QuickBite Magazine November 2013

Grillstock gets a permanent home QuickBite finds out more about Grillstock Smokehouse Bristol’s design concept from Simple Simon Design Food-to-go & cinemas

Menu ideas

Frozen food

What’s new

Find out about the growing trend of food brands linking up with cinemas

In this issue, it’s all about sandwiches and wraps

How using frozen doesn’t mean you have to lose out on quality or flavour

We feature the latest products available in the food-to-go market

November 2013

Print edition £3.25

www.quickbitemagazine.co.uk The only monthly magazine specifically for the food-to-go industry

Kebab

reinvented...

Finally, a precooked and sliced doner

that tastes great!

Just heat and serve No need for a kebab machine (microwave, hotplate etc)

Rolls

Pizza’s

Serving suggestions

Panini’s

Another Double A Kebab Innovation If your wholesaler doesn’t stock Double A, call 0871 423 7123 or email info@doubleakebab.co.uk New wholesale enquiries welcomed

A message from the editor

Welcome Hello and welcome to the November issue of QuickBite.

It’s been an incredibly busy time in the QuickBite office with the re-launch of the magazine at the lunch! show in London at the end of September.

We were overwhelmed at the amount of support we received at the trade show and over the two days we handed out over a thousand copies of the October issue to new readers, so if you’re a new subscriber – hello!

As ever, we have lots in store for you in this issue including a fascinating feature on why food brands are teaming up with films.

Mike Croston, Business Development Director, Filmology tells us more on pages 40-41.

Editor

In the spotlight for our Business Profile is Martin Dewey, Managing Director of Square Pie, who talks to QuickBite about the company’s freshly baked pies, its re-brand and the launch of their unique ‘canapies’! Read all about it on pages 30-31.

Editorial contributors

The government has relaxed rules on auto-enrolling staff into pensions for small and medium-sized employers and in their regular column, Kirsty Craig Associates updates us on the upcoming and significant changes to company pensions (page 13).

Linda McKeown editor@quickbitemagazine.co.uk Office: +44 (0) 7981 080173 Trevor Langley

Commercial Manager

Lewis Wantling info@quickbitemagazine.co.uk Office: +44 (0) 1978 664176

Advertising sales

There’s lots more to help you keep turning the pages though, including information on the Takeaway Expo 2013 (page 24) which takes place 28th-29th November at Olympia London.

Ian James sales@quickbitemagazine.co.uk Office: +44 (0) 208 1446170 Mobile: +44 (0) 7805 543110

QuickBite magazine will be at the show, so why not register now.

Hope to see you there!

Design

Simon Warbrook design@quickbitemagazine.co.uk

P.S. Don’t forget you can follow us on Twitter at @QuickBiteMag

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Unit 9 Wilkinson Court, Clywedog Road South, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham LL13 9AE The publishers do not accept responsibility for advertisements appearing in this magazine.

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

Issue 2 November 2013

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Contents

06 20

14 06

12

13

Industry news

ind out what’s been happening in F the food-to-go sector

18

ll the latest news about illegal A employment and issues as reported by the Agency

Employment law column irsty Craig Associates updates K us on the upcoming changes to company pensions

inda McKeown discovers the L secrets of success for sandwich bars

ood Standards Agency F column

20 Technology

News about online food ordering

service hungryhouse.co.uk’s new iPad-based POS system

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Frozen food

e take a look at how you can W utilise frozen on your menu Issue 2 November 2013

Exhibition

akeaway Expo 2013, promises T innovation for the takeaway industry in November

27

How to…

30

Business profile

36

Accountancy

Sandwich bars

iscover the latest news from the D Food Standards Agency

21

UK Border Agency news

Features 14

24

40

45

Choose the right business partner artin Dewey, Managing Director M of Square Pie is in the spotlight this month brief guide to Pay As You A Earn and National Insurance Contributions

Food-to-go & cinemas

look at the growing trend of A food brands linking up with cinemas

Food review

his month Trevor Langley talks T about his recent visit to the Bay Tree, Derbyshire

Design 32

Design inspirations

ocus for this month is Grillstock F Smokehouse Bristol - restaurant and take-away venue for the barbeque festival brand

Menu ideas 37

Sandwiches & wraps

ew products and ideas to add to N your menu

Marketing

Business identity 28

How to give your business an identity

Equipment focus 25

Fridges & freezers

uickBite discovers how you Q should be energy wise with your refrigeration units

What’s new 42

New products

selection of new products A available for the food-to-go sector

Diary dates 44

Dates for your diary

ey events coming up over the K next few months

Contents

45

21

25

24

37

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32

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Industry news News in Brief Cymtec Limited will be exhibiting at the Takeaway Innovation Expo on the 28th and 29th of November at the London Olympia.

The company will be displaying Goldilock, a wireless temperature monitoring device for fridges, freezers and hot holdings, at the exhibition.

Takeaway Innovation Expo is targeted at takeaways and restaurants that want to take their business that one step further and will be host to a large number of innovative suppliers, seminars and sessions. Speakers include: Facebook, LinkedIn, Doug Richard, Clive Rich, Marcus Carter (Food Ventures), Tom Alcott (Five Guys Burgers and Fries).

Cymtec will be located at stand T364 and will be giving advice to businesses with regard to the benefits of temperature monitoring such as energy and stock savings.

Buyers demonstrate their appetite for lunch!

lunch! confirmed its position as the leading trade event for the UK’s food-to-go market, after its sixth, and biggest, edition attracted a record 5,929 industry professionals

Organised by Diversified Business Communications UK, the two-day show, which took place on 26th 27th September at the Business Design Centre, London, enjoyed an unparalleled 37% increase in unique attendees (excluding revisits) compared to 4,314 in 2012.

Renowned for attracting top buyers from across the retailing, hospitality, snacking and catering sectors, the show’s aisles were packed with a ‘who’s who’ of the sector – including buyers from Waitrose, M&S, Asda, Tesco, EAT., Pret a Manger, Costa, Caffe Nero, Harrods, Debenhams, Superdrug, Gate Gourmet, Greggs, Network Rail, Thomson Airways, Brakes, Aramark, BaxterStorey, Hilton Worldwide, Compass, Sodexo, Selfridges, and Coffee Republic; plus

Visit www.takeawayexpo.co.uk for more details or to register for your FREE ticket.

Generation Y is often referred to as a fickle generation whose loyalty changes with the voucher and whose preferences for choice of restaurant or QSR were price dependent.

Each year, Tpoll conducts the ‘Youth Eating Out’ research study providing a depth of unique insights into understanding millennials’ changing criteria for restaurant selection, their views on brands and the significance of the quality of service and product transparency.

A major change in Youth perspectives emerging from the 2013 report is ‘loyalty’, and how their definition and their requirements are very different from most other groups who were weaned in the ‘free air miles’ era.

Previous studies revealed the main weapon in the fight for youth loyalty has been the promotional voucher however, loyalty for Generation Y has become all about personalisation, relevancy and speed.

The 2013 Youth Eating Out study proves the need for new loyalty schemes and suggests how best to engage with one of the most valuable customer segments.

The rewards for the restaurateur adjusting their attitudes to Youth loyalty and getting it right, are said to be substantial!

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Issue 2 November 2013

thousands of independent retailers and foodservice operators.

The significant surge in visitor numbers has led many exhibiting companies to rightly hail the 2013 show as its most successful ever. And, as a result, a record number of exhibitors have already rebooked for next year – when lunch! returns to the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on 23rd-24th September 2014. lunch!’s Marketing Manager Grace Allwright, who has worked on the award-winning show since 2009, is delighted with the phenomenal feedback it has inspired: “We talk about lunch!’s fantastic buzz and unique atmosphere every year but it really was incredible for 2013. Of course, lunch!’s 37% increase in attendees makes a great headline but it was the high quality of focused buyers there that really grabbed everyone’s attention.

“We are thrilled that so many exhibitors, and visitors, are calling lunch! 2013 their best trade show ever! – and we really couldn’t ask for a better testimonial than that! Thank you to all our valued exhibitors, visitors, supporters and partners who helped make lunch! 2013 such a great success!”

At the show, ShakeTastic won the live finals of the British Smoothie Championships (sponsored

by Magrini) for the third time – having triumphed in 2009 and 2010. Their winning smoothie – Pop Eye! (made with banana, baby spinach and freshly pressed apples), is now available to enjoy in all their stores.

“Winning this award for a third time gives us great satisfaction and is a great credit to our on-going dedication to meeting our customers’ needs,” said Managing Director Josh Kettle, speaking on behalf of the ShakeTastic team. “It’s a team effort and big thanks must go to my business partner Amir Darabi, who is responsible for our operations, and, of course, Cherry – for making the smoothie on the day with such flare and passion.” lunch! 2014 will return to Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on 23rd-24th September 2014. For further information, visit www.lunchshow.co.uk.

Chop’d and Orogo beat the lunchtime queues

Chop’d, the London salad bar chain have teamed up with Orogo, the takeaway smartphone app, which allows you to order and pay for your lunch in advance and collect at your convenience - without the need to queue Designed for any food outlet that serves take out, the App is free to use and doesn’t cost the customer any extra. Demonstrating their forward thinking approach Chop’d were the first chain to take advantage of the technology and are already seeing results.

“Having spent large chunks of our lunchtime stood in line waiting for our food, whilst working in the City, we got thinking that there must be a better way,” says Christoph Lippuner, co-founder of Orogo. “Orogo is good for both customers and the restaurant owner. It increases customer loyalty for the restaurant, speeds up the

operation and makes getting lunch quick and convenient.”

Allan Cook, Operations Director at Chop’d, is confident that Orogo will be a big hit with customers: “For a long time we’ve been leading the way with regards to the London healthy food scene and we’re constantly looking at ways in which we can improve the experience for our customers.

“We know they’re busy people so anything that saves time is always going to be welcome.

The App has already gone down extremely well with our customers and helps us to keep queues to a minimum.”

With rogo, Chop’d customers can select from the full menu, including create your own salads, stews, soups, flatbreads and wraps, send the order to their local store and pay for it via the App. The customer is told when their lunch will be ready, which could be a matter of minutes, and can then collect from the dedicated pick-up area.

Industry news Gourmet fast food deserves premium sides, urges Aviko

News in Brief

Gourmet fast food is a rapidly growing trend, according to Mintel*, which has found that consumers are showing an increasing appetite for posh burgers and premium hot dogs Its survey reports that 13% of UK consumers have tried the gourmet fast food increasingly offered by a new breed of restaurants such as burger outlets MeatLiquor and Byron (whose £7.90 burger was famously the subject of a tweet this summer by Chancellor George Osborne) and Champagne and hot dog bar Bubbledogs.

In addition almost half the nation would be prepared to try hot dogs made with fancy ingredients. This point is backed up by the recent Horizons Menurama report, which found that hot dogs with a gourmet twist were one of the fastest-growing items on the menu, and were now listed on 85% more menus than last year.

This new generation of top-notch burgers and hot dogs – sometimes served in brioche or ciabatta breads – have jettisoned the limp lettuce and sliced tomato garnishes of old in favour of exciting new flavours such as the Tex-Mex guacamole, salsa, sour cream and jalapeno combination, fiery Middle Eastern harissa, or the Oriental mix of kimchi and fermented read bean paste.

Aviko urges foodservice to think more about their side orders, especially fries

Operators looking to take their offer up-market however need to pay equal attention to the accompanying sides, advises Aviko’s General Manager, Mohammed Essa: “With so much thought and effort going into the ‘gentrification’ of these fast foods, it would be a shame to let them down at the final hurdle by serving them with everyday fries.

“Premium burgers and hot dogs deserve to be partnered with premium fries to create a fully-finished dish.”

With fries accounting for a massive 72.3% of the 1.86 billion servings of potato products in the outof-home market^ and the average portion of chips generating a phenomenal gross profit of 1,215%** there has never been a better time for operators to trade-up their fries. * Mintel August 2013 ^ Foodservice Market Update, March 2013, Potato Council ** D ata based on a portion of chips costing an estimated £2.50

Businesses simply register with the new free service at www. getwaiter.com/merchant, which lets them allocate a site and table specific getWaiter! code (similar to a barcode) to each of the tables of their establishment. Then all they need to manage their waiting service is their own Internetenabled tablet.

Mick Shaddock, Managing Director of Victor, says the upgrade was necessary to deliver greater speed of processing and greater accuracy, which will also benefit assembly further down the line. “The technology is hugely sophisticated and the most up to date in the country as they are the latest generation of machines and will integrate seamlessly with the CAD/ CAM design process,” he says.

Swedish baker Almondy is urging caterers to tackle the perceived lack of value and availability of gluten-free foods and raise customers’ low expectations of their likeability out of nine in terms of ‘likeability’ and 72% of consumers expected standard foods to deliver a better sensory experience.

With the market buoyed up by the 11% of the UK population that either has Coeliac disease or chooses gluten-free products as a lifestyle choice*, the market has swelled to £120m^ and is expected

by Kantar World Panel to grow to £519m by 2016 – a year-on-year growth of 15.5%.

Andrew Ely, Managing Director at Almondy says: “We are now in an era when the gluten intolerant consumer is having an increasing impact on the commercial success of operators. The fact is a growing

Designed to work in any business that offers customer-focused service – from restaurants and hotels, to bars and cafes – getWaiter! is an essential tool for organisations striving to provide quick and attentive waiting service for their customers. It’s said to be particularly useful if a venue has a large number of tables to cover or multiple locations, but even the smallest cafes could benefit from the improved performance and customer experience.

A £300,000 investment in new machinery by Victor Manufacturing at its Bradford plant will improve production and allow the company to expand into new markets.

Unhappy Coeliacs could prove commercial risk

A survey by Leatherhead Food Research of 310 Coeliacs (people with a life-threatening intolerance of the gluten protein in wheat) found high levels of dissatisfaction with the current free-from offer. An overwhelming 85% felt that glutenfree foods needed to provide better value for money, while 76% wanted a better range of products and 70% looked for improved availability.

And while a surprisingly low number reckoned that texture (48%) and taste (46%) needed an upgrade, it emerged that their expectations were already low. Gluten-free foods scored a disappointing average of five

getWaiter! (getwaiter.com) is a new smartphone app (for both Android and iOS) and internet-based portal for consumers and merchants, which is said to offer radically improved customer service in the hospitality industry by making it easy for diners to call their waiter.

