the likelihood of using the brand again.

There is clearly more to image perception than just meets the eye, and understanding what goes on in the brain during brand exposure can provide many advantages to a company when it comes to campaigning and visual identification. Many high-profile brands (Google, Microsoft and HP to name a few!) have already enlisted the help of neuromarketing agencies such as NeuroFocus to help them with various aspects of their campaigns (see http://www.fastcompany.com/1769238/neurofocus-uses-neuromarketing-hack-your-brain – a very interesting read!).

Getting to the bottom of why consumers buy what they buy is perhaps the ultimate goal in the advertising and marketing industry, and neuromarketing, while still in its infancy, is sure to play an essential part in the future of marketing.

jellybean is a leading foodservice marketing agency 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.

It’s a daunting thought I know. One almost too unbearable to think about. Is that the 21 year old in me saying that? Or is it the consumer and creator of information in me?

I’d like to argue that it’s not just the adolescent in me, as my Grandad would say. It is quite possibly the truth of the world we live in today.

With ever more hectic schedules, deadlines more demanding, responses to situations and messages required far more instantly (and that’s without taking in to consideration how active we’ve become as consumers and our desire to respond to the media and produce our own content) you wonder how we’d cope without mobile now.

Well, let me try and put it in to perspective.

The total population stands around 7.2 billion. There are just over 3 billion active internet users and almost 3.7 billion unique mobile users. That’s give-or-take half the world actively living in the same digital realm.

In Europe alone, approximately 70% of the population are active internet users with 57.3 million of the 64.1 million UK citizens actively using the internet. 38 million of us have active social media accounts and 32 million of these accounts are accessed via a mobile. So again, I repeat, we are living online!

For those of you reading this thinking, ‘that’s not me. I haven’t been absorbed by the digital realm’…let me share this with you.

In an average day, a UK citizen spends 4 hours on the internet, accessed through a computer, and 1.9 hours on the web, accessed via a mobile device. The average daily use of social media in the UK stands at 2hrs 13m.

And if that doesn’t shock you enough, on average the UK now spends more time on media devices per day (8 hours 41 minutes) than we do sleeping (8 hours 21 minutes).

The capabilities of the digital world accessed via mobile mean – amongst many things – that we are able to connect with whoever we want, whenever we want, from wherever in the world that we want. Whether it’s a phone call, text message, whatsapp, snapchat, facebook message, linkedin connection, skype…I could go on for a while here.

It also means that we are in demand a hell of a lot more than we were only a decade ago. There is no ‘off’ switch as we have access to email, social accounts, PDF files, spreadsheets, mobile banking…all from the device that sits in our back pocket (#BendGate). There is no excuse for not emailing back, texting back, reading and approving that all-important document.

But there are oh-so-many perks to living digitally. Immediate feedback and in-depth analytics of how far your video of a cat sliding down the stairs has gone. Who’s seen it, who’s liked, shared, unliked it. Being able to find that perfect outfit online Thursday night and having it delivered to the office the next day, just in time for the weekend. Paying for your Costa with your iPhone (thank you Apple Pay!). Reserving Friday night’s table for 2 at the local Italian. The opportunities are endless – or at the very least, a million and one more than life without mobile.

So I conclude, where would we be without mobile?

Behind schedule, behind the trends, behind the next generation. So here’s to the digital world, and loving every minute of it!

Sources:
We Are Social
Mail Online

Having forgotten what sunshine feels like after a typically awful British summer, I escaped to Ischia – a small island in the Bay of Naples – this autumn, to bask in the Mediterranean heat and enjoy the foodie delights on offer.

We stayed in Ischia Ponte, a town on the north-coast of the island boasting spectacular scenery, beautiful beaches and a plethora of restaurants and bars to choose from.

Dining in Aglio Olio E Pomodoro was by far the highlight of our trip. Based in the heart of Ischia Ponte, the restaurant is obviously a favourite among locals as nabbing a table proved difficult! Tempted by the delicious dishes we saw fellow diners tuck into, we rashly ordered enough food between us to feed a small family; gnocchi in a butter and basil sauce, Zucchini pesto linguine and – of course – a Neapolitan pizza each, which I can confidently say was the best pizza I have ever eaten.

Never too far from a gelateria, I indulged in ice cream beyond my wildest dreams; Nutella, Cioccolato, Pistachio, Frutti di bosco and – my favourite –hazelnut gelato, Nocciola.  Severe brain freeze was a small price to pay for this frozen delight which I’m not ashamed to say I enjoyed every day I was there!

