Venue Insight Magazine - March/April 2016

VENUE

INSIGHT

NIGHT TIME INDUSTRY MAGAZINE MARCH/APRIL 2016

London Wine Fair

Sign & Digital UK

Plaza On The River

www.venue-insight.com

Sway Bar

Contents

Editor David Sullivan editor@venue-insight.com 01634 568927

Hello

and welcome to the March/April issue of Venue Insight Magazine The magazine for the UK hospitality industry.

In this issue, we take a look at the London Wine Fair which takes place on 3rd-5th May at London Olympia.

Publication ManagerS Jon McIntosh jon@venue-insight.com 01634 568928

On page 12 we provide a review of the multi-award winning Casual Dining Show which took place last month with over 4,400 attendees.

Cult Furniture discuss copyright issues in our Spotlight Feature on page 14.

Design Karl Speller design@venue-insight.com 01634 568927

We take a look at Sign & Digital UK - The UK’s premier sign making, display solutions and printing event which takes place at the NEC Centre in Birmingham from 19th-21st April.

Plaza on the River (page 40) and Sway Bar (page 42) - courtesy of Martin Audio, are our venue features this month.

publisher Robert Robinson Crystal Design & Media Ltd 01634 568925

If you have any industry news including product or business launches, please email them to editor@venue-insight.com for consideration in future issues.

Enjoy the read!

David Sullivan - Editor

Features

FULL CONTENTS

14

12. Bars

18

NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

LIVE PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONS

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

EXPERT ADVICE

CUTTING EDGE PRODUCTS & SERVICES

6. London Wine Fair Preview

22. Drink

12. Casual Dining

34. Food

14. Spotlight: Cult Furniture 18. Sign & Digital UK Preview

40. Sound & Light

FREE SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

LEADING SUPPLIERS & MANUFACTURERS

32. Shatler’s Cocktails

CREATIVITY, INNOVATION AND CHOICE For the widest range of products and services from over 200 leading suppliers, exclusive show offers and business advice.

Pre-register now for free entry at www.signanddigitaluk.com SDUK16-A4ad-visitor.indd 1

6

25/11/2015 09:17

42

40

40. Plaza on the River THE 36TH

42. Martin Audio - Sway Bar 3 R D – 5 T H M AY 2 0 1 6

The London Wine Fair is a trade tasting event like no other.

Some 13,000 wines from 35 countries, with over 75 seminars, masterclass tastings and industry briefings, make it the perfect place for you to explore, discover and immerse yourself in the trade.

www.londonwinefair.com

48. Moet Academy

Crystal Design & Media Ltd and the publication Venue Insight Magazine assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material or the accuracy of information received.

All material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication under copyright and within the editors rights to edit and offer comment.

All editorial contributions are to be sent to: editor@venue-insight.com

Friends of Venue Insight:

Front Cover image supplied by Martin Audio (see page 42) march/april 2016

3

Expert Insights

NEWS FROM THE ALMR At the time of writing, and this is unfortunately subject to almost inevitable change, it looks like we might finally be one step closer to the Night Tube service we were promised so long ago.

Not surprisingly, the introduction of a night time service at weekends has been a controversial issue and one that has rumbled on, seemingly for months on end.

This week the Rail, Maritime & Transport union voted in favour of accepting a deal, bringing us one step closer to a resolution.

ASLEF, TSSA and Unite are still to vote, but an 84% yes vote from the RMT should hopefully give us a good indication that were are well on our way.

Perhaps we will now be given a chance to look forward to a new development to the capital and the positive knock on effect we hope that this will have for late night venues.

Obviously, a weekend night time tube service in and out of London gives customers a much greater degree of flexibility and convenience when going to and from nightclubs and late night bars. A more frequent service running later into the night should act much in the same way as the removal of restrictions around late-night openings a decade ago.

Without an outpouring of customers rushing to grab the last train home, London stands to be a less chaotic place and its late-night venues are in a prime position to offer something to the many tourists, night owls and Londoners no longer looking to beat the queue.

London has a reputation for being one of the world’s great late night destination, but elsewhere the night time economy is hard at work innovating and, as we have seen this week, taking care of its customer base. In Plymouth we have seen a roll out of the Club Hosts pilot scheme, an initiative aimed at promoting a sense of sorority, which sees women keeping an eye out for female clubbers. The volunteers, who come trained by Drinkaware, are on hand to provide assistance to customers and to ensure they feel comfortable and safe.

The volunteers provide a level of assistance without having to resort to security staff or local police forces. This is just one of the ways in which the late-night sector, and licensed hospitality as a whole, engages with voluntary and partnership schemes and works hard to provide safe and supervised environments for its customers.

Wage increases must provide affordability And transparency Following the announcement of the new levels of National Minimum Wage, the ALMR has called for the Government to provide clarification on future wage rate increases to ensure stability and affordability for businesses.

ALMR Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “Costs are continuing to increase and this wage rise, although expected, still represents an above inflation hike that will place additional pressure on businesses.

“If businesses are to have any chance of absorbing theses costs then we need time to allow these increases to settle in. That means no additional increases to the rate of either National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage until businesses

4

MARCH/APRIL 2016

have adjusted to this change. The next review of rates by the Low Pay Commission must be conducted in the round and the dates of changes aligned going forward. We cannot continue to have two dates for different rates.

“The Government has stated that is considering synching the rates of both the Minimum and Living wages. Confirmation of when this is likely to occur will provide employers with some stability and transparency and it would be sensible for this to be an April change. By delaying any further increases in the rate of National Minimum Wage until April 2018, and synching the rates at that time, we can avoid a situation whereby we have two increases in a short space of time to help provide stability for businesses.”

HEINEKEN, the leading brewer, cider maker and Pub company comments on the budget speech

“We’re pleased that the Chancellor will not be increasing beer and cider duty for the coming year.

Whist we would have liked to have seen a cut in these duties, it’s good news that we haven’t had an increase; which would have undone the positive effects of the cuts made in recent years.”

“The fact remains that pubs already pay 34p in every pound of turnover in tax, shoulder one of the highest business rates burdens of any industry and face rising wage bills.

Duty cuts on beer and cider would have helped to reduce these pressures.

Furthermore, this tax freeze will not address the challenges apple farmers and cider-makers face.

Cider making is a longterm investment that supports thousands of rural jobs and has the potential to be a real British success story.”

David Forde, Managing Director of HEINEKEN, UK.

THE 36TH

The London Wine Fair is a trade tasting event like no other.

Some 13,000 wines from 35 countries, with over 75 seminars, masterclass tastings and industry briefings, make it the perfect place for you to explore, discover and immerse yourself in the trade.

3 R D – 5 T H M AY 2 0 1 6

www.londonwinefair.com march/april 2016

5

London Wine Fair Show Preview

London Wine Fair 2016: a must attend show The London Wine Fair, now in its 36th year, is the UK’s leading drinks industry exhibition. Located in London Olympia, the show, which is exclusively for trade professionals will run from 3rd to 5th May. Hundreds of exhibitors will descend on the capital, representing wines from more than 40 different countries making this a must visit show for anyone involved in the drinks sector.

Timed to coincide when many venues are revamping their drinks lists, this is an unbeatable opportunity to unearth new products, taste with winemakers, meet with suppliers and discover what the latest trends are in the trade, through the event’s extensive programme of industry briefings, masterclasses and seminars. And all under one roof.

So... What is the London Wine Fair?

Who Visits?

The London Wine Fair is one of the world’s leading wine trade events. For 36 years the UK and international wine industry has been meeting at the Fair to discuss all aspects of the trade, to taste the latest vintage and get down to business.

Strictly trade only, visitors are primarily those people responsible for buying or selecting wine for their business, in particular for restaurants, shops, bars, caterers and importers.

Over 700 exhibitors from right across the globe showing some 13,000 wines are expected at the Fair in May this year.

Dates & Times Tuesday, 3rd May: Wednesday, 4th May: Thursday, 5th May:

10.00 – 18.30 09.30 – 18.00 09.30 – 17.00

Venue Kensington Olympia, Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, Kensington, London W14 8UX. The London Wine Fair will be held in the Grand and West Halls this year.

“If you’re in the trade, we guarantee you’ll be impressed.”

This breaks down into three main areas:

The On Trade

The Off Trade

General Trade

Restaurateurs Sommeliers Pub / bar owners Hoteliers Restaurant staff General caterers Passenger catering

Independent merchants Multiple wine merchants Stores / supermarkets Off licences Wholesalers Online retailers Mail order

Producers Educators Press / PR / media Logistics providers Design / packaging Importers and distributors Consultants / government

What’s on Summary As always, there’s a tremendous amount going on at the London Wine Fair.

Masterclasses, tastings, new features, debate, seminars... the list is impressive.

On the next page are some of the main features the London Wine Fair are planning - please note that events are organised on a first-come first served basis, unless otherwise stated.

The Fair

Speakers’ Corner

Wine Merchant Top 100

Some 700 exhibitors take part in the Wine Fair. From many of the world’s leading brand owners, to individual producers collectively displaying over 10,000 wines from every corner of the world. Largely split into country pavilions and import agencies, there’s much to explore.

Expect entertainment, passion, some big names and even bigger ideas. Speakers’ Corner is a platform for the great and the good of the trade to inspire, enthuse and generally celebrate the trade.

The Wine Merchant Top 100 is a competition with a difference. All of the wines that enter are independent exclusives, and the judges are all independent wine merchants.

The winning wines are available to taste.

Industry Briefings

Decanter Tastings

The LWF Masterclasses

The place for topical debate, presentations, research and future thinking. A perennial favourite feature of the Fair, speakers will analyse the past, argue the present and predict the future. Expect big names and big subjects.

Decanter magazine will once again be holding a series of masterclasses boasting an all star cast of experts. Masterclasses will be held on the Decanter stand.

Wines Unearthed

The IWC Discovery Tasting features 400 wines that have never been seen in the UK before.

A chance to discover the undiscovered and become a leader in stocking extraordinary wines. Wines are available for tasting throughout the Fair on a first come, first served basis to genuine buyers only.

Another fascinating schedule of Wine Fair masterclasses is currently being prepared.

World-class producers, experts and critics will lead you through tasting a series of sessions that you simply won’t find anywhere else. Not to be missed.

Esoterica After a successful launch in 2014, Esoterica returns to Olympia’s gallery level. Around 80 small scale and specialist importers displaying 12 wines each in a table-top environment. If you’re looking for a boutique UK importer with a fabulous selection of wines, look no further.

Perfect for visiting independent retailers and sommeliers.

New to the Fair for 2015, Wines Unearthed is an area dedicated to wine producers looking for UK representation. Participating wineries have no UK importer and should be export ready. Around 50 producers are expected to take part.

The View Tastings The View Tastings, in association with Octavian, the pre-eminent fine wine cellarers, will be a self-contained area within the Fair, specifically for companies which deal in premium and super-premium wines. Entrance will only be available to those with proven fine wine buying power and journalists.

IWC Discovery Tasting

Bulk Wine Bulk wine is increasingly seen both as a cost effective and environmentally friendly method of delivering wine to market. The bulk category now constitutes a considerable proportion of the UK wine market. As such, we consider it essential to have a designated area with bulk producers and brokers, complete with its own symposium offering debate and discussion relevant to the bulk market.

www.londonwinefair.com

march/april 2016

7

London Wine Fair Show Preview

New entrant redefines Prosecco market

WSET brings their Pop-up Classroom to London Wine Fair 2016

The booming Prosecco market has opened opportunities for many new entrants to the European market. However, a lot of introductions merely involve the addition of similar brands to an already highly fragmented market. This is not the case with il miogusto. This is a brand, which has been enjoying a wave of success since it was first launched in the Netherlands. It is a young and trendy brand, which combines quality sparkling Italian wines with a strikingly designed label.

Modern tradition, as they call it.

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) will be ramping up their education offering at LWF this year with their new-format Pop-up Classroom. The Pop-up Classroom offers an expanded learning area for attendees at the show to experience firsthand the knowledge that can be gained from a WSET qualification.

Founder Mike Poortvliet explains: ‘Prosecco is a wine that deserves a packaging that matches its purpose, which is to celebrate memorable moments with an exciting sparkle from the right bottle’. It is not only the packaging that is different though. The Il Miogusto product line is unique. The range comprises the high-end Prosecco Cartizze and amazing wine cocktails such as Limonsecco and Melonsecco. ‘Limonsecco sales are still booming’ says co-founder Hubert Mesken.

‘The media gave us the best summer drink award, but it is our whole range that makes us unique in the market’.

After breaking through into the Dutch market, Il Miogusto is now aiming at the international markets. These 100% Italian wines will be launched in the UK at the London Wine Fair.

The range will consist of sparkling Prosecco, Millesimato, Rosato and a range of wine cocktails including Limonsecco, Hugo and Melonsecco.

