In the News

STARBUCKS IS GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT PLANTS

Starbucks, the Seattle-based coffee giant, which has been growing it’s menu of plantbased options in the past several months, is taking its strategy a step further, with a plantbased location. The company has a location in Seattle with a menu that is 100% plant-based. CEO Kevin Johnson said they are using it as a sort of test area to innovate and create things. “The No. 1 trend that I would highlight here is just the consumer shift and consumer preferences around plant-based.” Starbucks clearly believes that plant-based items are not only here to stay but are growing as a category. “Probably the most dominant shift in consumer behavior is this whole shift to plant-based,” Johnson said. “And that is a shift both in beverage and food.”

SKIP HITS BACK AT DELIVERY FEE CAP

SkipTheDishes has introduced a new fee on orders made through its platform in B.C. in response to the province’s temporary cap on the fees third-party delivery services charge restaurants, which went into effect on December 22. In late December, the B.C. government capped the amount delivery services can charge restaurants at 15 per cent for three months in a bid to help restaurants hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. SkipTheDishes is now charging a temporary ‘B.C. Fee’ of $0.99 on orders in the province. A message to users in B.C. reads in part: “To continue to provide you with the food you love from your favourite restaurants while providing earning opportunities for independently contracted couriers, you will now see a charge added to all orders in B.C. until the order is lifted.” The B.C. government has officially condemned the new consumer-facing fee, indicating that it is seeking legal advice regarding further action to address the surcharge. “When people are trying to stay home and stay safe while eating local, charging another fee on top of delivery is ridiculous,” Premier John Horgan stated on twitter.

SECOND CUP SALE

Aegis Brands Inc. has signed a deal to sell its specialty-coffee brand Second Cup Coffee Co. operations to Quebec-based Foodtastic Inc. The company says the sale price includes $14 million in cash, plus a post-closing earn-out. Foodtastic, a leader in the restaurant franchising business with over 130 restaurants and $240 million in annualized sales, is the franchiser of multiple restaurant concepts including, Au Coq, La Belle et La Boeuf, Monza, Carlos & Pepe’s, Souvlaki Bar, Nickels, Rotisseries Benny, Chocolato, Big Rig and Bacaro.

PLANT-BASE GROWTH SPURT

According to a report by Technavio, the plantbased meat market size will grow by USD 3.17 billion during 2020-2024, and the market’s growth momentum will accelerate during the forecast period because of the steady increase in year-over-year growth. North America was the largest plant-based meat market in 2019, and the region will offer several growth opportunities to market vendors during the forecast period.

NEW FOOD STUDIES DEGREE

George Brown’s Centre for Hospitality & Culinary Arts has launched the first four-year Honours Bachelor of Food Studies degree in Canada. This new program will combine culinary arts with a comprehensive food studies curriculum. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted many challenges and issues in the food system, including distribution, labour issues, the cost of food, and food insecurity. The Honours Bachelor of Food Studies degree program will bring new perspectives and increased awareness of these societal issues. This will enable students to better analyze and propose creative approaches to these issues. Graduates will be positioned to succeed in a wide range of food-related occupations including roles in culinary, education, tourism, recreation, health sector, food security, food justice, sustainability, economic development, agriculture, public policy and research.

GOOD BYE AUNT JEMIMA

Quaker Oats, a division of PepsiCo Inc., has announced its pancake mix and syrup products will be renamed “Pearl Milling Company” after the company dropped the “Aunt Jemima” brand logo last year, acknowledging its roots in a racial stereotype. The more than 130-year-old brand logo, which features a smiling African-American woman inspired by the 19th century “mammy” minstrel character, came under fire amid a national debate over racism and racial inequality in the United States. PepsiCo’s decision was part of a nationwide corporate response to protests over the treatment of African Americans and police brutality after the death of George Floyd, a Black man, in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. Pearl Milling Company was founded in 1888 in St. Joseph, Missouri, and was the originator of self-rising pancake mix. While the brand will be new to store shelves, the boxes and bottles of syrup will still have the familiar red packaging of Aunt Jemima.