It was with a heavy heart and a very full stomach that I waved goodbye to Naples. The withdrawal symptoms are severe – I imagine it’ll take a while for food to taste good again. But rest assured I’ll be back for more gelato!

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

Where would be the perfect destination to take your food, wine and ancient history loving daughter? Rome of course! So that is where I went with my daughter, Rachel, when she was on a recent visit from New Zealand where she now lives. One of the downsides of living in such a wonderful country is that you can’t just ‘pop’ across to Europe – New Zealand is just such a long way away from anywhere else!

We enjoyed the perfect break in the Eternal City. I had my very own guide who could put all the Roman Emperors into context when wandering around The Forum and could explain the importance of Hut Urns (literally Urns shaped like huts) for the Etruscans – I always knew that degree in Ancient History would come in useful one day. But I think what really made our trip was the food, the lovely B&B we stayed in and the Prosecco on tap.

Our B&B – Bibi & Romeo’s ( http://www.bberomeo.com) – was a ten minute walk from the Vatican and the owner, Romeo, took the time to show us the easiest ways to get to all the sites, the best restaurants nearby and     little tricks to get the most out of our visit. His first restaurant recommendation, Hostaria Dino e Tony, Via Leone IV, was just around the corner. We strolled there on our first evening and waddled back. No menus, we were just offered the antipasti, plates of meats and breads, followed by pasta – ‘red’ and ‘white’, one would have been enough, but two bowls each just about finished us off. We had to turn down the meat or fish course, but the desserts were too good to refuse.

I think our other favourite was actually a recommendation from one of Rachel’s uni friends, La Prosciutteria (http://www.laprosciutteriaroma.com), which is in the Trastevere area of Rome, all small cobbled alleys just south of The Tiber and full of bars and restaurants, lovely to explore in the evening. The restaurant is tiny and at the back of a delicatessen. You just find a space on one of the wooden tables, pull up a crate to sit on and order the meat platter, which was piled high with olives, salad, meats, cheeses, bread and fruit, all for €10 each, washed down with Prosecco – it was simply divine.

I would like to think we walked off all this food by exploring all the ancient sites, the Vatican and simply strolling around the streets, but somehow I doubt it!

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

Feeling like we needed to get away from rainy old England, my boyfriend and I went on a quest to find a nice cheap break to somewhere that neither of us had been to before – here’s where we stumbled upon Lisbon, the capital of Portugal and boy am I glad we did!

We started off by walking around the town to see what it had to offer and to our delight we came across what would be our first taste of traditional Portuguese life. Unsure of exactly what we were queuing for, we joined a big line to what seemed like a little shop, where people were coming out with a shot of drink – excited to see what all the fuss was about we continued to queue! It was a big triumph when the shot ended up being the traditional Portuguese liqueur – Ginjinha – which is made using sour cherries and sugar – from this night forward this fruity shot became tradition after every meal!

As for the food, it was absolutely delicious, from chicken to shrimp cakes to steaks, all covered in my favourite…garlic. What topped it off for me though was their traditional ‘pastel de natas’ – a Portuguese egg tart pastry. This mouth-watering, delicate treat, which is not only offered as dessert but also sold across their traditional ‘pastelerias’ – little coffee houses full of tasty treats – was truly one of the highlights of my holiday.

Lisbon was full of culture, beautiful sights and great night life but what really made it for me was the small, picturesque restaurants, bars and cafes.

All in all we had a fantastic break and I’ll definitely be looking to go back to Lisbon to do more exploring!

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

Last weekend, I took a trip down to Chichester with a few friends where we decided to treat ourselves to an indulgent afternoon tea at The Goodwood Hotel. Anyone who knows me will know just how much I love cake and so for me this was a perfect day out!

We arrived at the hotel and decided to have a wander around the grounds to make the most of the unexpected sunshine. The grounds are beautiful and you can see why many people choose it as a wedding venue. After our walk we made our way inside where we were shown to our table. Within a few minutes we were each sipping a glass of prosecco and presented with a choice of teas. We kept it simple and all went with traditional English Breakfast tea, which was topped up generously throughout our stay.

The afternoon tea itself was a delight and looked too good to eat! The finger sandwiches included truffle egg mayonnaise, hot smoked salmon with pickled cucumber and lime Crème Fraiche as well as traditional ham and mustard.