Almondy is urging caterers to tackle the perceived lack of value and availability of gluten-free foods

number of people are following a gluten-free diet or else limiting their consumption of gluten – so they are often looking for wheat-free options when they eat out.

“This market is on the rise so operators need to ensure they are providing customers with a more inspiring and value-added choice.”

The six-figure cash injection, augmented by a grant from the Leeds region’s Business Growth Programme, has been spent on two press brake machines to replace its existing folding machines which were over a decade old.

“What the new machinery does is increase our capacity and speed, which will allow us to look at new markets. Significantly, it opens up our capacity to serve the retail market, which is still a relatively new area for Victor.”

* Coeliac UK ^ Kantar Worldwide July 2010-July 2011

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Industry news News in Brief Karimix, UK based maker of hand-cooked relishes, chutneys, pastes and sauces, is celebrating a milestone as it moves into new premises in order to accommodate its expanding business.

With strengths in new product development and flavour creation, the new BRC compliance site has been planned to maximise the creative potential for new products as well as accommodate the recent (and future) growth and includes a development kitchen that will support foodservice operators in their quest to understanding how to demystify the magic of global cuisines.

Monica Chia, founder, Karimix UK Ltd said: “Following the launch of our foodservice range two years ago we have enjoyed tremendous growth as recognition of our brand increases.

“Our products sell around the world and we work with chefs from different sectors to understand their needs and ensure that what we create keeps them in touch with global flavour trends in order to add value to their menus and help increase profits.”

Award-winning artisan ice cream producer Yummy Yorkshire is now offering breakfast at their West Yorkshire ice cream parlour and café.

The Huddersfield-based business is focusing on fresh, local produce sourced from the Yummy Yorkshire farm or from suppliers in the local area for their new morning menu. They have teamed up with acclaimed Chef Stephanie Moon, who appeared on this year’s Great British Menu competition on BBC Two, to develop the new menu.

The Yummy Yorkshire breakfast offerings range from a Full English with meat from a local butcher and eggs from the farm, to thick and indulgent porridge with honey delivered warm from the hive and, for those with a sweet tooth, homemade waffles served with maple syrup and any flavour of their ice cream.

The new opening hours began on Monday 30th September with the café opening from 9am seven days a week. Breakfast is served from opening time until 11am.

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Giggling Squid to open in Horsham

Giggling Squid, a Thai restaurant, is to open in Horsham, West Sussex for Valentine’s Day – taking over the now closed Giraffe unit on East Street

On target to become the country’s first national Thai chain, Horsham will be Giggling Squid’s ninth outlet and its fourth in Sussex – adding to those in Hove, Brighton and Crawley.

In a prime pedestrianised location, the new 100-seater restaurant will be set over two floors. East Street is already home to several major dining chains including Wagamama and Cote.

“There’s certain plenty of competition, which is a good thing,” said Giggling Squid owner Andy Laurillard. “It shows there’s strong customer demand – but restaurateurs need to be really on top of their game if they are going to succeed in this

environment.”

Located only ten miles from the Crawley branch which opened three years ago, Laurillard was prompted to open in Horsham by the encouragement of a high number of customers who travelled from the neighbouring town to taste Giggling Squid’s unique take on rustic Thai cooking and street food.

The company looked at four sites in Horsham before opting for the former Giraffe.

The Horsham opening will be preceded by one in Stratford-upon-Avon which opened at the end October, Marlow for Christmas and followed by Maidstone at Easter.

Online sales sizzle for fast-food and home-delivery outlets industry

According to Fast-Food and Home-Delivery Outlets, a new Market Update from market intelligence provider Key Note, the industry rose in value by 2.5% in 2012 Growth was driven by the convenience that the market offers, as well as menu innovation and promotions.

The fast-food and home-delivery outlets market forms part of the wider restaurants industry. It is the largest category within the sector and is dominated by US chains, such as McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza and KFC. Independent operators are also included in the analysis and the market is divided into six main segments.

The largest category is sandwiches, which account for nearly a third of the total market.

Urban professionals are playing a critical role in maintaining sector dynamism for sandwiches.

Moreover, fast food is synonymous with burgers, which make up over a fifth of the market.

However, sector growth has slowed in recent times as it faces growing competition from other categories, particularly pizza, chicken and other fast-food and takeaway outlets. This is in part because burger chains are associated with poor quality and junk food. The fish and chips sector has also struggled as dishes within this sector are also considered to be unhealthy.

Moreover, a major source of income for the category has traditionally been late-night sales, but Britons are going out less

often to save money during the economic crisis. Furthermore, many businesses in the sector are small, independent operators who have been unable to cope with rising operating costs and falling sales.

The top-performing categories in the market in 2012 were pizza, chicken and other fast-food and home-delivery outlets. The pizza sector is benefitting from the growth of online sales, which are being spearheaded by sector leader Domino’s Pizza. Promotions have also played an important role in the sector’s growth.

In addition, chicken is perceived to be a healthier alternative to red meat. As a result, there is a growing demand for this type of product as consumers seek to lead a balanced lifestyle.

Moreover, companies are hoping to improve their health credentials by developing more nutritious ranges, including meals that feature chicken. This includes burgers, salads and wraps. Finally, Britons are becoming increasingly adventurous when it comes to their food. This is fuelling a demand for other fast food and takeaways.

Sushi, Thai and Mexican are currently the most up-and-coming cuisines in the market. Chinese and Indian have also overtaken fish and chips to become the UK’s favourite takeaways.

However, despite industry growth, market conditions are tough for fast-food and homedelivery operators in the UK. Cash-strapped consumers are dining out less frequently. When they do so, they are going to sit-down restaurants that offer both quality and good value; this has hindered volume sales in the market. Moreover, the industry expected 2012 value sales to be boosted by sports events and royal celebrations, but this trend failed to materialise.

Nevertheless, there remain several niches in the fast-food and home-delivery outlets market, including the growing importance of the breakfast and snacking occasions. Key Note expects that the market will continue to grow over the next five years. Overall, it is forecast to rise by 6.8%.

Ultimately, the industry will be saved by the convenience it offers to busy consumers who are looking for a quick and hasslefree mealtime solution, especially during the week. Operators will continue to invest in their menus and online operations to maintain market dynamism. They will also focus on improving the quality of their products to add value to the market and break away from the perception that fast food is unhealthy and a major player in the growing obesity crisis in the UK.

Industry news Nominate your best breakfast dish HGCA is encouraging food service venues to promote their breakfast offerings by taking part in Farmhouse Breakfast Week’s new ‘Best Breakfast Awards’

This provides the ideal tool to engage with customers and raise awareness of the fantastic range of breakfasts available. TV chef and breakfast lover Dean Edwards is fronting the campaign to find out who serves the country’s best breakfast. He will be taking part in a series of radio interviews to encourage the nation to vote and will announce the overall ‘best breakfast winner’ with a personal visit during Farmhouse Breakfast Week which runs from 26th January – 1st February.

To take part in the awards, restaurants, cafés, food vans, farm-shops, pubs, B&B’s and hotels can nominate their best breakfast dish in up to three categories, either a hot breakfast, cold breakfast or something innovative. Simply visit www. shakeupyourwakeup.com. Venues can nominate their dish of choice for each category.

After nominating themselves, venues can order free resources to encourage customers to vote.

A range of collateral is available to help raise awareness of their entry, from posters and cards that are handed out at the till, through to web banners and logos for use online.

Public voting will run from 9th December 2013 until 19th January 2014 and the winners will be announced during Farmhouse Breakfast Week.

Karen Levy, HGCA Campaign Manager, said: “People are increasingly eating breakfast out of the home and we believe the Best Breakfast Awards is an ideal vehicle for venues to promote their business in this growing market.

“This is the first Best Breakfast Awards we have organised so whether you’re part of a national chain or a small independent, we want you to take part and celebrate both the breakfast occasion and the choice of dishes available!”

Farmhouse Breakfast Week aims to educate people about the importance of eating breakfast. In

Thai Chicken soup scoops top award

The Real Soup Co’s Thai Chicken Soup has scooped a prestigious award for excellence at the food industry’s Wholesale Q Awards

addition to the awards, HGCA is hoping food service companies will get involved by running competitions and promotions, highlighting local suppliers, holding tasting sessions and arranging events in the local community in celebration of the week.

For more information about Farmhouse Breakfast Week, the Best Breakfast Awards and how to get involved, visit www. shakeupyourwakeup.com.

TV chef and breakfast lover Dean Edwards is fronting the Farmhouse Breakfast Week’s new ‘Best Breakfast Awards’ campaign

The soup, which is exclusive to foodservice and is a fusion of aromatic lime, lemongrass, chilli and coriander with chicken broth and coconut cream, was the winner of the Catering Chilled (Savoury) category.

Judges praised its ‘tantalising taste’ and its combination of flavours which, they said, made this soup ‘a product that caterers would be proud to serve’. Like all flavours in the company’s range, Thai Chicken is free from artificial colours, flavourings and preservatives and available in handy 4kg (16 portion) microwaveable tubs for accurate portion and cost control.

“We’re delighted that Thai Chicken has been recognised for its flavour and quality,” said Debbie King, Commercial Director of The Real Soup Co. “Its delicate flavour enhances any menu and like all our soups, it offers exceptional quality and value for money.

“All you need to do is heat and serve and you have a really good quality soup just like a chef would prepare in-house from scratch!”

The Wholesale Quality Food & Drink Awards have been rewarding excellence in the sector for more than 30 years. Judging panels are made up of respected food experts who assess entries against a wide range of criteria including taste, texture, ingredients, innovation, packaging and price point.

News in Brief Iconic Japanese restaurant chain YO! Sushi is to open a brand new restaurant at Heathrow Terminal2: The Queen’s Terminal in June 2014, offering quirky pod seating and an innovative service designed around the unique needs of airline passengers.

For the first time ever at YO! Sushi, airline passengers will be able to pre-order their food online before they arrive, ensuring their order will be ready for takeaway as soon as they come through security. For those wanting to dine in, any hot food or bespoke orders can be taken by their team who will use a tablet to place the order directly with the kitchen.

The restaurant will showcase an exclusive range of set menus to give passengers the option of a wellness meal before their flight.

The ‘Wellness Menu’ will provide customers with the optimum amount of nutrition before getting on a long haul flight, highlighting various nutritional benefits to aid a comfortable journey such as omega 3 oil found in their sashimi.

Serving up more than 80 different dishes on YO! Sushi’s signature ‘kaiten’ conveyor belt, travellers will be able to choose from a range of Japanese inspired items including delicious hot food such as soups, rice, noodle-based dishes with or cold items like the famous YO! Roll, Sesame Salmon Sashimi, Kaiso Salad, Prawn Tempura and hot classics like best-sellers Chicken Katsu Curry, Salmon Teriyaki and Yakisoba noodles.

Chefswear brand, Le Chef celebrated their 20th birthday with a brigade of 20 chefs who descended on Soho, London.

The parade set off from Denny’s Uniforms store, 55A Dean Street, W1D 6AG last month with tenor Benjamin Clark, making music and his ‘chorus’ creating mayhem.

The parade was led by Le Chef co-founder, Mark Gregory as they made their way along Soho’s Dean Street, Old Compton Street and Frith Street waving giant balloons, banging saucepans and singing.

The parade ended at Ronnie Scotts – another iconic Soho institution.

Celebrity chefs who have been supporters of Le Chef since its launch 20 years ago attended a birthday dinner at Ronnie Scott’s.

Debbie King (centre), Commercial Director of The Real Soup Co, receives the Wholesale Q Award (Catering Chilled, Savoury) for The Real Soup Co’s Thai Chicken Soup

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Industry news News in Brief Yummy Yorkshire Ice Cream Company’s Toffee & Cherry Ice Cream has won best Dairy Product at the eighth annual deliciouslyorkshire Awards.

The judges of best Dairy product described the winning product as ‘very creamy and not too sweet with a lovely balanced combination of flavours.’ They particularly loved the whole black cherries rippled throughout which give a subtle flavour.

Huddersfield-based Yummy Yorkshire was also shortlisted for its Hazelnut ice cream flavour.

The awards, which form the campaigning brand for the Regional Food Group for Yorkshire and Humber (RFG), are recognised as the Oscars of the food industry in Yorkshire.

Jeremy Holmes from Yummy Yorkshire says: “Winning the Dairy award is very important to us, and serves as recognition of the long process we go through to perfect every recipe.”

A leading hospitality apprenticeship provider, HIT, has unveiled its new Traineeship Programme for young people to help develop the necessary skills for sustainable employment.

The Programme, which aims to give 16-23 year olds a step up on to the apprenticeship and employment ladder, combines work preparation and employment skills, functional skills in Maths and English with specific industry training, and valuable ‘on the job’ practical work experience. It has been created in response to the Government’s new traineeship initiative, which has been introduced following employer feedback that many young people lack the basic skills for employment.

“Traineeships are part of the same family as apprenticeships but they are aimed at those young people who are having difficulty getting into work because they don’t have sufficient qualifications or any work experience,” said Jill Whittaker, Managing Director of HIT. “The new traineeships are a genuine opportunity to get people who are currently on benefits, into work and into jobs,” added Jill.

Employers interested in participating in HIT’s Traineeship Programme should either contact their local HIT representative or call 0800 093 5892.

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Best British Roast Dinner title awarded to Scottish steakhouse Kyloe Scottish steakhouse Kyloe Restaurant & Grill has beaten off stiff competition from almost 200 hopefuls to win the title of Best British Roast Dinner 2013

The Edinburgh restaurant’s Great Sunday Meat Up impressed mystery diners thanks to its quality, locally sourced meat, abundance of crispy duck fat roast potatoes, fresh, well cooked roasted root veg and stand out gravy.

Chris Brown, from British Roast Dinner Week, who organised the competition, says: “Standards were high across the board, but it’s fair to say Kyloe gave the competition a roasting.

“The service was warm, the food first class and the theatre of a whole joint of borders roast rib of beef carved at the table made for an exceptional experience. What’s more, the gravy – something which 90% of consumers say is vital for the perfect roast1 – was top notch.”

