This month we visited the National Space Centre in Leicester for the launch of the hotly awaited Association of Convenience Store’s Local Shop Report. This annual report provides a wealth of information about the performance of the sector as a whole and highlights the key trends and developments that everyone working in convenience needs to know.
Now I know I’m no Bob Geldof or Mother Teresa but when I started Jellybean in 1987 with a mighty team of 2 (me and a PA) not only did I want to brave the waters of building a successful new business, I also had a vision to make a small difference to the world at the same time. That’s why Jellybean has always supported children around the world through Plan International and during our 31 years in business we have helped literally hundreds of children in underprivileged countries around the globe. From the very first day and throughout our growth we have adopted/funded at least one child for each employee from countries as far apart as Timor Leste to Ecuador, from Thailand to Egypt and many countries in between and will continue to do so.
Jellybean is working in partnership with Plan International UK to fund the construction of five school buildings in the Gambella region of Ethiopia. The Safe School project helps refugees access safe and high quality education, reaching 39,550 children aged 3-14, many of whom will have gone through the terrifying and scarring experience of fleeing their homes in South Sudan. In Gambella they will benefit from a better education in permanent school buildings with good quality teaching and access to specialised counselling to help them overcome the challenges of being away from home.
Recently a select bunch of beans were lucky enough to head over to Denmark’s capital Copenhagen and in-between working hard, managed to fit in some fabulous food. (Well as a truly European food and drink agency it’s surely expected!) You can see some of the highlights here…
As my two weeks at Jellybean near the end, it is the perfect time to reflect on my experience with food and drink design.
I was greeted on my first day by a very welcoming and friendly team, and briefed on what the next two weeks at Jellybean had to offer. My schedule had been thoughtfully planned allowing me to spend time with both marketing and PR teams, giving me a broad understanding of each department and the work of the company as a whole.
Going to university and living in Brighton for the past two years and being part of such a vibrant city has been exciting and I have learned so much, including the best places to eat and drink! Whenever friends or family visit they always ask me for recommendations, so I decided it was about time to compile my top 5 restaurants and bars. During my placement at foodservice agency Jellybean I thought I’d get blogging and submit my review. It’s easy to get drawn into the fish and chip shops on the seafront, but if you want some really tasty food, here it is.
Devastation struck at the age of 10 when I was told that I could no longer eat bread, waffles, and even doughnuts. Although my favourite foods were taken away from me, it didn’t stop me, and so began my love/hate relationship with bread. As a foodservice pr agency we thought we’d delve a little deeper into this.
In January 2018 I started my new working life as a ‘bean’. After six months of learning about the foodservice pr industry and our clients I ventured out to meet with one of the leading magazines in our industry. Yes, I was off to The Caterer to showcase the new Nutella® Piping Bag.
Working at a foodservice agency has a lot of perks. Eating our regularly is just one of them. But eating out has changed considerably over the past few years. Consumer demand for Asian cuisine, home delivered food, vegetarian and vegan options, all-day eating, allergen free foods, quick but healthy options and even ‘instagram ready’ dishes are shifting the eating out landscape.
Super-premium extra virgin olive oil brand Morocco Gold, is the latest new client to join the Jellybean food and drink agency family. The owners of the single estate extra virgin olive oil from Morocco appointed Jellybean following a competitive pitch earlier this year. We are excited to be working with this luxury food brand on an integrated B2B and B2C campaign which will create widespread brand awareness and drive long-term sustainable sales through traditional retail and e-commerce channels. Here’s the low-down on this high quality oil.
I’m currently studying for a qualification in Public Relations and wanted to get an insight into the workings of a PR agency. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Jellybean over the last few years in my role at a video production company and knew they would be the perfect solution to help me gain the experience I was after.
One thing we beans truly relish is a spot of healthy rivalry. We’re a competitive bunch, you see. Woe betide anyone caught in the crossfire of, say, a genteel game of French cricket. One cross word or a perceived lack of respect for the rules of the game, and things can get pretty ugly pretty quickly, let me tell you.
Here at Jellybean, we really value our beans and as part of our commitment to develop everyone to their full potential we carry out regular reviews and appraisals throughout the year. This ensures everyone receives the recognition they deserve and gives every bean the opportunity to develop in their role. So in the spirit of inclusivity we thought it was only fair to include Whisky, our budding apprentice and favourite furry friend (AKA office dog). Using our tried and tested 360° feedback questions this is a snap shot of how he is progressing since joining us back in December 2016.
We’re delighted to welcome ManíLife craft peanut butter to our growing list of clients here at Jellybean. In case you’ve not already heard of ManíLife or been lucky enough to try their amazing peanut butters (you really must!); we thought we’d tell you a little bit about the brand and what we’re doing to help explode their sales and growth potential in retail and foodservice.
Working in this industry, I’m often embarrassed to admit I’m neither a keen cook nor a baker (as my talents lie more in the realm of eating out). That being said, I certainly wasn’t going to miss out on a fun-filled afternoon with ex-Great British Bake Off contestant, Jane Beedle, and jumped at the chance when invited with a gaggle of girls.
The annual MCA Top of Mind Report debrief offers both an overview of the eating out market over the past year, as well as some predictions for the year ahead. Now in its 11th year, the briefing took us through macros trends, 2017 consumer behaviours, predictions for 2018, a state of the nation across casual dining, growth drivers, the results of their decision maker survey and of course concepts to watch for 2018.
Either by accident or design (who’s to say?) the inaugural National Breakfast Awards was held on National Croissant Day – how apt I hear you call. The new kid on the awards block sets to recognise the growing importance of the breakfast occasion out of home with their aim to find the ultimate breakfast. Read More
The Jellybean Christmas party is the perfect opportunity for us to scrub up and don our finest ‘Glam Chic’ attire. It’s a much anticipated celebration for us beans and one which is firmly-fixed in our diaries. This year we visited Tuttons, a Covent Garden landmark in its own right, it’s a fantastic restaurant offering a menu full of classic English cuisine. With its warm red tones and modern interiors, we were lucky enough to enjoy this timeless establishment in one of their two stunning vault dining rooms, a perfect location for a festive celebration.
Over 250 of the great and the good in convenience-land gathered at London’s Barbican for the hotly awaited HIM Future of Convenience 2018 event. Here are my top seven take-outs and the key actions for convenience retail marketing communications that I think suppliers need to consider in the brave new world of convenience retailing.
