Hospitality’s Christmas bookings hope, as WHO declare Omicron ‘mild’.

The hard-pressed hospitality sector received a much-needed boost when the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that cases of the Covid-19 variant Omicron appear to be ‘mild’. That, coupled with Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging people and businesses to go ahead with Christmas and New Year parties, could slow the number of those cancelling bookings, it is felt. Anecdotal evidence gathered by the hospitality industry since the variant emerged just as the countdown down to the festive season begins, suggests there were cancellations in direct response to Omicron’s emergence. However, more recent feedback from operators points to a slowing of cancellations, with many people determined to go ahead with parties, it is claimed.

Venues such as pubs, bars, restaurants and nightclubs have invested heavily to ensure the safety of staff and customers, focusing on better ventilation, hygiene and sanitation measures which SAGE recommend are the most effective measures of infection control, and meaning hospitality venues will be safer places at which to socialise with family and friends this Christmas than at home. But the slow-down in cancellations is small comfort for hospitality, after latest figures revealed that the sector has been hit by a 30% slump in Christmas bookings even before the emergence of Omicron.

A recent survey of hundreds of hospitality operators, representing tens of thousands of venues, reveals bookings for the festive period were down 12.4% on average based on expectations from 2019, while 56% of respondents said bookings were below what they had hoped. Alarmingly, 22% of those polled in the survey said that, even prior to Omicron, festive bookings were more than 30% below expectations. Reflecting this, operators in the sector are losing confidence. A new survey of business leaders in the sector shows confidence levels in the market have fallen seven percentage points to 51% in this quarter versus Q3 and are down by 16 percentage points to 54% when it comes to their own businesses.

In a joint statement, UKHospitality, the British Institute of Innkeeping, and the British Beer & Pub Association said: “The full range of hospitality venues across the UK would usually be experiencing their annual bookings bonanza at this time of year, but it hadn’t materialised even before Omicron was first detected.

“The WHO announcement that Omicron infections are generally mild, plus government promptings for festive gatherings to go ahead as planned, offer a crumb of comfort, and could at least slow the slew of cancellations the sector has experienced in the week since Omicron was discovered.

“We’d therefore urge those with bookings not to cancel them, but to carry on and enjoy their festive season parties, safe in the knowledge that hospitality venues are doing everything they can to ensure people have a safe and fun Christmas and New Year.”

Fundraising campaign brings a ‘pizza’ Christmas to children and families in need

Children’s charity Barnardo’s Christmas campaign will have a unique flavour this year thanks to partnership with a Warwickshire artisan pizza company.

Birtelli’s is working with Barnardo’s until the end of December and looking to raise £15,000 for the charity by supporting the Kidsmas campaign, which includes a live event at Birmingham Town Hall.

Birtelli’s is also aiming to deliver some Christmas cheer and fun by delivering pizza meal kits to children and families that are supported by Barnardo’s, helping them spend time together and eating home-grown produce-based pizzas, including a special Christmas pizza.

It was launched at the charity’s Warwickshire Family Centre, where staff and volunteers were able to see first-hand just how much creating, cooking and eating pizza can bring people together.

Aoibheann Doherty, community fundraising manager at Barnardo’s said: “Staff and volunteers were delighted when Birtelli’s approached them and suggested this innovative partnership as part of the wider Kidsmas campaign, particularly given the impact Covid 19 has had on families throughout the area. “They were able to see just how, together, we’ll be able to deliver moments of happiness, wellbeing and laughter to our support services across the UK. Christmas time can be a fantastic time for many children, but for some children living in poverty or living in social isolation it can bring many challenges. “We are grateful for the support of Birtelli’s through this partnership. We’re hoping it will inject some flavour and joy into Christmas this year, for both the children we care for and as a thank you to our own colleagues and volunteers who have worked so hard over the last 18 months.

“And until Boxing Day Birtelli’s will donate 15% of every pizza meal kit sold throughout England, Scotland and Wales to our Kidsmas campaign, and are hoping to raise £15,000 towards our Kidsmas campaign.

“It was great to launch the campaign by rewarding some of the unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic, Barnardo’s volunteers and staff. They have all worked so hard supporting and protecting children and young people across the UK, so deserve the recognition and the tasty pizzas served up at our meeting.”

