QuickBite Magazine September 2015

Into The Melting Pot We meet the toasting team from The Melt Room in Soho

Coffee Shops & Tea Rooms These popular businesses are constantly evolving the high street so we look at the latest trends

September 2015

Print edition £3.25 • €4.50

Clockjack

We visit Clockjack, one of London’s quirkiest chicken shops

American Inspired Foods When it comes to trends in the UK food market it appears that our friends from across the Atlantic lead the way

lunch! 2015 Preview

lunch! 2015 is just weeks away and we look at some of the stands that you simply must visit

www.quickbitemagazine.co.uk The UK’s Largest Food-To-Go and Quick Service Restaurant Magazine

A message from the editor

Power for the people!

Welcome back.

The world of food and drink has really embraced technology over the last few months with more and more stories about the use of mobile apps, POS equipment, online ordering and of course contactless payments popping up.

Brands are constantly looking for way to be interact with their customers and to make the purchase of products quicker, easier and more satisfactory. In recent news McDonald’s announced the launch of table service in one of their restaurants in Mottram, Greater Manchester with plans to roll the scheme out to a further 11 sites should it prove successful. The burger giant has also implemented touch-screen ordering points to speed up service. Earlier in the week I got the opportunity to speak to BBC Radio (p.7) about the subject of technology in the fast food and QSR market and I feel that more than ever it is an area for businesses to invest in as consumers become more ‘tech-savvy’.

So, back to the current issue.

This month we have all of the regular news and columns including Accountancy, the Legal pages, Property and What’s New so that you can keep up-to-date with the big issues facing the industry.

We also run previews on the long awaited trade shows coming up at the end of the month, lunch! 2015 and Takeaway Expo.

Inspiration is key in this industry and following trends can pay real dividends to businesses, in the menu choices section of the magazine we look at American Inspired Foods as well as Chips and Potato Products.

We delve into the world of Coffee Shops & Tea Rooms to see what the latest developments are in terms of products and equipment. We also take a look at Cheese in our dairy focus.

We discuss the importance of Business Identity and this month had the privilege of speaking to two of London’s most talked about venues, sampling rotisserie chicken with Clockjack and the moreish melts of The Melt Room.

Editor

Scott Rumsey scottr@mvhmedia.co.uk Office: +44 (0) 333 003 0499

Commercial Manager

Lewis Wantling info@mvhmedia.co.uk Office: +44 (0) 333 003 0499

Advertising sales

Sandra Bouillet sandrab@mvhmedia.co.uk Office: +44 (0) 333 003 0499

Finance

Laura Williams finance@mvhmedia.co.uk Office: +44 (0) 333 003 0499

Design

Simon Warbrook design@mvhmedia.co.uk

Until next time,

FR

EE !

Front cover image courtesy of Charlie McKay Page 38

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The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or the publisher.

Issue 24 September 2015

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Contents

Contents 20

40

55

38 26 06

News Round-up

ere you’ll find all the latest news H about what’s been happening in the industry

Features 20

Lunch Preview

l unch! 2015 is just weeks away and we look at some of the stands that you simply must visit

Chips and Potato 32 Products

side from chips, the nation’s A favourite side dish, we also check out some great alternatives

49

Property roperty 58 P Take a look at what properties are

ith so many in the industry W getting things right and a growing demand we explore these high street locations

Business Identity

hy branding is so important to W your business and how you can create the best possible identity

value that cheese can bring to your menu

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Takeaway Expo

look at one of the UK’s largest A trade shows

Business Profiles 38 Melt Room

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44

Coffee Shops and 40 Tea Rooms

American Inspired Foods 52 Dairy 26

In this issue we look at the added

When it comes to trends in the UK food market it appears that our friends from across the Atlantic lead the way

32

I s there anything better than a toasted sandwich? The team at The Melt Room don’t think so!

Clockjack

e visit Clockjack, one of W London’s quirkiest chicken shops

available for sale throughout the country, right now

What’s new ew products 64 N

Find out what new products are

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44

64

now available for the foodservice sector

Diary dates ates for your diary 66 D

Make sure you’re up to date with what events are taking place where in the coming months

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News Round-up

News Round-up

Deliveroo to expand internationally with £45m investment

Deliveroo, the on-demand delivery service for restaurants, has today announced a £45 million investment, which will be used to accelerate Deliveroo’s international expansion

In January, £15m investment was raised and since then, business has seen daily orders grow by 500%.

Talking about the investment, William Shu, co-founder and CEO of Deliveroo, said: “We’ve seen huge demand for our service from customers and restaurant partners alike.

“Although we’ve grown rapidly since inception, we’re extremely excited to be entering into the next phase of our ambitious expansion strategy.

“We’re committed to building our team

of passionate drivers, offering restaurants a new revenue stream and helping more customers around the world discover and enjoy great local food with an unparalleled level of convenience.”

There are currently over 2,000 restaurants are delivering through the platform in the UK, including the likes of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, MEATLiquor and Wagamama.

It has also launched its service in France, Germany and Ireland and increased its UK reach to 18 towns and cities across the country.

itsu continues rapid expansion with Reading site

itsu the UK’s fastest growing healthy, Asian inspired, food brand, is continuing with their expansion after announcing the opening of its latest shop in Reading

The site which opened this August as part of its national expansion drive on key regional sites, takes the total number of shops to 58. itsu Reading will be launching its breakfast menu, which will include a range of hot dishes, from porridge to poached eggs plus a variety of breakfast ‘beautysmoothies’ and juices, all blended fresh at the counter. The shop will also offer fresh coffee and a full range of frozen yoghurt options (fro-go).

Said Takhamt, director of development at itsu commented: “We’re excited to be introducing our ‘eat beautiful’ concept to Reading. The demand from customers who travel from Reading to London has been a huge driver in opening up here.

“Our customers want amazing flavours from the Far East; high in nutrients yet refreshingly low in calories and saturated fat. We’re proud to offer protein packed, healthy and ethically sourced food to satisfy breakfast, lunch and dinner, all freshly prepared in each itsu every day.”

Founded in 1997 by Pret a Manger cofounder Julian Metcalfe, itsu opened its first site outside of London in Oxford in 2013, followed by Brighton in 2014. The group have also revealed that they plan is to grow their nationwide footprint in the next 12 months by opening another 10 to 15 further sites.

McDonald’s launches table service for the first time in UK restaurants McDonald’s one of the world’s most recognisable QSR brands have announced the launch of a trial where they will offer table service in some of their locations The trial, which will begin at the chain’s Mottram branch in Greater Manchester, is expected to be rolled out to 11 more UK restaurants later this month should the move be successful.

Customers at the store will be able to place an order with a staff member who will be equipped with a tablet and in some cases will be able to use a ‘digital kiosk’ on the tables.

A spokesperson for McDonald’s told national media: “We have listened to customer feedback and to meet their evolving expectations we are significantly investing in our restaurants to create an exciting new environment and improve the customer experience.

“We are testing some new concepts, such as table service, whereby customers place their order via our new digital kiosks and then have their food brought to them.”

Table service has already been rolled out in parts of France, Germany and Australia, but the company has faced increasing challenges from more upmarket rivals such as GBK and Byron as well as the influx of other QSR’s from the U.S such as Five Guys and Shake Shack.

If the scheme proves successful, table service is widely expected to be rolled out nationally, though there will still be an option to order at the till.

The firm says it hopes the service will provide customers with a more relaxed, modern dining experience.

Talking exclusively to BBC Radio Solent, Scott Rumsey, Editor of QuickBite Magazine said: “This is just another example of McDonald’s reinventing themselves and looking to embrace technology.

“As one of the largest brands in the world it is obvious that they would be targeted by some corners of the market but the introduction of Steve Easterbrook as Chief Executive has got them back on track.

“I’m sure this will help them add to the 37 quarters of continuous growth that they have received in the UK and in time they can be expected to show growth in their homeland.

“Consumers are now far more ‘tech-savvy’ and this move will not only allow people to order their food the way that they want it but might also reduce waiting times as there will be no need to join the back of long lines that the stores offer encounter during peak-times.”

Lloyds Bank Insurance release Big Issues for Small Businesses report

Lloyds Bank Insurance have today announced the release of their Big Issues for Small Businesses report which highlights some of the problems that those in the industry may be facing

Here a QuickBite magazine many of our readers will operate small companies in a range of sectors from fish & chips to cafés, delis and other QSR’s, so it can be vital to look at how these businesses are affected.

The annual report studies microbusinesses (businesses with nine or less employees) to uncover the issues they face and in this year’s results, researchers found that two thirds of these microbusinesses rely on family support to operate.

Key findings included: Family and friends put in an average of six hours per week to help Britain’s smallest businesses 6

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51% of business owners do not pay their family and friends for this help 64% of businesses rely on family and friends to support with everything from major business decisions, running errands, marketing and childcare 10% of businesses say that without this support they would not be able to go on These facts highlight some of the struggles that independents face and accounts for the extra help that they receive in order to succeed. One reflection it is fair to say that without extra funding, donations or voluntary help it could be that many face the probability of closure.

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News Round-up

News Round-up Dunkin’ Donuts offer delivery service with express restaurant Dunkin’ Donuts have opened a new, express restaurant in London, which will offer a delivery service to nearby locations alongside its all-day coffee and baked goods offering

Greggs CEO says ‘high-rent’ to blame for lack of London openings Greggs one of the stalwarts of the UK high street are avoiding opening sites in central London because of high rent prices, according to the chain’s Chief Executive, Roger Whiteside In the wake of the company soaring sales, which have jumped 6.4% to £398 million in the last six months, the high rent prices would force the bakery chain to increase prices.

Chief Executive, Mr Whiteside, said: “London’s going strong but we’ve still got a problem in zones one and two because we simply can’t afford those rents and keep our prices low. I can’t see that changing

any time soon.

Greggs has recently launched a major push towards healthier snacks, as well as introducing pizza slices and salads to the menu.

An indicator of how well the company are doing is the fact that breakfast sales have also seen an increase, especially with sales of porridge and coffee which are some of the fastest growing menu items.

Food-to-go on the rise as only 5% bring packed lunch to work The home-made packed lunch is becoming a thing of the past with less than one in twenty workers bringing their own lunch to work A study conducted with a national health and safety law consultancy has found that the convenience of ready-made sandwiches as well as office rules about eating at desks mean that fewer employees than ever are bothering to bring their own food to work with them.

Only 5% of workers brought in a packed lunch from home, with 14% using the staff canteen, 13% visiting a fast food establishment, 16% buying sandwiches from a shop, and 9% going to the pub.

With nearly a third of all workers opting to use a food-to-go facility the indications are that the industry is in fine fettle and that choice and demand are still on the rise.

Mark Hall, of protecting.co.uk, said: “It’s well known that worker productivity is linked to both decent breakfasts and lunches, and it appears that thanks to so-called convenient foods, fewer employees are eating properly.

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“The number of people who have a proper meal during their working day is depressingly low and we’re shocked at the number of folk who go without something to eat at all.

“We don’t have to be Jamie Oliver to point out that junk food leads to all kinds of illnesses in the long run, while companies can’t press their workers into what kind of lunch they eat, they could try out a healthy eating campaign to encourage better nutrition.

“To go without lunch, or to fill yourself with junk food shouldn’t be an option in a healthy workplace. It’s time the lunchbox made a comeback. Make the effort, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Some businesses in the industry may be disappointed with the sweeping generalisation about fast food as there are a wide range of salads, soups, sandwiches and health drinks on the market which are nutritious.

The new express restaurant on Baker Street will be fully owned by a local franchisee group and will be open from 7am to 10pm Monday – Friday and 9am to 9pm on Sundays.

To celebrate the grand opening, the London-based franchisee hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony and promotional activities at the store.

The restaurant will have comfortable outdoor seating and will provide a welcoming environment for guests to enjoy Dunkin’ Donuts’ food and beverages in a friendly and fun atmosphere.

As the new restaurant in central London is an Express outlet, the store will simply offer Dunkin’ Donuts’ internationally recognised coffee and donuts rather than an extensive menu.

Ketan Patel of DDMG Ltd, who currently operates three Dunkin’ Donuts sites, said: “Dunkin’ Donuts is one of the world’s leading brands, and it has also become a favourite in the UK. “We are proud to serve the people of London and hope to become a popular destination for guests.”

Dunkin’ Donuts opened its first restaurant in the UK in Harrow in 2013 and there are currently eight Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants in the UK, operating in Baker Street, Harrow, Chelmsford, Hounslow, Cambridge, St Albans, Woolwich and Wood Green.

Just Eat announce strong growth with 54% revenue increase Just Eat, the online takeaway service, has reported that revenue is up 54% to £107.8 million and underlying EBITDA is up 62% to £25.8 million in the six months ended June 30th 2015

Orders with the company are up 52% to 41.9 million from 27.5 million in the first half of the year and like for like orders are up 47%.

David Buttress, chief executive officer, said: “Just Eat has made a very strong start to 2015, increasing the numbers of active users, takeaway restaurants and orders.

“We have seen the success of our ongoing strategy to reinvest profits above target to drive additional growth.

“I am particularly pleased to see the results of our mobile strategy, which has already created a much improved

experience for our app and mobile users.

“We have acquired market-leading operations in three new rapidly growing markets of scale: Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

“I would like to thank the entire Just Eat team, who have worked tirelessly to achieve these results.”

The group aims to drive revenue into the second half of the year by further investing in technology and marketing. The company’s active users are up 59% to 11 million from 6.9 million in June and orders via mobile devices also showed strong growth, accounting for 60% of total orders.

Food Standards Agency highlight consumer concerns The top two food safety issues for consumers are food hygiene when eating out (37%) and the use of additives in food products (29%), according to the Food Standards Agency The results feature in the FSA’s Biannual Public Attitudes Tracker, which also found that consumers were concerned about the amount of food in sugar in food (51%), food waste (49%) and the amount of salt in food (47%).

The tracker found that 83% of consumers reported being aware of the hygiene standards in places they eat out at or buy food from.

The most commonly reported ways of knowing about hygiene standards were the general appearance of premises (61%) and the appearance of staff (46%). Of these

respondents, 43% also reported using hygiene certificates and 32% reported using hygiene stickers.

Of those surveyed, 80% of respondents reported being aware of the FSA and 89% reported the main issue the FSA is responsible for was ensuring food bought is safe to eat.

In total, 48% of consumers reported concern about food safety in UK restaurants, pubs, cafés and takeaways, whilst 42% reported concern about food safety in shops and supermarkets.

Of those who answer questions 65% said they trusted the FSA and thought that the organisation were well suited to offer guidance.

KFC embrace technology by offering Apple pay KFC has begun offering its customers access to Apple Pay, a new category of service that transforms mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay when it launches in the UK David Timm, chief marketing officer for KFC, said: “We are delighted to be one of the lead businesses in the UK to embrace this new form of contactless payment.

“Apple Pay technology can revolutionise the payment process for our customers, and as a future focused business we are excited to be at the forefront of its inception into this country.”

It is believe that KFC have taken the choice to follow many of the other big brands in the QSR market into the world of mobile payment and with consumer expectation. In a bid to make the quickest of quick serve even faster today’s tech-savvy consumers are on trend and this latest deal means that the chicken giant are also on tread.

The service means that when you add a credit or debit card to Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique device account number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the secure element on your device.

Each transaction is then authorised with a one-time unique dynamic security code, instead of using the security code from the back of your card.

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News Round-up

News Round-up

Survey finds poorly organised coffee shops spoil the QSR experience for consumers A new survey from HospitalityGEM has found that poor organisation and timing at coffee shops is the factor most likely to spoil an experience Of those who responded to the study 42% cited the poor organisation and timing as a major problem whilst 15% said they would be least tolerant of a robotic service style, indicating ‘personality’ should be viewed as the icing on the cake, behind getting the product right and being organised.

Steven Pike, managing director of HospitalityGEM, said: “Maximising the guest experience is not solely about the quality of the product offering. It is also about the organisation, timing and how a team engage with the customer, which must all work seamlessly in harmony with an operators brand values.

“Three quarters of those surveyed said they would stay longer and spend more if the

service was good – so who says service is not about sales?

A great experience can help to increase dwell time, which will then encourage a team to upsell, as well as encouraging customers to return again and again.”

Pret CEO highlights growth of vegetarian sales and considers unique store Pret a Manger is considering opening a dedicated vegetarian store after seeing a distinct sales shift in recent months according to Chief Executive, Clive Schlee Writing in his CEO Blog, Mr Schlee, suggested opening the site and replacing Pret’s sandwiches and salads containing meat and fish with a range of vegetarian items.

Schlee is now asking the public for their opinions on the idea, including a poll on the blog which saw 46% of voters agree with the opening of a vegetarian Pret, but 50% would rather see a devoted vegetarian fridge in every store, with the final 4% suggesting that no change was necessary.

Speaking on his blog Schlee said: “I regularly look at Pret’s sales mix to see which food categories are growing and

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which are shrinking.

“Recently, there has been a distinct shift towards vegetarian.

“The top selling SuperBowl in our latest salad launch was Beets, Squash and Feta, beating chicken, salmon and crayfish alternatives. This would have been unheard of five years ago.

“One idea is to open a vegetarian Pret A Manger shop. It would offer the usual Pret menu but replace sandwiches and salads containing meat and fish with a delicious range of vegetarian items.