Make sure that you get to know this newcomer at stand T64; it just might be exactly what your customer is looking for.

Let’s enjoy this summer in style. Cheers!

VISIT US ON STAND

VISIT US ON STAND

The seated tasting theatre on stand W30 will offer sessions on wine, spirits and sake throughout the Fair, giving attendees a flavour of WSET qualifications across the levels, as well as the opportunity to sample some fantastic products.

WSET Pop-up Classroom highlights:

W30

• How to taste sake Antony Moss MW, Sake Samurai and WSET Director of Strategic Development will be providing a sneak peek of the new WSET Level 1 Award in Sake launching this August.

• WSET wine knowledge essentials WSET School London educators Jim Gore and Michelle

Cherutti-Kowal MW will be leading sessions introducing some of the building-blocks of WSET knowledge including food and wine pairing principles and how to assess quality in wine.

For those considering enrolling on the WSET Diploma, we will be offering comparative tastings aimed at explaining the differences between Level 3 Award in Wines and Spirits and Diploma blind tasting assessments.

• WSET spirits insight WSET Chief Executive Ian Harris will be taking attendees through a whisky tasting, contrasting different styles and offering a sample of what can be learned on a WSET Spirits course.

Tastings at the WSET Pop-up Classroom will start on the hour and will be 30 minutes in length.

T64

Left: Il Miogusto present a range of sparkling Prosecco.

Above: WSET Pop-up Classroom at Prowein 2016.

LANCHESTER WINES PORTFOLIO AT LWF 2016 Visitors to the stand will have access to the Lanchester Wines newly evolved portfolio, showing refreshed packaging design across its current range. The importer and distributor will also be bringing a selection of their top sellers, including McPhereson’s of Australia, Ansellman of Germany and Noble Vines of Manteca California, to this year’s London Wine Fair, combining their leading partner brands with own label products:Noble Vines The Manteca Winery in California believes not all vines are created equal. Noble Vines marry the most admired vine types with winemaking innovation to craft wines with concentrated flavours, silky fruit and supple tannins.

McPherson Wine Co This central Victorian is a family owned business, established in 1968 which sources from premium grape growing regions in Victoria and available in the Export market only.

• The three wines in the Basilisk range combine exceptional parcels of fruit with passionately applied winemaking

techniques.

• The Family Series comprises 13 wines designed to be easy- drinking, fruit driven styles with generous mouth filling flavours, each named after a member of the McPherson

family.

• Moonstruck is hand-crafted with grapes gathered in the still of the night - and have been made with food in mind • Sunburnt is made for those who love to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the chill of a great Australian wine in equal measure.

• The three wines within the MWC range are a rustic style, full of interesting and complex characters - made for those who love great, honest wines with a European influence.

Anselmann This family run business in Edesheim, in the German Palatinate wine region, has been producing wine for over 400 years. We will be displaying seven of Anselmann’s top wines at the Lanchester stand.

industry, starting with house wine ranges, to retail brands, to premium wine lists and sparkling selections, the company is able to offer some of these ranges in various sizes & packaging, including 187ml single serve glass & PET, 750ml, one litre Tetra Pack & Bag in Box. Ranges on Lanchester’s LWF stand include: • Nika Tiki – New Zealand Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and Marlborough Pinot Noir, Chardonnay.

• Silver Creek - Reserve Viognier, Reserve Shiraz Viognier and Shiraz.

• Water’s Edge – one of the first wines to be bottled at

Lanchester back in 2003 & has since grown steadily to become the most popular range.

• Inspiral is an exciting range of PET 187ml single serve

bottles. The plastic holds a barrier, which gives at least 24 months shelf life, four times the normal shelf life of PET bottles. With a focus very much on sustainability, the bottle is 100% recyclable and sustainable.

• Lucello - three great varietals from Australia, a very nicely produced Pinot Grigio, soft, mellow Merlot and new addition Sauvignon Blanc adds a dry white to the range.

• Altaria, formerly Alta Rita, is Lanchester’s range of some of the best wines from Chile, available in 187ml, 750ml & 1 litre Tetra Pak. All Altaria Estate wines are suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

• Founders Stone is one of our large New World ranges, containing something for all sectors from three continents.

Wines are inspired by the founding settlers of these new wine producing countries.

Greencroft Bottling Visitors and trade can also learn about award-winning UK Bottler, Greencroft Bottling’s two new filling lines, which bring the business the capability to fill up to 90,000 bottles per hour! The plant and its lines are all powered by renewable energy – an attractive proposition for wineries looking to reduce the carbon footprint of their product.

Lanchester Own Brand Products Lanchester brand wines and products are extremely popular with our customers in all sectors, due to the quality of the wine and strength of branding. Aimed at various levels of the wine

Right: Lanchester TPP Cabernet Bottle.

VISIT US ON STAND

X22 march/april 2016

9

London Wine News Fair Show Preview Public House

Copestick Murray at the LWF

BRANDS FROM HATCH MANSFIELD

Copestick Murray will be showcasing most of its global range of wines but of particular excitement this year will be the appearance, inside the hall, of the i heart campervan.

From the van visitors will be able to try all the range including a number of new product launches.

The Hatch Mansfield team and brand representatives will be on Stand W40 throughout the show to welcome visitors. New to the Hatch Mansfield Portfolio this year, the team are delighted to be presenting wines from Robert Oatley in Australia, the latest venture in the Oatley family winemaking dynasty. Also on show will be several new wines including Résonance Pinot Noir from Louis Jadot, a new project in Oregon’s Willamette Valley; the first showing of Taittinger’s Brut Vintage 2009; and three new wines from Jean Luc Colombo and his daughter Laure.

i heart is now one of the leading brands in the UK and is especially successful in the convenience and the impulse sector.

2015 saw the introduction of i heart Malbec and i heart Cava.

For those customers yet to see these products they are well worth a try. 2016 will see the launch of wine cocktails such as i heart Spritz and i heart Hugo as well as i heart Sparkling.

VISIT US ON STAND

V60

However it is not just about i heart for Copestick Murray.

There will be new wines from Chile, Argentina, South Africa, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Australia. And of course Copestick Murray is also becoming famous for being the UK distributor of the Mionetto brand which is taking the Prosecco world by storm. It is already one of the market leaders in the USA and Italy and its growth in the UK in 2015 was astounding.

There will also be a number of other exciting Prosecco brands to try.

All in all the Copestick Murray stand will be well worth a visit.

Carbon Management As part of Hatch Mansfield’s ongoing commitment to the environment and ISO 14001, they will be balancing the CO2 produced by all their business travel and office energy usage.

CO2 produced by the under bond and duty paid deliveries from London City Bond will also be offset. Working in conjunction with offsetting company, Carbon Footprint Ltd which offers Gold Standard VER (Verified Emission Reduction) projects, Hatch Mansfield has short listed three off-setting schemes, which they feel resonate and will be asking visitors to their stand vote for the project they will support to offset their 2015 carbon emissions. They also continue to work with the Woodland Trust by planting trees at their Heartwood Forest site.

A-Z of wine news and highlights from Hatch Mansfield brands: AUSTRALIA ROBERT OATLEY Brand new to the Hatch portfolio this year are the wines from Robert Oatley. Created in 2006, Robert Oatley aims to embody the best that Australia can produce, matching classic grape varieties to the leading wine regions in the country.

Hatch Mansfield will be showing a selection of wines including ranges that are available in the UK for the first time: Helmsman, Wild Oats and Hancock & Hancock.

People: Winemakers Larry Cherubino and Chris Hancock will be in attendance.

CALIFORNIA DOMAINE CARNEROS Established in 1987, the winery is situated in the heart of the Carneros region and stands alone as the only sparkling wine producer using Carneros grapes exclusively. Hatch Mansfield will be showing latest vintages from their range this year.

www.londonwinefair.com

10

FeBruary/march 2016

CHILE ERRAZURIZ AND CALITERRA Highlights: Errazuriz will be showing two new additions to their range: Errazuriz Estate Series Pinot Grigio and Errazuriz ‘single vineyard’ Pinot Gris (RRP £10.25 and £14 respectively, both available in the on and off-trade). Winning photographs from the Errazuriz Wine Photographer of the Year competition, part of the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year competition, will be on display.

People: Jon Stevens, Errazuriz and Caliterra Regional Director for UK, Ireland and Scandinavia and Rodrigo Plass, Commercial Director for Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, will be in attendance.

FRANCE CHAMPAGNE TAITTINGER Highlights: Alongside other wines from the range, Taittinger will be presenting the new Brut Vintage 2009 (RRP £54.35, available in both the on and off-trade). The new Taittinger Nocturne City Lights bottle packaging will also be available on stand (RRP £51.90 bottle price, available in bottles, magnums and Jeroboams in both the on and off-trade) People: Clovis Taittinger, family member and Export Director, will be in attendance.

LOUIS JADOT, BURGUNDY Highlights: As well as other wines from across the Louis Jadot range, Hatch Mansfield will be showing the new Résonance Pinot Noir 2013. Résonance is Louis Jadot’s enterprise in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, its first outside Burgundy since its formation in 1859. The first vintage of this wine has been made under the watchful eye of Jacques Lardière, Louis Jadot’s winemaker and guardian of style and quality for over 40 years.

People: Sigfried Pic, Export Manager, will be in attendance.

JOSEPH MELLOT, SANCERRE Highlights: Founded in 1513, this family run estate is deeply rooted in the heart of Sancerre.Hatch Mansfield will be showing latest vintages of a selection of wines from their range.

People: Catherine Corbeau-Mellot, Joseph Mellot President, will be in attendance.

JEAN-LUC COLOMBO, RHÔNE Highlights: Jean Luc Colombo will be showing the latest vintages of selected wines from their range as well as three new additions: Pied la Vigne; Les Collines de Laure Blanc and and Côte du Roussillon Les Palomettes (RRP £33.30, £12.45 and £11.30 respectively, all available in both the on and off trade).

People: Laure Colombo will be in attendance.

NEW ZEALAND VILLA MARIA, VIDAL, ESK VALLEY AND TE AWA Highlights: Hatch Mansfield will be showing the new Villa Maria Cellar Selection Arneis 2014 (£12.99, available in both the on and off-trade). Latest vintages from the Villa Maria, Vidal, Esk Valley and TeAwa ranges will also be available for tasting.

A Gimblett Gravels masterclass will take place during the fair and will include a Villa Maria and Vidal wine.

People: Paul Raper, Villa Maria UK & Ireland Market Manager will be in attendance SOUTH AFRICA KLEINE ZALZE Highlights: As well as the latest vintages from across the Kleine Zalze ranges, the Kleine Zalze Cellar Selection Cinsault (RRP £9.90, targeting the on and off-trade) is new to the UK and available to try for the first time.

SPAIN C.V.N.E, RIOJA Highlights: CVNE is launching their new Cune Monopole Rosado wine (RRP £9.90, available in both the on and off trade) at the fair. The Cune Monopole Blanco, one of the oldest wine brands in Spain, also celebrates its centenary this year and Hatch Mansfield will be showing the 2015 vintage as well as other wines from across the CVNE range.

People: Jesus Madrazo, Winemaker for Contino for 17 years will be in attendance.

VISIT US ON STAND

W40 Right: Taittinger City Lights box.

march/april 2016

11

OW

SH

IEW

RV

E OV

Casual Dining 2016 reports significant 22% increase in attendees

Multi-award winning Casual Dining show welcomes over 4,400 attendees for 2016.

170 exhibitors, 20 Keynote speakers and 4,402 attendees – that’s the top line figures from this year’s Casual Dining show, which won rave reviews from across the casual dining sector last week.

Called an “essential forum for sharing new ideas, innovations and insights” by Carluccio’s Co-Founder and Chairman Simon Kossoff, the multi-award winning two day show took place at the Business Design Centre in London on 24-25 February.

Its third edition enjoyed a 22% increase in unique attendees for 2016, with top buyers and decision makers from many of UK’s biggest restaurant, pub and bar groups packing the aisles. Notably, nearly one in three visitors cited a corporate spend of over £500k. Among the attendees were Azzurri Group, Casual Dining Group, Ed’s Easy Diner, Giraffe, GBK, Hilton, JD Wetherspoon, La Tasca, Le Pain Quotidien, Living Ventures, Mitchells & Butlers, Marston’s, MEATliquor, Metropolitan Pub Company, Nando’s, Oakman Inns, Pho, Pizza Hut, Prezzo, Revolution Bars, TGI Friday’s, The Breakfast Club, The Restaurant Group, Wagamama, Wahaca, Whitbread, Yo! Sushi, and Young’s.

Nearly 1,500 independent outlets (operators with between 1-5 sites) were also represented this year (up from 1,200 in 2015).