Speaking of the win, Murray Ward, General Manager of The Rutland Hotel, home of Kyloe Restaurant and Grill, said: “We’re thrilled to have won the title of Best British Roast Dinner 2013, proving that our roasts are the best - not just in Scotland but the whole of the UK. “Kyloe, an old Scots word for Highland beef cattle, was chosen for the name of the restaurant as it

Scottish steakhouse Kyloe has been named Best British Roast Dinner 2013

represents the strength and versatility of Scottish beef produce. I think this strength reflects in our team and I want to thank them for their passion, hard work and first class service, as without them this award wouldn’t have been possible.

“To be been crowned winner is just fantastic, the whole team are moo-ved and this gives us another reason to serve our award winning roasts to customers with pride.”

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One Poll survey for Knorr Gravy, 2012

YO! Sushi wins Best Large Group Restaurant Employer in Hospitality 2013

Iconic Japanese restaurant group YO! Sushi, has been crowned the big winner in this year’s Best Employers in Hospitality Awards, picking up the title of Best Large Group Restaurant The restaurant now ranks 12th overall in hospitality as the best employer to work for. It is also the only large restaurant group to feature in the top 30.

Famous for serving up sushi on its signature kaiten conveyor belt, YO! Sushi is dedicated to developing all of its staff to their full potential in a fun yet professional environment. YO! Sushi was shortlisted based on feedback from over 400 employees on areas that scored the working environment, leadership of the management team, job enjoyment and the level of commitment to their future at the company.

Suresh Banarse of YO! Sushi commented: “We’re thrilled to win

such a coveted award, which is a testament to the work we have put into the business over the last few years, promoting our brand vision and brand personality to our 1750 employees.

“We are proud to be attracting and retaining such great people in our business, who are in turn delivering outstanding guest experiences across the country.”

The unique set of awards, organised by the UK’s hospitality recruitment specialist Caterer.com, showcase the best employers in the hospitality industry as judged by the people that know them best – their employees.

The 16 category winners, plus the Top 50 Best Employers in

Hospitality were announced at a spectacular awards dinner at Lancaster London at the end of September which was attended by over 400 industry professionals from large and small hospitality businesses across the UK.

Industry news Chef’s pukka curry wins national award

A chef from the Royal Tandoori Restaurant was voted one of the best curry chefs in the UK at the 2013 Curry Chef of the Year Awards at the Lancaster Hotel, London Chef Kamrul Hasan Rashel, who runs the Royal Tandoori Restaurant in Corby, Northamptonshire was one of 46 chefs to receive official recognition for their contribution to an industry worth more than £4.2billion a year.

“It’s hard work in the kitchen but I love what I do and it is nice to see that recognised,” said Chef Rashel. “A successful restaurant is a team effort so this award is for everyone I work with.

“It was a great evening and it was nice that I could sit back and enjoy eating food instead of cooking it for a change! The award will inspire us to keep improving.”

Guests at the event included secretary of state Eric Pickles, renowned economist Lord Meghnad Desai and Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer and one of the award’s longest standing sponsors.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “Asian Cuisine plays such an important role in our national life, so it’s right that we celebrate and recognise the great achievements of this industry and I congratulate all of the winning chefs of a Curry Life Award.

“We want Britain to be the place where top chefs train in Asian cuisine - attracting and inspiring young people from all backgrounds who will design not only the brilliant dishes but also become the entrepreneurs and business owners of the future.”

Lord Bilimoria admitted he ‘was in awe of what chefs do’ and applauded them for producing ‘some of the most complex and exotic food in the

(l-r) Chef Kamrul Hasan Rashel, Anwar Hussain, owner of Royal Tandoori and Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities

world at the cheapest prices.’

He also paid tribute to the organisers, Curry Life, for their tireless promotion of the curry industry over the past decade and recounted some fatherly advice on how to succeed in life drawing parallels with the organisers own efforts to go the extra mile.

Lord Bilimoria said: “I sought my father’s advice on how to do well in life and he invited me to come to his office to have a chat about it. He told me the first rule was to do a job willingly and do it to the best of your ability however menial. The next rule was to always go the extra mile so that you stood out as someone who could be trusted and relied upon.

“It’s the best business advice I’ve ever been given and has been the foundation stone of our success as a company and is an attitude shared

by Curry Life.”

Grill gas savings for commercial cooking market As the UK braces itself for more energy suppliers to announce price rises, there’s some good news about gas savings for the commercial cooking market Pub and restaurant owners are being advised that installing one Synergy Grill saves 60 per cent on energy bills per year, which is enough gas to supply four average houses over the same time period.* The Synergy Grill, which has been developed

by Cambridgeshire-based Active Food Systems

Ltd, creates a fuel efficient burn which cooks faster and enhances taste. It also atomises fat so there is no need for a fat tray and instead it produces a white smoke which doesn’t clog up ventilation systems.

Synergy Grill Managing Director Gary Evans said: “Rising energy bills are going to be a key

The Synergy Grill has been developed by Cambridgeshire-based Active Food Systems Ltd

factor for all pubs and restaurants over the coming months. The Synergy Grill’s significant gas savings could help some struggling businesses stay open, especially when combined with the improved cooking quality that this unique product provides.”

The Synergy Grill is said to yield a return on investment in five months because of its significant energy savings. Successful and extensive trials of the equipment are currently being carried out with large restaurant and pub groups.

The Abbotsley Golf Hotel’s General Manager, Helen Lavis, said: “Now that I have purchased the grill I am saving on average £200 per month which is amazing in this world where prices are just going up and up. I also have a very happy chef as the grill is easy to light and so easy to clean.” * Synergy Grill uses 41,040 kwh of gas per year compared to an average of 104,724kwh used by conventional competitor chargrills.

This 63,684kwh saving is said to be enough to supply gas to almost four medium sized homes which use 16,500kwh of gas per year.

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UK Border Agency news The UK Border Agency continue to make more arrests during October Two men have been arrested for immigration offences following enforcement operations.

Acting on intelligence, UKBA officers carried out a visit to Spice Fusion on Severn Street, Welshpool, on 10th October to question staff to establish whether they had the right to be in the UK. A 55-year-old Bangladeshi man living in accommodation above the premises was arrested. He is suspected of being in the country illegally and possessing a false passport. After being interviewed at Newtown police station he was released on immigration bail. He will now report regularly to the UKBA while steps are taken to remove him from the country.

On 11th October, officers visited Yummies on Heol Y Neuadd, Tumble, Llanelli. A 35-year-old Turkish man discovered in a room behind the kitchen was arrested on suspicion of overstaying his visa.

He is now in detention pending removal from the country.

Andrew Hogan, Home Office, said: “Foreign nationals who are in this country illegally should be in no doubt that they will be caught, arrested and removed from the UK. “We are determined to crack down on immigration offenders and anyone found living or working here illegally is liable to be detained and removed.”

Illegal worker found at Bridgend takeaway

Five arrested in Home Office immigration raid

A Bridgend takeaway faces a fine for employing a suspected illegal worker following an operation by Home Office immigration enforcement.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited the Noble House on Penprysg Road, Pencoed, Bridgend at 18:00 on Wednesday 9th October 2013, to question staff to establish whether they had the right to be in the UK. As a result a 40-year-old Chinese man who was in the country illegally was arrested and detained. Steps will now be taken to remove him from the country.

This was the second time officers had visited the takeaway.

In June this year four illegal workers were arrested. One of them is in detention pending removal from the country and the others must now report regularly to the Home Office while steps are taken to remove them.

The restaurant was warned that a fine of up to £10,000 per illegal worker found will be imposed unless proof is provided that the correct right-to-work checks were carried out.

On Thursday 10th October 2013 the Government published the Immigration Bill, which contains a number of proposals to clamp down on illegal working and rogue employers. These include potentially doubling the maximum penalty for those using illegal labour to £20,000 and making it easier to enforce unpaid debts in the civil courts.

The Government is also planning to simplify the right to work checks to make it easier for compliant employers to fulfil their responsibilities. Immigration minister Mark Harper said: “Illegal working encourages illegal immigration, undercuts legitimate businesses and is often associated with exploitation.

“The existing illegal working regime isn’t simple enough; the penalties have remained the same since 2008 and don’t provide a sufficient deterrent; it is also too easy for companies to evade paying them.

“New legislation will increase the penalties for rogue businesses, make it easier to enforce payment, while also making it easier for legitimate businesses to verify individuals’ right to work.”

Every year, the Home Office fines hundreds of companies which fail to carry out legally-required checks on their staff.

The Home Office provides support to employers so they can understand the rules, including visits by staff, a dedicated telephone helpline and website.

Five men from Bangladesh have been arrested for immigration offences during an enforcement operation at an Indian restaurant in Hull.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited Amaan Restaurant, Hull Road, Anlaby on 10th October. Four of those arrested, aged between 25 and 42, were found to have overstayed their visas. The fifth is an 18-year-old failed asylum seeker.

Four of the men were found working in the restaurant and another was located in an upstairs accommodation room.

All five men are now detained pending their removal from the country.

The owners of Amaan will be issued with a fine notice for employing the four illegal workers meaning they will be fined up to £10,000 for each illegal worker unless proof is provided that the correct right to work checks were carried out such as seeing a Home Office document or passport.

This is a potential total fine of £40,000.

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Seven suspected illegal workers arrested Seven suspected illegal workers have been arrested following operations by enforcement officers at businesses in Cwmbran and Ebbw Vale.

Acting on intelligence, officers visited the Golden Gate takeaway, on Chapel Street, Pontnewydd, Cwmbran, in October to check the immigration status of the staff. Three Chinese men aged 21 to 45 were arrested and detained on suspicion of working illegally.

One man had overstayed his visa, another was in the country illegally and the third had his asylum claim refused. They are all in detention while steps are taken to remove them from the country.

Get in touch Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit the preventing illegal working section of the UK Border Agency website at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or call the UK Border Agency’s employers helpline on 0300 123 4699.

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Sandwich bars Cook & Garcia were named 2013 Independent Sandwich Bar of the Year at the British Sandwich Association ‘Sammies’

Demand continues to grow for sandwich bars According to Key Note, the marketing intelligence provider, store numbers for branded sandwich shops will reach 3,800 by 2015, while the number of branded sandwich shops will grow to 4,511 over the next four years. Linda McKeown discovers their secrets of success Cook & Garcia opened in May 2012 as an artisan sandwich shop and is the only independent on Richmond High Street. It is owned by local residents Richard and Janet Garcia - Richard had been a chef for over 25 years, and finally fulfilled his dream of opening his own place. Cook & Garcia aims to provide something different from the usual chains on the high street using only the freshest 14

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ingredients and providing a healthy alternative and real value for money.

“We have chillers full of freshly, premade bloomers, wraps, boxed salads and paninis,” explains Janet Garcia.

“In addition we have a deli bar where the team make sandwiches to order.

Customers chose from a selection of breads, spreads, and wide range of

house suggested fillings, although we leave the final choice of ingredients to the customer.”

Janet believes that the sandwich bar’s biggest unique selling point is their Gourmet Kitchen. Here they slow roast two different best of British meats in the morning, which are carved into either a choice of wraps or into a tossed salad

Sandwich bars Cook & Garcia aims to provide something different from the usual chains on the high street

A new sandwich is added to the menu every week at Anderson & Co.

with a large selection of condiments.

“Everything we do is fresh, and we only use good quality ingredients, locally sourced where possible,” continues Janet.

Cook & Garcia scooped the ‘Best Independent Outlet’ by Lunch Business, at the Grab & Go Awards 2013. So what does it mean to win such a prestigious award? “Winning this award is a wonderful recognition for all the hard work,” enthuses Janet. “As an independent having recently started up, Richard does everything himself, meaning incredibly long hours and very little time off. This is a great reward for all that effort.

“We are also delighted for the team who work relentlessly to keep up the high standards we have set and they are all very proud to be ‘the best’.”

What Cook & Garcia does is not complicated, but is executed well.

Richard is uncompromising in his standards – every cup of coffee, every sandwich, every customer experience has to be the best in can be – they believe that this is the only way to compete and survive as the only

independent competing against all the big high street names. And Janet firmly believes that these high standards are the reason for their success. “We feel we have a real momentum now. In August we opened up a second unit within an office block in Richmond, and we get busier every month.

“We are happy that the brand is now well established in the local area, and we have an increasing base of customer accounts using our business menu,” explains Janet.

Over the coming months they will

be focusing more on getting all their processes and structures bolted down so that they are in a position to be able to grow as a business. Apparently Richard will not be happy until he gets Cook & Garcia up to five sites!

Cook & Garcia also recognise the importance of engaging the online community and were rewarded for their efforts by being crowned ‘Best website’ at the ‘Richmond Business Awards’ run by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce. “Despite being a traditional sandwich shop, we recognised the importance of engaging the online Issue 2 November 2013

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Sandwich bars community,” explains Janet. “We post our specials on Facebook and Twitter each day; have an online ordering system and you can pay in the shop with a mobile app!”

And the awards don’t stop there. They were also named 2013 Independent Sandwich Bar of the Year at the British Sandwich Association ‘Sammies’ which is no mean feat considering they only launched the business in May last year.

Another sandwich bar used to winning awards is Anderson & Co., located in Peckham. They were awarded a Gold Medal by the British Sandwich Association in August 2013. It serves Square Mile coffee, breakfasts, soups and salads in the summer although they are now getting in to more autumnal lunches, steak pies, cottage pies, mackerel , toasties made with Montgomery cheese, leeks, garlic.

Anderson & Co. has their own inhouse baker who makes about 40 full cakes each week, along with brownies, financiers, biscuits, flapjacks and whatever else takes her fancy! Their best selling cakes include courgette, and chocolate guinness.

And when it comes to sandwiches, it’s all about the ingredients as Lisa Anderson, chef/proprietor, explains: “Our sandwiches might seem expensive but they are pretty large, hand cut bread, with lots of filling!”

Attention to detail is also key for Lisa.

“One of our local bakeries is Brick House, who won ‘London Loaf of the Year’ last December for their Peckham Rye. We make all our sandwiches on their Peckham Rye, Country White or Multigrain, all sourdough and delivered to us each morning.