“These dishes would have to be good because in the food business, it is always taste that wins the day. Put simply, vegetarian food has to be delicious if it is to gain more traction.

“The danger of doing this is that we take choice away and upset loyal customers and, of course, we love our current range.

“The reason to do it is to act as a beacon for more innovation at Pret for the future, which offers greater choice. It would encourage Pret to create tastier vegetarian food and tempt customers who are inclined to try new alternatives.

“This idea is still in its infancy. There are some within Pret who believe we should be more cautious and simply put in a dedicated fridge full of vegetarian food. Other colleagues are excited by the symbol and the challenge.”

Brits spend record amounts on eating out for breakfast Brits are spending £76 million every day on eating out for breakfast, according to a new survey by purchasing company, Beacon The research reveals that one in three people eat breakfast outside of the home at least once a week, with 9.6 million people eating out every day.

Talking about the findings, Paul Connelly, Managing Director at Beacon, who conducted the research, said: ““This research into our morning eating habits has proven that breakfast, considered to be the most important meal of the day, is a multibillion pound a year industry, with £76million being spent by Brits every day.

“With almost half of those asked eating out for breakfast now more than they did five years ago, across all age groups, this trend can be seen as indicative of growing consumer confidence, which in turns signals a continued boost to the UK’s economy.

“These results in turn should give assurance to the UK’s hospitality market and impetus to invest in their breakfast offer to ensure that growing customer expectations are met.”

Almost half of those surveyed eat breakfast out more now than they did five years ago and on average Brits are now spending £7.31 on breakfast outside of the home, with an indulgent 1% splashing out more than £21.

Four in five Brits (80%) consider breakfast to be the most important meal of the day - with motivations including a weekend treat with family and friends (47%), staying at a hotel (47%), convenience (26%) and travelling to work (14%).

Furthermore, it appears Brits are starting to consider breakfast as a key time to choose to eat out, with 76% less likely to eat out for lunch or dinner if they’ve chosen to eat out for breakfast.

British retailers embrace tapas trend but foodservice lags behind A recent report from Mintel highlights the love for Spanish cuisine, identifying that 74 per cent of UK tourists say it’s worth going to Spain specifically for the food and the wine, and it stands to reason that the same people also want to enjoy this style of cuisine at home too UK citizens continue to be one of the most important groups for Spanish tourism, making up a quarter of all visitors, with 14.3 million Brits visiting Spain annually.

Increasingly intrepid British foodies are now looking for new ingredients and dishes to consume not just on holiday but also when they return home.

The tapas trend has really taken off in supermarkets, with many retailers seeing sales rises of up to 40 per cent year on year. Tesco have reported that in 2014, UK consumers purchased 30 per cent more tapas foods than in 2013. Meanwhile, M&S report that their Spanish tapas meat selection sales were up 50 per cent.

While tapas sales in the retail sector are booming, the foodservice market is lagging behind, failing to take advantage of consumer demand. There are still very few convenient options for restaurants and bars that do not have the budget for expensive chefs, but still want to provide easy to prepare, quality tapas-style dishes.

One such company that have embraced this demand are A.R.T. Foods who have recently introduced a frozen tapas range designed for the foodservice sector.

The Tapas Club range has been successfully launched, providing a one stop shop for restaurants and bars to fulfil their meat, fish and vegetable finger food and buffet needs.

Talking to QuickBite about the products was, Annelies van Mourik, Director at A.R.T. Foods, who said: “This exciting new range fills a notable gap in the foodservice market, providing customers with fast,

easy, high quality tapas-style dishes, which carry an authentic taste cooked from frozen.

“Despite the increasing popularity of tapas, it is still seriously underrepresented in the UK compared to other cuisines.

“There is plenty of room for the tapas trend to grow in the food service markets, because consumers are increasingly looking high quality dishes served with much shorter waiting times.”

Takeaway sector worth £9bn to the UK economy according to research New research from online takeaway service provider Just Eat and economic analysts at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) has revealed that the takeaway sector was worth an estimated £9 billion to the UK economy in 2014 The findings, released ahead of the British Takeaway Awards, show an increase of 25% since 2009 proving that the industry is growing.

Spending in 2014 was equivalent to nearly £6.40 per UK household per week. The industry contributed £4 billion to UK GDP during 2014.

The study also found that Londoners spent £1.4 billion in 2014, which is more than any other area in the UK. Graham Corfield, UK managing director of Just Eat, said: ‘We know takeaways contribute a huge amount to our culture, but what many don’t realise is the enormous contribution takeaway restaurants – often small, independent, family-run, and an integral part of local business – make to our economy.”

Takeaway demand is expected to grow at about the rate of inflation for the next five years, supporting an estimated 250,000 direct jobs by 2020 and the three highest income groups (those on £38,000 or more) account for 49% of the takeaway market.

Another positive sign was that total employment in the takeaway industry rose by 10% from 2012 to 2014 and by nearly 17% over the past five years, mirroring the wider growth the sector has seen.

In addition to the people employed directly in the sector, the knock-on economic impact of the industry supports a further 72,000 full-time jobs, of which 38,000 are indirect jobs in the supply chain, and 34,000 are induced jobs in the wider economy.

The sector is expected to generate another 30,000 jobs over the next five years, according to the online ordering platform company.

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News Round-up

News Round-up

Coopers Coffee release ‘How-to’ guides for independent cafes

FSA offers warning for BBQ enthusiasts

Coopers, one of the most well-known suppliers of coffee and equipment, has launched a series of guides to help owners of independent coffee shops and cafes run a profitable business

With the BBQ season in full swing the Food Standards Agency have today realised a set of handy tips after research highlighted that many BBQ enthusiasts actually put their diners at risk

The Coopers’ ‘How to Guides’ are free to download and can be saved in a folder and used as part of a training manual for new employees.

The guides cover topics such as maximising every sale, bar layout and machine location, and the steaming of milk for latte art.

Talking about the release of the guides, Alastair McElhoney, Regional Business Manager, Coopers said: “With the coffee industry booming, stand out is crucial.

“With one chance to impress your customers these handy guides provide a great checklist of what to consider if you’re starting out or looking for a refresher for new team members.

“In this growing industry, you want to continue to draw in the crowds. So, we focussed on these six specific topics which will help operators create the ultimate coffee experience.”

It is widely expected that the guides will receive a positive reception from such a trusted brand and will provide a solid platform for small businesses to develop and continue their learning and growth.

PizzaExpress to face protests over the splitting of tips

The survey carried out in July 2014 revealed that 1 in 5 people (21%) believe they’ve been ill due to something they’ve eaten at a barbecue and the survey drew attention to the fact that many people overlook the basic food safety measures that could help protect against the risk of cross-contamination.

Campylobacter is one of the main types of food poisoning caused by BBQ cooking and affects an estimated 280,000 people each year.

Another interesting fact highlighted in the study was that nearly one in five people (19%) do not separate raw and cooked foods when at a barbeque, and just over half (51%) risk crosscontaminating their food by using the same tongs for the raw and cooked meats.

In order to improve safety and cut the risks associated with food poisoning the FSA have looked at the results of the research and have provided the following tips: 1. Pre-cook – it’s a very good idea to cook all chicken in the oven prior to giving it a final ‘finish’ on your barbecue, where possible and you will still experience that barbecue ‘charred’ taste.

2. Charred doesn’t mean cooked - cook your barbecue food until you are sure that your poultry, pork, burgers, sausages and kebabs are steaming hot, with no pink meat inside.

Turning meat regularly and moving it around on the barbecue/grill will help to cook it evenly.

Charred on the outside doesn’t always mean cooked on the inside so if in doubt – keep cooking!

3. Disposable BBQs take longer to heat up and cook food - always check that your meat is cooked right through before serving.

4. Avoid cross-contamination by storing raw meat separately before cooking - use different utensils, plates and chopping boards for raw and cooked food. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water and dry them before handling food for the barbecue and after handling raw foods.

5. Don’t wash raw chicken or other meat cooking will kill any bacteria present, including campylobacter. Washing chicken, or other meat, can spread dangerous bugs on to your hands, clothes, utensils and worktops by splashing.

6. Keep plates and cutlery away from raw

meat and fish - never serve your guests cooked food on a plate or surface that’s had raw meat or fish on it, and don’t use cutlery or marinades that have been in contact with raw meat.

7. Keep cold foods below 8°C and hot foods above 63°C - don’t leave food that you would store refrigerated standing around in the warm and use a cool bag.

8. Cook marinades thoroughly if you intend to use them as a glaze or sauce.

9. If you’re preparing rice beforehand, ensure it is fully cooked - cool and refrigerate it within one hour of cooking and make sure it is consumed within 24-hours.

The restaurant chain PizzaExpress is facing protests in London over an argument regarding staff tips PizzaExpress has reportedly been taking an 8% admin fee from staff tips paid on card, but denies that it has been doing anything wrong and in fact the practise is common amongst many brands.

The Unite union is leading the protest and claims that the restaurant chain is charging staff to process tips, while many other restaurant groups do not.

Dave Turnbull, Unite officer for the food and drink sector, said: “The Restaurant Group, owners of Chiquito, Frankie and Benny’s and Garfunkels, hand 100% of tips paid on cards to staff. If they can do it, why can’t Pizza Express?

“So you see it’s a choice – you can deduct an admin fee or not – and Pizza Express has chosen to skim a slice of their employees’ hard earned tips for no other reason than it can.”

An online petition to PizzaExpress CEO Richard Hodgson has been set up calling on the company to drop the 8% admin fee or face further protests over the summer.

Responding to journalists, PizzaExpress released the following statement: “The allegations made by Unite in relation to PizzaExpress and tipping are incorrect. All tips, very rightly, go to the people that deserve them – our valued restaurant team members.

“With respect to tips made by electronic cards, we choose to operate a Tronc system, which is used by many in the industry.

“All cash tips go straight to the waiters who’ve earned them. It is then their responsibility to ensure that they declare any earnings they’ve made through cash tips to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) so they can be appropriately taxed.

“To cover the administrative costs of ensuring that the Tronc system is managed correctly and fairly, and so that we meet our legal obligations as an employer, a small administrative fee of 8% is levied on the Tronc. Under no circumstances does PizzaExpress generate 12

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additional profit through the Tronc system.

“We went to great lengths to set up this Tronc system which is chaired by a Troncmaster and run by a committee of waiters and pizzaiolos, who independently decide how tips made by electronic card payment are subsequently distributed between front and back of house restaurant team; a system run by employees for the employees.

“We are proud that the committee chose to reward all team members who contribute to a fantastic customer experience by electing to give 30% of tips made by electronic card payment to our cleaners, pizzaiolos and other back of house team members (with the remaining 70% going to your waiter). We believe that PizzaExpress has great people at its heart and for this reason, we want to ensure that they keep their tips and ultimately, continue to deliver great service.

“We already offer competitive rates of pay to all our staff, and tips are made in addition to that, along with further benefits and rewards.”

Earlier in the month, The Independent reported that Ask Italian, Belgo, Bella Italia, Café Rouge, Giraffe, Las Iguanas, Prezzo, Spaghetti House, Strada and Zizzi are all subtracting admin fees, a policy many are.

For those with a back issue of the magazine you can get the full breakdown from our resident legal expert, Katee Dias, who discussed the issue in her August column.

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News Round-up

News Round-up

Brewdog goes international after crowdfunding campaign

BrewDog is expanding its international horizons with a future bars hit list including Paris, Dublin and Hong Kong after a successful period of crowdfunding mentioned in the last issue of QuickBite

The brewer has recently posted an update on the progress of its international expansion plans, which was in part aided by its recent crowdfunding campaign of £25m.

The first site to see the expansion rollout will be the BrewDog Södermalm site in Stockholm, Sweden, which is set to open within the next three weeks, followed by BrewDog Roma in Italy, marking the brewer’s third site in the country, due to open in autumn 2015.

A September opening has also been scheduled for its Brussels site and Berlin should be open by the end of the year.

Back on these shores the brand has seen planning permission approved in a number of areas and has been granted permission for a ‘DogHouse’ site to open in Glasgow. This particular location is set to incorporate a full-service restaurant, a BrewDog bar and a BottleDog store. A second Aberdeen site is also being designed.

A new concept, Dog Eat Dog is expected to open in Angel, North London in the coming months, serving craft beer and gourmet hot dogs, following the conversion of a former giraffe site.

By the end of the year, the brewer also has plans to open a flagship north-east London site in Dalston, featuring a BrewDog bar, BottleDog,

specialist homebrew shop and a ‘top-secret brewing addition’.

BrewDog Soho has also been approved, set to open on Poland Street across two floors, the site will feature a 30-tap bar alongside a full food menu.

Finally, the brewer has signed a deal to open in York, the site is still subject to licence and planning, but the prospective site will be a 2,500 sq ft space on Micklegate.

The plans follow the opening of the brewer’s Shuffledog site in Leeds and the announcement that BrewDog Brighton will open at the end of August.

In the future, BrewDog is eyeing opens in Stirling, Southampton and Norwich. As of the latest update, the brewers crowdfunding effort has hit £7.3m, through 13,022 investors, with an average investment to date of £496.

Cafes to benefit from technology and online platforms

Almost two thirds of diners (61%) think technology could play a bigger role in restaurants and cafes, according to research by online restaurant booking service OpenTable

The research found that British diners are now more than ever relying on the internet to book spaces at QSR’s, as well as look at menus and food offerings.

With 85% of diners using the internet to find a restaurant, 83% to make a reservation, 82% to look at a menu, and 63% to look at restaurant’s images.

This use of technology has also had a huge effect on those choosing cafes, with previews of both the menu and food images drawing large numbers to QSR’s and upmarket cafes.

Two-thirds of diners (66%) wish they could use technology to choose the location of their table at a restaurant and 61% wish they could discover menu specials before dining out.

Additionally, three quarters (74%) would love to be able to contact their chosen venue via text message to say if they’re running

late or find the premises if it is unknown via a mapping tool Unsurprisingly, mobile phones have become an influential force in the dining experience, with one in five people interacting with their phone more than three times during a meal.

Additionally, more than one in four (27%) of Brits use their phone to take a photo during a meal in order to remember the experience. One in five Brits are also using mobiles to research reviews so they can choose what to order.

The number of photos that are taken mean that the use of social media is high with sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest full of posts relating to food.

Consumer appetite to use mobile payments in the future is significant, 11% have already tried paying by phone and a further 43% of diners said they like and are open to the idea.

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International coffee chain to launch in UK market

A leading international coffee brand has launched into the UK market, initially focusing on Yorkshire, London and the north of England Cafés Novell, which started in Spain in 1958 and is one of Spain’s top coffee roasters, has announced their arrival to the UK market with a number of openings in the pipeline.

The company which specialises in the global sourcing, selecting, roasting and distribution of high quality coffee to businesses across the world will see the first of several site open over the coming weeks and months.

The UK expansion is being spearheaded by a joint venture with leading property development, investment and retail management group, the Yorkshire-based Scarborough Group International.

This is not the first taste of success for the partnership who have already experienced profitable returns in Asia, where it teamed up to form Espuma coffee shops in Hong Kong.

Phil White, managing director of Cafes Novell UK, said: “We are really excited to bring the Cafés Novell brand to the UK, growing our international reach and aim to provide the perfect cup to our clients’ customers.

“The company offers coffee solutions to meet the varying needs of businesses, supplying coffee directly to hotels, restaurants and coffee shops, as well as providing coffee capsule machines to business premises.”

HospitalityGEM reveal word of mouth is more influential than social media in study

A survey conducted by one of the UK’s more influential researchers HospitalityGEM has revealed that 80% of respondents see word of mouth as having the greatest influence on their perception of different places to eat out

Personal recommendations are twice as influential as a previous experience, special offers or TripAdvisor, which is four times more than social media.

In total, 56% of respondents in the survey said that they have opted to visit somewhere they have previously had a great experience.

In contrast, when visiting a town or city for the first time it appears that many of the respondents (71%) would seek somewhere they have never heard of, simply because it might be interesting.

Steven Pike, managing director of HospitalityGEM, said: “The survey provides fantastic insight into what influences consumer thinking when choosing where to eat out.

“Remarkably, despite all the fuss surrounding social media, four times as many respondents felt they were influenced by face-to-face discussions, which demonstrates how vital it is for operators to manage the guest experience to ensure consistent delivery of their offering.

“Operators also cannot ignore the impact first impressions have on consumers, and especially amongst those looking to experience something new.

“Maximising the guest experience is not solely about the quality of the product offering. It is also about the organisation, timing and how a team engage with the customer, which must all work seamlessly in harmony with an operators brand values.

“A great experience can help to increase dwell time, which will then encourage a team to upsell, as well as encouraging customers to return

Burger Bars sign up to Bookatable as QSR revolution continues Ed’s Easy Diner and GBK have announced a partnership with online restaurant booking platform, Bookatable, adding 71 restaurants to the companies portfolio Six nationwide outlets of Ed’s Easy Diner’s new BBQ & Grill format and 65 GBK restaurants across the UK will increase Bookatable’s total number of chain burger restaurants to 125.

The trend of dining out on burgers shows no sign of slowing down which is good news for diners in London, the self-proclaimed home of burger fans in the UK. The capital’s West End topped the table as the most popular location for picking up a patty, with West London the next favourite.