“A fantastic trade show with tons of interesting seminars, innovations and

12

MARCH/APRIL 2016

networking opportunities, which gave me insight and ideas for the future,” says Martin Morales, Founder of Ceviche and Andina Restaurants.

“I thoroughly enjoyed Casual Dining. It’s the perfect place to meet our existing partners, and to keep up to speed with their latest developments. It also opens our eyes to new suppliers in the market, some I haven’t even heard of before. I would definitely recommend it,” Sophie Jennings, Food & Menu Developer, JD Wetherspoon.

“This is a great place to come if you’ve got anything to do with the restaurant business.

There are so many great ideas here. So good, maybe it’s a show that should be twice a year!” says celebrity chef and restaurateur Aldo Zilli, who was attending with Sacla’ Professionale.

“A visit to Casual Dining gives a unique opportunity to discover products and trends completely relevant to our sector. It’s a great show!” says Alexander Salussolia, Managing Director of Glendola Leisure Group.

200 exhibitors forecast for 2017 The significant surge in visitor numbers has led many exhibiting companies to hail the 2016 show – as not just its biggest but also its most successful to date. As a result, a record 72% of exhibitors rebooked for the next edition before the show had even closed. To accommodate this strong uptake, and meet growing demand from a raft of

new suppliers looking to reach this important market, there will be a 20% increase in stands for 2017. This will expand the show into a new area on its Upper Feature Level and take the exhibitor total over 200.

“Once again, the high demand for stand space at the show reflects the ever growing popularity of the casual dining sector,” says Group Event Director Chris Brazier.

“Even with the addition of a new area, it’s already on track to be sold out within months. It’s a testament to the show’s continuing success, and demonstrates just how important and essential Casual Dining has become to suppliers and buyers looking to do business here.”

“We’ve had a great show. It’s been very positive and we’ve met a real variety and high level of visitors. We don’t do a lot of shows, so Casual Dining for us has been a really important opportunity to reach the fast growing casual dining market.

It’s been a pleasure to be a part of it,” says Matt Robinson, National and Key Accounts

Designed to promote and celebrate new ideas in the market place, the 11 short listed finalists (chosen from 22 entrants) were decided by popular vote at the Innovation Challenge Gallery on opening day. They were then invited to live pitch their new innovations to a trio of expert judges, and a theatre audience full of visiting buyers.

The judges, leading pub and restaurant entrepreneur Peter Borg-Neal, Chief Executive at Oakman Inns & Restaurants; Brian Whiting, Owner of Whiting & Hammond; and Keith Bird, Chief Operating Officer at Gourmet Burger Kitchen, applauded the high standard of entries, commenting on the “incredible range of innovations” for 2016.

(licensed), Coca-Cola Enterprises.

“Once again Casual Dining has been thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile.

We have been here every year and the show continues to gather pace with serious visitors and a great range of products. See you next year!” says Robert Marciano, Director at DiSotto Foods.

“It’s been an astonishing show, the people I’ve seen have been incredible. I’ve been approached by multiples and a couple of wholesalers, one of whom is actually going to start selling my products. So, I think we’re going to be very busy and this is going to be a very profitable show. I’ve already booked my stand for next year,” says David Richards, Co-Founder of Capreolus Fine Foods.

Big name Keynotes Alongside the show’s bustling exhibition, the Casual Dining Keynote Theatre was a hive of activity throughout.

Powerful Keynotes and exclusive interviews, featuring a stellar line up of industry big hitters, including Steve Richards (Casual Dining Group), Simon Kossoff (Carluccio’s), David Campbell (Wagamama), Luke Johnson (Risk Capital Partners), Martin Morales (Ceviche), Peter Martin (CGA Peach), and Paul Charity (Propel Info), enjoyed standing room only crowds.

“It’s fantastic that we finally have a big, vibrant show for our sector, I think it’s a real coming of age,” said Kate Nicholls, CEO of The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR), during her Keynote session.

Casual Dining Innovation Challenge Awards 2016 Brewfitt’s Future of Dispense, The Oval Eco Street Bowl from Tri-Star Packaging, and Coconut LOVO vodka drink by LOVO were the winners of Gold awards in this year’s Innovation Challenge.

“We’re thrilled to receive the Gold award.

We have seen some excellent innovation from food and drink products and equipment at this year’s event and the award is testament to the hard work of our staff.

It’s fantastic to see the industry focusing on innovation and providing customers and consumers with forward thinking products and services, ultimately helping to improve the overall customer experience,” says Curtis Paxman, Managing Director at Brewfitt.

“This was our first year at Casual Dining and it proved to be the perfect platform to showcase our latest packaging innovations to key buyers in the industry.

We were impressed with the quality of the visitors to the show and the icing on the cake was winning Gold in the Innovation Challenge, it was a great honour and a fantastic end to two very successful days.”

Kevin Curran, Managing Director, Tri-Star Packaging.

“Casual Dining certainly exceeded our expectations! There was a really high calibre of visitors and we were thrilled to win Gold in the Innovation Challenge 2016,” says Jessica Titcumb, C ‎ EO & Founder at LOVO Drinks.

Gluten Free Pastry Cases from Pidy, Bee Me (natural frozen yogurt and ice creams in eco-friendly pods) from rexmartins, Dairy Free Coconut & Mango Ice Cream from DiSotto Foods, and the Just Add flavour range (concentrated seasonings) from JDM Food Group were awarded Commended.

Finalists included Bar Foods (Gentleman’s Platter), Coolicious Frozen Yogurt (Fat Free Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Base), Twinings (Twinings Chocolate Cookie Tea Shake), and The FoodFellas (Frozen Individual Avocado Halves).

King of Craft Other show highlights included the announcement of the winner of Casual Dining’s prestigious King of Craft award; as voted for by visitors to the show.

That honour went to Black Isle Brewing Company’s Goldeneye organic Pale Ale. Save the date for 2017 Summing up her Casual Dining experience, Rebecca Egan, head of brand marketing at PizzaExpress Restaurants, concludes: “Casual Dining was a fantastic forum for hearing from some of the industry’s leaders, as well as learning about some of the latest innovations and product development ideas. It’s a really insightful, interesting and worthwhile event for anyone working in the casual dining industry.”

Casual Dining returns to the Business Design Centre, in Islington, London, on 22-23 February 2017. For more information, please visit:

www.casualdiningshow.co.uk

march/april 2016

13

Spotlight: Cult Furniture

How Sudden 2016 Copyright Law Affects Businesses and Buyers

Above: New Moda collection by Cult Furniture- Available from May 2016

The UK Government has unexpectedly fast-tracked the deadline for shop owners to stop selling replica furniture.

The change, however, will not go without consequences.

The Fight Against Legal Reproductions The UK Government announced the repeal of Section 52 of the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act in 2014: the copyright on furniture designs would be extended from 25 to 70 years after a designer’s death. Businesses were given five years to adjust to the change in law, which meant that most of the designs they were selling would then become illegal.

By 2020, they should stop selling replicas altogether or else they could face a fine of up to £50,000, and a custodial sentence of up to ten years.

A New Unexpected Deadline: April 2016 While those five years could have been sufficient for most companies to make changes to their business model, the UK Government, under pressure to comply with the new EU copyright laws, unexpectedly fast tracked the deadline to April 2016. Not only does the sudden decision harm businesses and create further job losses, but customers are affected in the long run too. They are, in a way, punished for not being able to own an iconic chair design, even though the original designs were meant to be affordable.

As Ray and Charles Eames were famously quoted:

“We want to make the best for the most for the least.”

“It’s a sad time for design lovers everywhere. By abiding by the wishes of the furniture giants to hand over the designs that were initially meant to be affordable, functional and beautiful for everyone, we’re losing more than just a legal battle.

We’ll be completely out of touch with the visions of those (designers) before us. It’s unlikely that the change in copyright law will increase the sales of originals as very few people will be able to afford these overpriced originals and this doesn’t just affect the everyday consumer, you will also see a lot of the iconic designs fade away from the high street as bars and restaurants will not be able to afford to pay £400 + each for a dining chair.”

Fiaz Iqbal, CEO of Cult Furniture.

The Next Steps: From Stockist to Design Studio While many businesses struggle to find ways to adapt and innovate within the new timeframe (and possibly need to quit), the most logical step for Cult Furniture was to establish itself as a design studio, instead of being a limited stockist. After learning about the possible law changes in 2014, Fiaz Iqbal put together his own inhouse product design team to create Cult Designs: furniture inspired by iconic designs but with contemporary twists in the brand’s style, to replace their best selling iconic designs.

The road from stockist to design studio, however, hasn’t been an entirely smooth one. Many of the new designs were work in progress and not due to be released until mid2017. The sudden April 2016 deadline created a lot of pressure and stress in perfecting the new Cult Design range on time. But, with years of market research, the new designs are anything but a gamble. Knowing exactly what customers are looking for in terms of style, Cult Furniture will launch their new furniture line as an alternative to those who will soon have limited access to iconic furniture.

“We firmly believe that everyone should have access to good design. When they want to buy reproductions, this is their choice.

We hope to provide an alternative, to keep the vision of Eames alive: that good design should be affordable and for everyone, not just the rich and famous.”

Fiaz Iqbal, CEO of Cult Furniture.

About Cult Furniture Fiaz Iqbal launched Cult Furniture in 2010, after opening a series of successful bars in London. The idea (of selling iconic furniture reproductions) came about in 2009, when he opened a bar in Putney, London and couldn’t find the specific designs and colours he wanted for his bar and having them custom made was not affordable. After some research, Fiaz Iqbal saw an opportunity to legally sell reproductions in so everyone could access and enjoy iconic designs without a ridiculous price tag. Cult Furniture has since then, grown into a popular one-stop shop for contemporary furnishings for homes, offices and commercial spaces, with customers all over Europe.

Known for their Pantone colour selection; their new Cult Designs won’t disappoint, introducing new colour ranges as well as a variety of metal leg finishes, including gold and copper.

With a (growing) workforce including in-house designers, only time will tell whether Cult Furniture succeeds in adapting to the copyright changes in 2016.

www.cultfurniture.com

14

march/april 2016

www. cultfurniture.com 1000’s of items in stock with next day delivery

Get £20 off your order using code VIM20* *Orders over £200. Valid until 30/04/16

trade@cultfurniture.com | +44 (0) 208 150 3257 | Showroom: 811-813 Wandsworth Road, London SW8 3JH

Bar News

The Queens Arms crowned with Gold award in Taste of the West 2016 Described as “delivering everything that one could wish from a country dining pub”, The Queens Arms in Corton Denham has been awarded Gold in the Dining Pub category at the Taste of the West Hospitality & Retail Awards 2016. Up against some of the most celebrated restaurants in the South West, The Queens Arms was commended for its commitment to local sourcing, cheerful atmosphere and keen, wellbriefed staff.

The judges lavished praise upon a menu that measures its food in metres, not miles, saying “The pub is absolutely on message about local sourcing”, making particular note of an “entertaining and interesting map showing local suppliers.” Menu choices were described as “superlative examples of their type, with excellently chosen and prepared

accompaniments”, while special mention was also given to the pub’s beautiful location, perfectly positioned for “a pre or post lunch walk to counteract the calories that the menu tempted them to ingest.”

Jeanette Reid, Co-Owner of The Queens Arms, commented; “Local sourcing is at the heart of everything we do, so it’s very rewarding for the team to have this recognised in an awards scheme so concerned with provenance and quality.

We were delighted by the judges’ comments and take particular pride in their eagerness to return and bring their friends, we’ll try to make sure that the chocolate fondant is on the menu that day!” provide an abundance of meat, eggs and milk for their diners to enjoy, along with the outstanding seasonal produce coming from the pub’s very own kitchen garden.

Brockmans Gin is just the ticket The good people who run St Pancras International Station follow the right ‘train’ of thought, it seems.

Brockmans Gin, the deliciously different gin like no other, features prominently in the website for the station’s food and drink offerings advising travellers passing through this historic London station, to stop a while and enjoy what’s on offer.

Pictured prominently is the Perfect Serve

16

march/april 2016

Brockmans Gin & Tonic, made with a generous amount of ice, pink grapefruit and two blueberries served in, what else, but a Brockmans balloon glass. These garnishes all work to enhance the berry, coriander and zesty, bitter-sweet Valencian orange peel that make Brockmans so distinctive and on track to be the favourite gin of eager travellers.

www.brockmansgin.com

One of the oldest pubs in England embraces one of the newest gins “I’ll stick with gin. Champagne is just ginger ale that knows somebody.”

So says the business card of Sarah Mapey who, along with Chris Mapey, runs The Angel in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

It’s a message that is not only on Ms Mapey’s card but close to the heart of their business, too. The Mapeys are especially keen on Brockmans Gin, which sells at an impressive rate of four bottles per week. The pub stocks 250 gins and therefore, to sell so many of just one brand, underlines how special Brockmans Gin is.