“We also make all our own ‘extras’ such as piccalilli, brown sauce, ketchup, aioli and mayo. We roast the chickens, red peppers and our top class salad comes from Cherry Tree Farm in Kent, which is delivered to us three times each week.”

With the demand growing for food which has been slow cooked – ensuring that cooked meats are lovely and tender – the company slow cooks two whole hams each week for use mostly in their sandwiches. And the sandwiches that Anderson & Co. believes that a sandwich should be all about the ingredients

Over 3,250,000,000 sandwiches are purchased from retail or catering outlet s each year and consumers paid over £6,500,000,000 for them – making the average price of a sandwich almost £2.00 .* * Source: British Sandwich Association

are most popular? Lisa says that their home cooked ham, piccalilli, salad (£5) and roast chicken, roast red peppers, aioli, salad (£4.75) are top of the list in regards to demand.

What’s important to note is that Anderson & Co. change their sandwich offering fairly frequently, depending upon what looks nice when they buy their ingredients. “Our sandwiches are fairly traditional, but very fresh and the ingredients are really good,” explains Lisa. “Our customers do seem to love them and we get lots of compliments.

However, we are always on the lookout for new ideas and will introduce one new sandwich each week to see if it goes and if it does, it stays and we swap things around!”

Guide for sandwich bars published* A new industry guide to good hygiene practice for sandwich bars and similar food service outlets is available to order from The Stationery Office (www.tsoshop.co.uk). Produced by industry, on behalf of the sandwich catering sector, the guide aims to help processors to comply with food safety and hygiene law and the guide is recognised by the Food Standards Agency.

The guide covers the activities carried out by businesses that prepare and sell sandwiches direct to customers for immediate consumption, as well as the pre-packing of sandwiches.

Anderson & Co. believes that a sandwich should be all about the ingredients

Did you Know?

The guidance applies to all businesses – small, medium and large-scale – with multiple branches. It gives comprehensive information to sandwich

manufacturers on areas such as product handling; temperature control; pest control; staff training; the principles behind hazard analysis.

It also includes details of current legal requirements, how to comply with the legislation and practical advice on good practice. The guide is intended to assist food business operators to meet the legal requirements of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006, and the equivalent regulations for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

However, the use of the guide is voluntary, as there is no legal requirement for food businesses to follow the advice contained in it. * Source: Food Standards Agency

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FSA column

Good food hygiene is good for business

What’s your hygiene rating? Most food businesses are given a rating on their hygiene standards, after inspection by the local authority. If you haven’t got one yet, you soon will have, because soon nearly all local authorities will be using the scheme Anyone can check the ratings of food outlets on the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) website food.gov.uk/ratings.

But many people make spontaneous decisions about where to eat or buy takeaway food. Customers are becoming increasingly aware of the food hygiene schemes and are actively looking for a rating sticker in a shop when choosing where to eat out or buy food.

Recent research from the FSA showed that more businesses are displaying their rating on their premises. Over a third of businesses said that displaying their rating is having an impact, such 18

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as greater customer confidence, better reputation among customers and in some cases, increasing the number of customers. Takeaways were more likely than other types of food business to perceive a benefit to their business of displaying a rating.

However, there are many businesses who aren’t yet displaying their rating. For those businesses with a rating in the top half of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

scale (3, 4 or 5) and those with a ‘Pass’ under the Food Hygiene Information Scheme that runs in Scotland, there is no reason not to put their sticker in a place clearly visible to customers. It shows them that food hygiene is taken seriously.

The FSA is encouraging food businesses to display their rating sticker or ‘Pass’ certificate in a place where customers can easily see it, for example, in a window or on the door. There are other

“Make sure you display your food hygiene rating sticker in a place where your customers can see it easily”

FSA column ways that businesses can make the most of their food hygiene rating to help attract customers. The FSA has the following suggestions.

At your restaurant, café or takeaway First of all, make sure you display your food hygiene rating sticker in a place where your customers can see it easily, for example in a window or on your door.

Research shows that people are now looking out for it. So if it can be seen before entering the premises, it reassures your customers that you take food hygiene seriously.

If you’ve lost your sticker, speak to your local authority food safety officer who can provide you with a new one.

Menu Menus are a great place to advertise your food hygiene rating. So, whether your menu is on the table, in the window, on a board outside or online, you should be proud to show off your rating. To help, we have some images showing your rating that you can download and use.

Website Your website is also a good place to promote your hygiene rating. To help you get started we have a web banner that you can download, or you can embed your rating on your website using the FSA ‘widget’. Information about this can be found in your business’s entry on food.gov.uk/ratings.

Flyers On your next promotional flyer include a short quote that promotes your wellearned food hygiene rating, for example, ‘We are proud to say we have achieved the top rating in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.’ And remember to include an image of your hygiene rating.

Newspaper advertisement Next time you place an advertisement in your local paper, include a short quote about your hygiene rating. It’s a simple way of letting regular and new customers know that your business has attained

very good standards in food hygiene.

Email If you have a database of customers’ email addresses include your hygiene rating as part of your signature whenever you send an email. It’s a subtle way to raise awareness of your rating.

Social media In a recent survey 47% of restaurant owners questioned, said that social media was the most important part of their 2012 marketing campaign. With more and more customers using social media you should make the most of the opportunity and use it to promote your top rating.

competition via Twitter, simply upload a photo of your rating sticker and offer a free meal to the first ten people to retweet it

Instagram This social photo sharing site has more than 40 million users sharing 58 photos every second and lets you connect with customers on a more visual level, for example by: • uploading photographs of daily specials • posting photographs of your most mouth-watering dishes • sharing photographs of special in-store promotions and events

“Customers are becoming increasingly aware of the food hygiene schemes and are actively looking for a rating sticker in a shop when choosing where to eat out” Facebook With more than 900 million users, Facebook is a great place for restaurants, cafés and takeaways to promote business. Simply create a page and you can talk with your customers in a number of ways, such as: • asking questions and seeking input on new dishes and menu items • offering promotions and even the ability to make food orders through your Facebook page Upload a photo of your hygiene rating sticker in your window and invite your customers to celebrate with you.

Twitter With more than 490 million twitter accounts registered and at least 170 million tweets being sent each day, Twitter provides a number of fantastic ways to interact with your customers, such as: • tweeting delicious or interesting photos of your food with captions can be a good way to get retweeted • you could also run a simple

Why not start by showing off your signature dish on Instagram with a caption that mentions your top hygiene rating.

The FSA has created a toolkit offering guidance such as the above tips, as well as images, logos and web banners.

These materials can all be found on the website: www.food.gov.uk/businesstoolkit-fhrs Catriona Stewart, head of the FSA’s food hygiene ratings team, said: “Businesses displaying their ratings are finding this is having a positive impact. People are increasingly looking for the stickers when they are out and we want more businesses to benefit in this way, and our new toolkit can help them make the most of their ratings.

“The scheme also gives customers the confidence that they are choosing to eat at premises where food hygiene is being taken seriously.”

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Technology Hungryhouse launches a new iPad-based POS system Online food ordering service hungryhouse.co.uk has introduced a new iPad-based POS system exclusively to their partner restaurants The PartnerPad allows restaurants to meet the demands of increasingly technology savvy consumers, seamlessly integrating hungryhouse orders with those placed over the phone or in person.

The PartnerPad offers features which go way beyond the capabilities of a traditional POS. With software provided by hungryhouse’s partner 9Cookies, it’s a complete solution for managing any restaurant or takeaway.

Advertise in QuickBite magazine!

This is just the latest in a long line of technical innovations brought to the marketplace by hungryhouse.co.uk. Shane Lake and Tony Charles founded the company in 2006 with a vision of a digital future for food based on the fact that, at the time, Domino’s was already taking about 15 per cent of its orders online. In 2007 the duo presented their vision of partnering with restaurants, listing menus and receiving orders online on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den. The Dragons recognized the potential of the idea, with two offering investment.

“The PartnerPad... it’s a complete solution for managing any restaurant or takeaway” The UK’s appetite for takeaway ordering is continually increasing and hungryhouse.co.uk has been at the forefront of modernising and digitally streamlining the online food ordering process. hungryhouse is now partnered with over 10,000 restaurants across the UK and processes as many as 60 orders per minute.

When the site launched its iOS app in the UK in November 2011 it was the first in its sector to provide an app. Android followed in October 2012. The convenient, comprehensive Apple and Android platform introduced hungryhouse’s partner restaurants to an entirely new marketplace of customers.

It seems anything that makes it easier for hungry customers to find the quickest way to their favourite food is an innovation that hungryhouse, the restaurants and the consumers are happy to embrace!

To order a PartnerPad or join hungryhouse.co.uk, call 0800 612 3333.

GRILLSTOCK GETS A PERMANENT HOME

QuickBite finds out more abou t Grillstock Smokehouse Bristol’s design concept from Simp le Simon Design FOOD-TO-GO & CINEMAS Find out about the growing trend of food brands linking up with cinemas November 2013

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MENU IDEAS In this issue, it’s all about sandwiches and wraps

FROZEN FOOD How using frozen doesn’t mean you have to lose out on quality or flavour

WHAT’S NEW We feature the latest products available in the food-to-go market

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ally for the food-to-go industry

QuickBite magazine is the perfect place to get your products and services noticed by an engaged and influential audience For further information or to discuss a cost-effective presence, please contact: Ian Lydon-James sales@quickbitemagazine.co.uk Office: +44 (0) 208 1446170 Mobile: +44 (0) 7805 543110

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Frozen food

Utilise frozen on your menu

Meadow Vale's diced chicken breasts are available in Plain, Tikka and Tandoori flavours

It could be argued that in today’s age, consumers are looking for a cheaper meal out, but at the same time, they’re not willing to compromise on quality. QuickBite takes a look at how using frozen doesn’t necessarily mean you have to lose out on quality or flavour of your menu offering The main challenge for operators is to deliver a decent meal at the cheapest possible price, whilst still making a good margin. Utilising frozen products can enable operators to introduce dishes that perhaps their kitchen does not have the knowledge or time to create, or that are costly to make in smaller quantities.

Meadow Vale’s frozen chicken products are designed with this consideration in mind.

All of Meadow Vale’s products are individually quick-frozen. The ‘quick’ part ensures that the freshness of the chicken is locked in, meaning that whenever caterers choose to serve their products, they can be assured of maximum flavour and quality.

Because they’re frozen individually, the single pieces of product don’t stick together, which means caterers can remove from the freezer literally only the

flavours and these multi-use products are said to be ideal for pizza toppings, sandwiches and salads, making them a versatile choice for menus.

“Quick-freezing locks in both the freshness and the nutrients right up to the point of service” pieces they need to use at the time. This is particularly helpful with products such as their range of Diced Chicken Meat: rather than defrosting whole bags, the caterer can scoop out exactly the portion size required and leave the rest of the product safely stored in the freezer for when it’s next needed.

The pieces of diced chicken breasts are available in Plain, Tikka and Tandoori

Paul Broster, Meadow Vale Foods’ Sales and Marketing Director, said: “There’s a myth that because something is frozen it means it’s poor quality. But in fact the opposite is often true.

“The obvious benefit is that frozen products have a much longer shelf life than ‘fresh’, so when trade is slower than expected, there’s no need to dispose of perfectly good stock.

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Frozen food Adding premium touches such as Aviko’s Spicy Wedges to your menu could help add a higher price point

Aviko believes using quality frozen sides that can be on the plate in minutes enables caterers to easily upd ate menus with little fuss

“One of the best things about frozen products is that wastage can be significantly reduced. Meadow Vale’s products are specially designed to be taken out of the freezer and put straight into the fryer, oven, grill or microwave with no need to defrost before cooking.

When you only take out of the freezer what you need on an order-by-order basis, nothing goes in the bin.”

“Using frozen food can offer a number of benefits to operators,” comments Mohammed Essa, General Manager UK and Ireland, Aviko. “If you take chips and potato products for instance, preparation from scratch can be incredibly labour intensive. Research from the British Frozen Food Federation suggests that making a dish from scratch can cost an average 30% more than buying in a frozen equivalent, while hiring extra staff to assist in preparation could prove costly.

“Using frozen potato products will significantly reduce the pressure caterers are under to deliver quality.”

Aviko has a frozen range of chips and potato specialities that can be prepared in a number of ways, including combisteamer, deep frying, microwaving or

“In a more value driven economy, and with ever more efficient production methods, the image of frozen food as a poor relation to fresh, both in terms of nutrition and quality, has undergone a transformation,” says Mohammed.

“There’s a myth that because something is frozen it means it’s poor quality. But in fact the opposite is often true” oven-baking, and offer a way for QSR caterers to control portion sizes and reduce waste levels at a stroke.

Using quality frozen sides that can be on the plate in minutes also enables caterers to easily update menus with little fuss, and keep their offerings fresh. While adding premium touches such as Aviko’s Beer Battered Onion Rings or Spicy Wedges could help them to add a higher price point.

“Fresh foods begin to lose nutrients from the moment they are picked, while quick-freezing locks in both the freshness and the nutrients right up to the point of service. Recently-published research conducted by scientists at Sheffield Hallam University’s Centre for Food Innovation has debunked negative views of the quality of frozen foods by concluding they are just as effective as fresh in providing 37 macro-and micro-nutrients (including fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals).

“Alongside this, a recent study by the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) found that 70% of caterers believe that frozen foods are frozen at the peak of their quality, while a further and six in ten understand that freshness is locked into products when frozen.

Diced chicken breast from Meadow Vale is ideal for use as pizza toppings

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“Moreover frozen food was shown to be stocked by 100% of chefs working in education with the majority of products purchased being single dish components such as chips and vegetables.”

Frozen food

New products launched in frozen Find out what frozen food products are now available for foodservice Aviko is helping operators profit from the family pound with the recent launch of Sweet Potato Fries – an alternative to chips.

Naturally sweet, Aviko Sweet Potato Fries are crispy on the outside, fluffy in the middle and offer an appealing golden colour to young diners as well as being gluten free and free from genetically modified organisms (GMO).

A premium alternative to regular chips, Aviko’s Garlic & Herb Wedges offer greater choice for customers and can command a more premium price. Seasoned with a Garlic & Herb coating they build on the popularity of the company’s range of wedges which include Spicy, Tex Mex and Crinkle.