Six of the ten most popular burger restaurants were also in the

Speaking about the findings, Leela Srinivasan, Vice President of restaurant and product marketing at OpenTable, said: “At OpenTable we sit right at the intersection of food and tech, which makes us infinitely curious about what people want from technology when they dine out.

“Dining out, like virtually every area of life, has been transformed by technology, but in an industry in which hospitality is paramount it’s important to strike the right balance for your restaurant concept. With an unwavering reliance on technology in the dining sphere, restaurants are poised to harness diners’ enthusiasm for integration in creative and innovative ways.”

again and again.”

Three quarters of respondents (75%) would be ‘very likely’ to stay longer than planned, perhaps opting to have another course if they were having a great meal experience, while just 5% of those asked responded ‘not very likely.’

capital city, but elsewhere in the UK, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Nottingham made the Top Five locations for dining out on burgers.

Speaking to reporters, Joe Steele, CEO of Bookatable.co.uk, said: “Such is the British love of burgers that the trend for dining out at burger restaurants continues to increase, and we’re delighted to be able to give British diners what they want.

“Our partnership with Ed’s Easy Diner, GBK and Handmade Burger Co. is brilliant news for burger lovers. As the booking platform with the most burger chains, we are really pleased to be able to offer our users so many new locations to satisfy their appetites.”

Whilst Andrew Guy, CEO at Ed’s Easy Diner, added: “At Ed’s Easy Diner, our much-loved burgers have been going down a storm since we opened in 1987. We’re excited to be partnering with Bookatable to provide our diners with a quick and simple way to book their meals with us.”

Commenting on the deal, Laura Pettingale Marketing manager at GBK, said: “GBK has over 60 restaurants in the UK, serving up a variety of burgers combining 100% prime beef with the freshest ingredients and sauces made from scratch every day, in each kitchen. Working with Bookatable, our burger hungry customers can now book a table through our website, app & social media pages – it’s now even easier to satisfy your burger craving!”

Last year, over 21,000 Bookatable users dined out on burgers in those two areas alone, with BRGR.CO’s restaurant in London’s Soho the most popular, catering for 6,700 of these diners, and Byron making up three of the top five restaurants.

Existing burger offerings include BRGR.CO, Byron and Honest Burgers.

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News Round-up

News Round-up

National awards recognise the best fish and chip shops in the nation Competing across 10 regions, the shops will now battle it out as they vie for the ultimate title – Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year.

To get to this stage and secure a place in the coveted shortlist, shops have been appraised across a variety of judging criteria including responsible sourcing policies, marketing and promotional practices and staff training policies.

Over the coming weeks, they will be subjected to further judging as they receive mystery shopping assessments by industry experts.

The next stage of the competition will whittle down the line up, establishing a UK top 20 which will compete for the prestigious ‘regional’ titles.

Earlier in the year Quickbite spoke to Carlyn Kearney of Frankie’s Fish & Chips in Brae, Shetland, winner of the 2015 Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award.

Speaking again to the press Carlyn said: “Being crowned champion was a huge honour for everyone here at Frankie’s.

“It was a goal for us since the moment we opened our doors in 2008 and since winning we’ve experienced so many benefits – including having customers travel over 700 miles just to get a taste of our fish and chips!

“The judging process is very rigorous and challenging, but it’s worth every second of the hard work and effort involved. It’s a roller coaster experience and we would urge anyone with a passion for producing high quality, great tasting fish and chips to join the ride.”

Discussing the awards was Paul Williams, Chief Executive of Seafish who said:“The aim of the awards has always been to showcase the very best fish and chip businesses in the UK while setting incredibly high standards for the industry to aspire to.

“The Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award is one of the highest honours to receive as a fish and chip business. Many of our past winners and finalists have gone on to reap substantial benefits, including international fame through industry trips overseas, increased shop footfall and turnover and even launching their own products.

The UK’s top 60 fish and chip shops have been announced as part of the 2016 National Fish & Chip Awards, organised by Seafish

Vietnamese-style restaurant group Pho has announced a new expansion drive after receiving an £8m investment deal from NatWest bank

“It’s great to see so many excellent shops through to this stage of the competition. I’d like to offer up my congratulations and wish them the best as they prepare to continue their quest towards winning a regional title, but also thank them for consistently helping us to reinforce the UK’s reputation as the home of the world’s best fish and chips.”

In October, Seafish will announce the top 10 region winning shops competing for the flagship award.

These shops will then be invited on an all-expense paid study trip to Ålesund, Norway, organised by award sponsor the Norwegian Seafood Council, to witness first-hand why the country is regarded as one of the world’s most sustainable fishing nations.

The winners will be unveiled during an awards ceremony at The Lancaster London Hotel in January 2016 and the regions competing include: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, North East England, North West England, Midlands, Eastern England, London & South East England, Central & Southern England and South West England.

Pizza Hut is high spirits after ‘positive’ financial results The Pizza Hut restaurant business in the UK has hailed a “very positive” performance with its pre-tax profits hitting £9m in 2014 The performance reverses a pre-tax loss of nearly £1m in the year to 30 November 2013. The closure of 22 units has also seen the revenue for the business drop slightly to £225.5m, down from just over £230m last year.

But business chiefs are positive as the news comes at a time of high investment. The group are just over a third of the way through the refurbishment of their estate and had already indicated that sales and EBITDA would rise as a result of the changes.

Pizza Hut said that the refurbishment programme was still “in its infancy” at the time the accounts were filed and would build this year and next.

By May this year it had “reimaged” a total of 82 restaurants out of an estate currently numbering 275 sites.

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Application rates drop in foodservice despite strong growth

Pho announce expansion following £8m investment

In addition to a new menu with items such as fries, onion rings, and starters like spicy BBQ ribs and Alabama style popcorn shrimp sitting alongside the traditional pizza options, the restaurants have been given a more informal and relaxed look. The design combines leather booth seating, wood-panelled walls, and more prominent bar areas to try and boost sales in the evening, with a careful seating layout designed to optimise volume growth by ensuring tables can be turned quickly and wait times for customers are reduced.

The restaurant business, which was acquired from Yum! Brands by private equity firm Rutland Partners in October 2012, started its refurbishment programme with its Crawley site in October 2013.

The popular brand first opened in 2005 in London’s Clerkenwell, by Stephen and Juliette Wall, after they travelled to Vietnam and “fell in love” with the food from the country and it seems as though the customers have too with 14 locations, including 12 in London, one in Brighton and one in Leeds currently operating.

The first of the new sites to open will be a 200-cover venue in Manchester’s Corn Exchange in August, a restaurant in Birmingham’s new Grand Central Station in September, and a branch in Ealing in November.

The group has also appointed a new financial director, Mark Smith, to oversee the expansion, which is set to push the company’s number of sites to 30 across the UK within the next two to three years.

The expansion forms part of the company’s overall plans to open more sites, which were first announced in 2012 after a £5.2m investment from ISIS Equity Partners in the same year.

Commenting on the new financial deal, Stephen Wall, Pho co-founder and managing

director, said: “We are very happy we feel we have a great deal and terms.

“NatWest showed real hunger to get this done with us and we’re looking forward to working with them through this crucial next stage of growth.”

Libby Andrews, head of marketing at Pho, explained that the company’s plans for expansion would be a “take them as they come” approach, with the size and location of any new openings driven by the space itself.

She added: “The 200-cover Manchester site, for example, will be the company’s largest venue, but will still aim for an intimate feel, to replicate the sense of Pho’s smaller venues such as the most recently-opened, 50-cover Covent Garden restaurant.”

Commenting on the popularity of Pho and where they sit in the market, Libby added: “We opened before the street-food trend hit, and happen to be current at the moment. We’re about feel-good comfort food that is also good for you, and I think that’s a huge trend in dining right now.”

Food federations unite against food ordering websites

Thousands of high street takeaways fear that the huge growth of food-ordering websites such as Hungry House and Just Eat could put them out of business

In a surprising turn of events, speakers from two of the biggest food federations, those which represent Chinese and Asian takeaways in the UK, have described joining the internet platforms, as “like taking a drug”.

Addressing the issue, Yawar Khan, the chairman of the Asian Catering Federation, told reporters that the websites “were good for our members when it started as it would give a boost to their business, but now so many takeaways are on the platform, it is no longer a benefit, with many of the same customers returning, rather than new customers joining.

“It’s like a drug. They offer great incentives to join, but once they’ve got you hooked it becomes very addictive and then they put their fees up.”

Thomas Chan, the chairman of the Chinese Takeaway Association, which represents 10,000 takeaways across the country, suggested that Just Eat and Hungry House

were taking advantage of many businesses which effectively had to sign up to the platforms or risk losing business.

He said: “Our members feel like they are in a dilemma – do you put in more effort to churn out more meals, meaning you maintain your business but with much more work and much less profit, or do you leave and run the risk you go out of business.

“They worry that it gives the platforms too much power over their destiny.”

Mr Khan, whose organisation represents 1,500 takeaways, said it was now encouraging its members to take control of their own online ordering systems by setting up their own websites in an attempt to undercut Just Eat and Hungry House and avoid the high fees.

Responding to the comments a spokesman for Just Eat said: “Just Eat takes pride in bringing significant value to our restaurant partners and customers. We take the weight

Statistics released by CV-Library have revealed that whilst 2015 has seen a significant rise hospitality jobs, application rates have failed to maintain the same growth, resulting in dwindling candidate choice for businesses Latest figures from the job site’s database have highlighted that job postings in the hospitality sector have risen by 61% in the last year.

Unsurprisingly the majority of job vacancies were located in the South East which saw a massive 73% increase in job roles year-onyear, yet the biggest increase in vacancies occurred in the South West (75.3%).

The region totalling the fewest number of job vacancies in July 2015 was the East Midlands which also saw the slowest regional growth of a mere 14.3%.

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, said: “Our latest data demonstrates that businesses need to be savvier at attracting new talent to their organisations.

“With jobs on the rise, applicants can afford to be more selective in their job search.

This data combined with the reality that the industry faces staggeringly high staff turnover, means hospitality businesses have a bigger challenge on their hands.”

Despite impressive job growth across the nation, the number of job hunters applying for roles in the sector has failed to maintain pace – compared to the previous year, July 2015 saw a meagre 8.5% increase in applications.

These numbers leave an overall deficit of 32.5% in terms of the number of applications per role.

This is concerning news for businesses.

Whilst a hospitality company could expect to receive 27.7 candidates per role in July 2014, comparable data for July 2015 shows that this number has reduced to 18.7, meaning businesses have less choice during the selection process. off thousands of small businesses so they can focus on what they do best.”

Just Eat is the biggest takeaway web platform in the UK and typically charges each takeaway a joining fee and takes a cut of every order received – of around 12 per cent. Extra charges can be added to allow a takeaway to appear higher up the list.

Just Eat has grown rapidly in recent years after being founded by the Danish businessman Jesper Buch in 2000. The concept has been adapted for several countries in Europe and last year it joined the London Stock Exchange, where its shares have jumped more than 100 per cent in a year to value the company at £2.8bn.

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News in brief Elite Fish & Chips named fully sustainable All Elite Fish & Chips restaurants and takeaways are now Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified, guaranteeing its customers sustainable and ethically sourced fish.

The MSC certified sustainable seafood accreditation is awarded to sustainable fishing practices to influence the way consumers buy and eat fish, and encourage local businesses’ and caterers to serve environmentally sustainable fish.

Speaking about the recognition by the MSC a spokesperson said: “This is a fantastic achievement and is testament to the hard work that the whole team puts in. It’s not all about being behind the counter but researching where our produce comes from and making sure that we comply with what we believe the best practices are.”

Elite Fish & Chips is a family run company and has sites in Lincoln, Sleaford and Ruskington.

Sushi chain to roll out new design following success in Liverpool YO! Sushi has debuted a new look design at its Liverpool ONE site, which is expected to be rolled out nationally.

The new design is inspired by the neon of urban Tokyo and has been created by Alison Cooper from Innsight Design. A backdrop of the Tokyo skyline dominates the restaurant, with new lighting and LED screens adding to the experience.

Vanessa Hall, CEO of YO! Sushi, said: “Liverpool ONE has long been one of the strongest performing YO! Sushis in the UK and was therefore the ideal venue in which to launch our exciting new concept.”

Miles Dunnett, of Grosvenor Fund Management, which own the Liverpool ONE development, said: “We are delighted YO! Sushi selected Liverpool ONE to unveil its new restaurant look.

The decision reflects the success of the brand in Liverpool ONE, and has created something quite spectacular for visitors.

It is another great addition to our thriving leisure offer.”

YO! Sushi was founded in 1997 and has grown to an 87 strong portfolio worldwide, including 74 sites in the UK. 18

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News in brief Brits say gluten allergy hardest to live with Of the fourteen million Brits who live with allergies and intolerances a quarter (26%) have declared that leading a gluten-free life is the hardest allergy or intolerance to live with The research by Udi’s Gluten Free cited that most problems occur with restaurants (home & abroad) and friends still giving them foods they can no longer eat!

Whilst not a reflection of the severity of the different allergies and their effects, the research revealed that dairy-free (23%) and suffering a nut allergy (18%) were close contenders in the most hard to live with allergies and intolerances, whilst being vegetarian (5%) and having an allergy to shellfish (3%), in comparison, were by far easier to deal with.

Top 5 allergies and intolerances to live with: • Gluten Free 26% • Dairy Free 23% • Nut Allergy 18% • Egg Free 12% • Lactose Free 9% The recent introduction of the EU’s Food Information Regulation rules has seen many restaurants adapting their menus to show allergen labelling to help customers who suffer from an allergy or intolerance, however a third (32%), claim that there’s still a struggle when choosing what to eat with gluten-free options

remaining limited.

Shockingly a quarter (25%) will debate whether to go on holiday or not because other countries do not understand the importance of their dietary requirements and just under a fifth (19%) find it difficult to eat at a friend’s house in fear of being fed the wrong foods.

Top five struggles of being gluten free • Eating out in a restaurant (32%) • Going on holiday/ abroad (25%) • Eating out at a friend’s house (19%) • Being fed gluten accidently (15%) • Hosting guests & cooking at home (3%) Holly Wales, product development director, at Udi’s Gluten Free comments; “Despite supermarkets shelves piled high with gluten-free options, there still remains an underlying problem with restaurants and friends who don’t understand or know how to cater for those leading a glutenfree life.

“With allergies and intolerances on the rise, the fact that people are fearing going to a restaurant, to a friend’s house or debating whether to go abroad or not is extremely worrying and more needs to be done. We know that there is still a lack of understanding regarding coeliac disease and gluten intolerance.”

Filmore & Union see investors double crowdfunding target raising nearly £1m Healthy eating restaurant chain Filmore & Union has raised £931,900 in return for 22.28% equity on crowdfunding website CrowdCube, almost double its target of £500,000.

The funds will be used for five new sites as it aims to expand in 2015 and 2016. Investment will also be made to additional equipment in CPU to increase efficiency.

Within its five year forecast Filmore & Union anticipates to have 30 sites with a group turnover of £20 million and would target an exit multiple in excess of two times brand revenue.

Filmore & Union aims to serve pure, natural and wholesome food to eat in or take out from its seven restaurants and was established in 2011.

Abokado open 25th store with London Opening

Greek food stall named punniest business in Britain

Healthy eating chain Abokado has just opened its 25th store on Goswell Road, London, and to celebrate its stores will be giving away pots of frozen yoghurt for 25p.

Mark Lilley, director, said: “We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved over the past few years.

“With this opening its feels as if our baby has finally left its toddler stage and is now marching towards its teenage years. God help us all!”

Abokado was founded in 2004 by Mark and Lindsay Lilley and currently employs more than 250 people.

A pop-up food stall in London has taken the title of Britain’s Punniest Business in a national competition by mobile app specialist for small businesses, Appsme.

Greek food stall I Should Be Souvlaki fought off competition from almost 100 entries from businesses including florist Back to the Fuchsia, chippy Frying Nemo, and vintage hair salon Hair Raid Shelter.

The final decision was made by a panel of judges including Appsme, punning and branding experts and journalists from a range of trade publications famous for their wordplay.

Nick Barnett, CEO of Appsme, said: “There are some incredible small businesses out there, who are constantly thinking of creative ways to stand out from the crowd. It was great to see so many business names that we hadn’t already heard of coming forward.

It seems that several of the most popular entries played on pop culture, such as runner-up Back to the Fuchsia and the iconic kebab van Jason Donervan.”

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lunch! preview

lunch! preview “The Working lunch! Theatre also boasts a new setting for 2015. Although still on the Upper Feature Level, its new position enables it to cater for a significantly bigger audience (with plenty of capacity for this year’s big name draws). Running throughout the two day show, the free business seminars are renowned for attracting a host of highprofile brands and industry leaders and 2015 is certainly no exception.

Now in its eighth year and firmly established as the leading trade event for the UK’s £6.9bn food-to-go market, lunch’s pivotal focus on innovation has made it a popular choice with buying teams from many of the country’s biggest food-togo operators, including supermarkets, multiples, contract caterers, wholesalers, distributors, travel caterers, cafés, coffee shops, and sandwich shops.

lunch! 2015:

Big names flock to leading trade show lunch! – The contemporary food to go show is back, and this year it promises to be bigger than ever with some of the leading businesses, entrepreneurs and thought leaders from the hospitality industry coming together at the Business Design Centre, London.

