The history of…Burgers
Folklore surrounds the history of burgers, with many versions of events telling the story of how and when this classic food favourite started. We cannot say for sure who was the first to create such a renowned menu staple, however, we do know a lot about how this sandwich grew.

To dunk or not to dunk?
The humble biscuit, it’s crumbly, sweet and sugary.
Tea and biscuits have for a long time been the power couple behind solving a multitude of problems, partners in a crime, they’re an irresistible duo. Originating from a flat storable version of bread, dating back to Roman times, cooked once, removed from the oven and cooked again, this is how the biscuit was given its Latin name ‘bis cotus’; meaning twice baked.

The History of…The Cornish Pasty
With our annual pilgrimage to the foodie paradise of Padstow on the North Cornish Coast set for June, my thoughts have been wandering to the joy that is a Cornish Pasty wolfed down in the county of its origin. As you look out over the harbour and the crumbly pastry gives way to a perfectly seasoned mix of piping hot meat, swede, onion and potatoes all seems right with the world. But how did this classic Cornish fayre come about? In this latest addition of our ‘History of…’ series I look at the culinary delight that is the Cornish pasty.

A History of Honey
Honey. That gorgeous, golden, sticky-sticky sweet thing. We all know it, and many of us love the stuff as much as Pooh and Baloo do – but how did it come to be a global favourite?

10 Characteristics of Today’s Consumer
We’ve rounded up what we feel are the top ten key considerations for brands to ensure they continue to be aligned with today’s consumer. Take as may of these as you can into consideration when planning your forthcoming food marketing.

The History of Doughnuts
In honour of Jellybean’s Retail and Consumer Team recently being appointed consumer and trade PR agency for popular London doughnut chain, Doughnut Time, I’ve decided to explore the history of the much loved doughnut.

Vietnam; A Foodie Paradise
Last month I travelled across the globe to the culinary mecca that is Vietnam, home to thousands of independent street vendors, bars and restaurants. I started off my trip in the bustling and vibrant capital of Hanoi. Hanoi is known for its busy streets of cars, mopeds and motorbikes (which can sometimes be spotted carrying a family of four!). You soon get used to the bustling streets and the process of crossing the road (you just walk, and the traffic will weave around you). As with all our adventures, we take our findings back to Leatherhead and use it to inform what we do as a food service agency.

Dog Friendly Dining
Britain is a nation of animal lovers. The PDSA estimates that 24% of the UK adult population own a dog with an estimated population of 8.9 million pet dogs in the UK. So with so many of us devoted to our furry friends it makes good business sense to pander to our pets and offer dog friendly dining and accommodation. Once the domain of the country pub, fine dining restaurants and hotels across the UK are embracing the ‘hound pound’ as a valuable revenue stream.

The Rise of the Home Delivery Recipe Boxes
I have always loved cooking. I find the whole process relaxing and very rewarding. But throw a new baby into the mix and suddenly our fridge was looking rather sparse and the idea of heading down to the supermarket with an ever-so screamy little one was too anxiety-inducing to handle.

#FoodPorn
In today’s society, food is no longer a way to feed yourself. It has now become a lifestyle, which many millennials call being a ‘foodie’. A person who has a passion or refined interest in food, who eats food not out of hunger, but due to their interest or hobby. A ‘foodie’ is constantly in search of the perfect photograph, consisting of perfectly composed food on a perfect plate, in a perfect setting. ‘Foodies’ will do whatever it takes to capture their desired shot, whether that means standing on a chair or table in the middle of a busy restaurant to get the ideal angle.
Every year, millions of pictures of food are posted on social media with Instagram being the pivotal platform for a picture of the perfect pastry, or two. As it stands, there are currently 188 million hashtag mentions on Instagram under #Foodporn. A recent study from YPulse shows 63% of people between thirteen and thirty-two years old post their food pictures on social networking sites while they are still eating. Moreover, 57% of people in the same age range posted a description of the food they were eating at that time – it is no wonder that the #FoodPorn trend has exploded. Food on social media is a key trend to watch and using the hashtag #FoodPorn means the food industry can easily track audiences on social networking services to see what’s hot!

What’s Driving Food to Go in 2019?
We recently attended the annual MCA Food to Go Conference at Ham Yard Hotel, London. With the MCA forecasting that the Food to Go market is set to reach a value of £21.2bn in 2019 and continue outperforming growth from the wider eating out market, it therefore represents a vital area of growth for operators. We heard from an array of fantastic speakers including Welcome Break, Sustainable Restaurant Association, LEON, Pret A Manger, Yo! Sushi, Eat and many more.
Here are 5 Food to Go Trends arising from the day that we think will impact and drive Food to Go growth in 2019.

The Rise of Street Food
The way we eat is changing and choice is becoming more important than ever. Consumers want the opportunity to try new things and street food markets are providing a world of exciting opportunities right at their fingertips.

Fighting The Blues with Try January
January has a canny reputation for making us all feel a bit doom and gloom. Christmas is all but a distant memory, jeans are twenty inches too tight and temperatures are twenty degrees too low. At such a time, positive mental attitude is key; if we look for things to bring us joy, we’re going to find them, right? Equally, if we look for an excuse to feel miserable, let me tell you, we’re going to feel miserable. This January, I have been determined to feel the joy. Let me tell you about an initiative I have encouraged my fellow beans to join me in supporting, this month…

Padstow Christmas Festival
For four days in December you can find pretty much any celeb chef worth their salt in Padstow, Cornwall. Often referred to as ‘Padstein’ due to Rick Stein’s prevalence, for the four days of the Padstow Christmas Festival the rest of them also get to have their share of the limelight. As a regular visitor to this foodie haunt of the South West, this was the first time we had ventured down for the Christmas Festival. The weather wasn’t quite what we had ordered, but despite the high winds and torrential rain that buffered the marquees, the festival lived up to the hype with an incredible line-up of chefs and local suppliers in attendance, not to mention the fireworks, live music, Santa fun run and cycle, lantern procession, Christmas market and the Just Add Beer Cook Book from Sharps Brewery in aid of one of our favourite charities Hospitality Action.

Top 5 tips to reach Gen Z
Just as many brands are getting to grips with engaging millennials, Generation Z is emerging. Who are they? GZ are people who were born from 1995 onwards (13- 23 year old) – and they are starting to make their presence known as they enter the workforce and begin to earn their own income.

Jellybean Christmas Sandwich Review 2018
Not all Christmas sandwiches are created equal and here to separate the wheat from the chaff are Jellybean’s Group Account Director for retail trade and food and drink marketing, Neil Brenson and Foodservice PR Director, Nick Clancy with their dual verdicts. In all, eight sandwiches have been put through their paces, sourced from Eat, Pret, M&S, Boots, Sainsbury’s, Costa, Gregg’s and Waitrose.

2019 – what’s not going to happen
As we lurch awkwardly towards 2019, forcing it to immediately evacuate itself in fear and repulsion, we examine just some of the über trends that definitely won’t make the headlines in the coming food and drink year.

Design is a Process
Every year during August Edinburgh transforms itself into one of the most exciting places on earth to be if you like live comedy. Every space that can accomodate an act, from the tiniest alleyway to the largest auditorium is taken over by comics, poets, magicians and performance artist young and old, established and unknown – all of them united by the ambition to hone their material over the next 30 days.