One of the oldest pubs in the UK, with records going back nearly 1000 years, it is one of the most attractive and atmospheric too. The Angel, the trading arm of Fearless Inns Ltd, is a past regional winner of ‘Spirits Pub of the Year’ in the Great British Pub Awards and is the only free house in the town of Woodbridge.

Speaking at a recent gin tasting in London, Chris Mapey said: “We love Brockmans and so do our customers. One of our favourite serves is with ginger beer and grated ginger.

We often introduce people to Brockmans for the first time and, when they ask us where they can buy this gin, the answer is simple: Woodbridge Wines, 180 yards down the road, sells Brockmans Gin by the bottle.

We quadrupled our sales of Brockmans after learning more about the brand when we met Paul Hinks, a member of the Brockmans team, last year.”

The relationship is symbiotic.

Richard Campbell, who owns Woodbridge Wines, also recommends Brockmans to his retail customers. “If they want to try before they buy, I simply point them in the direction of The Angel,” he said. Similarly, he also sells an average of four bottles of Brockmans every week.

Brockmans Gin is made in the heart of England and brims with berries, botanicals and Valencian orange peel to make this truly a gin like no other. It looks good on the bar, too, as the black, tactile, solid glass bottle makes a stylish statement before one even noses the aroma.

NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

LIVE PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONS

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

EXPERT ADVICE

CUTTING EDGE PRODUCTS & SERVICES

FREE SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

LEADING SUPPLIERS & MANUFACTURERS

CREATIVITY, INNOVATION AND CHOICE For the widest range of products and services from over 200 leading suppliers, exclusive show offers and business advice.

Pre-register now for free entry at www.signanddigitaluk.com

Creativity, Innovation and Choice Sign & Digital UK, the country’s leading trade exhibition for the sign making, display solutions and digital printing industry has announced that the 2016 show will see a third year of consecutive growth.

The exhibition returns to the NEC in Birmingham from 19 to 21 April 2016 and attracts visitors from the across a wide range of business types, including the event and exhibition industry, retail sector and leisure industry.

A visit to the show is ideal if you are responsible for signage, print, facilities management, wayfinding, transport, planning and maintenance to ensure that you are up to speed with the latest innovations and products, and also to benefit from the expert advice available.

Meet with 200+ leading suppliers With more than 200 exhibitors expected to be at the show, companies who have already confirmed their attendance for 2016 include Agfa Graphics, Canon, Colourgen/Mutoh, Epson, Esko, Hewlett-Packard, Hybrid Services/ Mimaki, Jetrix and Roland DG. The show is on target to be at least 10% bigger than the 2015 event, with exhibitors such as Antalis, CMYUK, Perfect Colours, QPS, Signmaster Systems and Vivid Laminating taking larger stands. In addition, there will be many new or returning exhibitors such as Colourbyte, Complete Sign Illumination/GE Lighting, Daltons Wadkin, KIP, Papergraphics, Rollsroller AB, Route1Print, Digital Blanks and Universal Sign Systems.

The full exhibitor list can be found online at: www.signanddigitaluk.com/find-exhibitors The show will feature many product launches which will give visitors access to the very latestto-market products and a fantastic opportunity to see the latest equipment in action. It also offers visitors the ideal opportunity to meet with exhibitors face-to-face and not only see the quality and range of products on offer but to take advantage of expert practical advice which will help the visitor make informed buying decisions.

18

march/april 2016

Covering everything from print finishing equipment, exterior & way finding signage, soft signage and wide format digital printers through to vehicle livery, digital signage, inks and print materials, the 2016 show is all set to live up to its reputation for being the UK’s premier event in this sector, with a huge range of choice and show offers for the visitor to discover. Sign & Digital UK is the ideal place to come shopping. When making a capital purchase, the face to face element is absolutely crucial, people buy from people and an important part of any transaction is to know who you are dealing with.

The show organisers will be introducing a couple of new features to make sure that visitors can make the best use of their time at the show including a timetable of scheduled live demonstrations and a ‘meetings with exhibitors’ booking system which allows visitors to pre-book meetings at the show with exhibitors.

Exhibition Trails In order to help visitors discover the industry’s biggest market opportunities of particular relevance to them, the 2016 show will feature the Textile Trail, Retail Route and Materials World Trails. These trails will showcase a wide range of state of the art products and services, including textile printing and finishing systems, retail POP/POS display systems and the very latest materials, media and substrates.

2016 seminar highlights Learning is at the heart of Sign & Digital UK and the exhibitor line-up will be supported by an extensive, free-to-attend educational programme, featuring workshops in the Adobe, Corel and SignLab Theatres, demonstrations in the Signmakers’ Workshop and seminars in the Business and Digital Signage Theatres – all offering practical help and advice.

Business Theatre The Business Theatre will offer practical skills

and identify new revenue opportunities for organisations looking to expand and improve their services.

Presentations include: • The British Sign and Graphics Association (BSGA) who will update visitors on sign legislation and health & safety issues • The skills agency Cogent will discuss the benefits of an educated workforce and how to access funding for apprenticeships and qualifications • Using case studies, including one from Kent & Medway NHS Trust the “Innovation in wayfinding and directional signage“ session will explore how sign design can create a cohesive wayfinding scheme • Antalis will present ‘The Do’s and Don’ts of Colour Management’ and how to ensure consistent colour on different substrates Digital Signage Theatre New for 2016 is the new Digital Signage Theatre which will offer practical advice and help on how organisations can incorporate digital signage offerings alongside the more traditional printed signage.

Adobe Theatre The ever popular Adobe Theatre will feature daily workshops, focusing on practical tips and advice for mastering the latest versions of their software packages, including Adobe InDesign CC, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Bridge as well as taking control of colour with the Adobe Creative Suite.

Corel Theatre Combining a range of practical workshops and product demonstration, the Corel Theatre is a must attend for anyone in the design, sign making and printing sectors.

Sessions will include: • An overview of CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite • CorelDRAW® Graphics Suite – Working with fonts made easy

• CorelDRAW® Surgery sessions where you can bring along your questions and your files on memory stick and get help and support from the experts.

SignLab Theatre Wide-format design and production software specialists, CADlink Technology will present a series of seminars focusing on best practice print and cut, sign and display design and production workflows.

Session highlights include: • A review of key features in the long

awaited, upcoming release of SignLab v10 which provides sign makers with the latest technology that enables them to maximize their design skills and streamline production workflows.

• SignLab for Versaworks. This session will focus on features that enable Roland users to maximize the benefits of the print and ink technology that Roland provides with each of their devices.

• SignLab for Mimaki. Learn how design tools within SignLab for Mimaki can assist in providing dazzling output on Mimaki devices.

Signmakers’ Workshop These hugely popular practical demonstrations will be presented by expert sign-maker Paul Hughes and are designed to help you learn some of the industry’s most in-demand skills including: • • • •

Applying vinyls Vehicle wrapping & livery Making a sign board Using and installing wall and floor graphics

range of new and returning exhibitors, as well as a full schedule of live product demos and a programme of free business seminars & workshops, we are confident that Sign & Digital UK 2016 is going to be the industry show you won’t want to miss.”

Visitors can pre-register for free fast track entry at:

www.signanddigitaluk.com

Show Information: Sign & Digital UK 2016 Hall 17 & 18 at the NEC, Birmingham 19 April 10am - 5pm 20 April 10am - 5pm 21 April 10am - 4.30pm

Organised By:

Audited By:

Rudi Blackett, event director for Sign & Digital UK said: “The success of the 2015 show, which attracted just over 6,800 visitors and more than 180 exhibitors has cemented our reputation as a buying show with large volumes of business taking place at the show and in the months following. With such a wide

march/april 2016

19

Bar News

International representatives of venue owners launch a comic with a make-believe heroine character to give advice and protect young people when go out at night The International Nightlife Association, in collaboration with the European Nightlife Association, FECASARM, Spain Nightlife, FEHR and the Business Association of the Tourist Area of Salou have launched a strong, innovative campaign to coincide with the beginning of the new tourist season and SALOUFEST 2016. The aim is to prevent unsociable behavior during the celebration of this event season. This civic campaign, sponsored by AUDIOTEC and GIBACARS, was presented during a press conference held in March in Salou, at Caffe di Mare (Bilbao St. num 4) with the following people: • Mrs. Elaine McParland; President of the Salou Business Association in the Tourist Area • Mrs. Barbara Delmastro Meoni; Star and heroine of the comic

under the alias of “Lady Tabata” • Mr. Maurizio Pasca; President of the European Nightlife

Association and President of the Italian Nightlife Association • Mr. Joaquim Boadas de Quintana; General Secretary of FECASARM, Spain Nightlife and International Nightlife Association This awareness campaign was presented to the public in a comic format for the first time. It is an international campaign which will be exported to other countries worldwide and it was launched in Salou prior to SalouFest to serve as a tester for an international event that has been severely criticized in recent years and accused of being problematic when that is not true. With this in mind, from the International Nightlife Association, the European Nightlife Association, Fecasarm, Spain Nightlife, Fehr and the Business Association of the Tourist area of Salou it has been decided to do as much as possible to prevent unsociable behavior during the

celebration of this season.

The objective was to regain the event’s previous good reputation and this is why we decided to launch this international campaign for the first time in Salou as a tester in the lead-up to the new tourist season and SalouFest.

The comic showcases the following subjects: • • • • • •

Responsible consumption of alcohol ‘Balconing’ Drugs Drinking and driving Fighting Loud noise

The aim is to make the young tourists and students aware of the dangers and negative consequences, should they conduct themselves in a certain way when celebrating. Within the comic this is all presented in a lighthearted and easily understandable way.

For more information call: (+34) 902.099.500 or (+34) 670.703.370 www.international-nightlife.com

UK Sugar Tax May Only Reinforce Mounting Consumer Desire for LowCalorie Soft Drinks, says Canadean Analyst The UK government’s announcement of a new sugar tax on soft drinks, to be introduced in April 2018, may only serve to underpin the efforts of an already evolving market, rather than driving any real change, according to an analyst at Canadean.

The tax is intended to tackle childhood obesity by reducing the number of sugary drinks bought and consumed, and by putting some of the money raised through the tax towards primary school physical education. With two years before the tax is imposed, beverage companies will have time to reformulate their products and decrease their sugar content.

However, according to Canadean analyst Fiona Baillie, many soft drinks brands are already cutting the sugar content of their goods.

20

march/april 2016

Baillie says: “The low calorie still drinks segment saw a growth of 6% in 2014, a much stronger increase than the 2% that the regular calorie segment experienced. This shows that consumers are already switching to sweetened drinks that will not face high taxation, as trends towards health and wellness endure.

“Furthermore, with pure fruit juices and milk-based beverages exempt from the tax, the declining trend juices have seen due to sugar concerns may see a turnaround, with consumers migrating back to these drinks due to better pricing and a change in consumer perception about natural fructose.”

A number of other nations have already experienced similar sugar taxes, which may act as a guide to how the UK will fare. Mexico, for example, pushed through a sugar tax in 2014, with mixed results.

Why choose mySolution to provide your solution?

Every business has different needs and requirements.

When it comes to Information Technology, we believe that there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.

Your business requirements will drive the the solution to your specific problem and define the available budget.

Therefore, mySolution make understanding your business our primary objective. Our independance from any hardware or software suppliers coupled with our broad range of experience ensures you get the most appropriate solution for your problem.

We pride ourselves on forming close relationships with our clients that enable us to not just to solve their exsiting problem, but forsee their future requirements too.

This approach allows us to ensure that you make the best decisions now when deciding your current and future IT spend.

www.mysolutionuk.com

T: 020 8123 9652

E: support@mysolutionuk.com

Drink News

Wolfburn Single Malt Whisky In 2011 the founders of Wolfburn Single Malt Whisky travelled to Thurso in Caithness, the most northerly town on the British mainland, in search of the old Wolfburn distillery. After 150 years of neglect, what they found of what was once one of the largest whisky producers in the county was a pile of old stones.

The only thing that remained was the flow of water that once fed the mash tun and stills all those years ago. The team were convinced that if the water was still there, then the whisky could be too.

In May 2012, the purchase of the land was finalised. By January 2013 the new Wolfburn distillery was complete and on Burns Night, a cask of Wolfburn whisky - the first for nearly 150 years, was laid down in Thurso.

Using unpeated malt, master distiller Shane Fraser and his team have crafted the latest incarnation of Wolfburn

whisky from a blank canvas by pot still distillation, the old way; no automation, no rush and a lot of care. The worts are fermented for roughly 75 hours, allowing In 2011 the founders of Wolfburn Single Malt Whisky travelled to Thurso in Caithness, the most northerly town on the British m the yeast activity to mellow the wash, smoke in the mouth.

