How do you start your day? A builder’s tea? (standard) A milky coffee? (safe) A black coffee? (bit extreme) A double espresso? (I think you need help).

Chances are that you, like myself, start your day with a caffeinated beverage to get you going. I was always a tea girl, through and through until I discovered iced coffee, and I’ve been in a coffee fuelled love affair with it ever since. Whilst I could wax lyrical about how amazing it tastes and why you too should love it, its history and influence in modern day society makes for a much more compelling case.

Read More

Mine was one of the 3,000 bookings taken by Paul Ainsworth’s team over the two days when they opened their phone lines. Yes, we were the people keen to get out and get eating! After months of lock-down cooking and a wedding postponed (not once but twice) due to Covid, we were eager to at least have something to look forward to in our two weeks of non-honeymoon and what better than a trip to our favourite haunt Padstow? We were also interested to see what ‘new normal’ dining would be like and of course keen to stay safe having spent so long doing the right thing and staying home. We chose the restaurants based on three factors: ones we love, dog-friendly ones (as we had the hound with us) and a new factor for our ‘new normal’ – ones we trusted. Paul Ainsworth is possibly our favourite chef, I followed his lock-down story on social media and was keen to support his return, so when the booking lines opened we were ‘on it’ and booked to stay at The Padstow Townhouse in a newly dog-friendly suite (we were in good company as Jason Atherton was also staying with his family). We also booked for Café Rojano and The Mariners with a visit to Rick Stein’s St Petroc Bistro sandwiched in between, topped off with pre-dinner drinks at the new Padstow Distillery and Padstow Brewery Tasting Rooms.

Read More

I read a news story in The Caterer recently that spoke about how zero waste and modest ingredients will be key post-lockdown for chefs and it made me realise just how much we’ve been relying on these types of ingredients ourselves of late – the ‘new frugality’ if you will.

Read More

I know, I know… Facebook might sound a bit dated or uncool to some of us these days. Many assume people only use it to see who’s got married, who’s had kids and who’s been marked safe in the most recent disastrous event (no sarcasm on this one, we’re very grateful for this feature!) But in actual fact, it is one of the most powerful online tools for marketing your food and/or drink brand. That’s if you know how to make the most of it.

Read More

Street food is becoming increasingly popular around the world, giving people the chance to taste authentic specialities and experience local culture. In Europe, there are numerous sweet and savoury delicacies to choose from in each city and country, but here’s a selection of our favourites from around the continent.

Read More

Christmas is but a distant memory, the cupboards once overflowing with tubs of Quality Street and boxes of biscuits now sit hollow, with a sheet of dust forming on their shelves. But hey, we’re in a new decade. 2020. TWENTY-TWENTY! It may sound cool but, even so, a new decade doesn’t change the fact that January is quite frankly a drag. Colds and other viruses fly around, mere pennies sit in our bank accounts, rain falls relentlessly at times, dark mornings greet us and dark evenings draw in too early.

Read More

Let’s face it, we all check a restaurant’s Instagram before we go there. And we’ve all had a cheeky look at Ella Woodward’s page after buying her Protein Balls because it’s just become second nature to refer to someone or somethings Instagram out of pure and utter curiosity. This is why having an up-to-date and attractive page has become an important part of running a business. It can be daunting and seem like a lot of work, but with this list of 20 must-do’s, it’ll be a breeze and you can always call on the expert services of us beans (#shamelessplug #sorrynotsorry).

Read More

I think it is safe to say that I may be the only person in the entire Jellybean office who has never had a mince pie… Partly due to the fact that it is not in my Christmas tradition as in France they are not a thing, and also partly due to the fact that I’ve always thought it was meat, which never appealed to me. After doing a little bit of research on the history of mince pies I discovered that I was not entirely wrong and that mince pies were, once upon a time, made using meat.

Read More

Hi! My name is Caroline, and I am currently at Jellybean on work experience. I have really enjoyed working at an agency focused on food and beverage, as I am a huge foodie. I love cooking but my passion is hands down baking, that’s why I have decided to research the history of pancakes. Yes, pancakes… I absolutely love making them and trying out new recipes and toppings, the possibilities are endless! So, what is a pancake and where did it originate from?

Read More

As we turn the corner and practically fall into Halloween, the summer of twenty nineteen fades away. The nights are drawing in, the leaves have begun to change and it’s finally time to dig out the chunky knits again – can I get a hell yeah!? With the pending autumnal festivities fast approaching and with every pub in proximity burning a cheerful blaze on the log fire, it’s unquestionably one of the most loved and popular times of year.

Read More

After hearing horror stories from my Dad about what my Mum attempted to cook when they first moved in together I shut my eyes and prayed I wouldn’t follow in her culinary footsteps. What could be so bad you ask? How about slicing up a ‘Ready to Cook’ chicken and sandwiching between two slices of bread with some salad cream for good measure. Don’t say you made the same mistake as Mum and read ‘Ready to Eat’ instead of ‘Ready to Cook’! Luckily Dad questioned the squidgy-ness of the sandwich and opened up the slices of bread to reveal the pink chicken inside – eek! Food poisoning avoided, culinary lesson learned.

Read More

My favourite tipple…so I thought I would investigate its origins a bit more. The delicious craft gins which we enjoy today are a long way from the original gin, which is said to have been created by a Dutch physician, Franciscus Sylvius, and was essentially a malt wine base using juniper to disguise its harsh flavour and was deemed to be ‘medicinal’. Although even as far back as 70AD juniper berries mixed with wine were used as a herbal medicine.

Read More

I am lucky enough to have visited Nelson in the Marlborough area of New Zealand’s South Island several times now as my daughter lives there and of course I have fallen deeply in love with NZ Sauvignon Blanc or Sav as it is known locally.

Read More

The time is approaching, and the vermouth revolution is on the brink of worldwide domination.

Many still picture vermouth as an epitome of that dust-gathering liquor at the back of their grandparent’s cupboard (right next to the Advocaat and Maraschino Liqueur) which rarely sees the sunlight. But just like the old proverb says, “Everything comes back into fashion if you wait long enough!”.

Read More

Over the last 10 years the snacking industry has continued to grow, highlighting a huge opportunity for operators and retailers to market their newest innovations. This month saw the return of the Lunch! Show. Having outgrown its previous location, it was back bigger and better than ever before, in its new home at the ExCeL London.

Read More

Imagine a world with no sandwiches, no egg mayo, no ham and cheese. It would result in boring lunches to say the least! Nothing beats a good sandwich, but there are so many elements that need to be considered to make it perfect; nothing must be forgotten! From the bread, the thickness of butter, right through to the salad leaves and chutney.

Read More