Once we had finished the sandwiches, we moved onto the next tier which was freshly baked golden raisin scones served with homemade clotted cream and raspberry jam which we all agreed were well up to Mary Berry’s standards!

Although by this point we were pretty full, there was of course still room for more. We finished our afternoon tea off with a selection of mini treats including chocolate brownie, banana loaf and vanilla posset – my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

We had a lovely time at The Goodwood hotel and I would highly recommend it for an afternoon of indulgence and a day off from the diet.

jellybean is a leading foodservice marketing agency and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice pr, food and drink pr, digital and foodservice design. If you feel we could help you with your marcomms, foodservice strategy, public relations, creative or digital then drop us a line today.

I recently moved back home to save money to buy a house of my own and my mum has very kindly taken to making my lunches and cooking my dinners. I was feeling rather guilty about how much time she was spending on all this food prep for me, but I just can’t bring myself to say ‘stop’ and stem the stream of such tasty food.

Menu items to date have included a summer fruit salad – it’s all in how she cuts the mango chunks – and turkey mince stewed with mushroom and potato – so greyish but so moreish.

But, I was thinking the other day, are they actually the best tasting meals or is it just my brain tricking me with nostalgic memories of home cooked food? Although my mum is a great cook, I have a sneaky suspicion it’s the latter. Apologies Mother.

My case-in-point being that I was once forced to eat Lemon Meringue Pie at school by a cruel, cruel prefect and now, although I literally love soft gooey meringue and creamy lemon curd, I can’t stand the sight of the pie itself. Probably for the best to be honest!

I’m just hoping the mum-cooked meals aren’t a phase and we move on to ‘if it’s’ – if it’s in the freezer, we’re having it! That will be a day of food mourning for me.

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

Last weekend, I met up with some of my old University friends in London for a day spent doing what we do best – catching up, eating and drinking cocktails!

After a few recommendations from friends, we decided to go for dinner at The Alchemist near Liverpool Street station and it certainly lived up to its great reviews.

After spending 15 minutes deciding on which cocktail to have (the cocktail menu is huge!) we all picked something from the ‘Molecular Madness’ section and what we were served was brilliant. Each cocktail is carefully made using a molecular drinks-making technique so each cocktail is like being served a mini science experiment. As expected we had to have a few each to sample more of the fun on the menu – our favourites were the  ‘Lady Marmalade’ which was served over dry ice and the ‘Bubble Bath’ which bubbled up as you sipped.

In addition to the amazing cocktails, we also had some delicious food – the menu offers something for everyone with a real variety to choose from. A snapshot of our dishes we enjoyed below…

Starters – We shared mini Yorkshire puddings with pulled pork as well as duck spring rolls with Hoisin sauce.

Main – I chose steak frites with salt and pepper fries and the girls had satay salmon with an Oriental vegetable salad and a Japenese ramen with beef fillet.

Dessert – The best part of any meal – we shared a peach Melba Mess and a salted caramel cheesecake.

The Alchemist combines lovely food and cocktails with a great atmosphere – I will definitely be returning.

Address: The Alchemist, 6 Bevis Marks, London, EC3A 7BA
Reservations : 0207 283 8800
Twitter: @TheAlchemistLon
Facebook: The Alchemist Bevis Marks

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

Lost in a crowd of tourists on London’s Southbank on a sunny Saturday afternoon, I was beginning to wonder whether the promise of an unrivalled international food market was worth the trip to the capital in peak tourist season.

Having extricated myself from the throngs heading towards the London Eye, I made it up to the Royal Festival Hall and the Southbank Centre Market (open weekends until the end of October). Hit by a hundred different sights and smells, I wondered where to begin. Never having been one to make a quick decision (especially where food is concerned) I allowed myself to wander for a while, taken in first by mammoth sized dishes of paella, then turning to a stand selling pulled pork and apple sauce burgers before spotting a stall which cooked stir fry to sample, as hungry customers looked on.

Having circled the market at least twice, I found myself drawn to an Indian stall specialising in slow-cooked lamb curry.

Having previously spied a stall brimming with cakes, brownies, traybakes and other sweet delights, I was conscious not to overeat in my first sitting and therefore opted for the ‘regular’ rather than ‘man size’ naan bread wrap that would constitute lunch.

Finding a sunny spot on the steps behind the market I tucked in, not disappointed by the tender, spicy lamb and mint-yoghurt dressing. It is of course impossible to enjoy such fantastic food without paying certain consequences though and sure enough, a momentary lapse in concentration resulted in a slightly distressing curry stain on a pair of white jeans. Water and napkins to the rescue, I finished the wrap in record time, not wanting to risk any further dangerous spillages!