After 150 years of neglect, what they found of what was once one of the largest whisky producers in the county was a pile of old s a series floral that carryyears ago. The team were convinced that if the water was still there, then ofreleasing water that once fed theofmash tunnotes and stills all those through to distillation and maturation and The Inaugural bottling, crafted from the In May 2012, the purchase of the land was finalised. By January 2013 the new Wolfburn distillery was complete and on Burns Nig are present in down the finished very first casks from the new Wolfburn 150 years - was laid in Thurso.whisky.

The spirit is double distilled, slowly, distillery, is truly something for collectors Using unpeated malt, master distiller Shane Fraser and his team have crafted the latest incarnation of Wolfburn whisky from first the still and then and connoisseurs. in number toactivity to mello way; nothrough automation, no wash rush and a lot of care.

The worts are fermented for roughly 75Limited hours, allowing the yeast through spirit still, wereand are present875 for the UKismarket), carry throughthe to distillation andwhich maturation in thebottles finished(100 whisky.

The spirit double distilled, slowly, first th still, which were designed specifically designed and handcrafted Forsyths ofnumbered Rothes. Onceand the distillation is complete th specifically and handcrafted by by coppersmith each individually engraved, American oak casks that are stored using traditional dunnage methods; on their side, bung up, on stows, never higher than thre coppersmith Forsyths of Rothes. Once the and presented in a hand-made oak box.

The end result isisa complete famously smooth, full bodied, and to enjoyable bottled at 46% abv.selected by Shane distillation the whisky is left Thewhisky whisky inside was maturefrom on the site, inMarch, Spanish and Single American specifically become Wolfburn’s Available 14th Wolfburn Malt WhiskyFraser is wonderfully unique to in flavour.

It’s light and fragrant with aroma onoak the pallet, a pleasant flavour of traditional smoke in the mouth. casksleaving that are stored using first. Using long fermentation, long slow dunnage methods; on their side, bung up, distillation, and matured in hand selected The Inaugural bottling, crafted from the very first casks from the new Wolfburn distillery, is truly something for collectors and on for stows, higher than three. casks, itand is genuinely (100 the UKnever market), each individually numbered and engraved, presented in something a hand-made special. oak box. The whisky ins become Wolfburn’s first. Using long fermentation, long slowWolfburn distillation, Single and matured hand-selected casks, it is genuinely so MaltinWhisky is distributed The end result a famously smooth, in the UK

by PLC. Amathus Drinks PLC.accepted

Wolfburn Single MaltisWhisky is distributed in the UK by Amathus Drinks Pre-orders are being now: sales@am visit or contact holly@amathusdrinks.com. fullwww.wolfburn.com bodied, and enjoyable whisky bottled at 46% abv.

MWW Wolfburn Single Malt 46% Available now,Wolfburn the Wolfburn Single Malt Pre-orders MWWI Inaugural Special Edition Single Malt 46% are being accepted now:

Whisky is wonderfully unique in flavour.

It’s light and fragrant with aromas of fruit, malt and a hint of peat, sweet and nutty on the pallet, leaving a pleasant flavour of

sales@amathusdrinks.com For more information please visit:

www.wolfburn.com

or contact holly@amathusdrinks.com

www.amathusdrinks.com

Reawakening the spiRit of scotland’s Rugged noRth coast it’s been a while wolfbuRn.com

22

february/march 2016

Drink News

LEE WESTCOTT PRESENTS THE ‘ART OF SLOW’ WITH RON ZACAPA The luxury rum brand, and renowned chef will host an exclusive supper club exploring the art of slow dining.

The bespoke dining experience will include a luxury three course meal, specially created by top chef, Lee Westcott, with each dish individually paired with a Ron Zacapa cocktail. Crafted by Brand Ambassador Dan Dove, the unique cocktails have been created using the super premium variants, Ron Zacapa 23, Ron Zacapa XO, and the newly released Zacapa Limitada.

The Art of Slow is about taking the time that is required to create meaningful and pleasurable experiences in life. For Ron Zacapa, aged 2,300 metres above sea level in the House Above The Clouds, the slowed down distillery process has helped produce a super premium liquid that is perfect for consumers to sip and savour.

Dan Dove, Diageo Reserve Brand Ambassador for Ron Zacapa said: “Ron Zacapa has a rich history of working in collaboration with high profile chefs in order to create some fantastic flavour combinations. Lee Westcott is the perfect partner for The Art of Slow supper club, due to his innovative approach to cooking and use of high quality seasonal ingredients, which match perfectly with the hand crafted Ron Zacapa cocktails.

“Through the unique dining experience, consumers will be able to experience the wonderful in-depth flavour profiles of all three fantastic variants from the Ron Zacapa family - XO, 23 and Limitada - in a relaxed environment that reflects the brand’s heritage and production process.”

The luxury supper club experience will be held on 9th May at East London’s renowned Typing Room, and remain on the menu for a further three months.

Tickets for the dinner with Lee Westcott at Typing Room will be available to purchase at www.biletto.co.uk from 1st April.

24

march/april 2016

MENU Welcome cocktail Zacapa XO and champagne ------------------------------------------Slow cured sea trout, kohirabi, lime & raisin Zacapa Limitada 2015 ------------------------------------------72-hour braised beef cheek, fermented grains smoked bone marrow & turnip Zacapa 23, honey roasted leeks, chestnut, all spice, balsamic vinegar ------------------------------------------Chocolate, pineapple & rum Solera Sundown Zacapa 23, charred pineapple syrup, citric acid, angostura bitters

DIAGEO RESERVE LAUNCHES SECOND WAVE TO SEARCH FOR THE UK’S WORLD CLASS BARTENDER OF THE YEAR Diageo Reserve has announced the launch of the second wave in its search for the finest UK bartending talent. World Class phase two, ‘Fruits and Plants’ will be open for entries from Friday 18th – 30th March 2016.

‘Fruits and Plants’ invites bartenders to think of someone who has made a difference to the environment in some way, however small, such as a musician, athlete, artist, poet or a loved one. Entrants’ cocktails and stories should be built around this person, whilst true to the theme, deliver fresh, vibrant and light flavours with a strong seasonal sense of spring or summer.

Competitors are challenged to create a single or shared serve using white spirits from Diageo Reserve’s World Class selection, such as Cîroc Vodka, Tanqueray No. TEN, Ketel One Vodka or Don Julio, using a minimum 30ml measure in their cocktail.

When creating their cocktails, bartenders should not use barware or any professional equipment, instead using basic tools that can be found in the home.

Head of World Class UK, Dan Dove commented: “We are incredibly excited to open the second phase of this year’s UK World Class competition. The first phase, ‘Mindful Drinking’, was a huge success and we already have five very strong contenders through to the UK final.

‘Fruits and Plants’ is structured in a way that we’re able to identify different talents to those we were strictly looking for in ‘Mindful Drinking’. My advice for entrants is to not be too technical.

We’re looking for a human touch at this stage, so bartenders should create a drink and build a story for people who are not bartenders or from the industry. In stripping it back to the basics, competitors have the chance to showcase raw creativity and a true understanding of flavour. It also means we can celebrate the winner’s drink by replicating it in trade and importantly, in the home too.”

To enter, bartenders should visit www.theworldclassclub.com and submit their cocktail recipe between 18th – 30th March.

Head of World Class, Dan Dove will be joined by a host of judges, including World Class Brand Ambassadors, industry experts, leading influencers and previous competitors. The panel will whittle entries down to 50 bartenders who will be invited to the semi-final event, on Tuesday 3rd May.

SMIRNOFF LAUNCHES NEW CHAPTER OF ‘WE’RE OPEN’ BRAND CAMPAIGN Starring deaf dance teacher Chris Fonseca

Smirnoff, the UK’s most loved vodka brand from Diageo, has launched the next chapter of its successful ‘We’re Open’ campaign.

The next chapter tells the story of Chris Fonseca, an inspiring deaf dance teacher from London, who teaches other deaf dancers that there are other ways to enjoy music beyond just hearing it. Celebrating inclusivity, the £4million fully integrated campaign saw ‘We’re Open’ on TV for the very first time in March.

The 40” TV advert introduces Chris Fonseca and his story to the nation as he explains that he has always wanted to be a dancer.

Using a documentary style approach, the creative profiles Chris and his class of deaf dancers, showing how the group can feel the beat on the dancefloor, just like everyone else.

The OOH creative runs across the UK from 28th March for two weeks and include a series of executions that celebrate Chris Fonseca and the community of deaf dancers through simple but bold headlines, including ‘Deaf or not, everyone can dance’, ‘I don’t feel the music but I feel the beat’, and ‘Nobody knows we’re deaf on the dance floor’.

“We are privileged to work with someone as inspiring as Chris and are delighted to be able to help celebrate and share his story at scale through our ‘We’re Open’ campaign.

The campaign will run across a number of culturally relevant, innovative channels, and we’re excited to launch this next step in our campaign to celebrate diversity and move people to be more inclusive.”

Julie Bramham, Smirnoff Marketing Director.

Smirnoff, as market leader, has a 37.6% share of vodka in the UK off-trade vodka category. Smirnoff is the biggest spirits brand in Europe.

march/april 2016

25

Drink News

NORTH EAST DISTILLERY’S FIRST TASTE OF SUCCESS An independent small batch distillery is enjoying its first taste of success after being stocked in dozens of bars, hotels and retailers across the North East.

DIAGEO UNVEILS £MULTIMILLION CASUAL EATING OPPORTUNITY FOR SPIRITS

Diageo, the global leader in beverage alcohol, has identified a £100 million untapped spirits opportunity for the on-trade in the casual eating occasion.

Poetic License, based in Sunderland, currently crafts two gins and a vodka, which are all individually bottled, wrapped and labelled by hand.

The business, which produces around 400 bottles per week, is the brainchild of North East entrepreneur, Mark Hird, who has more than 25 years’ experience in leisure and hospitality, including a stand alone microbrewery, which he launched in 2012.

“The recent revival in gin has been astounding. I noticed demand climbing and spotted a gap in the market for high quality, artisanal spirits that mixed traditional techniques with modern flavours and set about bringing my vision to life,” said Mark.

After attending a comprehensive course in distilling, Mark invested in a 500L pot still and recruited a passionate, full-time distiller to help create the perfect blends.

Months of experimentation followed, with various flavour combinations and processes being discounted, before the duo were finally able to settle on three core products - and Poetic License Independent Small Batch Distillery was born.

Four months on and the distillery’s Northern Dry Gin (43.2% ABV), Old Tom Gin (41.6% ABV) and Graceful Vodka (40.4% ABV), are already being stocked in bars, hotels and restaurants across the North East, including popular cocktail bars As You Like It and Floritas in Newcastle, as well as the four star Wynyard Hall Hotel, County Durham.

26

MARCH/april 2016

All three products are also available to buy in high-end, regional department stores, including Fenwick Newcastle and Lewis and Cooper Ltd Northallerton, with moves now being made to find stockists and distributors nationwide.

“The name Poetic License symbolises our desire to break away from the norm.

To create a drink that blurs the traditional with the unconventional and appeals to those imperfect perfectionists who want to enjoy a tipple that has been carefully crafted and packed with character.

We’re delighted that so many leisure operators and retailers have already been able to embrace this philosophy and appreciate the unique style of our spirits and hope that more across the UK will soon follow suit.”

After mastering gin and vodka, Mark and his distiller Luke Smith, are now planning to develop limited edition flavours and extend their range with the addition of a dark and white rum and an absinthe.

The UK is rapidly moving towards a more casual eating culture, with the nation’s increasingly fluid lifestyles having a significant impact on consumers’ eating and drinking out habits. As a result, casual meals are in growth and the Casual Dining segment is currently experiencing strong growth of 6.8% driven by consumer demand for affordability, flexibility and informality, as well as a quality dining experience.

Within the casual eating occasion, Spirits are the fastest growing alcohol category, growing at 17% YOY, with almost 50% of consumers citing alcohol as an important factor when choosing where to eat out. However, through a bespoke piece of market research, Diageo has identified an additional £100 million RSV opportunity which operators can unlock by expanding their drinks repertoire beyond traditional beer and wine, and maximising the full potential of spirits.

Ronak Mashru, Sales Director at Diageo GB, says: “A trend towards a more casual culture of eating out is emerging and through our research we strongly believe that spirits present a huge growth opportunity in the casual eating occasion.

We encourage operators to think about how they maximise this opportunity by inspiring consumers to choose spirits, educating their staff to upsell, and supporting them to achieve consistent quality through the perfect serve.”

To help operators grow their business through spirits, Diageo has invested in and expanded its sales team in a bid to reach more customers outside the traditional on-trade and has launched a range of cuisine-led serves to help outlets upsell spirits and inspire consumers to choose spirits when eating out.