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Thanks to glowing testimonials and a significant 44% increase in attendees in the last two years, the 2015 edition will be the biggest lunch! yet. To accommodate growing demand from a raft of new food, drink, packaging, technology, and equipment suppliers looking to reach this important market, a 25% increase in stands has expanded the show into an additional new hall on the Upper Feature Level – taking the total to an unprecedented 350 exhibiting companies. Over 6,500 key buyers and decision makers are set to join them, when doors open in just over three months’ time.

“Thanks to glowing testimonials and a significant 44% increase in attendees in the last two years, the 2015 edition will be the biggest lunch! yet.”

We asked organisers of the lunch! 2015 what to expect this year, and this is what they had to say…

“Thanks to a 25% increase in exhibition space for 2015, the multi-award winning event will feature more companies than ever before showcasing their latest food, drink, packaging, and equipment innovations, making the 2015 edition lunch!’s biggest edition yet.

“This has expanded the show into an additional new area and taken exhibitor numbers to an unprecedented 350 companies. From big brand names to emerging start-ups, the 350-strong exhibitor line-up is as comprehensively eclectic as ever.

“The speaker line-up includes Helen Higgins, food ambassador at EAT.; Mark Palmer, group marketing director of Pret A Manger; Paul Ettinger, development director at Caffè Nero; Richard Morris, managing director of Tortilla; award winning designer Afroditi Krassa (who was commissioned

by Julian Metcalfe to design the Itsu brand); and Roger Whiteside, CEO of food-to-go giant Greggs (in an exclusive interview with Peter Martin, vice president of CGA Peach).

“Sessions also include essential market updates from foodservice analyst Horizons and The NPD Group. Plus, exclusive panel discussions covering HR (encouraging staff engagement and retention), sustainability in food-to-go, and independent operators (challenges and opportunities).”

Who to visit lunch! 2015 is a fantastic opportunity to meet great brands, industry leaders and a whole range of professionals who are willing to aid, assist and advise on the latest trends in the industry. Whatever your business the show is the perfect place to network and to meet other likeminded individuals NEW Product Launch at

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Chef’s pocket thermometers Robust waterproof thermometers with dishwasher-safe probes Oven-proof stainless steel probes Bluetooth Barcode thermometers

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lunch! preview

lunch! preview Making its first public appearance at the Lunch! Show, the 5000S will be promoted as the third new generation bean to cup machine from WMF, showcased alongside its recently launched sibling, the WMF Espresso.

WMF’s 5000S has been designed to offer the performance level of a high throughput machine from a slimline body, coupled with the consistency, speed and ease of use that WMF’s stable of bean to cup machines are recognised for.

With a high performance pump and a heavy duty brewer normally used in larger capacity machines, the 5000s is set to give operators the benefits of a high speed, reliable and consistent beverage offer, and one that will ensure every drink served is of unrivalled quality, achievable through intuitive operation and enhanced technology.

and here we look at some of the stands that you simply have to visit.

As always we will be present at the show where visitors will be able to pick up copies of the magazine as well as a copy of our sister publication, Food Franchise magazine, the UK’s only magazine dedicated to this rapidly growing part of the industry.

Cakesmiths - Stand Number A208 Cakesmiths, bakers of the finest handmade cakes and traybakes for coffee shops and cafés, will be launching their new improved website at lunch! It means ordering any of their award-winning range of cakes, bakes and flapjacks is now even easier, faster and more convenient. Great news for busy coffee shop owners throughout the UK. The new website now offers a one click express checkout for both account customers and those who prefer to pay by card. What’s more, customers can now schedule their delivery for any date in the future, to match their 22

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Issue 24 September 2015

“Thanks to a 25% increase in exhibition space for 2015, the multi-award winning event will feature more companies than ever before” own requirements. They can even order when they’re out and about, with the new user-friendly app for mobile phones. And with the order completed, the new website has an improved system for printing out a copy invoice.

“Our new website is packed with new features to streamline the order process for our regular customers” said Tom Batlle, who runs Cakesmiths together with sister Georgina. “However, our focus will always be on offering innovative products made to the highest

quality standards and now I’m delighted to say we have an e-commerce website to match.”

WMF – Stand Number M108 WMF are inviting you to their stand at lunch! as they launch their latest product.

The WMF 5000S is just 325mm wide with a wide range drinks capability.

It can be located perfectly front of house and is well suited to self-service with its touch screen interface, which doubles up as valuable promotional space for key messages.

Other new features on the 5000S include the ‘Dynamic Milk System’ which allows the machine to produce hot and cold milk and hot and cold milk foam with a natural milk flavour and ‘Clean in Place’, a time-saving, HACCP compliant cleaning system which enables the cleaning of the milk foamer without the need to disassemble it or remove it from the machine.

Metcalfe’s Stand Number A321 Metcalfe’s skinny is on a mission to rustle up healthier alternatives to crisps, cakes and cookies. A growing range of delicious and light healthy snacks made with top quality ingredients and limitless love and care.

“lunch! 2015 is a fantastic opportunity to meet great brands, industry leaders and a whole range of professionals” It all started with a POP, back in 2009 as the Co-Founder of Pret & itsu, Julian Metcalfe is obsessed with delicious and healthy food decided that he wanted to create something that was light yet tasty to replace the bog standard crisp.

Popcorn was the perfect fit & Metcalfe’s skinny Popcorn was born.

After experimenting with dozens of flavours & varieties, Julian came up

with the perfect recipe for freshly popped butterfly popcorn tumbled with Metcalfe’s skinny’s unique flavours & seasoning. Pret was the first place that stocked the magic stuff and from there, the company quickly gathered a growing legion of fans. Metcalfe’s skinny Popcorn is now one of the most loved popcorn brands in the UK. Hot on the heels of the Popcorn came, Popcorn Crisps, flash-griddled corn crisps with over 30% less saturated fat than the average bag! The popcorn crisps combine the crunch of crisps and the lightness of popcorn in one satisfying snack, whilst the latest addition to their range is Corncakes, deliciously light and incredibly moreish mini discs of corn coated in dark or milk chocolate, or in Rosemary or Olive Oil seasoning.

The Metcalfe’s skinny range can be found in UK retailers nationwide. With their brightly coloured packaging you can’t miss them! Make sure you visit their stand.

Whitworth’s Stand Number U112 Whitworths, the UK’s leading supplier of dried fruits, nuts, and seeds, is excited to showcase its Shots range again this year at lunch! 2015.

WMF’s Espresso, launched earlier in the year as a hybrid offering the best of both traditional and automatic bean to cup machines will also be making its first appearance at the Lunch!

Show. It will demonstrate how, no matter who makes the coffee, theatre and passion of a handmade coffee prepared from a traditional machine by a trained barista, can now be produced with all of the efficiency, consistency and pace of an automatic bean to cup.

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lunch! preview

lunch! preview and probes, combined with great customer service and affordability.

“If you haven’t seen our products up close before, the show provides a great opportunity to pick up the equipment and give it a try.”

Find out about exciting industry firsts – from rechargeable kitchen thermometers to traceable barcode logging thermometers. Or check out the products gracing our Top Five Bestsellers list for 2014-2015: • No 1: MM Wall Kit - This compact kit provides customers with everything they need to measure temperature in professional kitchens – as well as a handy storage unit to keep it all in one place!

• No 2: SVK1 Sous-Vide Temperature Monitoring Kit - Sous-Vide cooking’s increasing popularity has raised demand for TME’s all-in-one SousVide Kit – designed for busy chefs.

Exhibiting: lunch!2015 will host some of the biggest names in the industry

Whitworths Shots are a delicious combination of dried fruit, nuts and seeds with a hint of indulgence. The range of eight includes favourites such as; Berry & White Chocolate, Toffee Pecan, Fruity Biscuit and Orange & Chocolate Seed. The proposition focuses on great tasting portion controlled snacking, all being under 100 calories, whilst being the perfect on the go snack with their ‘skinny’ pack format.

will look to support further growth.

In 2014, Whitworths doubled the Shots range from 4 to 8 flavours to address the growing need for great tasting, healthier snacks. The flavour developments were recognised with the prestigious Gold Innovation Award at lunch! 2014 and Whitworths Shots have been a major success over the past year with sales 145% up yr on yr (Kantar 12 w/e 24th May). Further new product development planned for 2015/6 will build on this success and

“Running throughout the two day show, the free business seminars are renowned for attracting a host of high-profile brands”

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Whilst Shots are great for the health conscious consumer, the range is also resonating with consumers who traditionally may not have explored this category. With their handy on-the-go format, they are the perfect solution for people who are time poor, want something healthier to eat but do not want to compromise on taste. Since the start of 2015 single portion packs

of snacking fruit have seen impressive growth (+30% yr on yr - Kantar 12 w/e 24th May 15), and Shots is a great demonstration of this trend.

Shots has had a brilliant year, proving hugely popular with the modern consumer, and it doesn’t stop there, Whitworths has a number of exciting and innovative products to introduce to its consumers, the Shots range has just given the market a taste of what’s to come!

TM Electronics – Stand Number F120 To celebrate 25 years in food thermometer design and manufacture, family-run, British business TME will be showcasing new, innovative additions to its food thermometer range, as well as its tried and tested best-sellers.

MD, Tom Sensier says: “For 25 years our formula has remained the same: high-accuracy, UK-built thermometers

• No 3: SOLO Digital Thermometer Professional chefs love easy-to-use equipment, and the button-less SOLO thermometer with foldout needle probe combines ease of use with accuracy and an incredible 3 second response time.

• No 4: MM2000 Digital Thermocouple Thermometer - High accuracy, robust, IP67 waterproof - the MM2000 Thermometer is a firm favourite: “The icing on the cake is our Thermometer for Life guarantee: you break it, we supply a repair/replacement for no more than £35.”

• No 5: TA12 Flat Food/Pallet Probe - Goods In temperature checks are a top priority for chefs, so this Flat Food Probe’s reliable readings are in high demand.

Visit the TME stand for expert advice on problem temperature applications

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American inspired food

American inspired food In the last couple of years, we have seen a huge increase in diners, street carts and sweet stalls in the UK. American inspired restaurants have opened such as Five Guys, OK Diner and TGI Fridays and they are proving to be extremely popular.

Call it a lifestyle choice, with a nostalgic nod to the rock’n’roll era of the Fifties, or just an insatiable appetite for American fast food, but it seems we Brits can’t get enough of the authentic US-style diner experience.

You only have to look at the runaway success of Ed’s Easy Diner chain, in the top four of the fastest growing QSR chains in UK. Expanding from just four outlets to 38 in four years, it’s been named one of Britain’s 1,000 Most Inspiring Businesses (London Stock Exchange in association with Growth Intelligence).

With burgers still the No.1 item on menus, and US inspired cuisine trending hugely across the UK, the American food craze is not going away in a hurry. In the last two years there’s been a growth of pork on menus including hot dogs which have seen a meteoric 361.1% rise in sales.

As well as classic burgers and hot dogs, the trend is for diversification, with gourmet burgers and hot dogs proving a big hit too. Indeed UK consumers place high importance on customisation at restaurants, including seasonings, spices, toppings, sauces and condiments, says Technomic.

There’s no better way to tap into the authentic American trend and customisation than by offering a range of sauces, toppings, dips and condiments from the Schwartz range.

With readymade sauces and seasonings you can instantly and simply add interest to the staples and promote them as addons to generate more profit, as well as save precious time spent prepping in the kitchen.

The sauces are great used as a marinade for grilled or barbecued meats or served cold on the side with chicken, burgers, steak or hot dogs.

Burgers, pulled pork, pretzels and milkshakes have all made an appearance and the food industry has taken note.

Food brands are increasingly using American and street food inspired

ingredients and are trying to make unique options to differentiate theirs from competitors.

New food-to-go brand Street Eats have taken the latest trends to develop an innovative range of hot and cold hand held street food using ingredients from around the world.

The ingredients used throughout their range echoes the American theme and brings a street food experience to their customers. Their Bloomer toasties range has been hugely popular and consists of flavours such as ‘The Elvis’ which is nut free peanut butter with sweet banana and bacon, and they even have a hot dog, cheese and beans toasted in white bloomer bread. Mac and five cheese toastie also makes an appearance after gaining popularity in recent years.

They even do a pretzel rolls range including pastrami & Emmental and a hot dog with grilled onions and Curry mayo in a pretzel roll. Their breakfast range also sees American inspired pancakes with Nut Free Peanut Butter and Jelly and Maple Syrup Sauce and Bacon being hugely popular.

American inspired food American food in the UK is growing in popularity and this trend doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon 26

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American inspired food American inspired British pulled pork wrap is also a favourite and Street Eats cold food also uses USA inspired ingredients with Buffalo Chicken, Southern Fried Chicken, Ham Hock and they even have a New York Deli Pastrami in their product list.

“American inspired food can offer a less formal, more socially interactive dining experience. Consumers now want to engage with the food they eat and having the ability to ‘pick up and eat’ or ‘tear and share’ with friends, makes for a more rewarding dining experience.

Street Eats Head of Marketing Anthony Wilkinson explains: “The Street Eat is all about capturing the essence of ‘street food’ culture in practical formats that drive sales and bring a genuine sense of newness and excitement to the fixture and our range of American inspired products do just that.”

Consumer trends

All American foodies “American food has grown in popularity over the last few years, with TV shows such as ‘Man vs Food’ showcasing the best of American casual dining to UK audiences. In the UK, consumers have been turned on to this trend and foodservice operators have been quick to adapt, with new menus offering modern twists on American classics. Foods such as burgers, fries, fried chicken wings and hot dogs all offer operators a quick, simple and easy way in to this growing market segment.

“Growing consumer demand for convenience, alongside great tasting recipes has been a large contributing factor in the continued success and popularity of American food.

Reacting to consumer trends is important for caterers, as it can help drive sales, profits and footfall, whilst ensuring your outlet is at the very forefront in terms of menu appeal.

Caterers should be looking to offer diners tasty food which can be served quickly and eaten conveniently. As people’s lives get busier, time has become a precious commodity. Sourcing products which allow for quick and easy eating, will help drive sales and increase the turnover of total covers per shift.

Handy hot dogs “Gourmet hot dogs are an ideal dish to offer diners looking for a true American inspired dining experience.

“Choosing to serve frankfurters, offers caterers lots of benefits and opportunities, as the frankfurter is an extremely versatile platform, on which caterers can build an array of American Inspired dishes.

Offering a varied menu focused around one key ingredient allows caterers to add

value and broaden appeal of the core offer.

“Serving varied hot dog dishes, such as the Texan chilli dog served with Chilli and Monterey Jack cheese or the Kansas City dog topped with mustard, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and onions shows innovation, whilst having visual impact and culinary flair, which can help to drive sales.

“Toppings can also be prepared before opening times along with the frankfurters, providing consumers with a quick serving solution and caterers with more time to focus on customer service during service.

TheSnack Review first choice for the foodservice professional

“Sourcing a high quality frankfurter in conjunction with a creative American themed menu, can provide the perfect combination to increase profitability, by offering customers a unique and memorable experience.

The Westlers way “Frankfurter specialist, Westlers, manufacture a premium beechwood smoked frankfurter made from 90% pork, which makes it ‘bite for bite’, a leading frankfurter in its class. The distinctive naturally smoked frankfurter, offers consumers a twist on the classic American ‘dog’, providing a subtle and tasty flavour.

The Westlers frankfurter enables caterers to have confidence in their base ingredient, allowing them to be creative with themes and flavours that compliment in both quality and taste.

> Premium quality poultry

products > Extensive range — endless possibilities > Easy portion control — no waste

“Along with the premium frankfurter, Westlers can offer support with cooking equipment to help caterers prepare and present their frankfurters in the best possible way. Bain maries, roller grills and steamers allow caterers to offer hot dog dishes directly from the counter as both the frankfurters and pre-prepared toppings can be kept at optimum temperature throughout service.

“In addition to this Westlers also provides POS materials such as posters and flags as well as sundries such as branded hot dog boxes, which are designed to create theatre and help create an engaging dining experience.”

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www.meadowvalefoods.co.uk

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American inspired - case study The very talented New Product Development (NPD) team at Major worked hard to devise three fragrant broth flavours; beef, chicken and vegetable. With simplicity and ease of use in mind, the finished broths are created in 2 simple steps; add your choice of flavour to boiling water and whisk… It really is that easy. You can then pour over noodles, vegetables and cooked protein and enjoy. Alternatively, add the Pan Asian pastes direct too many dishes such as stir fry’s and sauces to give an extra depth of superb flavour.

Bryant continued: “Our new range of Pan Asian Broths are exquisite and the flavour intensity is phenomenal.

“We wanted to get right to the heart of today’s consumer and be a part of the emerging street food craze, which is exactly what we have done.

“The concept we were looking to achieve was to create a fun, tasty, fresh and fast approach to snacks and meals mirroring the hugely popular grab ‘n’ go trend with fresh vegetables being the main focus.”

Add Pan Asian Broth to boiling water and whisk

Inspired by America - Major International In the competitive world of foodservice making sure that you follow consumer trends is vital. It is very difficult for businesses to survive if they stay in a fixed mindset and because of that, many brands look to constantly alter their offering.