Intent on a square of millionaire’s shortbread, I headed back down into the market, still marvelling at the range of delights on offer and, ever fickle, gave in to the temptation of a salted caramel cupcake instead.

For anyone in London looking for a taste of the world, the market at the Southbank Centre is a great place to start. It provided me with a wonderful afternoon of food that not even a curry-splodged stain could deter from.

Find out more about the market at the Southbank centre at http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/markets

Have you visited a food market recently? Tweet us @JellybeanAgency

jellybean 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.

I recently had the pleasure of holidaying in Barbados and along with the friendly locals, the beautiful beaches and the fantastic weather, I was able to experience some traditional Bajan food too. Not only in the nearby restaurants and bars, but also home cooked.

Whilst out and about I indulged in delights such as pan fried Swordfish on a bed of pureed yam and sweet potato, with a melon and mango salsa. Light, tasty and so fresh! Combined with the odd Dark and Stormy – a cocktail made from dark rum, ginger ale and fresh lime – all couldn’t have been more right with the world!

Back at the villa (our temporary home for the week), creating our own traditional Bajan fayre was easier than I thought! Using simple ingredients sourced locally, such as fresh tuna, red snapper, chicken and flying fish, together with farm grown vegetables like yams, okra and breadfruit, it was easy to add traditional spice combinations and apply simple cooking methods to create many a pool side feast.

A must have for every meal was Bajan hot pepper sauce. Made with mustard, scotch bonnets and turmeric, it’s a thick hot sauce with a bright yellow colour, speckled with pieces of red Bonney hot peppers. At first you have a good strong mustard flavour, but then, wait for it….the heat kicks in! This was perfect mixed up with mayonnaise and used as a spicy dip for our pre-dinner crisps and snacks!

A firm favourite was fresh tuna steak from the local fisherman (see pic) rubbed in Bajan Seasoning and seared on each side. The famous Bajan Seasoning is made up of a number of herbs and spices, including Bonney hot peppers, cloves, garlic, parsley, marjoram and thyme to create a fairly fiery kick. As much as we had all the time in the world on holiday, we didn’t want to spend it making the seasoning from scratch when there was a pool to be swum in, so we did cheat and used a jar – choosing the one with the best brand name (see pic).

We served our delicious fish with salad and Bajan Macaroni Pie, also known simply as ‘pie’. Pie is one of the most popular foods in Barbados – it’s their own take on macaroni and cheese, specially seasoned and baked to perfection so that it can be sliced and served (see pic).

Another culinary delight we were more than willing to try our hands at, was Rum Punch – essential to wash down the fantastic food of course! The Bajan’s mix a mean rum punch and we learned a little rhyme from some of the locals to help us create the perfect mix…

One of sour, Two of sweet, Three of strong, and, Four of weak… So as long as we remembered lime, sugar syrup, rum (Mount Gay of course) and water – we were set.

If it hadn’t been for the rum punch, I think Barbados offered me one of the most healthy holiday cuisines and it’s one I’m already recreating back in England!

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

Over the weekend, we decided to take a trip to The Crazy Bear Hotel and what a delight it was. Hidden within the small town of Beaconsfield, as we arrived at the 15th century boutique hotel we were pleasantly greeted with a glass of champagne…because as you know, there is only one way to start a weekend away! Having been shown to our suite, we were in awe of the luxurious decor, right down to the fine detail including Swarovski crystals embedded into the walls – too of course add an extra touch of glamour!

Treating ourselves to one of their exclusive Thai massages in the afternoon, left us feeling relaxed and ready for our evening meal in their Thai restaurant our favourite cuisine, although I can’t deny the traditional English restaurant’s menu looked just as tempting. I have no doubt we’d made the right choice after enjoying the Premium Sharing Menu, with our favourite dish being the Gressingham Duck Breast Red Curry with Pineapple & Lychees… delicious! Although we cannot forget the 10 other dishes we got through which you can see here.

After eating as much as humanly possible, we then went on to enjoy a couple of cocktails in the bar. It would take a year to get through their extensive cocktail list, but the ones we did finally decide on were lovely, and the decadent atmosphere combined with great company left us sat there sipping cocktails for longer than anticipated!