AWARD WINNING BAR AND DISTILLER JOIN FORCES IN THE NORTH EAST Two of the biggest names in North East gin are joining forces to offer discerning drinkers even more choice.

Newcastle bar City Tavern, which currently stocks more than 80 gins from around the world, will now be serving spirits from Sunderland-based Poetic License.

The independent small batch distiller, established by entrepreneur Mark Hird, currently crafts two award winning gins and a vodka using its own still at the Roker Hotel.

From this week City Tavern, based at Northumberland Road, will be stocking the brand’s Northern Dry Gin and Old Tom Gin, which are both carefully crafted to be enjoyed as a stand alone drink or as part of a cocktail.

David King, Owner of City Tavern said: “We pride ourselves on offering visitors a wide range of popular and unfamiliar drinks, including several that are brewed exclusively for City Tavern.

“Poetic License’s artisanal processes and

unique flavours fit well with this philosophy and I’m sure they will make an excellent addition to our collection.”

City Tavern, which benefitted from a £450k investment by Mr King in 2015, is the latest high profile venue to begin stocking products from Poetic License, which has only been operating for around four months.

our Northern Dry Gin and Old Tom Gin meet their strict selection standards.

“Our focus now is on targeting more stateof-the-art bars like this and extending our distribution on a national scale.”

Below: Mark Hird from Poetic License with David King from City Tavern.

While the brand’s handmade approach limits production to around 400 bottles per week, all three of its core products can already be found in a wide range of bars, restaurants and hotels around the region, as well as leading stores Fenwick, Newcastle and Lewis and Cooper Ltd, Northallerton.

“We’re absolutely thrilled with how well Poetic License has been received and what we have been able to achieve in a relatively short space of time,” said Poetic License’s owner Mark Hird.

“The staff and customers at City Tavern really know their gin and we’re delighted that both

march/april 2016

27

The Brockmans Gin Bramble – a tribute to Dick Bradsell Brockmans Gin, the super-premium 40%ABV English gin that brims with botanical and berry flavours, has always recommended the Brockmans Bramble as part of its repertoire.

As a tribute to the inventor of the Bramble Cocktail, the late – and very great - Dick Bradsell, who sadly died earlier this month at his home in London, we are bringing you Brockmans’ take on this modern classic. Dick Bradsell famously revived the London cocktail scene and was the head bar tender at the iconic Atlantic Bar & Grill in the 1990s.

Brockmans Bramble • 40ml Brockmans Gin • 20ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice • 15ml Sugar syrup • 15ml Creme de Mure • Garnish – Fresh Blackberries Shake the first 3 ingredients with ice; strain into a chilled cocktail glass; pour over the blackberry liqueur; and garnish with a couple of blackberries.

www.brockmansgin.com

Bob Fowkes, Co-Founder of Brockmans and the brand’s Marketing Director, believes that the Bramble is a modern classic which complements Brockmans Gin.

“This subtle reinterpretation of the Singapore Sling is a perfect way to enjoy Brockmans’ taste profile. The Crème de Mure works perfectly with the berries, coriander, Valencian orange peel and other botanicals that combine harmoniously to make Brockmans truly a gin like no other.”

Bob Fowkes, Co-Founder and Marketing Director, Brockmans Gin.

We can offer a full range of embroidered or printed clothing to suit any style and budget

Tel: 01622 751449 E-mail: info@4u2promote.co.uk

www.4u2promote.co.uk

march/april 2016

29

Drink News

BULMERS GOES WILD WITH NEW FLAVOUR

HEINEKEN launches Desperados on draught to UK On-Trade

Bulmers launches first blueberry flavour cider to the UK supported by mass scale ATL and BTL campaign.

HEINEKEN has identified a gap in the draught market for spirit flavoured beers and will be launching Desperados on draught, available to On-Trade customers throughout the UK right now.

Bulmers is launching an innovative new flavour – Wild Blueberry & Lime, a move that will continue to drive the category and boost sales for licensees.

Supported by a £1.2m ATL and BTL campaign, the launch will see Bulmers scale a flavour trend yet to be leveraged within the cider category; encouraged by research indicating young adults’ desire for flavour experimentation and bold tastes in Cider is showing no signs of slowing down .

Bulmers Wild Blueberry & Lime will be available from mid-February and is the latest addition to the Bulmers range. The new SKU comes in a 568ml bottle at 4% ABV and its eye-catching label will deliver huge stand out in the back bar to drive impulse sales.

“Blueberries’ popularity is soaring in the UK, yet surprisingly, there is currently no mainstream blueberry flavoured cider in the market, until now.

The new Bulmers Wild Blueberry & Lime cider addresses both consumer demand for blueberries as well as the trend for experimenting with different flavoured ciders.

HEINEKEN’s expertise with NPD in cider is unrivalled and, most importantly, it works.

Last year’s launch, Bulmers Zesty Blood Orange, was the biggest packaged cider NPD of 2015. It brought one million people into the Bulmers brand, 50% of which were new to the cider category – which is good news for licensees.

As a result, we’re expecting drinkers to pounce on our latest offering and advise publicans to stock up.”

Emma Sherwood-Smith, Cider Director at HEINEKEN. Bulmers Wild Blueberry & Lime will join the existing cider range which includes Bulmers Zesty Bloody Orange, Bulmers Cider Pear, Bulmers Crushed Red Berries and Lime and Bulmers Cider Original, and will replace Bulmers Bold Black Cherry.

30

march/April 2016

As the UK’s 4th biggest packaged lager brand, Desperados has added £18M value to the On-Trade since its launch in 2011, including £5M in the last 12 months .

The popularity of Desperados can be attributed to its distinctive taste, which meets the needs and expectations of its twentysomethings target audience, and the new draught format provides a fresh and different way to drink the tequila flavoured beer for consumers in higher tempo circuit bars on planned sociable occasions.

A new stylish glass is being introduced to support the launch of Desperados draught which, at two thirds the size of a pint, will help operators to boost their profit margins. The launch is further supported

with branded bar runners and a striking illuminated steel font, creating strong standout at the bar.

Andrew Turner, Category and Trade Marketing Director at HEINEKEN, comments: “With the popularity of flavoured beers continuing to rise alongside consumer demand for a more premium drinking experience, we’re delighted to be launching Desperados on draught. The twentysomething target audience is typically less brand loyal than older consumers and yet, Desperados has achieved impressive yearon-year growth since its re-launch in the UK in 2011.”

“With this new draught format, we are aiming to maintain this growth by giving our customers the opportunity to provide a wider choice to pub-goers, helping customers to grow their profit margins incrementally.

The new font looks great and is certainly going to catch the eye of consumers on entering the bar, so we’re confident that this format will further increase the popularity of Desperados and help our customers to boost their profits in the months ahead.”

BREWDOG SUPER INVESTORS TAP INTO EXCLUSIVE STACK OF BENEFITS WITH EQUITY FOR PUNKS SCHEME BrewDog unveils fresh perks for Equity For Punks investors.

A range of stacked benefits for investments over £5k, £10k, £20k and £50k launches today including casks of Lone Wolf spirits, investors’ names in neon, and dinner with BrewDog’s Co-Founders, James Watt & Martin Dickie.Shareholders can pick and choose benefits from a carefully curated menu of options.

Irreverent Scottish brewery, BrewDog, has launched a raft of new benefits for super investors, rewarding upper level beery investors who have contributed between £5k and £50k to the pioneering crowdfunding scheme with unprecedented exclusive perks.

Shareholders have always enjoyed awesome extras such as a free beer on their birthday, input into where the next bar opens, access to exclusive beer clubs, and trips to shareholder brew days. Now for the first time, BrewDog unveils a whole raft of different benefits, stacked based on the level of investment, to reward people who have placed significant investment into fuelling the irrepressible global craft beer revolution.

The epic new reasons to go big or go home are tiered for £5k, £10k, £20k, and £50k investors. The rewards range from free beer for life, in the form of growler fills from BrewDog’s international bars, to investors’ names in neon lights in the BrewDog brewery in Aberdeenshire, to a 10 ton beer truck party at your house.

What’s more, whisky, gin and vodka fans can capitalise on the launch of BrewDog’s Lone Wolf Distillery by earmarking an entire cask of limited

edition whisky or a case of artisanal gin.

Those in the upper brackets can even qualify for an all expenses paid trip to the pre-launch party for BrewDog’s USA brewery in Ohio, set to open its doors in August, or land a private dinner with James Watt & Martin Dickie, Co-Founders of the business.

BrewDog Co-Founder, James Watt said: “Equity For Punks started because we wanted to put two fingers up to bland, corporate beer and give the people who care about what they drink the chance to own their own slice of the action.

We take every opportunity we come across to give back to our Punks, and these new perks are our way of saying thanks. By offering up a range of insane benefits that our investors can stack however they like, we’re giving our investors the world’s best beer themed pick ‘n’ mix; you’d be nuts not to get involved.”

NE

W

Launched in 2010, Equity for Punks tore up convention, turned the traditional business model on its head and gave thousands of people a front row seat to the craft beer revolution. Now in its fourth round,

the crowdfunding scheme has raised over £20m and has accrued a community of over 35,000 Equity Punk investors.

Inspired the German drink ‘Apfelschorle’ the combination of apple juice and sparkling water, gives a dry, crisp and natural taste, because less sweetness means more refreshment.

Discover the satisfying bite of all our flavours.

www.thordrinks.com To find out more about stocking THØR Drinks call Alistair on 020 3151 7221 or email info@thordrinks.com

THØR Drinks-Advert Half Page 9-11-15 AW.indd 1

THØR Mint

THØR Apple

THØR Ginger

With aromatic garden mint and just a hint of peppermint for a truly refreshing spritz.

It’s the addition of green tea and gentian extract that creates our signature dryness.

With our carefully selected natural ginger flavour to give the perfect accent of heat and spice.

09/11/2015 12:42

Drink News

shatler’s cocktails Shatler’s cocktails, premium ready to serve cocktails supplied by Haywood Drinks, leading suppliers into the on trade for over 15 years, pushes their ready to serve cocktails as consumer demand increases and encourages the On Trade to take advantage as huge profits are ready to be made through mass sales.

The range comprises of all the favourite cocktails Mojito, Sex on the Beach, Pina Colada, to name a few as well as including non alcoholic alternatives. With 70% of women in a recnt survery saying they would opt to have a cocktail over any other drink if the serve time was minimal and the drink affordable, why not list Shatler’s and transform your venue into a leading cocktail bar?

Served in seconds, 6 to be precise, Shatler’s cocktails are at the pinnacle of ready to serve delicious, consistent cocktails. Ready in seconds the cocktails enable bar tenders to serve a perfect, consistent cocktail in just seconds, enabling a multiple serve count each minute.

Maximize your sales, delight your customers and treat your profits to a large increase with Shatler’s Ready to Serve cocktails.

With Shatler’s the quick serve capabilities and further benefits to venues is that there is no longer the need for purchasing multiple fine sprits, the syrups and constant need for juices, everything is already mixologist perfected, saving money on ingredients, training and no waste. Each time an order is placed for one of the favorite cocktails, it is as simple as take the cartocan, shake and pour over crushed ice.

For more information please view:

With repeat sales proven, Shatler’s further benefits your customers.

There is no need for bustling bars and lengthy queues, a customer selects a cocktail and its served to them, perfect and delicious in just seconds. Serve rates are proven to increase and in turn as is profits as the mean average serve time drastically reduces.

32

march/april 2016

www.haywood-drinks.co.uk or call 01889 270 663 Points of Sale available.

Food News

Scottish restaurant group beefs up national expansion plans Scottish philanthropist announces a number of new venues for popular Boozy Cow Concept The Speratus Group has announced plans to expand its philanthropic Boozy Cow burger concept, which is committed to donating all annual profits to charity.

Garreth Wood, Founder of The Speratus Group, recently announced that he is looking to open three new Boozy Cow restaurants a year, both in Scotland and England.

The Group has just this week secured a location for a new Boozy Cow in Stirling city centre, which will create jobs in the area.

It is also looking to open a Boozy Cow in Dundee later this year.

In addition, following a hugely successful first year, the Aberdeen Boozy Cow will move from its current location in the city’s Netherkirkgate into the Group’s Amicus Apple bar and restaurant, which is significantly larger, in early May. The Speratus Group launched the philanthropic initiative, #fromMoo2U, last June, committing all annual profits from the Boozy Cow to charities and is confident that, by the end of 2018’s financial year, the combined donations to charity on an annual basis will be more than £1million.