If the foodservice operators and providers take onboard the consumer opinions and trends, it becomes far easier for independent café’s, QSR’s and restaurants to offer different menu options and increase their sales.

With the creation of a fantastic new product range launched last year, Major International have certainly been one such company who have excelled at embracing the ever-changing food climate.

Once again, their knowledge in terms of flavour, design and innovation is first class and as such they are able to take 30

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inspiration and offer products that can really add to an operators menu.

With a current portfolio offering a range of stocks, sauces, gravies, marinades, seasonings, demi glace, jus’ and fruit base products, Major also have a range Pan Asian Broths, ideal for casual dining restaurants or fast food outlets where speed is often of the essence.

step

one

step

two

“In particular Japanese, Korean and Asian flavours are growing in popularity so our new range fits perfectly in with what consumers are looking for.”

Speaking about the launch and the new range of flavours as well as where his team draws inspiration from, David Bryant, Managing Director of Major International said: “We wanted to expand in terms of our flavour offering and I’m delighted to announce that it’s been well received by existing and new clients.

“We get much of our inspiration from the American food market in terms of trends and it’s obvious that street food will continue to dominate the market in 2015/2016.

Create your finished dish in seconds... add Pan-Asian broth to boiling water and whisk

Pour over noodles, vegetables and cooked protein.

Simply enjoy!

Passionate about the industry, David Bryant, Managing Director of Major International

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Chips & potato products

Chips & potato products However, there is a trend for growth in wider potato products such as wedges and skins and baked potatoes as consumers seek more choice for their eating out experience.

The importance of chips Chips are absolutely essential to the meal experience, with research among consumers revealing that: Consumers see chips as a really important menu item More than three quarters of them rate chips as important, very important or essential!

When consumers eat out they have VERY fixed ideas on the type and quality of chips they expect to be served, depending on the meal they are eating them with Although consumers are happy to swap a centre of plate item – burger, steak or chicken for example – few refuse to substitute chips for another side

Chips & potato products

It’s a real love affair – without chips the meal experience is incomplete Nic Townsend, Marketing Manager Farm Frites UK & Ireland spoke to us about why variety on a menu is key and gave

us some background on the research his team conducted when it comes to satisfying consumer trends and customer needs.

He said: “Variety of range is key for chefs to keep up with ever-changing trends. Our frozen potato products offer convenience through versatility whilst not compromising on a fresh, quality taste.

They are easily cooked in the oven or fryer, cut down on time in prepping and have an appealing design which looks great on the plate.

“We can’t forget that potato products which are allergen free are a key concern and we are working at removing allergens from all of our products to cater to the increasing number of sufferers in the UK. According to Allergy UK, these numbers are increasing 5% each year and food allergies have risen sharply in the last 20 years. We are proud to be able to cater for this demand across our product range to allow those who suffer with allergies the same breadth of choice.

“Variety is the spice of life and we pride ourselves on a range which is responsible farmed, carefully produced and frozen with the goodness of our fresh potato crops. We take time to present products which look and taste great so that operators can gain that all important competitive edge.

“We launched Appetizers to respond to the ‘grazing’ trend where consumers like to share a variety of snacks with friends. Eating out can be a very informal, or even impromptu, affair these days and operators who can offer a range of snacks and appetisers will be popular with the casual diner who doesn’t want to sit down to eat but wants a snack alongside their drink.

“The Appetizers range includes croquettes, onion rings, and flavoured wedges which can be presented in a variety of ways from being layered on plates to being stacked in glasses.

Accompany with a selection of sauces for dipping and these snacks fulfil the need for fast snacks with a quality taste.”

Quality is also big requirement within the industry as more and more consumers expect a premium product. Again the team at Farm Frites have catered to this calling with the launch of the Finest Range.

Nic added: “There continues to be a strong move towards more premium menus and quality fries with flavour and crispiness are key to creating that genuine, ‘made in house’ quality that operators look for.

We produce premium fries for our Finest range in a variety of cut sizes from 7mm – 20mm so that chefs can chose and vary

Potato products are essential accompaniments when dining out and, according to The Potato Council, chips and French fries make up the greatest proportion of total out-of-home servings of potato products, at 73.3%.

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Chips & potato products to suit their presentation style, whether being served alone or with steak. The range also includes an authentic gratin which is easy to portion and has the perfect levels of cheese, cream and onion.”

UK Sales Director for Lamb Weston Nigel Phillips also spoke about the need for a more premium offering on the menu as well as the requirement to consider those customer that may be suffering from allergies.

Speaking to QuickBite magazine he said: ‘Fries are undoubtedly the nations favourite side. And with diners craving a return to simple, natural and honest food the potato fries market has had to evolve to meet this growing demand. In an increasingly competitive market place the importance of a premium quality offering

has become ever more apparent - with consumer expectations high.

“But with operators under increasing time pressures in the kitchen, preparing consistently high quality home-made fries is neither time-effective nor necessary.

“Our new ‘Connoisseur Fries’ range boasts all the convenience you’d expect from a frozen fry, but are made using irregular and rough cut potatoes to give a look of hand-crafted and freshly prepared fries.

“The authentic appearance of the fries allows operators to offer great homecooked style food without the cost and time constraints of making from scratch, giving them that point of difference so crucial in a competitive market.

Chips & potato products “And with demand for gluten-free options continuing to rise, operators will be pleased to know that Connoisseur Fries do not contain gluten.

“With 1 in every 100 people thought to have coeliac disease*, and many more suffering from an intolerance to gluten there are potentially a huge number of diners avoiding ordering them with their meal for fear that they may contain gluten. With our Connoisseur range this needn’t be the case. Everybody can enjoy great tasting fries!

“But Connoisseur Fries are about more than just fries. Offering a total solution, the Connoisseur concept recognises that fries form an integral part of any food offering, with the new range combining a unique tasting, highly profitable product with emphasis on strong presentation and promotion on menus.

We encourage operators to make fries a real feature on a their menu, with each of the varying styles and sizes in the Connoisseur range bringing choice and variation - whether they look to pair chunky fries with a fillet steak, or accompany a gourmet burger with some rustic- style fries.

Presentation is also key. At Lamb Weston we are committed to supporting our customers – and this extends to all aspects of the dining experience – including how fries are presented and served. We offer everything from practical back of house support to recipe ideas and marketing materials – meaning operators can take advantage of the many opportunities Connoisseur Fries can provide, whether served on a plate, presented in a bowl or served in mini fry baskets or buckets.’’

Of all of the well-known brands within the industry it is perhaps McCain’s that are the ones most familiar to the consumer.

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and as such the research that they have recently conducted gives a good insight to the latest trends.

Richard Musgrave McCain Foodservice Senior Brand Manager told us: “Our research shows that no matter how good the centre of plate may be, it’s the chips that can make or break a meal. As the trend for premium casual dining style options, such as pulled pork and gourmet burgers grows, as does the importance of serving premium chips. The expectation is that the chips will match the quality of the centre of plate.

Adding value It’s important for operators to add value to their chip offer, as this will enable them to sell at a higher price point, increase profit margins and keep customers coming back.

Products Chips or fries need to be premium, cut with the skin-on, or with blown edges to

deliver the authentic appearance, taste and texture of chips that have been made by hand. The availability of different cut sizes is expected for different meal centres, as are signature style fries or chips that have been topped or seasoned in a way that is unique to the outlet.

However, this is easier said than done if you’re preparing chips from scratch.

Delivering high volumes of premium chips or fries to these exacting standards is time consuming, labour intensive and difficult to achieve consistently, particularly when seasonal issues affect the quality of the potato crop.

McCain Gastro Thick Cut Chip and Skinon Fry tick all the boxes and offer two high quality handmade style solutions that are quick to cook on demand, deliver an allround handmade experience and can be customised with ease to ensure operators can add their own signature style if they wish. In addition to the preparation time they save, and the waste they minimise, they also save oil, which can be a big cost when preparing chips or fries.

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Chips & potato products Prepping chips from scratch can deliver some great results, but the variation in the potato crop across the year means that it’s not always possible to get a consistent result. The time and labour involved can also be costly, especially if operators are offering more than one style. And, maintaining a tight budget can be difficult when the price of raw potatoes fluctuates as a large proportion of potato is often wasted.

deliver premium topping option might be parmesan cheese and truffle oil, or herb flavoured salt, but operators are coming up with all sorts of combinations, from pulled pork and kimchi, cheesy pea and ham sauce, to truffle honey and manchego cheese. However, when choosing toppings, the key thing is to ensure that they work well with the kind of dishes that are served on the wider menu.

Using frozen chips and potato products also helps caterers to reduce wastage because they can be cooked to order.

This enables caterers to manage unexpected increases in custom with freshly cooked, appetising food, without the need to prep large quantities at the start of the day with the risk of waste if the numbers are down.

Let’s Go Mini

Toppings An easy way to add variety, and identify a ‘signature’ style that consumers will associate with the outlet, is by offering chips with a range of toppings or seasonings. While the topping or seasoning components themselves don’t need to be unique, creating a flavour combination, with a quirky name for each option, will link that taste to the outlet and help operators stand out from the competition.

Toppings are also a great way to generate more revenue. A simple to

Chips & potato products – Infographic Britain’s fish and chip shops sell over

The potato

Variety of portion size is an important inclusion for operators as sometimes ‘big plates’ can get a bad press owing to ongoing obesity concerns.

Farm Frites launched their Let’s go Mini range to provide manageable, bite size products which cater for tiny tastebuds or those wishing to order a smaller portion.

The range is designed to add a quirky dimension to menus – a factor which is key to customer retention.

Families in particular require portion control for little guests and prioritise health credentials of the food on their children’s plates. They maintain low salt levels across all of their potato products and ensure that the Mini’s range offers allergen free options so that parents have peace of mind.

From ‘Pints of Bites’, which is perfect for sharing, to a child’s engaging ‘Bucket and

Spade Bites’, the range is influenced by a variety of world tastes from Italian herbs mashed potato bites and Mexican hot and spicy shredded potato, to potato and onion bites and mini pepper and garlic croquettes.

Buying British Jonathan Taylor, Business Development Chef at McCain Foodservice also explained the importance of buying British.

“Making it easy for chefs to offer British menus all year round is key. And, with British Food Fortnight coming up, it’s the perfect time for caterers to promote British ingredients on menus or introduce new British themed dishes and promotions.

Once harvested our passion for quality continues through our British production sites where they are prepared with sunflower oil and quick frozen for freshness, ready for service in minutes. |

Issue 24 September 2015

of fish and chips a year, which works out at nearly eight every second

is the most universally grown crop in the world

“If you are looking for something truly British, look no further than McCain Chips. All of our chips are made from British potatoes, starting life in Scotland where the cooler climate and soil conditions are perfect for growing seed potatoes. The seed is then harvested and graded at our quality control site in Montrose, Angus, before it is dispatched to a network of more than 300 Red Tractor approved growers across Britain.”

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247 million portions

WWII

Fish and chips was the only takeaway food not to be rationed during the Second World War

A recent survey reported that fish and chips is the nation’s

10th favourite smell

just behind perfume

On average, one tonne of potatoes is made into chips every

19.7 seconds in the UK

The first

“French fry” was allegedly first served in the United States by Thomas Jefferson at a presidential dinner

?*@#&!

#?@*&!!

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Business profile

Business profile restaurants and bars, we couldn’t think of a better environment to introduce London’s first gourmet grilled cheese sandwich shop.

“The opportunities here are vast and we knew that if we could crack the market here there is no reason that we couldn’t replicate the success elsewhere.

The people of Soho have long embraced a diverse range of shops and food outlets and we are no different, we’re only a small site with space for 10 seated guest but we serve great products to take away.

Melt Room

Talking about your menu, how would you describe it?

“Our menu is simple - our core ingredient is cheese. Then we have pair that cheese with carefully selected combinations of meat and vegetables, aiming to create a perfect melt for every taste.

“We’ve been busy since the doors opened and are always looking at new ideas to keep it that way.

“The Classic Melt is by far our most popular menu item and we are busiest around lunchtime, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t adapt and that we don’t trade well all day every day. The fast, handy nature of the food is perfect for those passing by and we have a great range of other product meaning that you can get a full meal as and when you like.”

“We have an extensive menu and the humble cheese melt is having somewhat of a resurgence.

“It’s comfort food at an excellent price point, and that keeps the customers coming.”

When asked about the look and feel of The Melt Room, Andrey answered: “I created the design together with TGP Consulting and it took us 6 weeks to open the site.

“We really wanted to have a cool, fresh design people will enjoy and always want to come back, I think we’ve done that.

“The design itself was a combination of influences from visits to New York and LA, with the main aim to depart from the rustic/reclaim trend of contemporary London to a more light and fresh West coast Vibe.

“The response has been fantastic.”

Melt are currently focusing on building a community around their Soho site but with the quality and convenience on offer don’t be surprised to see them expand.

Well worth a visit.

Over the last year, one of the biggest trends on the high street has been the rise of the concept store

In the food and drink industry this means that we have seen shops and cafes dedicated to selling just a single type of product from crisp sandwiches to porridge and cereal. The media coverage that these types of business have received has been huge but sadly many of the locations have been ‘pop-ups’ and have operated only whilst ‘on-trend’.

What has been proved however, is that there is a gap in the market and if you are able to sell a quality range of foodto-go items at the right price and that your offering is versatile enough, you can make it.

Eager to find out more, QuickBite spoke to owner and founder of one such success story, Andrey Datsenko from The Melt Room.

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So Andrey, tell us a little bit about the business?

“Well, Melt Room is a short-order, grilled cheese sandwich shop that’s igniting London’s love of this comfort food favourite.

“We aim to bring a taste of the New York to London with our cheese-stuffed sandwiches.

“The Melt Room offers a menu of innovative fillings using quality locallysourced ingredients, served alongside juices and beverages all day, every day, making it the perfect place to grab a bite and to get good value, quality food-togo whenever you want it.

“Quality ingredients are at the core of all

our recipes and good, quick, service is key.”

Based in the hustle and bustle of Soho, the melt room opened their doors in May 2015 and currently employ eight members of staff, all of which are dedicated to delivering the best hot sandwiches and melts to the people of this vibrant community.

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Tea Rooms & Coffee Shops

Coffee Shops, Cafes & Tea Rooms Coffee shops, cafes and tea rooms have become something of an institution here in the UK and there is nothing more quintessentially British than enjoying coffee, tea, sandwiches and cakes in one of these venues

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Tea Rooms & Coffee Shops

In this issue of the magazine we will be speaking to some of the industry experts to find out about the latest trends and products that could help your business thrive in this growing industry.

Casa Espresso owner Nino Di Rienzo spoke to QuickBite and discussed why tearooms, cafes and coffee shops have attracted a new generation of hot drink lovers, and how the industry can continue to rise in popularity.

Trends

He said: “When some people think of tearooms, they think of dingy décor and an uninspiring selection of hot drinks and cakes. This is no longer the case.

There has been a renewed interest in the hot beverage market in recent years, with modern coffee shops continuing to open at a record rate and fast becoming ‘social hubs’.

Making sure that your coffee shop is ontrend is vitally important and in order to compete in a very busy market, listening to your customers can be the difference between success and failure.

In terms of current trends in this area of the industry, trading up seems to be one of the most important considerations, with the perception that consumers have more money in their pocket leading to businesses in this sector trying to offer a more premium range of products.

When it comes to selling a selection of hot beverages, the operator must consider a number of things including the best equipment for the job, the increase in commodity prices, customers’ expectations, price and of course, the quality of the product.

“This is due, in part, to the non-alcoholic drinks offering. Tea consumption is on the rise, perhaps due to the associated health benefits (green tea is now classified as a superfood) which contrasts with the health risks associated with drinking alcohol. This has created a rise in consumers looking for healthier drinking options, and the answer could well lie in hot beverages.

“Of course, the quality of the hot drinks is an absolute must. Gone are the days

when instant coffee was considered the norm with many people now owning a cafetiere or espresso machine and therefore the ability to make good quality coffee at home and so the standard consumers expect when drinking or dining out is very high.

“Many coffee shops and cafes choose to send their staff for barista training, such as the courses Casa Espresso offers, in order to ensure that every cup is top quality and full of flavour. It’s this extra effort that really makes a hot drink establishment stand out from the crowd.

“It’s vital that cafes and tearooms appeal to a modern audience. Millennials (aged 18-34) are most likely to seek out new food and drink experiences. Simple tea or coffee just isn’t enough, and coffee shops must respond to demand by stocking a range of different, high quality teas and coffees to suit a range of tastes.

“With this in mind, it’s no surprise that there has been an increase in the number of micro-roasteries, such as Casa Espresso. And, as the boom continues and consumers become more discerning, Issue 24 September 2015

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Tea Rooms & Coffee Shops the coffee shop owners need to stay ahead of the game by searching out and offering these specialist, boutique and hand roasted coffee blends.”

Equipment When it comes to running a business in this sector one of the most important considerations is to make sure that you have the equipment that will maximise your earning potential and that will cope with the demand of a busy location.

Whilst equipment is often seen as a large expense to businesses it can be the difference between offering a full and varied menu and keeping the custom happy or not.