Princes expands partnership with Coldiretti

The international food and drink group, Princes, has expanded a partnership established with Italian agricultural association, Coldiretti, to enhance the sustainability of its Napolina brand “100% Made in Italy” tomatoes. Through the agreement with Coldiretti, which includes Oxfam Italy in an advisory capacity on human rights, a new framework has been developed to enhance the ethical, environmental and economic value of the Italian tomato supply chain. This framework will help support Coldiretti’s ongoing efforts to tackle Italian food fraud – a market worth more than €100 billion (more than twice the value of Italian food exports to the entire world). The agreement involves a commitment from the Group’s Italian tomato processing facility, Princes Industrie Alimentari (PIA) – the home of Napolina tomatoes – to sign guaranteed threeyear supply contracts to enhance financial stability for Coldiretti growers, and work with the University of Foggia to ensure that the pricing of tomatoes reflects the true costs of growing and harvesting to enable the long-term sustainability of the industry. Through the partnership, Napolina and Coldiretti also want to drive innovation across the tomato supply chain through the implementation of agriculture 4.0 technologies, which they say will enhance environmental standards across the industry. This includes satellite surveys to monitor the development of crops and to tackle the impact of climate change, as well as precision control equipment to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers, herbicides, and non-biodegradable plastics, as well as waste and water management projects. Training will also be provided for farmers and technicians of partner farming cooperatives.

Andy Hargraves, group director for Italian Products, said: “Our 2019 initial partnership with Coldiretti was groundbreaking in itself but we have moved on further. The shared commitment with Coldiretti and our suppliers to maintain high environmental standards, reinforce ethical working practices and promote fair economic conditions is a significant step forward in protecting the future of the Italian tomato supply chain. There is no Italian tomato product on British shelves that has anything like the level of supply chain assurance behind Napolina.” Napolina and PIA have taken various steps to enhance social sustainability across the tomato supply chain, investing in the protection of human rights to support the fight against exploitation practices, such as the ‘Caporale’ (gang-master) system. With the additional guidance of Oxfam Italy, the agreement will strengthen transparency, allowing Napolina to ensure a 100% ethical product, whilst also empowering agricultural cooperatives through monitoring processes, and fieldworker training on agronomic practices, regulatory compliance, good labour relations practices, as well as technology and safety support. The agreement was officially signed this week at a ceremony in Rome, attended by the British Embassy.

Jill Morris, UK Ambassador, said: “Congratulations to Napolina and Princes for the renewal of their agreement with Coldiretti. The continuity of this agreement testifies the close and efficient collaboration between the UK and Italy in the agricultural sector and, more specifically, in the Italian tomato supply chain. This agreement honours both parties since it not only aims to promote the sector but guarantees fair working conditions and the respect of human rights in conformance with the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goal agenda.”

By renewing their agreement of 2019, PIA and Coldiretti say that they remain committed to further enhancing the quality and reputation of Italian tomatoes and restoring competitiveness to a strategic sector for the recovery of the country. Italy represents 15% of global tomato production for a sector that is worth over €3.7 billion in turnover. Puglia alone contributes around 30% to the entire volume of Italian tomatoes and approximately 60% to volumes grown in Southern Italy. At its Foggia plant - the largest industrial site in Europe – PIA processes around 200,000 tonnes of fresh tomatoes from the Apulian district annually and is supplied exclusively by producers who must hold Global G.A.P. GRASP or SA8000 certifications. In addition, all PIA’s tomato growers must be enrolled on the ‘Rete De Lavoro’, a Ministry of Labour public register of businesses fully compliant with labour and human rights legislation and transparent payment of wages.

Napolina remains the number one Italian cooking brand and number one in tomatoes, pasta, pulses and pizzeria (according to IRI January 2021 data). In 2020, Napolina saw value growth of +24%, an additional £30m in sales as well as adding two million new shoppers taking household penetration to 57%, a record for the brand, demonstrating the opportunity for retailers in the Italian category, according to Kantar data. With 1.6 million members, Coldiretti is the largest Italian and European agricultural organisation with the majority of companies operating in Italian agriculture and about 70 percent of the members of the Chambers of Commerce among the representative organisations.

Free online learning resource launched

A free to access online learning platform - the Grande Cuisine Academy – has been launched for student chefs, apprentice chefs, and chef lecturers.