In February, five Scottish charities, ARCHIE Foundation, VSA, CHAS, STV Children’s Appeal and the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative,

took home a share of £263,000 annual profits from the Boozy Cow’s Aberdeen and Edinburgh burger bars. In order to focus on their ambitions for Boozy Cow, The Speratus Group is exploring the option of selling six of its venues in Aberdeen and Edinburgh, Nox, Paramount and the Illicit Still in Aberdeen, and The Golf Tavern, 99 Hanover and Auld Hundred in Edinburgh, which will go on the market as a going concern.

Garreth said: “This is a very positive step for the Speratus Group and the Boozy Cow concept, which has proved to be hugely successful. We had originally planned to open two new Boozy Cows a year, but we have increased this to three under the new plans.

“Of course we’ll be sad to sell the other venues, some of which we have spent the last 10 years developing; however, we are very excited to be building on the success of Boozy Cow. We have very clear goals and ambitions and feel extremely positive about the future.

“The concept of Boozy Cow is very simple, every single penny of profit from each restaurant will go to registered charities.

Our customers have engaged brilliantly with the scheme and all of us have been blown away by their support.”

For further information visit:

www.boozycow.com

Follow on Facebook, Twitter @TheBoozyCow and #FromMoo2U

BAKING A REAL IMPACT IN THE FRANCHISE WORLD Bake & Take targeting 100 new UK stores in the next five years.

Bake & Take, Europe’s number one selfservice bakery franchise, is targeting 100 new UK stores in the next five years.

Bake & Take was established in 2013, by two of the UK’s most experienced retail franchise entrepreneurs – Robin Page and Steve Mahon – who bought the master rights for the UK and Northern Ireland. Bake & Take was born out of backWerk in Germany, which was launched in 2001 and is now Europe’s number one self-service bakery with over 350 stores across five countries.

34

march/april 2016

The stores stock over 150 fresh, delicious and inexpensive bakery products, and have access to over 1000. Stores also serve drinks, soups and market leading coffee which customers select on a self-service basis. All products are baked throughout the day and the freshness window on all products is unmatched by other operators.

The European business has won many awards including Franchisor of the Year in 2011 and a Franchise Bakery Award in 2013.

Bake & Take currently has one flagship company owned store in Ashton, Manchester, and one franchisee owned store in Sutton. Robin and Steve have

spent the last two years developing new supplier relationships, building efficiencies, carrying out customer research and product testing, ensuring the business model and procedures are in place to give UK franchisees the very best platform for success.

Robin Page explains: “After two years of developing and testing our franchise product we are now in a position to fully begin the recruitment process, and the plan is to have 100 new UK stores in the next five years. We are actively searching for high-calibre franchise partners, and are particularly interested in hearing from multi store food or retail operators. There are also single and multi-site area development opportunities in hot spot areas in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”

Page adds: “We supply every support necessary to help the franchisee succeed from helping with site selection and store design to training and the latest IT equipment and business systems.

According to British Baker magazine (2015) coffee shops outperform retail in the UK market. We also have the backing and commitment of backWERK who are one of Germany’s leading franchisors.”

The franchise fee starts at approximately £20,000 plus VAT with fit out and equipment costs varying according to the size of the proposed outlet. The major banks are happy to lend to credible applicants, sometimes up to 70% of total investment, however, we would advise that new franchisees should have a minimum of £75,000 of their own funds.

Training will begin with a 4-week intensive training course, which will be split between classroom and in-store. Prior to opening a training program is agreed for all staff.

Winterhalter is first catering equipment manufacturer to attain Carbon Footprint Label Carbon Trust hails big step forward for caterers wanting to ‘know and show’ their green credentials.

use, it incorporates a wide range of factors: from manufacturing and transport, through warehousing and distribution, to energy use and total operating consumption.

While energy saving is a headline story, drivers like corporate social responsibility, consumer demand for sustainability and concern around carbon emissions are leading major foodservice operators to focus on the big picture – how to reduce their impact on the environment and underline their green credentials.

The calculator will allow operators to compare the carbon footprint and running costs of different Winterhalter models. For example, a Winterhalter PT L ClimatePlus passthrough warewasher, operating 14 hours a day and processing 50 racks per day, will produce 3,666 kgCO2e per annum, or 36,660 kg CO2e over a typical ten year lifespan.

“Ultimately we hope other manufacturers follow our lead, using the same criteria as defined by the Carbon Trust, so that buyers will be able to accurately compare carbon footprints of models from different suppliers,” says Paul Crowley, marketing manager of Winterhalter UK.

Commercial kitchens are significant consumers of energy and other resources. While energy labelling under the Ecodesign Directive will tell buyers how energy efficient a piece of equipment is, it won’t tell them its lifetime costs. Or its carbon footprint. In order to make a truly informed decision, and to enhance their environmental credentials, foodservice operators will need to know these figures – which is where the Carbon Trust’s expertise in footprinting comes in.

Winterhalter is the first catering equipment company to achieve carbon footprint certification through the Carbon Trust.

This has been supported by the development of a new tool, meaning that buyers can use a simple calculator to compare the lifetime carbon footprint and expected energy costs of any Winterhalter model, based on their anticipated levels of actual use.

“This is a big step forward for any foodservice business that wants to know and show its impact on the environment,” says Dominic Burbridge of The Carbon Trust.

“Companies understand better than ever before that when purchasing equipment they need to take into account the total life cost, including its energy efficiency, which allows them to make meaningful comparisons as to the real value of their investment.

“Winterhalter’s initiative in obtaining certification and developing a whole life tool will also be a big help to foodservice operators that want to reduce their own carbon footprint, as they can take action based on the warewasher figures from the calculator.”

The Carbon Trust worked with Winterhalter over 18 months to develop the calculator.

In order to ensure it accurately predicts the life cycle carbon footprint and energy

The Carbon Trust calculated and certified the carbon footprint of all of the warewashers marketed and sold by Winterhalter in the UK, looking at 34 units across five product ranges. This found that under normal usage, well over 90 percent of the carbon footprint is associated with energy in use, highlighting the importance of energy efficiency.

“Achieving carbon footprinting has been a very significant investment – it reflects our commitment to developing the best resource-saving technologies, and helping our customers achieve their environmental targets,” says Paul.

“By being the first company in the industry to achieve carbon footprint certification, Winterhalter has shown leadership in helping catering operators manage their impact on the environment,” says Dominic.

For more information on The Carbon Trust’s activities visit:

www.carbontrust.com

march/april 2016

35

Food News

Stampede launches at Lakeside Food Court with digital displays and animation by Kaleidovision Digital screens created by Kaleidovision, the specialist digital and music consultancy, have helped a new fast food restaurant launch successfully this month in a competitive market place at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex.

The screens show a series of stunning photos of the food on offer, plus animation layered on top to create a sense of interest and movement, alongside the menu, prices, and a rolling display of the eye catching ‘bull’ themed logo on a magenta background.

The striking display is to attract customers and reflect the brand’s sense of fun.

The use of animated digital screens set at different heights in the fast food sector is unusual and their introduction at Stampede will help it stand out from the herd.

A lively brand The independently owned Stampede launched its first restaurant selling charcoal grilled wings, ribs and burgers at Lakeside this month.

The maverick brand is lively and full of energy, with its website describing their chicken wings as ‘cluckin marvellous’ and stating: “We’ll be burgered if you’ll find better ribs and burgers.”

The restaurant design includes copper and brick fittings, while the food is what customers would expect at a gastro pub. Stampede’s aim is to shake up the fast food sector by providing top quality.

36

march/april 2016

Breaking new ground “I knew digital screens would work brilliantly with this brand and got in touch with Kaleidovision having been impressed by their work before,” says Stampede Director Grant Targett-Navarro.

“We needed help standing out in a busy food court and Kaleidovision has really helped us to do just that.

“Our aim with Stampede is to produce gastro quality food in the fast food sector to stir the sector up a bit. And the digital screens reflect that bid to do things differently.”

Eye-catching displays The team from Kaleidovision worked closely with Stampede’s creative team to put together the content for six digital screens which form the backdrop for the food counter.

Set at different heights, the screens show images of the food on offer, the menu and prices. Kaleidovision created engaging animations, such as icing sugar being sprinkled on to a pudding and steam coming off the hot food, to draw people’s attention to the screens.

After 25 seconds the product animations all change simultaneously, the Stampede logo of a metal bull appears and then the cycle repeats. Every 15 minutes an image of a cow, a pig and a chicken appear spinning on the screens, imitating a fruit machine.

bukowski grill opens third diner in soho The Bukowski Grill concept keeps evolving with Rob Freeman. From Boxpark, Brixton Market and now a new opening in Soho.

With fierce competition in the area, Bukowski will compete by offering a slightly different take on the typical ‘diner’ in Soho which we have all come to reguarly accept as a standard.

From deep fried cream cracker coasted smoked haddock with clam chowder to swaledale lamb cutlets with smokey chilli jelly.

With exposed piping, chairs that remind us of our school boy days, the venue located at 10 D’arblay Street W1F 8DS looks like it will blend in nicely - even if it looks set to take on the nearing competitors.

Address: 10 D’arblay Street, W1F 8DS Open: Breakfast: 8am - 11.30am Lunch: 12pm - 5pm Diner: 5pm - 10.30pm Tel: 020 7314 4000 Web: www.bukowski-grill.co.uk

Food News

‘Time capsule’ highlights 20 years of progress in Manchester’s food and drink scene

Simply the ‘Best Foam’, better than a barista Caffeine’s advanced milk system delivers the perfect serve, hot or cold.

A 1996 Manchester food and drink guide, uncovered in the archives of Northern Restaurant & Bar, the North’s largest hospitality trade show, illustrates twenty years of unprecedented culinary developments in what the guide itself refers to as ‘Menuchester’.

Holden Media, organisers of Northern Restaurant & Bar, the largest hospitality trade show in the North, were sorting through their extensive publications library when they found a City Life ‘Manchester Café Bar, Restaurant & Pub guide’ published in 1996. Whilst NRB itself has kept Northern hospitality operators at the cutting edge of the industry for the last sixteen years the dog eared guide provides a stark reminder of just how far the city’s restaurant scene has come.

It features a foreword by locally born cricketing legend Mike Atherton and delightful period piece touches including the editors marvelling at the recent phenomenon of ‘pavement dining’, whilst they also still felt the need to put specialist terms like ‘bistro’ in inverted commas. Even the section dedicated to the hipster enclave of the ‘Northern Quarter’ is prefaced with the area’s historical market name, ‘Smithfield’, as the modern description had yet to catch on amongst the wider population.

Thom Hetherington, CEO of Holden Media, says “City Life was the first guide I bought at the age of twenty two, and it opened my eyes to the wonders of the city’s food and drink scene.”

City Life’s editors state that Manchester in 1996 was on the cusp of a foodie revolution claiming that with “over twenty five major cuisines” represented within the city it had earned the nickname ‘Menuchester’.

Hetherington continues “Manchester is now clearly in the midst of a second culinary explosion, and although I have fond memories of the 1990s I’m delighted that this time we get to cheer the launches of restaurants such as The French, Manchester House or El Gato Negro Tapas”.

38

March/april 2016

As coffee increases in popularity and customers become more and more discerning, there is a greater demand for a variety of good quality espresso based drinks.

The latest Schaerer bean to cup machine from Caffeine Limited features an advance milk system, designed so that operators can produce perfectly textured bespoke coffee foams, at the touch of a button and without needing to be a trained barista.

Although the guide charts a period of significant changes, with sad losses including establishment such as The Market Restaurant, Brasserie St Pierre and Juniper, many of the operations listed are still going strong included much-loved institutions such as Yang Sing, Koreana and Café Istanbul. Featured maps of restaurant and bar hotspots stretch only to Chinatown, The Gay Village, Smithfield/ Northern Quarter and Rusholme. The central business district of shops and offices was still largely a culinary desert in 1996, whereas the latest gastronomic hotspot of Spinningfields didn’t even exist.

Hetherington believes the guide shows there is no better time to be a foodie in Manchester marveling at the ‘breadth, depth, vibrancy and sheer variety of the local scene’. Not only that, but he feels this incredible evolution has been reflected across the North, saying “Alongside established stars you have newer restaurants ranging from The Man Behind The Curtain to Lake Road Kitchen and Sticky Walnut to the Raby Hunt. Surely it can be argued that the North is currently the UK’s most exciting region for food and drink?”

He concludes “An incredible amount has happened in the last twenty years, so here’s to the next twenty!”

The North’s largest hospitality show, Northern Restaurant & Bar, returns to Manchester Central 15-16 March for its 16th year. The exhibition includes the NRB Debate and the NRB Top Fifty Awards celebrating the region’s top operators.

According to Caffeine Limited, the new ‘Best Foam’ system actually foams the milk better than a barista.

The patented system gives operators total control of the texture and temperature of the foam, delivering the best ever lattes, flat whites and cappuccinos, and other espresso drinks. It allows operators to easily create individual milk-based coffees, fully automatically and with consistently high quality results.