When talking about choosing the right equipment Jon Usher, Head of UK Sales & Marketing at Burco Commercial said: “Picking the right equipment is vital when it comes to providing choice for customers throughout the year, the provision of coffee and other hot beverages provides substantial and important sales revenue for many in the grab-and-go sector so having the means to make these items is key.

“Offering a comprehensive selection of hot beverages requires the operator to consider the best suited equipment for the specific role. This becomes even more key with the increase in commodity prices and with customers now expecting that if they are paying a premium price, the quality of the beverage be consistently second to none.

Tea Rooms & Coffee Shops

“In order to ensure a consistent quality, leading to maximum sales and make the most from the provision of quality beverages, operators should consider the type of machine used and how this can 2directly relate to the quality of the beverage being served.

“With commercial equipment available in all shapes and sizes, it can often be a challenging task to know which particular appliance is most suitable for the role; however when it comes to making the perfect cup of tea, including the speciality varieties, many of which are becoming increasingly popular with customers, a dedicated hot water boiler is essential.

“Designed to provide water at higher temperatures than traditional coffee and espresso machines, yet still able to effectively make delicious coffee based drinks, operators will be surprised just how much of a difference a dedicated hot water boiler can make to hot drink sales.

“Burco has been a name synonymous with high quality, robust hot water boilers suitable for both front and back of house beverage making in all types of catering setup for over 50 years and the Burco auto-fill filtration range gives operators an almost continuous supply of hot water.

“A state-of-the-art touch-screen LCD display with a choice of 10 languages allows the operator to quickly and efficiently adjust the time and date settings or even the water temperature.

Essential for caterers looking to serve a

range of different hot beverages, many of which have different temperature requirements.”

For any format of coffee shop, it is also important to know the style of service you wish to offer and the type of customer you are serving. Having the correct products to meet demand and fit in with things such as budget, practicality and space are vital and the team at WMF consider all of these when it comes to developing equipment.

WMF’s Managing Director, Marcus Gansloser said: “The 1500S, is the baby of the bean to cup family, it maintains the offer of a consistently high quality coffee, achievable through intuitive machine operation and enhanced technology for any size of business.

“This machine is capable of producing up to 180 cups when full and is perfect for when there is limited space in a workplace café or where self-service may be required. In any case, a skilled barista is not required in order to achieve a variety of great quality coffees including cappuccino, espresso, latte macchiato and hot chocolate as well as hot water for tea.

“For larger output requirements, the 8000S is the workhorse in the WMF bean to cup portfolio. It still performs from a compact footprint that is just 390mm

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wide yet has an output of up to 350 cups.

“It will enhance any environment, being beautifully designed, and is also perfectly suited to self-service with its 8” LCD MMI touch screen interface. For consumers, this makes the selection of a drink effortless and for the operator, the screen doubles up as valuable space on which special offers or meal deals can be advertised, or key messages promoted such as opening times or upcoming events.”

Water Water is one of the most overlooked things when it comes to running a coffee shop or tea room despite the fact that it is vital for the provision of nearly every drink. We spoke to Miles Dawson, Sales Director at BRITA Professional who said: “In recent years, there’s been an increase of storytelling within the food and drink sector, in both retail and out of home.

“Consumers are becoming more discerning in their tastes and choices, and want to know the source and background of ingredients, as well as how their food and drink is prepared.

“Coffee is at the forefront of this trend, with consumers becoming more informed about the subtleties and techniques involved in the bean to cup Issue 24 September 2015

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Tea Rooms & Coffee Shops

Business profile

journey, including origin, roast and milk foaming.

“We’ve also seen the importance of water quality thrust into the spotlight, with top baristas around the world talking more and more about the specifications of water, the impact it can have on the flavour, aroma and mouthfeel of coffee, and how it goes hand-in-hand with delivering the perfect cup. After all, it makes up to 98% of espresso and black coffee, as well as tea.

“With nearly 1 in 5 people in the UK owning a BRITA water filter jug, it appears that some consumers are already aware of the difference that filtered water makes to their coffee and tea.

“However, the majority of consumers don’t make the same connection between great taste and good quality water when purchasing coffee and tea out of home as they do when making their own at home.

“It’s not just the barista elite that are conveying the message. In response to this disconnect, a few brands are starting to display filtered water front of house to educate their customers about the importance of water quality, and tell them the full story behind how their cup of coffee is created.

Flavourings It isn’t just water that is making these drinks taste differently however and market research has pointed to the fact that more and more consumers are choosing more premium teas and coffees.

Another trend is the inclusion of syrups and flavourings in hot drinks.

James Coston, Monin’s UK brand ambassador, says: “Using flavoured syrups, it is easy to develop a stylish selection of hot and cold beverages that are simple and quick to prepare, and offer an excellent profit margin.

“Wherever possible, try to promote the drink as a whole rather than as a standard product with add-on; a named, specially-designed drink carries more value in the perception of the customer.

“Seasonal or monthly specials are always popular, and recipes themed around local festivals, anniversaries – or even your favourite films or books – are a great

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conversation starter at the till.

“Make sure your specials are advertised effectively both inside and outside your trading area, and if possible use A-boards to draw in passing trade.

“Coffee shops and tea rooms trying flavoured syrups for the first time might prefer to choose classic flavours such as Monin Caramel, Vanilla, Hazelnut, Gingerbread and Chocolate Cookie syrups. However, there are scores more to choose from – Monin Salted Caramel, Praline and Amaretto syrups are all popular, or try our new Monin Tonka Bean syrup, which adds a touch of rich vanilla, cloves and cinnamon to any hot drink.”

The market for coffee shops and tea rooms is in great shape at the moment and demand has seen more and more venues open over the last few years. As long as best practices are maintained and business owners are constantly looking at the latest trends then recent successes can continue.

CLOCKJACK

The chicken industry is booming at the moment with consumer demand at an all-time high. One of the main reasons for this in the food-to-go market is that chicken is so versatile. You can have chicken in almost form and cooked in almost any way Chicken is the number one sandwich filler in the UK and chicken burgers are seeing a huge rise in popularity, becoming the fastest growing type of burger in terms of sales. Wings, nuggets, strips and popcorn chicken are also proving popular with customers, especially when they from part of a meal deal or feature on a sharing board.

Roast chicken, either freshly cut for a sandwich or served as a whole for a roast dinner are proving popular and rotisserie chicken is also on the rise as a grab and go item.

Flavour is also one of the great things about chicken, it can take on almost any seasoning and is adaptable to most menu styles so it’s no surprise that so many businesses are making it the staple of their menu.

This month we spoke to the owners and founders of Clockjack in Soho, one of the capital’s premier QSR’s.

Clockjack was set up by Jerry Goldberg and Fraser Duncan who had been longstanding friends since meeting in the 1980s. The concept was inspired

by a visit Jerry made with his family to a rotisserie restaurant in Spain, when he realised that the UK had no body specialising in high quality chicken, cooked on a rotisserie, which he felt was technically the best way to roast meat.

The name “Clockjack”, was chosen as a “jack” is the name for traditional rotisserie mechanism dating back to Tudor times. The Victorians then introduced a clockwork-powered version for domestic use in the 19th Century, hence the name “Clockjack”.

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Business profile

Business profile When they opened in Denman Street, Soho, back in 2012 the team were always confident that their business would take of but the results must surely have surprised them. The people of Soho have taken to the concept, the food, the setting and design.

The reason for selecting Soho was that it is very close to the Piccadilly Theatre in the heart of the city. The owners chose Soho as they wanted to be part of the vibrant and innovative dining scene the area, especially as they were launching what was a new concept at that time.

Talking to QuickBite about the ethos of the company, Operations Director Gary Bruce said: “Clockjack is all about providing natural, satisfying and popular dishes using great quality ingredients, all at an affordable price. For example, we source free-range chickens that have been ethically reared and also have a lunchtime salad counter prepared daily from fresh ingredients.

“We are the only restaurant in Europe to use a unique vertical rotisserie, where the chickens rotate on “bells” that hang in a “chime”. It’s an expensive piece of

kit but after extensive testing we found that its higher temperature produced a superior cooking result compared to conventional rotisseries.

“Our menu is centred on great quality, rotisserie free-range chicken, though also incredibly popular are our buttermilk marinated chicken bites, our wings menu (with 5 flavours, including the not to be messed with Korean Angry Wings!), and favourites like our club

sandwich and gourmet chicken burger.

“The menu is perfect for sharing and for a fun, sociable eating occasion.

“We are lucky to get two waves of peak trading. We have strong pretheatre traffic due to our location next door to the Piccadilly theatre where Jersey Boys is currently playing. We then have a steady flow of diners from 7:30pm straight through until around 10pm. We have not gone down the ‘no

reservations’ route as this can put off the larger groups and we love to see nothing more than a big posse of people getting their fingers dirty whilst getting stuck into some bowls of wings!

“Due to our guests’ time constraints at lunchtimes the most popular is without doubt our rotisserie chicken and salad counter options. The chicken can be with you within a minute of ordering and then you go and help yourself to our salad counter. We have a running roster of around 15 salads and we prepare 5 of these freshly each morning. These are healthy, offer great variety and are a great accompaniment to the chicken.

This is the epitome of a ‘quick bite’.

“In the evenings our guests have a bit more time to spend and, whilst the chicken is still very much the hero, we get a lot more people trying the various wing flavours and side dishes.

The honey & bourbon sweetcorn and southern style beans are incredibly popular.”

run Indian restaurant) to opening, took 7 weeks. It was a huge challenge but an exhilarating time for us.

“We wanted to use natural materials as well as reflect the heritage of rotisserie cooking, so we chose woods, slate, existing brickwork, clean tiling and textured concrete to create a clean but comfortable feel.

“Initially the interior was very stripped back and minimalist. Over time we have softened the look and feel, making it a more relaxed environment and also adding more of a fun feel to the place both in terms of brand design and atmosphere. For example, we have done a lot of work profiling the music so that it

builds upon the atmosphere of the place.

You can get an early Rolling Stones or Little Richard track followed by Beyoncé and Jake Bugg. Our customers have been very positive about the tweaks we have made over the last 18 months.

“Aside from the vertical rotisserie oven, our favourite feature is our long, peninsula table made from light oak, that seats up to 18. It’s really popular with groups and parties and perfectly fits our ethos of fun, sociable eating.”

Things are really going will for Clockjack and such is there success, the team are hoping to open a second site in the next 6 months and are said to be actively looking for a new site.

Aside from the fantastic food on offer at Clockjack it is the eye-catching logo and the design of the venue that makes them stand out in this ‘trendy’ part of town.

Commenting on the layout, Gary, added: “We worked with Design LSM, a specialist restaurant designer based in Brighton, who designed the restaurant interior. From getting the keys to the property (previously a traditional, family46

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How to...

Brand

24-25 September 2015 Business Design Centre | London

Everyone loves lunch!

Your essential trade show for food-to-go “lunch! 2014 was a terrific event, not only a great opportunity to catch up with current suppliers but to meet some really exciting new suppliers bringing great innovation to the industry.�

Identity

The food and drink industry is hugely competitive, with small independents and large multinationals battling for the best spaces on the high street and for a piece of the market

VICTORIA DOHERTY, CATEGORY PROCUREMENT MANAGER, EAT.

Register for your FREE trade ticket at www.lunchshow.co.uk quoting priority code LUNQB1

Winner of Best Trade Show 2014 EXHIBITION

NEWS AWARDS WINNER

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Winner of Best UK Trade Show under 2000m2 2010 & 2011 and Best Marketing Campaign 2012 2010

Issue 24 September 2015

@lunchexhibition #lunch15

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How to...

How to...

Of course for these businesses it is not only about finding the best location, with a high footfall and a demand for your products, but about making your offering more enticing than the alternative.

Once you have designed a logo, leverage it to the maximum, making sure that it appears on your web design, packaging, marketing materials, signs, etc.

Use the same colour schemes and overall design. If you use certain graphic elements, apply those elements to all the pieces of your identity.

The best way to make sure that you secure business and stay ahead of the competition is to have a strong brand identity, which resonates with your audience and entices them in.

Think about every instance where the customer “touches” or interacts with your company, and make sure your business identity speaks with a consistent voice.

Here we look at how you can build a strong brand identity, garner a positive reputation and build your business.

Funding

Definition

Branding is a vital process for businesses. It is crucial that your brand stands out from the crowd, so investing time and money into research and planning is necessary for its development. Start off by discussing ideas with your business partner, any industry contacts or even friends and family.

The most important thing for you to do when setting up a business it to define your brand. Think about the type of venture that you are trying to run and make sure that you look for a gap in the market.

Making sure that you are going to be selling something for which there is a demand is vital. If you can make your café, deli, restaurant or street food unit, memorable and so that your customers perceive a real sense of value you will be on to a winner. The most successful businesses are those who invest in the design for the brand and for a name.

Having a website and social media profile that engages with your audience brings huge rewards and can create a real ‘buzz’ around your company.

Personalisation When building a brand you must think of it as a person. Each company will be different to others and must have a set of beliefs, values, morals and focuses. By setting out what you as an owner stand for it is possible to set out the values of the business. Are you promoting a healthy lifestyle or a certain type of food? Once you have your ideas set out you can focus on naming a brand and designing logos and layouts.

The right name will embody and suggest your business’s identity. You can instantly guess at the quality and price of a café, take away or QSR from their name, for example – compare a coffee shop called Grind House, an edgy, urban place which 50

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For start-up businesses, funds can be very tight so hiring a branding agency may be off the agenda. However, using an outside consultant to develop your brand is sometimes the most effective way to come up with a stand-out brand that works. has a cult following and a booming trade, and one called Beanz, a run-down, cheap looking, venue. The image that a name portrays is vital.

Look at similar businesses in your sector and price range to get a feel of what tone to take. Punning names are usually downmarket. Names referring to your business’s location might build regional affinity, but could limit you if you want to expand to new areas. Look into suitable domains for your business name, as you’ll almost certainly get a website at some point. Brainstorming and market research will help vastly.

A good logo works on a postage stamp and a billboard. It looks great online and offline. It’s memorable and has broad appeal - it suits as many of your customers’ tastes as possible, not just your own. Designers work best with very detailed design briefs.

Look to the top

Looking up is hugely important. If you are starting out as a coffee shop then it is crucial that you look to the big chains such as Starbucks and Costa. What are they doing to get things so right? How are they doing it and why is there a demand?

As an independent you might have a set of values that means that you want to be positioned as far away from the big brands as possible and there is nothing wrong with that. The path to success however has been set out so it would be foolish to ignore them totally.

Digital Branding the shopfront is the first port of call for passing trade and making sure that you have a good social media and online presence means that you are in with a fighting chance of earning custom from digital platforms.

Word of mouth (digitally) is also another valuable tool. Making sure that you leave a positive and memorable impression can lead to a string of good reviews on website such as Trip Advisor. If you are in the position to receive

Products In the world of food-to-go, the number one area that you can display your brand is packaging. From cups, napkins, boxes, cartons and bags you can earn walking advertising for free in the form of your customers. The message and the brand that you own can be reinforced as your customers leave the store and take with them their goods.

Packaging shouldn’t be a one-off project Packaging plays a key role in defining your brand and driving relevance in this fast-paced market. Revitalising a brand’s packaging presents opportunities for new and established brands to break out of the clutter and let their identity shine.

Many companies evaluate packaging only when their brand is languishing or when a new variant is about to launch.

Don’t think of refreshing your packaging as a project with an end date; instead, the “evolution of packaging” should be a regular conversation and strategic choice as your brand strategy evolves.

Keep it simple Consumers are overloaded and don’t have time to figure out your brand. If your package is too complicated, the consumer will move on in mere seconds.

Simple ideas are best understood by consumers when you don’t have lots of marketing dollars to explain your big idea or the meaning behind your nomenclature. Start with crafting efficient and effective priorities of communication (POC). Brand teams often create briefs listing seven to ten (or more!) POCs for a tiny front label. Consumers get lost after three, so make sure you prioritise the most important aspects of your brand.

You can share all of the other information on side or back labels—or better yet, in other media sources.

Labelling When deciding on labels for your product, there is no substitute for basic market research. Look at your competitors and other products on the market and try to gauge what works and what doesn’t. Businesses often underestimate the significance of a label and the effect it can have on sales, so be sure that the one you go for really is the right one for your product, because last minute changes can be costly.

The label must reflect your brand and its proposition. A clear and simple label will help your product stand out on the shelf, which is the ultimate aim, bearing in mind shoppers often don’t have much time to browse.

Think about the future Trendy designs may look great today, but could quickly become outdated. Creating a logo is a little like creating a fashion design; make sure what you create stands out today but also will look great ten years from now.

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Focus on... Cheese

Focus on... Cheese and mature formats, and operators can buy it as a block, grated or sliced which will offer businesses complete portion control.

Signature Quality Blended Cheeses - A superb selection of Signature blended cheeses offers the high quality our customers expect from the Signature brand.

Added Value Where cheese really comes into its own is in the added value department. Chefs can use cheese to add to the flavour or appearance of a dish at very little cost yet it can appear as if it is making a particular menu item that little bit more premium.

Dairy Focus – Cheese Cheese is something of a secret weapon when it comes to the foodservice industry with the ingredient featuring on 99% of menus in some form or another It is one of the most varied ingredients with thousands of different varieties available and it is also one of the most versatile products in a chefs’ armoury.

