11 minute read
Prezzo announce pay increase and Boxing Day closure.
In September, Prezzo announced an average 4% pay rise for its restaurant teams as of this month, and claimed to be the first restaurant group to confirm closure on Boxing Day in order to give team members time with friends and family (the high street chain has also been shortlisted for Best Mental Health Strategy at the Employee Benefits Awards 2021).
Prezzo added that it had announced the pay rises in deep appreciation of the care and commitment shown by their teams since they re-opened their restaurants, and that it was part of a wider strategy to encourage more of their existing and future team members to pursue career opportunities with Prezzo, having also introduced new development and pay progression opportunities for both their kitchen and front of house teams. To improve the attractiveness of management roles within their restaurants, they have also increased pay for managers by an average of 5%.
As a result of the increases, every Prezzo team member will be paid above the national minimum wage, Prezzo also recognising that career opportunities represent just one element that team members value; the mental and physical health of our teams being a top priority, they add. It was their primary focus throughout the pandemic, they stated, and in acknowledgement of this, Prezzo has been shortlisted for the Best Mental Health Strategy at the Employee Benefits Awards 2021.
Alongside this pay rise and in recognition of the extraordinary efforts of our team since reopening, all Prezzo restaurants will close on Boxing Day say the group so as to give teams a two-day break during the busiest trading period of the year.
Karen Jones, executive chair, Prezzo said: “Re-opening all of hospitality after a third prolonged lockdown has been an extraordinary challenge. Every part of the industry has felt the strain and at the front line stand our wonderful teams, front and back of house, of whom we are so proud. Making sure we get pay right is a pre-requisite; ensuring our Prezzo people feel valued and cared for is equally as important. We can never do enough in this regard to ensure the future flourishing of all. Thank you Prezzo people!”
Carluccio’s launch Italian snack boxes for Jet2
A taste of Italy can now be enjoyed at 35,000 ft as Carluccio’s Italian Snack Boxes cruise onto the in-flight menu of leading leisure airline Jet2.com this autumn.
A maiden flight for Carluccio’s, this is another innovation from the Italian multi-channel, multi-format brand founded by the late Antonio Carluccio, which has recently seen collaborations with Sainsbury’s.
The £4.80 Carluccio’s Italian Snack Boxes will be available on all Jet2.com flights with the UK’s third largest airline. The box includes Taralli (a traditional savoury snack from Southern Italy made with three simple ingredients - olive oil, flour and water), two dips (tangy cheese and tomato and garlic), handmade skinny grissini bread sticks, baked and double dipped in chocolate, and torcetti (a twisted butter cookie from Piedmont, Northern Italy, hand finished in sugar).
Giving passengers an extra perk, each Snack Box comes with a 20% off voucher, which can be used across the 25-strong Carluccio’s restaurant estate and delis nationwide as well as via the brand’s online store.
Sarah Strangeway, head of buying at Carluccio’s, said: “We are thrilled to be taking Carluccio’s to the skies for the first time with Jet2.com and have created a box filled with authentic Italian products sourced from artisan producers to give passengers a delicious quality treat on their travels.”
Scarcity forecasts spike in pasta prices
Ingredients experts, Eurostar Commodities, has warned that the 2021 durum wheat harvest is recording fresh high prices, resulting in an almost emergency situation.
Significant price increases in raw materials will see on-shelf prices of pasta and macaroni spiral upwards, the company stated at the start of September, adding in a more recent statement: “There has been an increase in wholesale prices but this is now set in place until February next year. So, that is our position and will provide at least some stability until February 2022.” The challenging times have been triggered by a worsening situation in major durum wheat producer, Canada, where the forecast has been revised down by more than one-third from 5 million tonnes to only 3.4 million tonnes, say Eurostar. There has been resulting panic and global speculation, and the market is predicting that there will not be enough durum wheat for the demand that exists globally. “The market is completely out of control and as a result there has been an approximately 90% increase in raw material prices as well as increases in freight,” explained Jason Bull, director, Eurostar Commodities.
“This is a dire situation hitting all semolina producers and all buyers of durum wheat across the globe. Companies are buying at record high prices and farmers are holding onto wheat and driving the price up. We expect to see shortages on supermarket shelves and increasing prices which will ultimately be passed onto consumers. We may also see substitutions whereby pasta will be produced with soft wheat flour rather than hard durum wheat.”
Durum wheat is the key ingredient of pasta. It is the second most cultivated species of wheat after common wheat and is ground down into semolina to make a variety of different products including pasta and macaroni. Influencing factors include extreme heat in Canada where there has been hardly any rainfall since seeding and poor weather in Europe with lots of rain affecting quality and yield. French wheat too, it has been reported, has also had a poor year with the poor quality due to excessive rain.
Pasta straw company, Stroodles, has now extended its product range into a fully edible tableware range available for retail, as well as trade.
The new range includes biscuit spoons, wheat bran plates and bowls, and wafer cups and all of the company’s new products are 100% biodegradable, vegan, zero waste and even edible, and most importantly, they don’t compromise your drinking or dining experience, claim the company.
Since the launch of their famous pasta drinking straws in 2019, which have since become a global and viral trend, chief stroodle and founder, Maxim Gelmann, says that the company are now ready to grow their movement and own the eco-tableware category, their aim being to show how easy it is to do good, ‘one Stroodle product at a time’.