Supplied frozen, the Wedges can be prepared in a matter of minutes, helping caterers deal with the demands of a busy service. And because they don’t have to be prepared in advance, it helps caterers reduce costs by cutting down on preparation time and food waste.

New developments in dough-based products Pan’Artisan, producers of frozen, full and part-baked, dough-based products for

A cooked Panizza from Pan’Artisan

Northern Dough Co. is targeting the foodservice sector with its premium pizza dough

foodservice, has added the ‘Panizza’ to its range and is said to offer complete convenience for those wanting to serve food on the move that follows the popular pizza trend, but may not have the time, skills or equipment to do so.

D Sidoli and sons’ Handmade Carrot Cake is now available as gluten free

Richard Jansen, Managing Director, Pan’Artisan, said: “Our recent expansion means that we can now offer our full range of high quality breads and bases but topped and filled items too, giving additional choice and convenience to the caterer.

“Our Panizza is hand-made from two 7” thin crust pizza bases that have been filled and sandwiched together with popular pizza toppings. These are then quickly frozen and packed ready for the caterer to use. All they have to do is defrost prior to service, place straight onto a contact grill and it’s ready in 2 ½ minutes!”

answers the caterers need to have an indulgent dessert to offer this ever increasing market - Handmade Carrot Cake.

After a speedy rise from farmer’s market to supermarket in just two years, Northern Dough Co. is now targeting the foodservice sector after rolling out its four-strong range of freshly frozen, premium pizza dough.

Designed with quality and convenience in mind, the dough is made with natural ingredients before being freshly frozen. In addition to the Original and Wholemeal dough, the brand also offers Chilli-infused and Rosemary-infused versions which offer a real pizza point of difference.

The dough balls come individually wrapped so kitchens simply defrost and add toppings. The new foodservice packs provide 50 x 220g dough balls with each making a 12” pizza. The dough is also said to be versatile and flavoursome enough to be used for bread sticks, dough balls and other baked snacks.

“We have to be able to offer our customers something that tastes just as good as our gluten based desserts,” said a spokesperson for Sidoli. “With this Carrot Cake you could sell it out to all your regular customers as your biggest selling carrot cake and they will never know the difference. However, your gluten free customer will be over the moon that they can have their cake and eat it!”

A bit on the sweet side D Sidoli and sons, a dessert manufacturer to the frozen foodservice industry, has come up with a new product which

The company believes that they make the best Handmade Carrot Cake on the market, using the best ingredients. And now it’s also available as gluten free.

Useful contacts Meadow Vale Foods

www.meadowvalefoods.co.uk

Aviko

www.aviko.co.uk

Pan’Artisan

www.panartisan.com

Northern Dough Co

www.northerndoughco.com

Sidoli

sales@sidoli.co.uk Issue 2 November 2013

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Exhibition

What lessons will you ‘takeaway’?

The all-new exhibition and conference this year, Takeaway Expo 2013, promises innovation for the takeaway industry in November Aimed at progressive takeaway restaurants, Takeaway Innovation Expo 2013 brings together like-minded professionals to share ideas and develop professional knowledge centred on innovation in the takeaway industry.

Across two days from 28th-29th November, 120 exhibitors will cover everything from online ordering systems to apps, EPOS, franchise opportunities and much more at Olympia London.

With a comprehensive seminar and workshop schedule, the exhibition offers a unique chance for takeaway owners to develop business skills and explore new technology, as well as enabling anyone who is considering getting into the industry to find out more about it.

The stunning line-up of speakers will deliver 85 seminars from business experts and leaders in the takeaway trade. Andrew Walker is the former MD of the successful UK sandwich chain, Pret A Manger, where he led a four-anda-half year period of sales growth from £223m to £350m. There are now more than 200 Pret stores worldwide, making Andrew’s advice on business growth in the takeaway industry unmissable.

TV and radio personality, Dr Lisa Ackerley - The Hygiene Doctor - has been a Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner for over 25 years. She’ll be a familiar face to viewers of programmes such as Watchdog, Rogue Restaurants and Holiday Hit Squad. In her seminar, Dr Lisa will present practical, friendly 24

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and realistic advice to help takeaway owners stay out of court and make sure they don’t appear on TV for the wrong reasons!

School friends Ryan Pasco and James Taylor fell in love with American selfserve frozen yoghurt stores and couldn’t understand why this social approach to a guilt-free dessert hadn’t already crossed the Atlantic. And so Angel Berry was born in 2011. 20 months later and the pair already have two stores, while they’re now looking at expanding the chain nationwide. They will explain the secret of their success in their seminar.

With seminars from social media giants Facebook and LinkedIn, the list of amazing speakers just goes on and on;

will give you the chance to pick up new skills and sample new products or services to add to your repertoire. These workshops will cover everything from new kitchen technology and the latest packaging to social media and location behavioural marketing.

Takeaway Innovation Expo 2013 also gives you the chance to sample a broad range of food that you could add to your menu, with Taste Live. It’s the ideal way to find out more about what’s involved in providing these dishes to your customers from your kitchen.

With a headline sponsor in the leading UK online takeaway service JUST EAT and partners including The British Hospitality Association, Federation Of

“The exhibition brings together like-minded professionals to share ideas and develop professional knowledge centred on innovation in the takeaway industry” Doug Richard (former ‘Dragon’), Eamon Fitzgerald (Naked Wines), Ajmal-mushtaq (Best Delivery Restaurant / Takeaway in Britain 2012), Clive Rich (The £10bn negotiator), Marcus Carter (Food Ventures), Tom Alcott (Pepper Mongers), Brad Burton (4Networking), Vegware, Rob Hudson (National Association of Shopfitters), and Local Secrets.

In addition to the comprehensive seminar schedule, a raft of interactive workshops

Bangladeshi Caterers, and Catering Insight, there’s no doubt that this exhibition and conference is the fivestar event for the takeaway industry.

Takeaway Expo 2013 runs alongside The Business Show – the UK’s biggest business show - at Olympia London on 28th-29th November, giving you the chance to learn more about the business side of things while you’re there. Book your free tickets online now at www.takeawayexpo.co.uk.

Equipment focus

Be energy wise with your refrigeration units Samantha Yandle, Business Development Manager of Cymtec Limited – a high technology company – talks to QuickBite about the importance of monitoring the temperature of your refrigeration equipment Over the last decade sustainability and energy conservation has become an issue which has gained in momentum and importance, not only to aid the

environment in which we live but to also provide financial savings to businesses.

Add to this the introduction of the score on the door regulation in Wales, which

“Every one degree your refrigeration units are away off their optimum temperature equates to a £100-450 increase in energy costs per unit, per annum”

will likely come in to force in the rest of the UK, and the combination of energy conservation and hygiene becomes a topic which every business should be aware of.

Carbon Trust figures highlight the importance of refrigeration temperatures to energy conservation with every one degree your refrigeration units are away off their optimum temperature equating Issue 2 November 2013

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Equipment focus to a £100-450 increase in energy costs per unit, per annum.

Cymtec believes that by implementing a system such as Goldilock, which monitors the temperatures of your units every 10-30 minutes, you can gain an in-depth review of the behaviour of your refrigeration units. This information can be used to see how far from the optimum your units are running and enable you to determine how to adjust your thermostats. This could result in thousands of pounds worth of financial savings per year, while also assisting in your sustainable business policy. This

Goldilock comes with easy to use PC software which shows you a graph of the temperature every five minutes and the maximum and minimum temperatures for each unit, for each day

“These ‘behind the scenes’ equipment are vital to storing safe consumer food, saving energy costs and running a more sustainable business and as such should not be overlooked” simply would not be possible when taking only three temperatures per day.

Add to this the fact that regulatory bodies include your refrigeration temperature records as part of their inspection and the benefit of in-depth temperature recording is two-fold.

Goldilock comes with easy to use PC software which shows you a graph of the temperature every five minutes and the maximum and minimum temperatures for each unit, for each day. You can enter your email, landline and mobile number and should any temperature deviations occur for longer than 90 minutes, you will be sent an alert.

You can view colour coded live temperatures (red = too hot, blue = too cold and green = within range) allowing you to see at glance whether or not all your units are within temperature range.

There are also other ways in which you can improve the temperatures of your refrigeration units including not over stocking your units, ensuring you do not remove any grates contained within the units and by having up to date equipment. Hygiene and consumer safety tips include ensuring that produce which has the earliest sell by date is displayed at the front of your units and ensuring similar food items are stocked together.

This applies to any business which requires refrigeration units to function, such as convenience stores, restaurants, supermarkets, delis, cafes and takeaway establishments. These ‘behind the scenes’ equipment are vital to storing safe consumer food, saving energy costs and running a more sustainable business and as such should not be overlooked.

About Cymtec Cymtec Limited is a high technology company who three years ago were approached to create a user friendly, value for money wireless temperature monitoring system for fridges and freezers, which they branded as Goldilock.

Goldilock is the name of the user friendly, value for money wireless temperature monitoring system for fridges and freezers

Since then, their market presence for this product has ventured into convenience stores, restaurants and takeaway establishments and they are keen to highlight the importance of temperature monitoring both to the business, the consumer and the environment.

Get in touch Cymtec

01443 857040 Samantha.yandle@cymtec.co.uk www.goldilock.co.uk 26

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Issue 2 November 2013

How to... Choose the right business partner

Get it

right

Looking for a business partner?

QuickBite looks at some key points for consideration It’s never easy finding the right business partner to go into business with. But one of the most important things to bear in mind is to ensure that you don’t rush your search – and remember to explore different avenues. Be involved in local networking or industry events. At least at these venues you can be sure that you’ll meet like-minded individuals who may share the same aspirations as you.

But also remember to look closer to home too. Is there a friend or a family member that might want to get involved?

And most of all – keep up your motivation to find the right person and keep searching until you are confident that you have.

Choosing a business partner is probably one of the biggest decisions you’ll make for your business, so choose wisely and take your time. Get to know your potential business partner before signing any official agreements. There’s not much point in going into business with someone who has a different vision for

your business than you do. All this will do is cause difficulties when it comes to making decisions on how the business operates and moves forward.

When you have found the right partner, make sure you are clear on what you want from the partnership. Set the expectations and this will ensure that problems are minimal going forward.

Miss this part out and you risk wasting time debating what is and isn’t important.

Setting expectations also enable you to move forward with the business in a clear and concise manner, allowing you to get the most out of your business.

Any partnership can be tricky – whether it’s business or personal. That’s why it’s important that you define the responsibilities of you and your partner before you start the partnership. Work out what tasks you’ll each have responsibility for day-to-day. Be organised and avoid just muddling through each day as it comes. Without definition of roles it will be harder for you to achieve your goals

for your business.

And lastly, don’t be afraid to walk away.

If you find that a once suitable business partnership is no longer working, then make the change and find a new business partner. Not all partnerships are built to last, especially as businesses expand and priorities change. However, always make sure that any partnership is ended for genuine reasons and not just due to a minor disagreement.

Business partners can also extend further than someone you go into business with. They can also relate to suppliers or customers. Protect your business from crime and fraud, including money laundering, by checking your customers and suppliers. If one of your suppliers or customers is reluctant to give you their details, it could be a bad sign and if a business owes you money unlawfully or you suspect criminal activity, you should contact the Companies Investigation Branch (CIB) on the CIB website (www. companieshouse.gov.uk).

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Marketing

Build the right business identity

Your business’s identity refers to everything about your business, from your attitude, down to your logo. Make sure you get it right

Your business identity encapsulates many different elements and forms the basis of who you are and what your vision of your company is. Branding is big business – it’s in everything you do as a business so it’s vital you get it right.

Your identity should be focused on your original vision and unique selling points for your business. It’s vital that you keep this vision in mind in everything that you do on behalf of your business. Doing this will enable you to stay true to your brand, as well as keep consistency in all aspects of your business.

days have one – even if it’s only to display the basics about your company.

Next on the list when building your brand identity is your logo. A good logo works on a postage stamp and a billboard and looks great online – and offline. It has to be memorable and have broad appeal.

Don’t be swayed by what you like – it needs to appeal to those who will be buying into your brand and, ultimately, your business.

Use a designer to create your logo and ensure that they know exactly what your requirements are. The more detail you

“Branding is big business – it’s in everything you do as a business so it’s vital you get it right” Choosing the right name is key for your business. This alone will speak volumes about your business and what you do and can offer to customers.

And if you need inspiration, take a look at similar businesses in your sector and price range to get an idea of what tone to take. Names with puns are often perceived as downmarket while using a name referring to your business’s location could limit you if you wanted to expand into different areas further down the line.

Once you’ve confirmed a name, make sure you look into suitable domains for your business name. Having a website can help build customer confidence in your brand and most businesses these 28

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Issue 2 November 2013

can give them, the better. Do this right first time and you’ll avoid going back and forth making changes.

And remember – your logo will need to work on lots of different media formats, so think of the different places and sizes your logo might need to be and go from there.

Good brand design is a way of associating a clear, consistent set of values with your products and services.

This is a good way of attracting new customers and making sure that existing customers and contacts remember your business.

Brand design draws on many design disciplines including graphic design, which is used to establish your business’ identity through visual means such as business name’s colours and lettering style, logos and stationery.

This also includes product and packaging design, as well as visual merchandising to create the right look and environment in your shops or window displays.

And lastly, take your time to get it right – it’ll be worth it in the end!

Your brand should be • simple, memorable, consistent • relevant to your customers and their needs • current and fresh - so make changes when necessary

• effective

in all media - from print to website or TV advertising • reinforced

on all communications, marketing, websites, business and sales environments

QuickBite online QuickBite magazine is available online!