Formats Cheese in the foodservice industry comes in a number of formats (Sliced, grated and in block form) and because of its menu penetration cheese can be bought in large volumes from suppliers.

Cheese remains as one of the most popular sandwich fillings in the UK market whether that be as an accompaniment to other fillings or as a standalone product. Cheese can also be mixed into sandwich spreads and used as a filler too.

Over the years there has been a real consumer trend in terms of adding premium cheese products such as Brie, Goat’s Cheese, Haloumi, Feta and 52

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Mozzarella to sandwiches in order to add quality to sandwich menus.

The versatility of cheese products allows them to be served hot or cold and they can be either sliced or grated.

In terms of foodservice there are some very good companies out there who can cater to the needs of the businesses and help them with menu development, one such company is GRH Foods.

Their signature range offers unique versatility to their customers and helps to produce a fantastic flavour for all sandwiches and wraps. The range includes: Signature Grated Cheese - available as standard & fine grated. GRH specialise in the supply of grated cheddar and their fully automated grating line and rapid delivery service allow us to quickly provide operators with the products they

need. Their grated blends are selected for their ability to cook and melt easily, as well as for their full-bodied flavour.

Signature Block Cheese - The block cheeses from GRH are selected for flavour and texture in order to meet the high expectations of their customers.

Working closely with manufacturers, they source smooth textured, full bodied cheese with clean, creamy flavours.

Signature Sliced Cheese - The expertise within GRH enables them to extensively research and select cheese at its optimum level of maturity from the whole of the marketplace.

Sliced cheese gives optimum cost and portion control. They can supply individual slices from 15gms to 50gms to meet individual specifications.

Their Signature brand is available in mild

The cheeseburger is a prime example how adding that little bit extra could add to perceived customer value and ultimately your margins.

Gareth Hockridge, Director at GRH said: “We work really hard with the development team here at GRH and our suppliers to ensure that we have the best possible product for our customers.

“We like to work individually with our customers to offer them bespoke solutions for their needs and we can offer a range of products to help them expand or compliment their menus.

“One of the current trends in the industry is the call for Buffalo Mozzarella, this is a really popular choice and we can sell it in various sizes so that it can be used by any of our operators.

“We offer expert advice to the food services industry and provide bespoke blends of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses to meet their exact requirements, functionality is key in this industry.”

Hot Stuff As you can see from our feature on the melt room (p38) grilled cheese is still proving to be immensely popular so we spoke to Owen Davies, Category Manager at Harvey & Brockless who said: “You need only look to the Cheese

Truck’s Glastonbury appearance where they sold 1.4 tonnes of artisan British cheese during the festival.

“Cheese toasties are simple to make, require few ingredients and taste incredible.

“At Harvey & Brockless we offer a bespoke service so cheese can be prepared in-house to meet most requirements. Our ability to portion, slice or grate such a wide range of cheese is a real point of difference that adds another level of convenience for food operators.”

Lighter and Healthier Mr. Davies also spoke on the matter of lighter and healthier cheese options saying: “I think that food-to-go customer’s awareness of healthy living choices is having an impact on their meal choices as we have seen lighter cheeses becoming increasingly popular.

goats’ curd and other soft cheeses such as those produced at Brock Hall Farm, through to harder cheddar styles such as Quickes’ Goats’, which has just been awarded best English Cheese at the British Cheese Awards.”

Premium Adding premium cheeses can also be valuable for your business and the team at Quickes’ are just one of many brands to have experienced volume increases in this area over the past twelve months. Their figures were up 2% in the last financial year and up 5% in the first quarter 2015/16 showing that foodservice is increasingly important aspect of the business.

Speaking on the growth a spokesperson said: “We invest a great deal of time and care to ensure that our traditional clothbound cheddar has a point of difference in terms of taste.

“These are products that I refer to as ‘salad cheese’ - such as feta, halloumi, bocconcini and burrata. There is a growing demand from customers for something that is perceived as being lighter and better for you.

“We produce eleven different clothbound cheeses in the range and so far 2015 has been particularly successful for our goats’ cheese which has won two Great Taste Awards stars and Best English Cheese at the British Cheese Awards.

“Another category performing very well in dairy is goats’ cheese. Again this has a health connotation as goat’s milk contains 20% less cholesterol than cow’s milk making it an attractive option.

“We have developed a system that frequently assesses the truckles as they mature this helps safeguard the quality of our artisan range. As well as, external gradings, we also have an internal process that rigorously considers each cheese’s characteristics. This gives us the ability to select profiles for specific customers according to what best fits their requirements.”

“Modern goat’s cheeses tend to be defined by a really clean finish and this applies to our own Cheese Cellar Dairy

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Takeaway Innovation Expo 2015 The event is designed to give you all the tools you need to grow and to develop your takeaway, whether that is franchising your restaurant, adding an automated online ordering system or re-branding yourself to move to the top of the food chain.

YOUR EDGE IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT From

Takeaway Innovation Expo is an interactive exhibition and conference designed specifically to help takeaway owners run their businesses better, meet other like-minded professionals to share ideas, and develop professional knowledge. Bringing together, networking, workshops and insightful seminars, the event offers a unique opportunity for Restaurateurs and Takeaway owners like you to obtain the latest tools, techniques, and advice within an everchanging industry.

£999

Exc. Vat

Any takeaway franchise owners, start-up takeaways, restaurants providing a takeaway, restaurants looking to add takeaway services; or any other fast food establishment owner needs to be at this show if they want to seriously improve their business!

We asked organisers of the Takeaway Innovation Expo to answer a few questions and this is what they had to say…

What can first time visitors expect from the show?

Takeaway Innovation Expo 2015 The Takeaway Innovation which runs from Tuesday 29th to Wednesday 30th September inclusive at the Excel arena in London is one of the UK’s premier trade shows for the food-to-go and quick service markets

This is without doubt the number one platform to start, grow, or improve your food business. The Food Entrepreneur Show is an exhibition and conference like no other; under one roof will be the industry’s most influential and innovative business owners, decision makers and suppliers to deliver an event rich in education, information and advice.

Back for its third edition, this exhibition and conference has assisted thousands of entrepreneurs and food business owners in developing and establishing their business dream, whether it’s developing an independent family owned favourite into a world-class restaurant, building a small takeaway on a quiet street into a national chain, or expanding your brand in the most innovative and creative ways.

This year, over 6,000 visitors are expected to attend the ExCeL London to take advantage of the exclusive schedule of seminars, interactive features, networking opportunities, live demonstrations and exhibitors.

The Food Entrepreneur Show will once again run sideby-side across two days with its sister shows, Takeaway Innovation, the show for takeaway and restaurant owners looking to build their business to the very top of the takeaway sector; and Street Food Live, the only exhibition around entirely dedicated to street food, the people who serve it and the companies that are driving this growth.

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• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Durable Touch Screen EPoS With Optional Extras Combined with Contactless Payment and Mobile Top-Up Fully Integrated Back Office With Full Stock Control Complete With Financial Reporting Integrated Customer Loyalty Scheme Over 30,000 Products Pre-loaded Hardware/Software/ Back-Up Support Integrated Debit/Credit Card Payment Facility Free On-Site Installation and Training Product Promotions Bespoke Screen Customisation UK Based Customer Support, 24/7 365 Days Easy Finance (Subject To Credit Approval)

Touch Screen

Installation

Cloud Back-Up

Robust

Bars & Pubs

Restaurants

Training

Top-Up

Contactless

Secure

Take-Away

Retail

CTN

For more information speak to our dedicated team on: 01992 574 650 Issue 24 September 2015

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Takeaway Innovation Expo 2015 ICC, Broadband, consideration Credit card facilities and Money Transfer solutions to businesses of all sizes.

Their primary focus started in London, but after significant growth they now have agents across UK, and are visiting many trade show including Takeaway Expo where their expert team will be on hand to guide you through their services and explain how you can make the most from your business.

Started in September 2001 as providers of E-Topup solution the company has grown to just over £60 million per year.

Mobile ordering without the bite taken out!

One of the largest Topup suppliers in the country who processed approx 20 million Top-ups over the first 7 years of trading, their services include: •P repaid Electronic Top-up for UK and International Mobiles, e-top up and e-vouchers •P repaid International airtime calling vouchers and International Sims •D ebit & Credit card processing merchant services • Money Transfer services • Pre-Paid Debit card and other high margin services

What improvements (if any) have been made to the show from last year?

The show has doubled in size since last year, offering even more market leading suppliers, seminars and exciting interactive features to support food businesses in every way possible.

What new trends and topics can visitors hear about in the keynote speeches? likes of ‘The UK’s Leading Takeaway Expert’ - Ajmal Mushtaq, teaching you how to boost your takeaway sales by 1000%, Andrew D Emmerson from Hotcha, sharing insights on how to build a national takeaway chain, Caroline Oldham, Founder of Biteappy, keeping you updated on the Free From Market and its relevance to restaurant owners, Tim Stillwell - founder of Burrito Kitchen, revealing his secrets on moving from a catering trailer to Tesco stores and Duncan Stanley, the man who turned Birmingham’s fledgling street food scene into a national success story.

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The show will also be hosting live debates lead by industry experts on current key topics such as the best marketing ideas to beat the competition, cleaning up your kitchen to a 5* rating, revolutionising your kitchen in the 21st century, and essential knowledge on growing your business.

Who to visit: When you visit the Takeaway Expo there are plenty of talks to listen to and stands to visit. Of course we will be there so make sure you pay the magazine a visit and as well as meeting out team we suggest you check out these other stands.

Appaway - Stand Number 651 The online and app ordering specialists are one to see at the show and they offer services which are proving extremely popular in today’s climate.

Appaway, the zero commission online ordering solution which is currently taking the UK by storm, with over 400

new takeaways joining the revolution every month will also be promoted in the seminar hall where you can see Damian Guy, Founder and Managing Director of Appaway talking at the event.

Since 1999 Damian has been involved in various disruptive start-ups across many different sectors including food, leisure, financial services, healthcare and communications. In December 2014 he created Appaway with a view to helping business owners take control of their online customers by offering them the complete online and mobile ordering solution - this came with a pledge to keep things simple and never charge commission on any order, ever! It only takes 30 days to setup this service for a takeaway, and far from breaking the bank the entire solution costs less than a mobile phone contract.

3RTelecom - Stand Number 219

If you feel that you need a review of the technology within your business when it comes to banking and payment methods, make sure you visit 3RTelecom at their stand.

“ If just 40% of customers use my app I’ll save £500-600 in commission every month ” Yones Shamsi – The owner of Pizza House Company, Leeds

A mobile ordering app exclusively for your business with absolutely no commission to pay on any order...ever!

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

No commission to pay on any order Flat monthly subscription fee Free promotional marketing pack Comprehensive sales dashboard Professional design and setup Technical and marketing support Unlimited customer orders Delivery and collection options

0%

Commission on every order

Push notification marketing Payment by cash, card or PayPal

Call us on 01423 437005

3R are a multi disciplined company providing E-Topup capabilities, CPS, Issue 24 September 2015

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Waste Management Property

Property

Waste Management Property Our property pages highlight businesses for sale, nationwide!

WELL PRESENTED FORMER CAFÉ IN TOWN CENTRE Crook, County Durham

EASILY MANAGED COFFEE SHOP, CLECKHEATON

Type: Occupying a central position, with the market square a matter of yards away

Matthew’s Coffee House is an attractive day time only business with short trading hours, offering therefore more potential for evenings or a relaxed lifestyle. The present turnover is approximately £1,000 per week derived by a single operator and very occasional part time staff. This business is ideal for a single person looking to operate an easily managed business in a good location. There is tremendous scope for deliveries should the business wish to expand and scope for an evening operation. Matthew’s is currently unlicensed and concentrates on high margin coffee shop style catering.

Price: £5,995

Details: www.blacksbrokers.com

UNDER 60k

There is an attractive ground floor seating area and a well fitted kitchen plus an additional external seating area. On the upper floor there is a lounge/art gallery featuring local artists.

HIGH QUALITY COFFEE SHOP/BISTRO North Yorkshire

This is a well established business in the same ownership for 8 years and now reluctantly offered due to the desire to expand.

Type: Easily managed Bistro with Outside Catering. Good quality shop fit.

Price: Leasehold £57,500

This is a good profitable business to a hands on working owner. Leasehold £32,500. Available through Clifford Lax with AWG Business Transfer. Tel: 0113 2390330 or 01924 368200. www.clifford-lax.co.uk or www. awgbusinesstransfer.co.uk.

Details: www.clifford-lax.co.uk

under 20k

Popular and Established Fully Relocatable Wood Fired Pizza Mobile Catering Business Piccolo Pizza, Brixham, Devon.

A most unique opportunity to purchase this fully equipped mobile outside catering van and pod. Although based in South Devon, the business is fully relocatable and is now being offered for sale through licensed and leisure specialists, Stonesmith of Exeter.

Piccolo Pizza Co is a popular and well established mobile wood fired pizza business operation run on a lifestyle basis, catering for a wide range of events including weddings, birthdays, corporate events, festivals, caravan sites and many more and with forward bookings for the remainder of 2015 and for 2016. Our clients would like to retire and are therefore offering this business for sale with the offer of full handover and training if required.

Included in the sale are a branded Vauxhall Movano 2.5 diesel van together with a separate custom built teardrop trailer pod. Both have inbuilt wood fired pizza ovens and come fully equipped. In addition the business has a 5 Star Food Hygiene rating, is a member of NCASS, and has its own website www.piccolopizza.co.uk The business is being offered for sale at £35,000 and details can be downloaded from the web site www.stonesmith.co.uk and viewings arranged by calling 01392 201262

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UNDER 6k

THRIVING CAFÉ Southport Type: Well established café with corner plot location and low rent Price: £17,500 to be negotiated

Details: www.blacksbrokers.com

under 80k

under 30k

70k

The Owl & The Pussycat Teignmouth, Devon

LICENSED CONTINENTAL CAFE BAR Maldon District

Attractive Sandwich Bar Shoreham-by-sea, West Sussex

Type: Numerous accolades from likes of the Devon Food & Drink Guide and TripAdvisor

Type: Well appointed licensed premises.

40 covers inside & 20 covers outside

Type: Well established concern located on a busy parade of shops

Price: £79,950

Price: £70,000 Leasehold

Price: £29,950 sav

Details: www.stonesmith.co.uk

Details: www.bradleyscountrywide.co.uk

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Accountancy

Accountancy

Summer 2015 Budget Update Two months on from the General Election result, the Chancellor of the Exchequer delivered his second Budget of 2015 in July. This was the first Conservative Budget for almost 20 years and with the Conservatives now commanding an overall majority, Mr Osborne had far greater freedom to pursue policies which had previously been blocked by the Liberal Democrats In his opening statement, the Chancellor told MPs: “This is a Budget that puts security first, and recognises the hardworking British people. “[It] sets out a plan for Britain for the next five years to keep moving us from a low wage, high tax, high welfare economy; to the higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare country we intend to create.”

Key proposals The Chancellor set out his plans to eliminate the deficit – although the pace of the reduction is set to be far slower than some expected. The first Budget surplus, forecast to be around £10billion, will not arrive until 2020.

Nonetheless, another round of departmental budget cuts will be required, with further details on these savings set to be announced in the autumn.

Of the £17billion savings confirmed today, Mr Osborne said that £12billion would come from welfare cuts and £5billion from a further crackdown on tax evasion/avoidance.

Previously announced cuts in personal taxation were confirmed, while the Chancellor moved to position the Conservatives as the party of working people with the announcement of a compulsory Living Wage.

Business, enterprise and employment In a boost for business, further cuts were confirmed in corporation tax – which 60

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is set to be reduced to 19 per cent in 2017 and 18 per cent in 2020. The Chancellor is optimistic this will increase employment.

There will, however, also be significant changes to dividend taxation from April next year, which will impact many ownermanaged businesses, and the effective tax rates on extracting profits.

One of the biggest surprises of the Budget was the introduction of a National Living Wage, affecting many in the catering sector. This will apply to over-25s and will start at £7.20 next April, rising to £9 by 2020. Mr Osborne said that 2.5million people would see a pay rise as a result of the changes.

There was less good news for public sector workers, with pay awards set to be capped at one per cent a year for the next four years.

It was announced that the annual investment allowance – which it was feared would fall to £25,000 – will in actual fact rise to a permanent level of £200,000 a year from 1 January 2016.

Mr Osborne said that this would be a big help for small and medium-sized businesses.

The Chancellor also spoke about the importance of apprenticeships and said that while some firms were doing an excellent job training employees, others were falling short of what was expected. A new apprenticeship levy will be imposed on all large firms, but Mr Osborne promised that those who take

apprentices on will get far more back in terms of funding than they put in.

As was rumoured earlier this week, Mr Osborne confirmed that local councils and elected mayors would be handed new powers to set trading hours on Sundays. This policy, which will be put out to consultation, has attracted some criticism, but the Chancellor argued that local people should have the right to decide if the shops open for longer.

Motoring Drivers will be pleased to hear that there will be no change to the fuel duty plans announced in the Chancellor’s previous Budget four months ago. Fuel duty will remain frozen until the end of the year.

There will, however, be a new Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) tax for new cars.

The levy will apply in three bands (zero emission, standard and premium) and is set to be introduced in 2017. Mr Osborne said the change was designed to make the car tax system considerably fairer, arguing that the current arrangements penalise those who can’t afford new cars.