Speaking about the motivation behind the expansion of their product portfolio, Maxim Gelmann said: “Stroodles is more than a company, we are a movement dedicated to making real change by impacting the planet in positive, eco-kind ways. We have always taken our commitment to creating solutions to plastic pollution very seriously. Ever since we started off with our signature pasta straw we knew this was just the beginning of our journey.”
Their new edible, vegan spoons are made from biscuit and have a one hour use time with cold dishes and 30 minutes with hot dishes. The ice cream (6.8 and 7cm) and dessert spoons (8.4cm) are available in oat flavour and a gluten-free chocolate version. Large 14cm spoons are available in classic, cacao, pepper and masala variants. The coffee stirrers are 11.5cm in length, made from biscuit, are gluten-free and vegan and can be eaten after use.
Stroodles’ edible plates and bowls in which you can serve hot and cold food, are made from wheat bran and are designed to be 100% biodegradable, vegan and compostable in 30 days. Their plates are available in diameters of 16, 20, 24 and 28cm, with a round bowl variant of 20cm diameter and an oval bowl measuring at 24 x 16cm. Additionally, smaller 250ml bowls and 100 and 30ml saucers made from biscuit are soon to be released.
Finally, Stroodles’ new edible cups are made from wafer, designed to last for at least 40 minutes with hot drinks and be heat-resistant up to 85°C. There is no transfer of heat and the wafer doesn’t change the drink’s taste. The cups are available in 110ml and 220ml volumes and are perfect with hot drinks, as well as cocktails and even desserts. An outer recyclable holder can be customised upon request.
Come visit us on stand (A18) at
The European Pizza & Pasta Show, London, Olympia, October 18th & 19th 2021.
The Pizza Pasta & Italian Food Association has announced the launch of a National Pizza Week in November (22-28th) backed by a substantial publicity campaign featuring both written and social media.
The campaign, which already has the backing of several leading brands across both the retail and foodservice sectors, will be focused round the theme ‘treat yourself’ with the aim of both encouraging consumers to treat family and friends to pizzas in the lead up to Christmas as well as promoting the industry as a good place to work, offering great career opportunities. It will also highlight the versatility of pizza, offering something for all tastes.
Operators across the retail and foodservice markets are encouraged to take advantage of the campaign by creating their own promotions. There is no cost involved in taking part and the logo for the campaign is available free to download from the PAPA website – www.papa.org.uk. There is also a brief presentation about the campaign plans on the website. “We have long discussed creating such a week to support the industry and we felt that this year was the time to do that,” said PAPA director, Jim Winship. “Our aim is to get people talking about pizza throughout the month of November – firstly through our awards and then through a concerted consumer campaign.”
To support the campaign, the Association will be launching a special consumer website and will be encouraging bloggers, journalists and chat show hosts to talk pizza by delivering pizzas to them. Any operators interested in getting involved in pizza deliveries to the media should email jim@papa.org.uk
Join Consistent Shred™ this Pizza Week on social media as we celebrate our favourite food. Pizza!
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Specifically created for commercial kitchens and takeaways, the team at Spinneyfields have developed and refined the use of their unique TCS™ Technology to produce a great-tasting pizza cheese that is easier to handle with no clumping, and zero waste. The performance of Consistent Shred™ is outstanding in an array of applications, used as an ingredient within your recipes or as a topping. Simply put, pizza made with Consistent Shred™ will arrive to the consumer looking better, and with a longer-lasting soft stretchy texture. Guaranteeing happier, returning customers. Consistent quality. Less waste. More profit.
The Consistent Shred™ range is made from top-quality dairy ingredients using advanced techniques, for consistency with every single shred. Your customers can enjoy pizza with no burning, no blistering; just generous coverage, perfect melt and rich texture to keep them satisfied every time.
Get the most value out of your ingredients budget with Consistent Shred™. The TCS™ Technology gives each shred of cheese its firm texture and consistent size. That means less wasted product and a greater yield on every purchase. And, with it’s easy-to-handle design, your team will be able to save on preparation time and maximise productivity.
With three unique products in the range to choose from, Consistent Shred™ makes technically perfect pizza preparation easy, no matter what your signature style requires. We guarantee consistent quality with the delicious value-for-money Pizza Topper. Ideal for all uses and budgets. Pizza Topper is available IQF and in packs of 6 x 2kg.
Our Mozzarella & Cheddar is a best-selling soft melt blend and is designed to deliver a consistent melt, fantastic stretch and a creamy, rich flavour time after time. Mozzarella & Cheddar is also available IQF and in packs of 6 x 2kg.
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You can request a free sample and find your local stockist by heading to our website: www.consistentshred.com
Consistent Shred™ is not just for pizza. Anything on your menu that requires a creamy sauce or mouth-watering cheesy topping can achieve TCS™ perfection with Consistent Shred™. From panini sandwiches and mac’n’cheese – to baked dishes like lasagne and enchiladas – your meals will arrive at the table with soft, smooth and irresistible cheese appeal.
If you’re looking for a delicious pizza cheese to celebrate National Pizza Week, then look no further than Consistent Shred™. We’d love to see your tasty creations on social media. Make sure to tag us #consistentshred on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
For more information on Consistent Shred™, visit www.consistentshred. com or get in touch with the team at sales@consistentshred.com.