The following morning we reluctantly packed our bags and headed to breakfast for our last taste of the extravagant surroundings. The traditional English breakfast was a delight and just what we needed after the meal the night before…including the one too many cocktails!
The Crazy Bear Hotel really is a special experience and the hotel delivers above and beyond what is shown on their website, screaming opulence from every detail. I would highly recommend it to anybody looking for a touch of extravagance and a hotel out of the ordinary. We will definitely be returning!

For more details on The Crazy Bear Hotel, visit their website here: www.crazybeargroup.co.uk – you won’t be disappointed!

jellybean is a leading foodservice marketing agency and communications agency. We help top brands with foodservice public relations, 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.

Last week, I took a trip down to Hampton Court Palace to visit the BBC Good Food Show. It didn’t turn out to be the sunny bank holiday we had hoped for but the rainy weather didn’t dampen our spirits and we still managed to visit every tent to sample the range of food on offer – all for research purposes of course…

The show certainly lived up to its name and we indulged in a variety of really good food! We started the day with Portuguese Custard and Cinnamon Pastries from a little start up company called Global Eat who are soon to be opening in London – keep your eyes peeled! For lunch we had a Caribbean chickpea curry with spicy slaw and to finish off I had THE most amazing brownie – peanut butter and raspberry.  Of course in between this we sampled a range of cheeses, breads, sausages and cakes so we were a little full to say the least.

As a massive fan of The Great British Bake Off, the highlight of my day had to be watching a baking demonstration by Paul Hollywood followed by a Q&A with him and past GBBO winner Jo Wheatley – very exciting!

It was the perfect venue for the show and the sun even came out in time for us to wander around the palace grounds, which brought back memories of school trips as a child. The gardens are beautiful and it was a lovely way to finish of the day.

For keen foodies or anyone who just loves food, I would definitely recommend visiting one of the Good Food shows.  Check out the full list of dates at http://www.bbcgoodfoodshow.com/

jellybean 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.

This weekend I happened to stumble across The Great British Food Festival at Dalemain Estate in Cumbria. Now anyone that knows me knows that I love anything to do with food, so when I saw those little yellow signs pointing the way to this foodie heaven, I did a quick ‘U-ey’ and got a bit excited.

It was cheese, chutney and chocolate galore – everything I hoped for. You’ll be pleased to hear that I managed to restrain myself to only 17 cheese tasters (if they’re that small they don’t count, right?), half a chocolate brownie and a falafel and humus wrap (from the lovely Kath’s Kitchen).

To be really honest with you, the foodie products at the show were very similar to the likes of those showcased on London’s South Bank during the summer, but there’s just something about the amount of passion and love that’s gone into them from the independent suppliers that really draws me in. I’m not buying the cheese because it tastes incredibly different from the cheddar that I can buy from Sainsbury’s, I’m buying it because I know the love and care that’s gone into making it and I feel that should be supported!

Has anyone else been to any food festivals of note recently? Let us know if you have any recommendations from across the land on @JellybeanAgency.

jellybean 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.

When it comes to foodie breaks it is fair to say you can’t beat London for its diverse cuisines and experiences, and you certainly won’t go hungry in New York! But there is a less obvious contender when it comes to eating out in style and there’s not a skyscraper in sight. I talk of course of Padstow, lovingly nicknamed Stein-Ville,this Cornish coastal retreat offers a foodie paradise nestled between the rolling hills and breaking waves of Cornwall.

This August we stayed over the estuary, in Rock (playground of the rich and famous – in fact Gordon Ramsey is rumoured to have just bought a holiday home there!). Travelling by ferry and sea taxi (I can’t recommend it enough – not a tailback in sight) we made numerous forays into Padstow and the surrounding area to check out the foodie delights on offer.

We were lucky enough to rest our heads at the St. Enodoc Hotel which is home to Outlaws, Nathan Outlaw’s restaurant (one of three as he has one in Port Isaac and another at The Capital in London) and we enjoyed two fabulous meals there, not to mention the breakfasts! The food it must be said was great and as you would expect from Nathan Outlaw there was an array of delicious fish dishes to choose from. But on the subject of fish, no holiday to Padstow would be complete without a visit to Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant and it didn’t disappoint, throw in Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen at Watergate Bay, Scarlets healthy spa food at Morgan Porth, a lunch at Paul Ainsworth’s No.6, sourdough pizza at Rojano’s, a pasty and cream tea from Rick Stein’s Patisserie and you can see why I’ll be hitting the cross trainer this September!