Personal tax In a move that will please many traditional Conservative voters, Mr Osborne said that the Inheritance Tax (IHT) threshold would be increased. This will allow £1million to be passed on taxfree and “end the levy on family homes.”

Elsewhere, mortgage interest tax relief

is to be limited on buy-to-let, which Mr Osborne hopes will “level the playing field” in the property market.

The Chancellor said the Government would also press ahead with election pledges to increase the tax-free personal allowance to £11,000 from next year.

While the threshold for the higher rate of income tax is also set to increase to £43,000.

However, Mr Osborne resisted calls from many in his own party to reduce the top rate of income tax.

Pensions, savings and benefits The Chancellor spoke of the importance of increasing savings. He told the Commons that he would consult on creating ISA-style pensions, where people would lose the tax relief when they pay in, but would be able to withdraw their money tax-free.

Likely to prove less popular are plans to reduce the lifetime allowance for pension contributions to £1million (down from £1.25million) from April 2016. The annual allowance for pension inputs will also be reduced for those earning more than £150,000 – tapering away to £10,000, down from £40,000.

There was bad news for those who rely on tax credits, which Mr Osborne said were subsidising employment in a way that had never been intended. Workingage benefits will be frozen for four years, although statutory benefits such as maternity leave will not be affected by this. In additional child tax credits will only support the first two children from April 2017.

Other radical changes to the welfare system will see the benefits cap reduced to £20,000 (or £23,000 in London) and no automatic entitlement to housing benefit for those aged 18-21.

In total, the shake-up of the welfare system will save £12billion by 2019-20.

Health Trying to counter fears about the perilous state of the health service’s finances,

Mr Osborne told the Commons that “our priority is the NHS.” Although he reiterated previous comments that a strong economy was essential to support services.

fundamentally stronger than five years ago, but the crisis in Greece showed how dangerous it would be to become complacent about the nation’s improving finances.

As the Conservatives had promised before the election, extra funds will be pumped into the health service to help meet the needs of a rapidly ageing population. The Chancellor confirmed that it would receive £8billion on top of the extra £2billion provided earlier this year. Or £10billion a year more by 2020.

With the Conservatives now holding an overall majority, the Chancellor had the chance to introduce longawaited changes to Inheritance Tax (IHT) and further cuts in Corporation Tax. Elsewhere adjustments to income tax thresholds are expected to benefit around 29 million people.

Education

Critics will argue that the dramatic changes to tax credits will hit many working families, although Mr Osborne tried to counter this with the headlinegrabbing announcement of a National Living Wage.

Mr Osborne argued that the system for student maintenance grants was “unsustainable” and revealed that it would be scrapped from 2016-17. It will be replaced by a series of loans, which people will start to pay once they are earning more than £21,000 a year.

The Chancellor said that fears that tuition fees would deter those from poorer families from going to university had proven unfounded and that the charges would continue to rise in line with inflation.

“One purpose, one policy, one nation,” he concluded.

Need more help?

Tax evasion, avoidance and aggressive tax planning Plans were announced to plough extra funds into tackling tax evasion/ avoidance. An extra £750million will be set aside for HMRC to claw back money and serial offenders will be named and shamed.

Far tougher rules for non-doms were also confirmed. Mr Osborne has refused to scrap the non-domicile status outright, as Labour had pledged before the election. But the new regime will mean that from 2017, non-doms who’ve spent 15 of the last 20 years in the UK will pay the same tax as everyone else. The new arrangements are expected to raise £1.5billion for the Treasury.

Summary

McPhersons Chartered Accountants and McPhersons Financial Solutions are offering businesses free advice, so get in touch now to arrange your meeting. Simply email Peter Watters p.watters@mcphersons.co.uk or call our head office on 01424 730000 for a free consultation at mcphersons’ London, Bexhill or Hastings offices. www.mcphersons.co.uk.

Mr Osborne said that the Budget would pave the way for the Government to finish the job of eliminating the deficit.

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Legal

Legal

Rules on Rest

Need more help?

Rules about rest periods can easily get overlooked, particularly when there is an unexpected rush of customers or because a colleague has called in sick so work needs to be covered

However, employers would do well to remember that there are some strict obligations that they should comply with: A worker’s average working time must not exceed 48 hours per week.

“Working time” means all the periods when the worker is either carrying out their duties or is at the employer’s disposal (including overtime). The average amount of working time is usually calculated over a rolling 17 week reference period.

A worker may opt-out of this maximum limit by entering into a suitable written agreement, providing such agreement is freely entered into by the worker.

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However, they can decide to opt back in again at any time if they change their mind and it is unlawful for an employer to penalise a worker if they do not agree to opt-out.

Where a worker works more than 6 hours, they are entitled to take an uninterrupted 20 minute rest break away from their workstation.

Ideally, the break should be towards the middle of the worker’s shift so as to protect their health and safety. The break does not have to be paid.

A worker is entitled to (a) daily rest of 11 uninterrupted hours in every 24 hour period, plus (b) weekly rest of 24 uninterrupted hours in every

7 day period or, alternatively, one uninterrupted 48 hour rest period in every 14 day period.

Note that the weekly rest period should not usually include any part of the daily rest period.

The above are the normal rules on rest but, of course, there are exceptions, for example: There can be differences in the usual rules for those who work shifts.

By way of example, someone who works a split shift or who changes shift pattern, may not be entitled to the weekly or daily rest periods, although alternative rest should usually be given instead.

There is greater protection for workers who are under 18 years old so more generous breaks will need to be given to them.

There are normally additional obligations in respect of those who work at night (which are usually those who work at least 3 hours during the period from 11pm to 6am).

Some of the usual rules can be varied, within reason, by entering into a collective agreement with a trade union.

In addition to the above rules, which are set out in the Working Time Regulations 1998, an employer also has a general

duty of care to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of all their workers whilst they are at work. This duty includes ensuring that they do not have an overly burdensome work schedule and that there is adequate provision for them having sufficient rest from their work duties.

Breach of the laws in this area can lead to a number of possible consequences.

Employment Tribunals have the power to award compensation to a worker in many instances. In some situations, it can even lead to criminal proceedings by the Health and Safety Executive or a local authority, which can result in a significant fine. For these reasons, it is important to take note of and always comply with the rules on rest.

Katee Dias is a senior solicitor in Goodman Derrick’s employment team advising on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious employment law, from recruitment to the end of employment relationship. She has acted for clients in the hospitality and leisure sector for many years. Katee has been recognised as an “Associate to Watch”

by Chambers & Partners Guide to the Legal Profession and as a “Super Lawyer” by The Telegraph. Goodman Derrick is a leading commercial law firm in the City of London.

Katee Dias Senior Solicitor Goodman Derrick LLP 020 7404 0606

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BREAD

What’s new

We take a look at some of the latest products available!

PULLED PORK

SAUCE

Company: Pulled Meats Product: Lonestar Pulled Pork Contact: www.pulledmeats.co.uk

Company: The Foraging Fox Product: Beetroot Ketchup Contact: www.foragingfox.com

The Pulled Meats Company is a division of Aurora Food Marketing. Recognising the growing demand for Pulled Meats they are proud to be partnering with world class producers, providing full product traceability. A ‘One Stop’ destination for all Pulled Meats products in both consumer and catering size packs.

Beetroot ketchup by the Foraging Fox. This condiment is beyond delicious; born from a glut of garden vegetables, the ketchup recipe uses naturally sweet beetroot and apples together with a magical mix of spices.

Company: Macphie Product: High Fibre Seeded Bread Mix Contact: www.macphie.com

Macphie, the UK’s leading, added-value food ingredients company, has launched a new high-fibre seeded bread mix - Oat Bread Concentrate - and has also enhanced its existing bread mix - Seeduction®.

The Oat Bread Concentrate contains 26% Scottish oats making it a declarable source of fibre.

Seeduction® contains oats and has a soft eating crumb with visible seed inclusions - pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and linseeds, also making it a declarable source of fibre. Key benefits include: • Consumers highly aware of health benefits of seeds • Contain high levels of essential fatty acids • The full profile of amino acids needed to form complete and digestible protein • Vitamins A, B, C and E • Minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, selenium and manganese • Aid to gut transit times

The name was inspired by and in memory of owner Frankie’s father, Roland Fox, the original “Foraging Fox”, a plant and mushroom expert. When Frankie left her career in the City to spend more time with her children, she wanted to pass on her knowledge of where food came from.

The Lonestar Pulled Pork is slowly cooked, tender, lean Pork marinated in a unique American Southern Style Hickory Smoked BBQ sauce. Ready Pulled for your convenience and packaged in an easy reheat pouch. Serves 80 per case.

CEREALS

Company: Mornflake Product: Chocolate Orange Squares Contact: www.mornflake.com Mornflakes Chocolatey Squares just got even better! Now available with a Chocolate and Orange flavour filling in the centre for a taste sensation!

MILK

Delicious with or without milk, you’ll be tempted to dip into these at any time.

Fortified with 8 added vitamins and iron, Mornflake Chocolatey Orange Squares (£2 RRP) are a good source of important vitamins and minerals as well as being a cereal all ages will love.

Company: Rebel Kitchen Product: Coconut Mylks Contact: www.rebel-kitchen.com

With its innovative range of coconut mylks the brand sit at the forefront of the increasingly popular dairy free drinks category.

All mylks contain a base of three simple ingredients; coconut milk, Somerset spring water, and organic date nectar. Coconuts are sourced from an island in Western Indonesia, via a local supplier who pride themselves on the welfare of their employees.

The mylks are dairy, gluten, nut and soy free, contain no refined sugar, no additives or preservatives and are suitable for vegans, vegetarians, or those following a paleo diet. Don’t’ worry we haven’t made a mystake! The Y in our mylks means it’s not from cows but coconuts, and it’s 100% dairy free!

DRINKS

Company: Story Product: Sparkling Presses Contact: www.storydrinks.com

Story Drinks have over 25 years of experience across all sectors of the drinks industry, supplying to the hotel, restaurant and bar market.

With this experience, They set out in 2011 to create a delicious new range of premium soft drinks which we would launch, initially, to this market sector; drinks that would be discovered in bars, hotels, restaurants, cafe bars, coffee shops, health clubs, conference centres and the like.

Their lightly sparkling, natural fruit Pressés, are a blend of fruit juices and sparkling natural spring water, which result in a delicious range of light, refreshing, low calorie, natural products , with nothing artificial added and “always a pleasure”... whatever the occasion.

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CHOCOLATE Company: Seed and Bean Product: Organic Fairtrade Chocolate Mini Bar Contact: www.seedandbean.co.uk Seed and Bean is all about nature and creativity; contemporary, natural flavours, blended with pure cocoa beans into kaleidoscopic moments of pleasure. They are 100% organic and ethical and all of their chocolates are handmade in England.

Seed & Bean produce ethical and Fairtrade artisan chocolate and have been sourcing top quality chocolate from The Dominican Republic, Ecuador and the Sao Tome Islands of West Africa since 2005. Offering 18 unique flavours which can boast vegan, organic and kosher credentials.

Scored 7.76 on TASTE on the consumer panel tasting!

FRUIT

Company: Nim’sProduct: Fruit Crisps Contact: www.nimsfruitcrisps.com

Nim’s Fruit Crisps are a range of deliciously crispy, healthy snacks that everyone in the family can enjoy! Lovingly made using a unique airdrying process, they make sure the crisps keep as much of their nutritional content, natural sweetness and beautiful bright colours as possible.

Made from 100% natural fruit, Nim’s Fruit Crisps come in a variety of mixed flavours – Apple, Pineapple, Apple and Strawberry, Orange and Melon, Pear and Kiwi & Pineapple and Kiwi – tasting as fresh and tangy as the day they were picked!

What will your favourite be? Enjoy!

PROTEIN

Company: Coco Libre Product: High Protein Coconut Water Contact: www.cocolibreorganic.com Made with Organic Coconut Water, Natural Almond Flavour, Madagascar, Tahitian, & Indonesian Vanilla and Grass Fed Milk Protein.

Coco Libre Almond Protein Coconut Water is low in fat, contains 20 grams of protein, has no added sugar, contains 4 electrolytes, 23 vitamins and nutrients, and is only 130 calories.

POPCORN Company: Metcalfe’s Product: Honey Bee Skinny Popcorn Contact: www.metcalfesskinny.com Metcalfe’s skinny is a range of popcorn snacks made with top quality ingredients and limitless love and care. Their growing range of deliciously guilt free snacks aims to bring something for everyone from Skinny Popcorn to Popcorn Crisps and Corncakes.

Available in four tasty flavours, Chocolate, Vanilla, Almond and Coffee, the high protein range is sure to fit the current trend of healthy drinks within the food-to-go market.

Metcalfe’s skinny Honey Bee is made with delicious real honey. Freshly popped butterfly popcorn with a unique flavour that tastes irresistibly like honey on toast! This flavour is perfect for those with a sweet tooth, but from 117 calories per serving, Honey Bee is yet another guilt free treat!

See your product here!

Want to see your new product or piece of equipment in What’s New?

Then call 0333 003 0499 Issue 24 September 2015

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29 & 30 SEPTEMBER 2015

Dates for your diary Discover what exciting events and exhibitions are taking s e t a d y place over the coming months for the foodservice industry Diar

lunch!

24th-25th

September 2015

Location Business Design Centre, London

Takeaway Expo 29th-30th

September

Location Excel, London

2015

lunch! is frequently cited by food-to-go retailers and buyers as their key annual event for discovering innovative new ideas and concepts and, as such, has enjoyed significant year-on-year increases in both attendees and exhibitors (37% and 42% respectively in 2013 alone). lunch! 2015 will feature around 300 exhibiting companies showcasing a wealth of new food and drink products, packaging, equipment and technologies. The 2015 exhibitor list is available to view and search at www.lunchshow.co.uk.

The event is designed to give you all the tools you need to grow and to develop your takeaway, whether that is franchising your restaurant, adding an automated online ordering system or re-branding yourself to move to the top of the food chain.

You’ll be able to talk shop with peers and suppliers, hone your business skills and take away a wealth of free expert advice on everything from Murgh Masala to e-marketing.

Takeaway Innovation Expo 2015 will include the following:

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Show features include the Working lunch!

Keynote Theatre, Innovation Challenge Awards, Innovation Challenge Showcase, and the British Smoothie Championships. “lunch! just gets bigger and better each year,” says Andrew Rose, head of purchasing at Caffѐ Nero. “It has a great mix of suppliers covering a range of categories, enabling me to keep up with trends and innovation within the industry.”

To register for a free trade pass, visit www.eventdata.co.uk/Visitor/Lunch. aspx?TrackingCode=PR

be speaking from seven theatres that cover new food technology, marketing, maximising your output, new food and menu ideas as well as the Keynote Theatre

ExCeL, LONDON

TAKEAWAY I N N OVAT I O N EXPO2 15 BUSINESS GROWTH & ENTREPRENEURSHIP

AN UNMISSABLE EVENT PACKED WITH EXPERT TIPS AND TECHNIQUES TO GROW YOUR TAKEAWAY BUSINESS 85 INSPIRATIONAL FREE SEMINARS BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS INCLUDING...

120 Exhibitors The Show aims to bring you the widest range of products and services from leading lights in the catering and business world. With everything from shop front signage to online ordering systems, to food wholesalers; to help you find the perfect way to diversify your business.

Workshops Their series of ‘How To...’ workshops aim to give you the inside track on how to grow your takeaway; find out from the experts exactly what will be involved and how to make it work for you.

Keynote theatre Hear from some of the UK’s leading experts in business and catering as they impart their skills, knowledge and expertise on how you can improve your takeaway, as well as speakers from catering offering some fascinating insights into the food service industry.

85 Free seminars These seminars are run by some of the foremost experts in the food industry; they’ll

Find out more and to order your free ticket, visit www.takeawayexpo.co.uk.

Sauces, rubs and marinades - We’ll be sampling some of the best new products on the market and looking at the trend in terms of adding flavour to your menu. The excellent array of products in this market have transformed the food that we eat and the influences and flavours from around the world mean we are becoming more experimental every day

Cards and other payment methods - We take a closer look at technology and discuss the options available to the foodservice industry, from cards, contactless, apps and smartphones, we’ve got it covered Taste of South America- One of the most exciting types of cuisine, we delve into the food of South America and find out how you can make the most of these in your business.

AJMAL MUSHTAQ Takeaway Owner Of The Year “Boost Your Takeaway Sales By 1000%”

CAROLINE OLDHAM Founder Of Biteappy “Importance Of The Free From Market”

ANDREW D EMMERSON Hotcha Franchising “How To Build A National Takeaway Chain”

REGISTER FOR YOUR

FREE TICKET

JOHN AIZLEWOOD Chief Development Officer For Pizza Hut UK “The Secrets Of A Mega-brand”

GRAHAM CORFIELD Managing Director of JUST EAT “Top Takeaway Industry Trends”

USING CODE TIEAD AT: WWW.TAKEAWAYEXPO.CO.UK OR CALL 08000 686970

SPECIAL SHOW-ONLY DEALS | 200 LEADING EXHIBITORS & SUPPLIERS | LIVE Q&A PANEL SESSIONS

@TakeawayExpo #TakeawayExpo

Sponsored By

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