Sign up to download the latest issue and find the latest news from the food-to-go industry

www.quickbitemagazine.co.uk

Advertise with us

QuickBite magazine is the perfect place to get your products and services noticed by an engaged and influential audience For further information or to discuss a cost-effective presence, please contact: Ian Lydon-James sales@quickbitemagazine.co.uk Office: +44 (0) 208 1446170 Mobile: +44 (0) 7805 543110

GRILLSTOCK GETS A PERM

ANENT HOME

QuickBite finds out mo re about Grillstock Sm okehouse Bristol’s design concep t from Simple Simon Design

FOOD-TO-GO & CINEMAS

Find out about the growin g trend of food brands linking up with cinemas November 2013

Print edition £3.25

MENU IDEAS

FROZEN FOOD

In this issue, it’s all about sandwiches and wraps

How using frozen doesn ’t mean you have to lose out on quality or flavour

www.quickbitemagaz

WHAT’S NEW

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azine specifically for

We feature the latest products available in the food-to-go market

ine.co.uk

the food-to-go industry

Issue 2 November 2013

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29

Business profile

Service and quality are key for Square Pie QuickBite magazine caught up with Martin Dewey, Managing Director of Square Pie, about the company, its re-brand and the launch of their unique ‘canapies’ “I’ve had about 60 jobs before I came up with the concept of Square Pie,” explains Martin Dewey, Managing Director of Square Pie. “From managing a reggae band to working in restaurants – and even project managing an internet start up. Some needed a suit but I’m glad to say, never a tie!”

the name Square Pie popped into my brain. I thought ‘I love pies, it’s a good name and no ones doing it’ so I decided to learn all about pies.

What do you think makes Square Pie unique?

Martin Dewey, Square

Pie Managing Director

People love the quality of food and they like not having to wait. I hate waiting for things so we’ve always been obsessed by serving quickly. Our mash is a good example of our philosophy of simple food being good food. We take washed Maris Pipers, steam them in-house and mash by hand throughout the day, leaving the skins on. I believe it’s the tastiest mash you can buy (as well as the simplest).

So, how did it all get started?

We’re not trying too hard to be cool – we just serve great British food. We offer great, freshly baked pies as well as proper jacket potatoes and other British classics, served quickly at a reasonable price. We use British red tractor meat, avoid artificial additives or hydrogenated fats and still have proper chefs cooking in small batches.

I’ve always had ideas for starting a business. I was having a drink with a friend discussing what to do with life and whilst bemoaning the lack of decent pie,

“Our goal is to grow our restaurants nationally and be the leading national gourmet pie brand”

Square Pie has just opened a fifth shop and has had a complete rebrand, including a new menu and the introduction of Canapies™ (mini pies), so we were eager to know how it all began…

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We’ve done Glastonbury every year since 2002 and this year we had three sites and did over four tonnes of fresh mash in a field – all by hand. Must be a record of some sort!

Business profile

There are now five Square Pie shops. We’d love to hear about your future plans!

Our latest shop opening was in Westfield Stratford and we’re really excited by this – both in what it sells and how it looks.

We widened the range to apply our same principles of freshness and quality to classics like jacket potatoes which have long been abused but which people love, and also launching our brand new mini Canapies™. These three-bite snack pies are perfect with our new mix and match sides range whether it’s classic mash, mixed salad or new sweet potato mash. They’re also perfect to take home and bake for parties or a get together at home.

We’re looking to grow our restaurant business as well as sell our lovely pies and Canapies™ via other people. We have a great new site lined up for next year too and we are also looking at other opportunities as our goal is to grow our restaurants nationally and be the leading national gourmet pie brand.

Regarding the branding, we’ve been going 12 years now and even though I loved our branding it was time for a change. We worked with a fantastic designer, Angus Hyland at Pentagram, to give it a refresh. Simple, classic British but not retro is what we’re after and I think he nailed it.

“We’re not trying too hard to be cool – we just serve great British food” What challenges do you face in running Square Pie? How long have you got! People are the greatest asset of our business but also take up the most amount of time. I now run the business with my wife which really helps and we try and split things between us.

I’m very critical of what we and I do and constantly want to be doing it better but it takes time and – most of all – perseverance!

We suffered for a while when we didn’t have the capital to be able to invest in the business and that was really frustrating. Knowing what you want to do but not being able to do it. However, that’s changed a bit now and it’s great to be able to invest and improve what we do. It’s a tough, very competitive world and we are up against some very well operated businesses.

Social media has grown dramatically in recent years. Is this something you embrace?

We try! We’re on Twitter and Facebook and in particular find Twitter is growing a lot. I suppose we should probably use it more but the best way to promote the business, I think, is to make the food and experience as good as we can so people talk about it.

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Design inspirations

Grillstock recreates festival atmosphere

Grillstock Smokehouse Bristol is a permanent restaurant and take-away venue for the much loved barbeque festival brand. QuickBite finds out more about its design concept from Simple Simon Design 32

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Design inspirations After five years of bringing barbeque and music festivals to the inner-city, Grillstock finally has a permanent home for their much loved brand of slow-cooked meats and Deep South cuisine in Bristol. It was essential that the new smokehouse was a condensed version of the festival experience, representing the barbeque scene in a mix of Americana, music and contemporary industrial grunge. To realise their unique blend of “meat, music and mayhem” (as they call it), Grillstock turned to Simple Simon Design.

“The big bench means that customers have to mingle and interact with each other, helping to capture the festival spirit” The greatest challenge for Simple Simon was to provide suitable dining covers and provide a large enough kitchen in what is a very compact site. To maximise seating

and allow a wide enough route to the counter for take-away custom, a huge 32 seater sharing table was built from steel girder section which runs the length of the restaurant from front window to counter, and includes a central trough for the wide selection of Grillstock’s own brand sauces. As well as answering operational issues the big bench means that customers have to mingle and interact with each other, helping to capture the festival spirit.

Drawn into the intentionally moody interior by the neon window signage, the customer is immediately immersed in the spirit of Grillstock by the music and festival posters that line the walls. Rough sawn timber on the walls and table tops brings a flavour of an American backwater roadhouse.

The main counter, gantry and other bespoke furniture pieces are constructed from blackened steel and exposed weld mesh. Salvaged marine pendant lights hang over the sharing table and provide

just enough light to eat by. The floor is from rough OSB board, some of the walls are rust covered and the electrical service trays are left exposed at ceiling level, all of which gives a gritty feel. There is more neon inside to communicate the tie-in with Brooklyn Brewery, and other sign written notices on the wall provide decoration throughout that helps to complete the look.

“Rough sawn timber on the walls and table tops brings a flavour of an American backwater roadhouse” Issue 2 November 2013

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Design inspirations

Unashamedly meaty, the menu offers no concessions to vegetarians and is complimented by an offering of American craft beer. Everything on the menu is eat-in and take-away. Early response to the new venue couldn’t be better, with queues forming out the door at lunchtimes and evenings, and the team are already working on new venues for roll-out.

Grillstock’s Ben Merrington, says: “We wanted to instil the spirit of barbecue in each element, through authentic low and slow cooking techniques and flavours, combining our food with the music that inspired it and the people you share it with.

“Quite simply, we wanted to condense the festival experience into our restaurant. The walls are even decked with festival memorabilia from the past that makes us a bit different and underlines our authenticity. We live and breathe this stuff and I think that really comes across in the smokehouse.” * All photography copyright of Frances Taylor Bristol Photographer

“Some of the walls are rust covered and the electrical service trays are left exposed at ceiling level, all of which gives a gritty feel”

Contacts Simple Simon Design Ltd

5.10 Paintworks Bath Road Bristol BS4 3EH www.simplesimondesign.co.uk

Grillstock Smokehouse Grillstock Smokehouse Triangle West Park Street Bristol BS8 1ER info@grillstock.co.uk www.grillstock.co.uk 34

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Issue 2 November 2013

Employment law

Rules relaxed for SME pension auto-enrolment

Catherine Hill, Director of HR Services at Kirsty Craig Associates

Catherine Hill, Director of HR Services at Kirsty Craig Associates updates us on the upcoming and significant changes to company pensions The government has relaxed rules on autoenrolling staff into pensions for small and medium-sized employers (SMEs).

Under the changes, employers will now have six weeks to automatically enrol new staff, while the deadline for employers to provide information to individuals on their joining rights has also been extended to six weeks.

The Department for Work and Pensions said the changes, which will come into force on 1st April 2014, are intended to ease the administrative pressure on employers.

Steve Webb, the minister for pensions has said: “These changes are aimed at streamlining the system and making it easier for employers to meet their duties.”

Pensions professionals have also commented: “These changes are a clear sign that the government has recognised the huge burden that SMEs face over the coming years as their staging dates approach.

“Although smaller firms think they are ready for the new rules, research has highlighted that the majority have not considered the key issues.”

However, extra breathing space for employers to implement pension sign-ups is unlikely to completely solve the problem.

“Many SMEs do not have the back office support to cope and we need a system which makes things easier and enables UK entrepreneurs to get on with growing their businesses.”

Auto-enrolment will mean that all UK employers must automatically place their entire workforce into a qualifying pension arrangement. All employers are required to contribute to that pension arrangement and monitor and record workforce membership

of the scheme. The laws came into effect for the UK’s largest businesses last year and from April 2014, firms with a PAYE scheme size of between 160 and 249 will need to be ready for implementation.

The changes follow a report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, which found that UK businesses are facing £15.4 billion set up costs for autoenrolment. According to the report, each small business faces set up costs of £8,900 to prepare for the new rules. This figure rises to £12,600 for businesses with 100 employees and £15,600 for companies employing 250 people.

Will you be ready?

Here are some pointers to help you: Know your staging date…

Every employer has a date from when the automatic enrolment duties come into force for their business. This is called an employer’s ‘staging date’ or the date when the new law is ‘switched on’ for your business. Automatic enrolment is being staged in over a period of six years, which started with the largest employers in 2012.

Staging dates are based on the size of an employer’s PAYE scheme on 1 April 2012 – the more people in the PAYE scheme at that time, the earlier the staging date.

You can find out your staging date by entering your PAYE reference into the staging date tool on the pensions regulator website. All employers are required to register with the regulator within four months of their staging date, even if they

have no employer duties for their staff.

You must automatically enrol everyone working for you: • who is aged between 22 and state pension age • who works in the UK • for whom you deduct income tax and National Insurance contributions from their wages • who is likely to have gross earnings over £9440 (this figure will be reviewed annually by the government) in a year.

(As an employer, however, you’ll have new duties in relation to everyone working for you.)

To be able to fulfil your automatic enrolment duties, you’ll need to put a pension scheme in place.

If you find you already have a pension scheme in place and want to use it, you’ll need to check with your scheme provider whether it can be used for automatic enrolment. If not, you may need to choose a new pension scheme.

You can find details of all your employer duties and what you’ll have to do on your staging date on the pensions regulator website including: • Staging Date Calculator • Help to create a plan • Minimum employer contribution calculator However, if you need help with anything related to auto-enrolment or the new law you can call Kirsty Craig Associates on 0844 846 1864 or email hello@kirstycraigassociates.co.uk.

“Although smaller firms think they are ready for the new rules, research has highlighted that the majority have not considered the key issues” Issue 2 November 2013

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Accountancy

Your guide to payroll Peter Williams, Associate and Client Manager at D.R.E & Co gives a brief guide to Pay As You Earn and National Insurance Contributions Pay As You Earn (PAYE) is a system overseen by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) under which employers deduct from employees’ wages an amount of income tax, national insurance contributions (NICs) and student loan repayments, in accordance with PAYE codes, tables and other procedures laid down by HMRC.

45%. A ‘K’ code applies where HMRC instructs the employer to add a notional amount to the wages, etc, with the effect that the tax deducted is more than would normally be due. A ‘K’ code would typically be used when an employee has another source of income to which PAYE cannot be applied – for example, a state pension.

HMRC are in the process of introducing Real Time Information (RTI), under which employers must report details of wages and deductions at or before the time of

A person’s PAYE code might change several times over the course of a tax year, as new information comes to light about their entitlement to allowances and

“HMRC are in the process of introducing Real Time Information (RTI), under which employers must report details of wages and deductions at or before the time of payment” payment. HMRC has partially relaxed this deadline until April 2014, allowing employers with fewer than 50 employees to submit the information no later than the end of the relevant tax month (5th).

Employers must pay over the relevant tax and NICs (net of certain adjustments such as statutory sick pay) each month (or quarter where the expected average monthly amount is less than £1,500).

The PAYE code HMRC advises employers which PAYE code to operate for each employee. This code is the key to the amount of tax the employer will deduct from the wages, salary, pension, etc, each week or month.

Essentially, a positive code means that in calculating the tax to be deducted each month, a certain amount is tax-free. The amount in excess of that is taxed at the appropriate tax rates of 20%, 40% or 36

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reliefs, or as moves are made to collect through PAYE tax which might otherwise have to be collected from the individual through self assessment.

you,” advises Peter. HMRC inspection teams can visit you at any time to check that you are operating PAYE properly and you can be liable for any underdeductions they find.

There are two ‘classes’ of NICs (Class 1 and Class 1A) and two contributors (primary and secondary). Class 1 NICs are the contributions calculated every week or month as a percentage of each employee’s wages or salary. The employee is the primary contributor, and pays 12% of earnings between £149 and £797 per week and 2% of earnings in excess of £797 per week. The employer is the secondary contributor, and adds 13.8% of earnings over £148 per week.

The liability to primary contributions ends at state pension age, but liability to secondary contributions continues until the employment ends.

The new employer

Class 1A NICs are payable by employers only and are a contribution in respect of benefits-in-kind – company cars, for example.

Peter understands that within the fast food industry there is a high staff turnover, but stresses the importance of collating important information on employees for payroll purposes, such as full names, addresses including postcodes, date of births and National Insurance Numbers. As soon as you take on an employee, you need to contact HMRC and ask them to set up a PAYE scheme for you/your business.

While Class 1 primary and secondary contributions are calculated each week or month and paid over at intervals over the course of the tax year, Class 1A contributions are not calculated until after the end of the year, when the employer is required to complete returns of benefitsin-kind and expenses payments. Once those figures are compiled, the Class 1A contributions can be calculated and the NICs paid over.

Compliance visits

The returns are due to be filed no later than the 6 July following the end of the tax year, and the Class 1A NICs are payable by the 19 July.

“It is vital that you take the time to read and understand what is expected of

Menu ideas

Make the most of your sandwich and wrap offering

Santa Maria’s Chicago Chicken & Chipotle Wrap

There doesn’t seem to be any let-up in the demand from consumers for sandwiches and wraps. QuickBite takes a look at this ever-growing market “British consumers manage to munch their way through over 11.5 billion sandwiches each year – and almost half of these were made and eaten out of home.1 Wraps account for about 5% of all sandwich sales, and the new big trend for 2013 is the hot wrap.2 Customers are now looking for a wider range of hot and cold wraps that they can enjoy while on the go,” says Eimear Owens, Santa Maria Foodservice Marketing Manager UK & Ireland.