The Grande Cuisine Academy, which has the support of PACE, the Craft Guild of Chefs, Hospitality Action, Choose Hospitality and the Burnt Chef project, features a host of resources to inspire young chefs and help them learn, even when they are not at college or in the workplace. As well as tutorial videos on a wide range of culinary skills the Grande Cuisine Academy features guidance on topics such as wellness and mental health, in addition to career advice from leading chefs including Paul Ainsworth, Neil Haydock, Steve Terry, and Simon Attridge. Steve Munkley, Chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs Graduate Awards is the Grande Cuisine Academy’s Brand Ambassador.

“The Grande Cuisine Academy is about giving something back to the hospitality industry at a time when we need to be doing as much as possible to attract young people into it, and then supporting them on their journey,” said Grande Cuisine managing director, Steve Hobbs. “At the heart of the project is a suite of videos, created in collaboration with chef lecturers from MK College, on everything from knife skills to vegetable cuts, creating mother sauces to filleting a variety of fish. All of these videos, along with practical hints, tips and advice from leading chefs can be accessed absolutely free at academy.grandecuisine.co.uk.”

Commenting on the launch of the Grande Cuisine Academy, chair of PACE, Molly Shaher added: “Chef lecturers across the UK have been looking for an online resource like this for years and the need for distance learning support has become even more acute during the pandemic. We are delighted to support what we are sure will become an invaluable resource for them, their students and apprentice chefs entering the industry.”

All resources on the website, which can be accessed via a laptop, tablet or mobile device are free to access but anybody who signs up with an email address will receive additional benefits including regular updates on Grande Cuisine Academy activities, details of exclusive events, advance notice of when new content is posted, and discounts on products from partners such as Russums and KitchenKnives.co.uk. In addition, any students or apprentices who sign up will automatically receive one year’s free membership to the Craft Guild of Chefs, whose CEO, Andrew Green, said: “The Craft Guild of Chefs has a long tradition of nurturing and supporting young people entering the hospitality industry and so we are fully supportive of the Grande Cuisine Academy.”

New sourdough pucks launched

With half of diners prepared to pay more for a sourdough pizza (according to eepl - Schulstad Bakery Solutions - Pizza & Sourdough Pizza Base Survey October 2021), Lantmännen Unibake UK has announced plans to help operators tap into the increasingly popular premium pizza trend with a ready-made pizza dough that’s enriched with sourdough.

The company is extending its range of conveniently frozen dough pucks with the introduction of Schulstad Bakery Solutions (SBS) Sourdough Pucks (220g). Available for operators to order now, the new product provides outlets with an on trend dough that’s full of flavour, combined with the convenience and versatility to create their own shapes and formats.

Pizza continues to be one of the top food items ordered out of home, with 87% of consumers buying a pizza once a month when either dining in at a restaurant or for takeaway, their survey also found, but not any old pizza will do though, it seems. In fact, their survey found that over half (57%) of consumers agreed that a good pizza is freshly made with 43% stating that the use of quality ingredients is an integral element of a decent pizza.

As consumers become more discerning, there has been a significant rise in gourmet menu items, providing a truly authentic experience, which diners are willing to pay a premium for, the company claim (according to their own survey findings, half would pay extra for a pizza using a sourdough base – up to £3.03 more than a standard base).

The SBS Sourdough Puck boasts a superior San Francisco sourdough flavour, a fast bake and a crust that lifts and bubbles to deliver an artisan appearance, whilst bringing a subtle sour flavour to enhance rather than overpower the overall pizza. Like the existing SBS Dough Pucks range, the new Sourdough Pucks are also frozen for maximum convenience and minimum wastage, ensuring the dough is always fresh and helping to deliver consistent high-quality results.

Kate Sykes, marketing manager at Lantmännen Unibake UK, said: “We recognise that creating the perfect pizza dough is a long process, particularly when using sourdough. This is precious prep time, that could be better spent elsewhere. With our new Schulstad Bakery Solutions Sourdough Pucks, the hard work is done for you, ensuring you meet demand for a premium offering, delivering delicious and consistent gourmet pizzas to your customers every time.

“With pizzas increasingly growing in popularity, this low-cost solution versus a potential high selling price for the finished product, enables outlets to maximise their profits, providing the flexibility to add different toppings in order to hit margins, without compromising on quality. The addition of sourdough, also provides the option for diners to trade up and operators to drive further revenue.”