It was of course all fabulous and shows how amazing our industry is. Indeed, working in the hospitality sector, some might say it’s a busman’s holiday, but as the leading foodservice agency I think it’s important to keep in-touch – it’s a tough job but someone has to do it! (cue the violins!)

jellybean 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.

I have just discovered a wonderful new foodie shop in Fetcham, near Leatherhead, called Greenwise, and if you care about the quality of the food you eat then this is definitely the shop for you.

They specialise in organic, Fair Trade, locally produced food – even down to Fetcham Honey! And for those who suffer with lactose, gluten and sugar intolerances it offers a huge range of foods, plus wonderful fresh produce. You can wander around the shelves, salivate at the foods on offer from around the world and sample one of the little tasting samples on show – perhaps some locally produced lemonade or a fresh smoothie. Then once you have got your taste buds interested you can sit and enjoy a coffee or may a Red Espresso made from Rooibos Tea – caffeine free and full of anti-oxidants – and of course accompanied by a locally made cake (gluten and sugar free).  On my latest visit I bought a tub of Pina-Colada flavour coconut ice cream, which is dairy, lactose and soya free – so delicious with fresh strawberries or raspberries – quite a revelation!

This is obviously a shop that cares deeply about the food it sells, its provenance and its health benefits. Their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/greenwiseshop is well worth a visit to see what they have on offer.

jellybean is a leading foodservice marketing agency 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.

Being Italian by birth I have grown accustomed to eating what is, in my biased opinion, the best food in the world. But I have struggled for many years to find a restaurant serving the type of food I can only describe as (in an involuntary Italian accent) ‘just like mama used to make’! I’ve been to many an Italian restaurant claiming to deliver ‘authentic’ Italian cuisine but instead offering Anglicised imitations of traditional dishes. All this changed however, when I discovered ‘Friends of Flavours’ – an unassuming restaurant nestled in the terraced roads of Penge, serving Italian food to compete with the heavyweight high street chains.

Small and intimate, the back of the restaurant opens out to a beautiful, rustic outside sitting area with vines creeping up the terracotta coloured walls. On a sunny day I’m sure it’s easy to forget that you’re near Bromley and instead imagine yourself dining al fresco in the back streets of Rome!

I started my meal with Caprino Fritto – discs of deep fried goat’s cheese with a silky, sweet and sour raspberry sauce, served on lightly toasted bread. I refrained from ordering another but unashamedly scraped my plate clean so as not to waste a bit. My main course was a beautifully presented dish of four freshly made Ravioli Asparagi served in a creamy butter, Parmesan and sage sauce, sprinkled with Parmegiano, drizzled with spots of balsamic vinegar and garnished with a fresh sprig of sage. Almost too beautiful to eat…almost. To finish, I ordered panacotta served with a raspberry coulis. Perfectly set and deliciously creamy, when it came to the table I regretted previously agreeing to share a dessert. I won’t make that mistake next time!

I mustn’t forget the lovely staff either – the service was exemplary, they’re passionate about what they do and they extend the customary Italian hospitality to all so you can expect to be treated like family. Humble yet soul-affirming, this meal epitomised all the wonderful qualities of Italian food. So, if you’re wondering what food ‘like mama used to make’actually tastes like, I recommend you visit this hidden gem delivering the heart and soul of Italian cooking.

To find out more about Friends of Flavours you can visit their website or follow them on Twitter @FriendsFlavours

jellybean is a leading foodservice marketing and foodservice digital 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.

If you ever find yourself cycling around the beautiful streets of Copenhagen looking for something to eat, I would definitely recommend Kompa’9.

A real hidden gem, this quaint little café is nestled in the hustle and bustle of central Copenhagen. Serving both breakfast and lunch, it has all the Danish favourites you could wish for.

After much deliberation (it all looked delicious) I opted for the complete breakfast. Comprised of soft-boiled eggs, toasted rye bread, a selection of meats and cheeses, yoghurt with granola AND fresh pastries, it’s the perfect way to sample a bit of everything!

We decided to return the next day for lunch to see what other culinary delights they had to offer and we weren’t disappointed. I went for the Danish favourite smørrebrød an open sandwich with a variety of meat, cheese, avocado and salad toppings. One word. Amazing.

For the sweet tooth, there is a freshly baked cake of the day or a cinnamon bun, served with a cup of coffee, made by expert baristas. Delicious food and a lovely setting ­ it is well worth a visit if you’re ever in the area.

https://en-gb.facebook.com/pages/Kaf-Bar-9/301912013178344

jellybean is a leading foodservice marketing and foodservice digital 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.