“However, customers are also seeking out a more sophisticated and healthier adult fast food.3 The phenomenal rise in street food and hand held snacks have seen tortillas tripling in use within full service restaurants4.”

2.5 billion people every day across the world,5” continues Eimear.

“One of the main advantages of handheld snacks such as wraps is that the list of filling and flavour options is endless, meaning there is something for everyone.

The World Wraps concept taps into the desire for ethnic tastes offering a variety of flavours such as Thai, American, BBQ, Indian and Mexican which will fire up customers’ taste buds, giving them the more sensational flavours they want in a tasty, hand-held wrap.”

Santa Maria is a leading supplier of spices and international food concepts throughout Northern Europe. The company has been trading in the spice business since the beginning of the 20th century and is part of the Paulig Group.

Eimear also says that chicken remains the number one most popular filling, accounting for around 30% of the market.6 “With Chicken proving popular in a wrap, the Thai Wok Chicken and Chicken and Prawn Lime Wok Melt go down well, as does the Steakhouse Hot Dog Wrap and BBQ Beef and Tomato Wrap from our American selection.

“Santa Maria has an exciting, fresh and tasty food concept that capitalises on eating lunch on the move, but also taps into the desire for ethnic tastes and street food, which is eaten by an estimated

“The Saag Aloo Wrap and Vegetable Tikka Masala Wrap are fantastic vegetarian fillings. Once you start

experimenting with the sauces and spices you really do have a world of flavours in your hands,” concludes Eimear.

And as the cold weather continues to set in, consumers will be looking to the hot sandwich section of the menu for a warm, comforting lunch. Meadow Vale’s Chicken Mini Fillet range is an ideal product to meet the increasing demand in this area. The Mini Fillets are sized at 34-46g, so two or three are usually enough to fill a wrap or baguette, along with some salad and a sauce. Available in Battered, Breaded, Southern Fried and Hot & Spicy flavours, caterers can select the most appropriate for their customers.

All of Tulip’s product ranges are portion controlled

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Menu ideas Meadow Vale’s range of flavoured sliced chicken helps save money and preparation time

Double A Instant is a pre cooked and sliced kebab meat which can be used in sandwiches without the need for a large kebab machine

They’re made from premium whole chicken breast inner fillets, meaning caterers serve only the best quality meat and the products are all fully cooked, which not only reduces cooking time, but also improves food safety.

However, cold sandwich options are still the bread and butter of the lunchtime trade, and with many consumers still feeling the pinch, it’s essential for outlets to continue to cater effectively for this market. Meadow Vale’s range of flavoured sliced chicken saves the

Tulip Foodservice Solutions have also launched retail-inspired own label product ranges: Simply Best, Simply Better and Simply Good Oak Crown. The Simply Best, Simply Better and Simply Good Oak Crown ranges are grouped by clear price tiers and meat content to help caterers and retailers choose products by budget and quality preferences. All product ranges are portion controlled, work with packaging complete with inspirational recipes – which aims to help those using the products in sandwiches and wraps.

“British consumers manage to munch their way through over 11.5 billion sandwiches each year” caterer money and preparation time because they’re ready to use. There’s no need to marinade the product to achieve the desired flavour: simply defrost and serve.

Simon Shirley, Tulip Foodservice Director said: “Our dedicated foodservice division is focused on taste and customer care as well as quick service and delivery.

Tulip Ltd has re-launched its foodservice division and offers sliced cooked meats, shredded meats, pizza toppings, meal solutions and deli fillers.

“We offer innovative products that would not otherwise be available to smaller wholesalers and cash and carry’s such as our slow cooked Simply Best Pulled Pork and Shredded Chicken.”

Chicken Tikka Wrap from Santa Maria

In a world where food manufacturers and retailers are looking for new tastes to play with, Mansfield based Double A Kebab have received acclaim for a product which has brought the taste and textures of kebab to the grab and go market.

Double A Instant is a pre cooked and sliced kebab meat which can be cooked in a microwave, on a hotplate or griddle. You just heat it and serve it. So it’s great in sandwiches, on pizza, or with any other style of food without the need for a large

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kebab machine. Ideal for cafe’s and sandwich retailers wanting a new exciting product.

“We know we have a great kebab product,” says Martyn Hayward, Operations Manager at Double A. “We wanted to extend our offering to other food retailers looking to spice up their offering. We tested the other pre sliced kebab on the market and found them all to be very poor. We totally re-thought the production process and after over a year of prototypes launched ‘Instant’. Everyone who has tried it loves it.”

Martyn continues: “We know that kebab has a poor reputation in the UK but as so many people secretly love a kebab, we know that a quality offering will do great business.”

1. The British Sandwich Association, May 2013 2. The British Sandwich Association, May 2013 3. Jacqueline Feasey Research commissioned by Santa Maria, September 2012 4. Technomic 2013 5. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN 6. The British Sandwich Association, May 2013

Useful contacts Double A

www.doubleakebab.co.uk/instant

Santa Maria

www.santamariafoodservice.co.uk

Tulip Ltd

www.tulipltd.co.uk/foodservice

Meadow Vale Foods

www.meadowvalefoods.co.uk

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Food-to-go & cinemas

Why food brands are teaming up with films Mike Croston, Business Development Director, Filmology talks to QuickBite about the growing trend of food brands linking up with cinemas Subway and McDonalds restaurants and Cheetos snacks have all been endeavouring, through their marketing activities this summer, to build associations between their brands and cinema in the minds of their potential customers.

The marketing approach that each brand has been adopting to implement this strategy has been to develop partnerships with movies that have been in the cinemas in recent months.

Subway restaurants partnered with Disney Pixar’s Monsters University, the prequel to the hugely successful Monsters Inc., meanwhile McDonald’s partnered with The Smurfs 2 3D movie this summer while the American snack brand Cheetos teamed up with the film sequel Despicable Me 2.

In the implementation of these partnerships, promotional marketing deals such as on- pack or in-restaurant offers are typically the active essence of many marketing campaigns. For instance, in the UK, Subway relaunched its Kids Pak to appeal to families and included an exclusive Monsters University drawstring bag. In the US the stores also offered the chance to 40

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win free tickets to the movie. During the promotion, Subway was referred to as ‘The Official Training Restaurant for Monsters Everywhere.’

When Cheetos partnered with the much anticipated animated film Despicable Me 2, Cheeto’s marketing in the US included a competition to win a ‘One In A Minion’ family adventure to Universal Orlando Resort.

“By marketing offers which are associated with the latest films, it encourages parents to treat their child” McDonald’s promotional activity had fun packaging, activities and a TV commercial featuring the Smurfs planning a party at a McDonald’s restaurant, and a Smurf character gift with its ‘Happy Meals’ range.

Sharing audiences So why have these food companies chosen to engage with the cinema? The brands have joined up with movies that

allow the brands to capitalise on the major buzz aroused by films that capture the imagination of the target audiences.

Brand and film partnerships have much to offer each party. The brand gains the halo effect from the association with an attractive cinema prospect and the film benefits by reaching the massive audiences that read and hear about the movie in-store and through the on-pack promotions, sometimes with the additional backing of advertising campaigns.

The main consideration for these pairings is that there is considerable overlap between the audiences that the product and the film each want and aspire to impress. When this relationship works, the marketing benefits can be huge for both parties.

Family films The common theme between these three partnerships is that they are all with films that appeal to families and children.

While the similarity in target audiences is evident, let’s consider this further.

Parents are the purse holders and a trip to the cinema to see, for instance,

Food-to-go & cinemas the latest Disney film, is often a family outing. Not only will families go to the cinema, but they will combine it with a meal in a local fast food restaurant and buy confectionery and snacks as well.

By marketing offers which are associated with the latest films, it encourages parents to treat their child.

Commenting on the Subway’s recent activity, Manaaz Akhtar, Head of Marketing for Subway in the UK and Ireland said: “Subway stores recognise the importance of family events and the Subway brand has worked with Disney Pixar’s Monsters University to encourage families to come together.”

Choice of film It is interesting to reflect on another aspect of the choice of film for a brand partnership. Brands can and do partner successfully with all types of film, large and small budget, live action and animation.

That a film will be a success is never a certainty so marketing managers eagerly seek any reassurance of success.

Partnering with the latest episode in a film franchise, through a prequel or sequel, provides this. The reassurance comes from the fact that not only must the first film have been successful for the sequel to have been made, but also the

demographic of the audience has already been defined. So the audience that attended the first film will probably attend the second, third and even fourth.

Marketing managers can have more confidence that the money they spend will deliver an equitable return on investment and that their brand will reach a particular audience. Despicable Me 2, Monsters University, and the Smurfs 2 3D are all prequels or sequels.

It is not just food brands targeting younger families that have been partnering with cinema. It is a medium that appeals to every age and different tastes and the fact that there is always something different each week on the screen means that new opportunities present themselves regularly and often.

There are also many different ways to implement a partnership from free offers to competitions prizes. A wide range of brands including Mastercard, Samsung and Tesco are among the many which have used this popular medium

“Mobile technology has also opened up many exciting new ways for food brands to link up with the cinema” and millions of people this summer and autumn will have seen the Mars Sweet Sundays offer on packs such as Maltesers offering a voucher for a free cinema ticket on a Sunday in exchange for codes from packs.

Other opportunities As a marketing opportunity, cinemagoing and films can be easily underestimated. In addition to onpack promotions, in-store and inrestaurant offers, there is also the complete extended lifecycle of a film to consider, from pre-production product placement and Premiere Sponsorship deals right through to the DVD release.

Easy to administer brand association arrangements, and corporate events are other initiatives that can be used to raise a brand’s profile, capitalising on the numerous opportunities associated

with this popular pastime.

Mobile technology has also opened up many exciting new ways for food brands to link up with the cinema, delivering offers relevant to the cinema-going audience on their mobile ‘phones that can be redeemed in the foyer or in nearby restaurants.

The success of Orange Wednesday 2 4 1 offer (now ‘EE Wednesday’) with a code delivered to a mobile is a superb example. This is the ultimate promotion for today’s consumer, partly due to its convenience and accessibility.

Other technology Combining products with the smart phone has further advanced the process of mobile voucher codes further still.

Not only do they support a brand’s aim to deliver heightened user experience, marketers gain a platform to engage directly with their target audience.

This new technology is also generating valuable data. Information can be stored then used to deliver a more personal offer for the customer; matching the genre of film, food and confectionery, plus the preferred time of day to previous purchases, just like a supermarket loyalty card does. This can be used to send relevant offers next time a cinema booking is made or the visitor arrives at the cinema. Relevance is an important factor that appeals to consumers, and the information can be easily obtained using digital vouchers.

Using the power of cinema and film linked to brand values and products is a simple, highly effective and powerful way of marketing a food brand that benefits both the brand and the movie.

So long as there are films being shown at cinemas, partnerships and film-related promotions like these will undoubtedly continue to be present in our industry.

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What’s new

Keep up to date with this month’s new products Tableware

Company: Artis Product: Tableware range Contact: 020 8391 5544 www.artis-uk.com

Artis, the one-stop professional emporium for cutlery, tableware, glassware and barware, has an extensive selection of inspirational tableware that’s perfect for the winter season.

Get ready for winter with hearty soups, pies, hot pots, roasts, stews, curries, puddings, chutneys and casseroles – from oven-to-tableware, chunky wood pieces, slate, and soup bowls; Artis has everything you could possibly need for presentation of warming winter menus.

The selection features a broad range of oven-to-table ware and complementary products, aiming to give operators inspiration for exciting and memorable presentation of winter favourites.

For simple, autumnal elegance, what about sausage and mash served on our new ‘Gustavia’ matt-glazed dining service, or lamb hot pot and fish pie, served in ‘Mininova’ miniature casserole dishes, red cabbage relish in a ‘mini preserving jar’, cheeses displayed on a slate platter, pumpkin soup in a classic ‘lion’s head soup bowl’ or individual roasted quails presented on handmade glass dishes?

Tea

Company: Emeyu Product: Seven teas Contact: 02380 700 007 www.mozzocoffee.com

Emeyu, the award-winning tea brand, available exclusively from Mozzo Coffee, has launched seven of its most popular teas in beautiful, new tins reflecting the striking silks of Chinese emperors’ robes and adding a vibrant splash of colour to any bar or beverage service point, as well as enabling quick identification on shelf for the operator.

As with all of the Emeyu range, these luxuriously coloured tins are filled with teas that have been carefully sourced from ancient tea gardens in China, the Himalayas and India.

They are packed in biodegradable, hand-made, muslin tea

Pastes

Company: Karimix Product: Pastes for soups & rice Contact: 01227 733878 www.karimix.com Karimix, makers of hand-cooked relishes, chutneys, pastes and sauces from SouthEast Asia, has launched a new range of pastes for soups and rice.

The range, which includes the popular flavours of Miso, Raman, Pad Thai and Tom Yam, extends the Karimix range of awardwinning products for foodservice and are available in 1kg, 2kg and 10kg formats.

Monica Chia, founder Karimix UK Ltd, said: “As a UK manufacturer Karimix is perfectly positioned to service the needs of caterers wanting to unlock the flavours of South-East Asia.

“Our products sell around the world and are made by hand using the finest GM free ingredients, with no artificial additives. We’ve worked with chefs to create a range that incorporates popular flavours with a modern twist, to help extend choices on menus and increase profits.”

Karimix is also celebrating a milestone as it moves into a new BRC compliance site in order to accommodate its expanding business.

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bags and include; the full-bodied and invigorating Organic Assam, the spicy and ‘too good for you to be true’ Pu-erh Chai, the award-winning Organic Red Fruits, and Emeyu’s signature blend, Eight Butterflies Green Tea, offering choices for both caffeinated and non-caffeinated drinks.

The range comes with a variety of display trays so that the teas can easily displayed. They are easy to refill with pre-packed bags of 40 teabags.

Condiments

Company: Cream Supplies Product: Black Truffle Sea Salt Contact: www.creamsupplies.co.uk Cream Supplies has added Black Truffle Sea Salt to the Gourmet Foods category of its online shop.

For truffle lovers, this condiment provides the simplest way of adding delicious truffle flavour to any dish – even boiled eggs or chips can be given a luxury, culinary makeover!

Black Truffle Sea Salt is produced in the UK by Trufflehunter using fine sea salt infused with Italian black truffles from northern and central Italy.

The truffles are cold packed and immediately shipped to the UK to preserve maximum flavour and aroma.

Priced at £4.49 for the 50g jar and £5.99 for the 100g jar, it is available for next day delivery from www.creamsupplies.co.uk.

Pizza bases

Company: Pan’Artisan Product: Gluten free pizza bases Contact: 01730 811490 www.panartisan.com Pan’Artisan, producers of frozen, full and part-baked, dough-based products for foodservice, has added Gluten-free pizza bases to its range.

Richard Jansen, Managing Director, Pan’Artisan, commented: “In addressing the needs of Coeliacs and those following a Gluten-free diet, we are now offering Gluten-free pizza bases as part of our product portfolio.

“One in one hundred people is thought to be affected by Coeliac disease* and with more and more high street pizza restaurants offering consumers a Gluten-free option, it made sense to provide this choice for our customers too.”

Pan’Artisan has two Gluten-free bases; a 10” traditional and a 10” Italian spiced, both available in thin crust. They are supplied frozen, partbaked and simply need to be defrosted prior to topping and baking. *Source: www.coeliac.org.uk

Hot dogs

Company: Rollover Product: Gourmet hot dogs Contact: 01753 575558 gourmetdogs@rollover-uk.com

Rollover, one of the UK’s largest Hot Dog companies, has launched its new street food / Gourmet concept.

The range includes an exciting new sausage served in a beautiful Brioche bun, with a selection of sauces and toppings for the ultimate Hot Dog experience.

They have designed five Hot Dogs that are fit for any menu and these include:

• The Diamond Dog • ‘Houston, we have a problem’ • New Mexico • The BLT • The Brat The new Gourmet range was launched at this year’s lunch! show in September.

For more information, call 01753 575558 or visit our website at gourmetdogs@rollover-uk.com.

What’s new Pastry

Dough-based products

Company: Pidy Product: Spicy Cups Contact: 01604 705666 www.pidy.com

Pidy a world leading family owned pastry manufacturer has launched their newest pastry range – Spicy Cups.

They come in four flavours: earthy African falafel, aromatic Asian curry, fiery Mexican chilli and pungent Southern pepper flavour and include various fragrant ingredients from chillies, aromatics and a mixture of ground spices.

The Spicy Cups, which can be filled with a variety of fillings, also come in four unique colours that

Coffee machine

correlate to the spice from a red canapé cup for the Southern Pepper to a green canapé cup for the Asian Curry.

Robert Whittle General Manager at Pidy UK said: “Pidy have successfully launched a fruity cup and a veggie cup range and the latest extension to this range is the Spicy Cups.

“Pidy always pride themselves on keeping ahead of food trends and the flavours of the Spicy Cups will enable our clients to create futuristic flavour fusions.”

Pan’Artisan, producers of frozen, full and partbaked, dough-based products for foodservice, has added the ‘Panizza’ to its range, offering complete convenience for those wanting to serve food on the move that follows the popular pizza trend, but may not have the time, skills or equipment to do so.

“Our recent expansion means that we can now offer our full range of high quality breads and bases but topped and filled items too, giving additional choice and convenience to the caterer,” explains Richard Jansen, Managing Director, Pan’Artisan.

“This has enabled us to develop the Panizza.

It’s hand-made from two 7” thin crust pizza bases that have been filled and sandwiched together with popular pizza toppings. These are then quickly frozen and packed ready for the caterer to use. All they have to do is defrost prior to service, place straight onto a contact grill and it’s ready in 2 ½ minutes!”

Company: WMF Product: WMF 8000S Contact: 01895 816100 www.wmf.uk.com

The new generation WMF 8000S is set to offer high throughput operators an automatic bean to cup machine, ensuring every drink served is of a consistent, unrivalled quality, achievable through intuitive operation and enhanced technology.

Designed to be as eye-catching as it is functional, the WMF 8000S is a compact machine (just 390mm wide) with a wide-ranging, hot or cold, drinks capability and complete flexibility for the operator.

It will enhance any environment

when located front of house and is 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 can be advertised or key messages promoted.

The WMF 8000S has four hoppers and if three of the four contain coffee (the fourth being chocolate), it enables the ability to blend different types of coffee together.

Desserts

Packaging

Vittles Foods’ Christmas Collection is aimed at operators looking to turn a healthy profit from the dessert menu over the party season by offering top quality, hand crafted desserts which require minimal prep and that are ready to go in an instant.

The Collection, which provides a complete dessert solution for all types of outlet across the food service spectrum, includes two luxury multi portion roulades which are filled with fresh cream and fruit and laced with alcohol for that extra seasonal kick.

Choose from Rum and Black Cherry featuring a rich chocolate sponge moistened with dark rum, layered with jam and cherries and decorated with Belgian chocolate ganache and white chocolate shavings. Or, Orange and Whisky which has a whisky infused sponge, filled with mandarin segments and decorated with milk chocolate shavings.

In addition to multi-portion options, Vittles’ Christmas Collection features individual desserts which are based on classic flavours and made using top quality ingredients.

LINPAC Packaging has extended its collection of bowls and containers for salad as consumer demand for healthier convenient food choices grows.

The food packaging company is now offering retailers a range of options to make their packs stand out from the crowd. The new products are part of the LINPAC Packaging Freshware range which was launched at the beginning of 2013.

Alongside their standard range of New Leaf and smooth wall hinged containers, LINPAC customers can now choose from: •P yramid Packs – ideal for any wet salad or deli category such as cous

Company: Vittles Foods Product: The Collection Contact: 0116 2461 951 www.vittlesfoods.co.uk

Company: Pan’Artisan Product: Panizza Contact: 01730 811490 www.panartisan.com

See your product here!

Company: LINPAC Packaging Product: Freshware range Contact: 01977 692111 www.linpacpackaging.com

cous, coleslaw or pasta, these rPET containers come lidded or tray sealed.

• Vertifresh® Salad and snacking pack solutions – the vertical presentation design ensures maximum visibility of the contents and multiple clip-in topping trays segregate toppings, dressings and protein options to ensure the meal stays fresher for longer.

• Bol Salad Collection – stylish round bowls ideal for colourful fruits and wet or leafy salads.

Seasonings

Company: McCormick Product: Grill Mates Contact: 08081 000363 www.mccormickfs.co.uk McCormick has launched its Schwartz Grill Mates range into foodservice.

Already a well-known brand in the US, and launched into the UK retail sector last year, the Schwartz Grill Mates range of seasonings is now available for foodservice and includes Punchy Peppercorn - a blend of black, green, pink and Szechuan peppercorns with cloves and coriander and Deep South Brown Sugar - a sweet and spicy seasoning mix with a hint of whisky flavour.

Want to see your new product or piece of equipment in What’s New? Then call Ian James on 0208 1446170 or 07805 543110.

Alternatively, email sales@quickbitemagazine.co.uk

Warren Wells, Commercial Director, McCormick (UK) Ltd, said: “We took this successful brand and developed it especially for chefs in order to bring a real solution for those wanting to incorporate the flavours of the US grill on their menus, in line with the trends seen on the high street.

“Schwartz Grill Mates are well suited to burgers, steaks and chicken, which are among the top ten dishes that UK consumers order. They can also be used on fish and vegetables.”

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Register for free on our website to receive the latest news from the food-to-go industry.

Members can: • Download the latest issue of QuickBite magazine as a PDF • Read latest news stories and features in full • Sign up to receive email newsletters from the QuickBite team

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Issue 2 November 2013

Food review

Champagne breakfast at The Bay Tree Located in Melbourne, Derbyshire, The Bay Tree has had a reputation for excellent cuisine for many years. Trevor Langley tells us about his recent visit The best recommendations, I have found, come as personal ones, and with high praise from two quite separate sources, decided to make a booking and experience the Bay Tree Restaurant.

Since 1988, Rex Howell and Vicki Talbott have ensured that all diners have a memorable visit. Always searching for something different, I booked the ‘Champagne Breakfast’ for my wife Barbara and I. Commencing at 10:30am onwards, the table was ours into the afternoon, as there is no rush at the Bay Tree and the relaxed ambience is evident from the time of our arrival. We were made very welcome by co-proprietor Vicki and shown to our table, where the Champagne was already on ice!

Head chef (and co-proprietor) is Rex Howell and his food passion shows through. Rex is well-able to use influences from many places worldwide and has two other chefs working with him. We took pleasure in the décor and pristine presentation of tableware too.

The chilled Champagne was poured for us, as our lovely waitress Alanna took the orders. Barbara selected the homemade muesli and I opted for the kedgeree to start. The muesli was excellent, both in content and presentation, with a superb mix of porridge oats, toasted nuts, pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds, a little golden syrup, brown sugar, plus fresh berries, ice cold milk and cream.

My kedgeree was perfectly cooked, nicely buttery, with complementing flavours of the smoked haddock and salmon.

A really great start to our meals. All diners were enjoying their leisurely breakfasts. The Champagne flutes were constantly

topped up and the whole experience was evolving into a most memorable occasion.

With just the right amount of time between starters and mains, Alanna arrived with the English breakfast grill for Barbara and my choice of a tranche of Scottish hot smoked salmon on a rösti potato with ‘cracked’ poached egg. Both dishes were superb, well presented and cooked to perfection. The menus are an inspiration. The food is excellent, with the presentation and service spot-on. A very big thank you to Alanna, who made our dining experience into the occasion it was, and the cappuccinos, toast and preserves which finished our meals, were perfect too.

All dietary requirements can be accommodated, with romantic meals, receptions and parties etc catered for. Produce is locally sourced, where possible. Advance booking is very, very advisable. Check out opening times for champagne breakfast, lunch and dinner. You will not be disappointed – wonderful. As Arnold Schwarzenegger famously said, “I’ll be back!”

Getting in touch The Bay Tree Restaurant

4 Potter Street, Melbourne, Derby DE73 8HW T: 01332 863358 E: enquiries@baytreerestaurant.com www.baytreerestaurant.com Issue 2 November 2013

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Dates for your diary

Find out what events are taking place in the world of food-to-go over the coming months

European Coffee Symposium 27th-28th November 2013

Location Paris

The European Coffee Symposium is Europe’s flagship event for senior executives from across the vibrant branded coffee shop and food-to-go sector. The event provides the ultimate platform to develop knowledge, build relationships and drive business performance.

Takeaway Innovation Expo 2013 28th-29th November 2013

Location Olympia, London

Aimed at progressive takeaway restaurants, the exhibition will bring together like-minded professionals to share ideas and develop professional knowledge centred on innovation in the takeaway industry.

The speaker line-up has now been confirmed for Allegra’s sixth European Coffee Symposium, taking place on 28 November at The Hotel Pullman Paris Montparnasse.

The exhibition offers a unique chance for takeaway owners to develop business skills and explore new technology, as well as enabling anyone who is considering getting into the industry to find out more about it.

With speakers from Costa Coffee, Espresso House, Columbus Café, illy and Ogilvy this event promises to deliver up-to-date essential market knowledge, compelling case studies and critical learnings from pioneering market experts, plus Allegra Strategies’ keynote speech: ‘Current and Future Marketplace: Latest Insights from Allegra’s Project Café13 Europe’.

As well as seminars, there’s a comprehensive workshop schedule and networking opportunities so that visitors can be sure to find the relevant advice or information they’re looking for. There will be 80 exhibitors at the show covering everything from online ordering systems to apps, EPOS, franchise opportunities and much more.

The event also presents powerful networking opportunities with more than 400 industry decision makers taking part.

With all the great content at Takeaway Innovation Expo 2013, the event organisers are confident that you won’t find this combination of learning, business and networking anywhere else in the takeaway industry in the UK. Book your free tickets now at www.takeawayexpo.co.uk.

The two-day event combines a tailored Supply & Innovation Day, a host city Study Tour of latest coffee and food concepts, the prestigious European Coffee Awards and gala dinner and the highly thought-provoking European Coffee Symposium conference.

For more information, or to secure your place at this leading conference dedicated to the exciting European coffee shop and food-to-go market, visit www.europeancoffeesymposium.com.

Source Food and Drink Trade Show 5th-6th

February 2014

Location Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Exeter

Source Food and Drink Trade Show is a new show which combines the popular Source and Taste of the West Trade show with Expowest Westcountry, to create a combined show that covers the whole of the food, drink, catering and hospitality market.

The newly re-branded Source ‘super show‘ will take place at the Westpoint Exhibition Centre, Exeter on the 5th and 6th February 2014. The show will retain its ‘Source’ identity, but it will incorporate not only the Taste of the West trade show but also Expowest Westcountry.

The combined show will have stands for between 300 and 400 exhibitors, and should attract more than 4,000 trade buyers. As the show takes place well before Easter, buyers will have the opportunity to meet all the suppliers they could possibly need to be ready for the season ahead.

In addition to the main show, Source 2014 will host the successful and growing Westcountry Tourism Conference, as well as the regional heat of the UK Barista Championships, both of which took place within Expowest Westcountry this year. Whilst compèring one of the very popular chef demos at Source this year, Chef Michael Caines launched the 2013 South West Chef of the Year competition. The 2013 winner will demonstrate his or her winning dish at the show in February to launch the 2014 competition.

For more information, visit www.thesourcetradeshow.co.uk.

In the next issue...

Here’s a taster as to what you can expect to see in our December issue, out in November

Main features: hot dogs; alternatives to merchant services Marketing: making the most of Christmas Focus on: business property How to: combat the spread of infection Equipment focus: ovens Menu: sweet treats

Chicken at its very

best!

www.meadowvalefoods.co.uk Issue 2 November 2013

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47

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scrubbing pots 1 Put liner in pot

2 Food remains in liner

3 Dispose of liner

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cuts cleaning time by

95%

Other sizes available, see website TM

Disposable Heat Resistant Food Safe Liners for Bain Marie Pots

Order your free sample at www.easybags.net/free-samples

Ltd