The system uses ‘micro bubble technology’ to precisely control the process and create the exact type of foam required for specific drinks, so the foam for one drink can be stiffer or creamier than for another.

This flexibility is perfect for customers who know exactly what they like. Beverages can be adapted and fine tuned to suit customers’ preferences, with the milk and foam ratio set as required.

The Coffee Art Plus ‘Best Foam’ machines can create special, bespoke foams. For example, on the latest Coffee Art Plus machine there’s a button to create a Cappuccino Fujiyama, which is topped with a peaked ‘mountain’ of creamy foam. There is also a button for producing a perfectly layered latte.

As well as a range of coffees, the ‘Best Foam’ machine can make other hot and cold drinks, such as milkshakes and hot chocolate.

“Cold espresso based drinks are growing rapidly in popularity, the ability to create beautifully textured cold foams is another benefit of the system,” says Justin Stockwell, Caffeine Limited’s Managing Director.

Venue Insight

plaza on the river - London www.plazaontheriver.co.uk

Plaza on the River London is situated on the south bank of the River Thames, opposite the Tate Britain art gallery, overlooking some of London’s most impressive landmarks including the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, London Eye, London Dungeons and the London Aquarium. Other nearby attractions include Westminster Abbey, the Imperial War Museum, The Oval Cricket Ground and Buckingham Palace.

40

march/april 2016

Plaza on the River is close to Waterloo rail and underground, Westminster, Pimlico underground stations and Vauxhall rail and underground station.

With a large number of London’s most interesting attractions within easy access of the hotel, Plaza on the River is the ideal London hotel for both sightseeing and attending to business.

Chino Latino, the award winning Pan-Asian South Bank London Restaurant is located at Park Plaza Riverbank London near Vauxhall Station. Their Pan-Asian food is served to share and dishes are brought steadily to the table creating an informal yet sophisticated style of eating and drinking - the best way to enjoy the taste sensation that is Chino Latino.

Opening Times: Lunch Monday - Friday: 12.00 - 14.30

Address: 18 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7TJ

Dinner Monday - Saturday: 18.00 - 22.30 Sunday: 18.00 - 22.00

T: +44 207 769 2500 E: london@chinolatino.co.uk www.chinolatino.eu/london

Chef Seebach has previously worked for some of the top Pan-Asian Restaurants in London and now oversees the menus for the Chino Latino brand.

Open for Lunch, Monday to Friday and Dinner seven days a week, choose from their signature Black Cod in Spicy Miso and Tempura Soft Shell Crab to freshly caught sushi and sashimi.

Venue Insight

MARTIN AUDIO CDD HOLDS SWAY FOR NOVUS LEISURE Novus Leisure has carried out a major upgrade to its multi-room Sway Bar in London Holborn’s fashionable Great Queen Street, imbuing it with a cool New York vibe.

Of the venue’s five rooms three were earmarked for a major technical and design overhaul as part of the £1m refurbishment, and Middlesex Sound & Light (MSL) specified Martin Audio’s new CDD (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) installation range of loudspeakers in each. The spaces concerned were the now sophisticated basement Cocktail Bar (previously Crystal Bar) and Club Room (a conversion of the former Groovy Wonderland), as well as the Ground Floor Bar and Kitchen upstairs. MSL also installed new lighting.

Novus Leisure Project Manager, Graeme Sutherland, says that the aim was to bring a traditional 1980s style disco into the modern age and give the venue greater flexibility, with the ability to host third party conferences downstairs as well as up. This required a versatile sound system, since the venue trades all day, six days a week, feeding both background music at low level from a Kaleidovision multi-zone player in the daytime before the DJs ramp up the volume on the Pioneer CDJs in these locations after dark.

42

march/april 2016

In the upstairs Bar and Kitchen MSL have deployed eight Martin Audio CDD8 (8in) speakers, with two CSX212 (2 x 12in) subs handling the low frequencies and two CDD6 (6in) as infills. Downstairs in the Cocktail Bar the music is pumped out via six CDD12 (12in) speakers, while two of Martin Audio’s AQ215 (2 x 15in) subs from the previous installation have been reused. Meanwhile, the Club Room now boasts a powerful sound output generated from four CDD15 (15in) and two CSX218 (2 x 18in) subs.

Images accredited to: Dean Osborne Photography

In some instances this enables the Martin Audio subs to be muted, leaving the mid highs to operate as full range boxes.

All the flown CDDs downstairs are set in landscape orientation (with the exception of the CDD15s), while upstairs they have been specified in white to blend in with the new décor conceived by Terri Naylor at Dakota Design.

This is the latest of numerous installations of Martin Audio’s CDD series in less than a year since its launch, while the operators themselves have a long tradition of using Martin Audio speakers.

MSL Director Darrel Olivier says much of this is due to the support they receive from the manufacturer and the versatility of the mounting hardware. “We also love the aesthetics, the sound quality and dispersion pattern of CDD and the fact that it can be used discreetly. It is our ‘go to’ solution which accounts for why we have already installed more than 400 of these enclosures.”

Each area also has its own independent input point and is controlled from an amp rack in the basement. Sound levels and thresholds are programmed into BSS Soundweb, with

additional output expansion and local input/volume control, and specially created parameter presets reflecting the different type of functions hosted at Sway.

Graeme Sutherland is equally positive, stating that the system meets all the requirements for improved sound as befits the new streamlining of the operation. “This is a big multi-room venue in a strategic location; it’s a lot more open than previously, with a realigned entrance, and the new refurbishment will certainly benefit the customer experience,” he confirmed.

Tech News

MXG: the new modular icemaker from Scotsman Hubbard Systems has launched the new Scotsman MXG range of modular machines, the latest to make the famous thimbleshaped Scotsman gourmet Supercube.

The MXG range combines productivity, reliability and ease-of-use, with aesthetic appeal and quieter operation. There are six models in the range, with outputs from 150 to 410kg per day. All models are designed to fit on a global standard footprint for easy installation. The gourmet Supercube is the obvious selection for the presentation of classic on-the-rocks drinks – it lasts longest, looks the best and chills without diluting.

Standard features on the MXG range include Agion, a compound within the plastics of the assembly that makes products cleaner and longerlasting.

Its built-in protection works 24/7 to resist the growth of microbes and the

development of unpleasant odours.

Electronic controls mean that although ambient and water temperatures may vary, the ice consistency always stays the same. The front-access condenser air filter can be easily cleaned by staff: this do-ityourself operation saves time and money and helps maximise the icemaker’s service life. An alert light blinks to advise when it’s time to arrange a maintenance visit to clean the water system.

Hubbard Systems is the UK distributor for the market-leading Scotsman range, which is available via dealers nationwide.

Right: The Scotsman MXG468 + bin, part of the new range available from Hubbard Systems.

Capacity to bridge the gap: FRIMA launches new VarioCooking Center Market-leader responds to customer demand for flexible, 50 litre option.

Frima has launched a new VarioCooking Center. The 112L is a two-pan unit, each with a capacity of 25 litres.

Previous Frima two-pan units have had 14 litre pans and the new model was developed in direct response to customer demand.

Like the recently launched 112T, the new unit is a counter top model that can easily be installed on the work bench, on a stand or elsewhere.

Thus even small kitchens can benefit from its high capacity, multifunctional cooking abilities. And the VarioCooking Center 112L is truly multifunctional: it can replace griddles, kettles, bratt pans, large pots and fryers and can be used to fry, deep fry, boil and confit.

The 112L’s two pans offer maximum flexibility both in production and in à la carte. Chefs can be boiling pasta in one

44

march/april 2016

pan and cooking steaks in the other, frying chips in one and creating béchamel sauce in the other, the potential is vast. The 50 litre capacity provides sufficient frying surface and boiling capacity even at peak times. The height of the pan base is ergonomically designed to make it easy for chefs to work with, which is an important benefit compared to tilting pans or other multifunctional appliances.

“With the new 112L model, we are filling a gap in our product range, offering customers an even greater selection of VarioCooking Center Multificiency appliances,” says Michael Fuchs, Chairman of the Board of Frima International AG. “The new model is ideal for anyone needing the flexibility of two pans, but who has limited space, while also having to produce larger quantities during peak times.”

Like other models in the range, the VarioCooking Center 112L achieves energy savings of up to 40% compared to conventional cooking appliances, and cooks up to 4 times faster.

The overnight cooking function

creates additional capacity as it cooks without supervision, so food is ready in the morning when staff arrive, and chef can then use the Frima for other cooking tasks. The integrated cooking intelligence ensures perfect cooking results: for example, pasta is automatically lifted from the water at the end of the cooking time, the unit will notify staff when pan fried foods need turning and it regulates the temperature and timing to the precise degree and second, so that food and liquids never burn, boil over or stick.

“Customers had been asking about a model that bridged the gap between the original, smaller 112 units and the larger 211 and 311 VarioCooking Centers, which have capacities of 100 and 150 litres respectively,” says Graham Kille, Managing Director of Frima UK. “Then, in 2015, Frima talked to 400 chefs across Europe and they confirmed the demand for the 50 litre model.

However, they wanted the flexibility of the two pans, and so the 112L was created.”

Spotlight: Name Badges

Badgemaster 22 years in the making, and Badgemaster is now proud to hold the title as the UK’s leading British badge manufacturer.

Badgemaster was established in 1992, Badgemaster has evolved considerably from its humble beginnings, organically growing to a stand today as an industry leader, a dedicated multi million pound badge making business.

Badgemaster service over 27,000 accounts, processing on average 5,000 orders per week. Despite new accounts opening daily, they take conscious efforts to maintain existing accounts to ensure constant year on year growth and the best service for each and every one of their customers.

Their all encompassing manufacturing facility handles the entire name badge making process, from design, manufacture finishing, pinning and delivery, meaning they can manage all aspects of your order to deliver on time.

In 2006, Badgemaster secured nationwide recognition from the British Monarchy for their work securing the Royal Warrant for supplying badges to the Royal Household.

The Royal Warrant Holders Association was established in 1840 and represents individuals and companies holding Royal Warrants of Appointment. These are a mark of recognition of those who have supplied goods or services for at least five years to the Households of HM The Queen, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh or HRH The Prince of Wales.

Why Choose Badgemaster?

Anything is possible Their huge choice of materials, colours, styles and wearer friendly fasteners makes almost any badge design possible.

No number is too small They roll out badges for companies with thousands of wearers, right down to single figures. They have the experience and track record to ensure roll outs of whatever size and complexity are completed smoothly and accurately.

Technical skills Considerable investment has been made in their on site technical expertise and comprehensive manufacturing facilities, which provides four colour process, screen, foil block and digital facilities for flawless, cost effective logo reproduction. Their state of the art technology, can guarantee the fastest, most efficient and most economical turnaround on orders.

Won’t be beaten on price The Badgemaster ‘Best Price Guarantee’ is your assurance that they are never beaten on price, and their comprehensive, in-house manufacturing facilities and massive purchasing power allows them to pass on great cost savings to all their customers, regardless of volume.

Award winning design Badgemaster’s range of innovative, wearer and clothes friendly products has won several major awards and international recognition for design, quality and service.

In-house design expertise Their skilled team of in-house designers are on hand to lend their expertise and work with you to create your design, completely free of charge. They’ll even look at a range of options to suit your brief and corporate identity so you can ensure you pick the design that’s right for you.

Online support and reordering Badgemaster operate full e-commerce communications covering email, Internet, EDI, Intranet and Extranet links and make the process of re-ordering badges quicker and easier for customers with ‘Badgenet’ online.

The personal touch In addition to a fully bespoke badge for your business, they can also tailor detailed invoicing and cost reports to your individual requirements.

Making use of their trained advisors who will help you get the most from your corporate identity, or schedule a visit with one of their account manager’s, to talk things through face to face without obligation.

www.badgemaster.co.uk

46

march/april 2016

FUNKTION-ONE SOUND SPECIALIST SOUND DESIGNS TOUR, EVENT & CONCERT SOUND 1ST CLASS INTELLIGENT LIGHTING WORLD CLASS LASER SYSTEMS MOVING LIGHT RIGS ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING CRYOTECHNICS & PYROTECHNICS SMOKE & HAZE SYSTEMS PROJECT MANAGEMENT ACOUSTIC TREATMENT APPROVED ELECTRICAL INSTALLS LED LARGE FORMAT SCREENS TOUCHSCREEN CONTROL SYSTEMS 3D DESIGN WALK-THROUGHS BEAM TABLE LASER SYSTEMS RECORDING & PRODUCTION STUDIOS

ENGINEERINGPERFECTION PERFECTION ENGINEERING

EXTENSIVE H&S COMPLIANCE MAINTENANCE & SUPPORT

Withover over10 10years yearsofofexpertise expertiseininsetting settinghigher higherstandards standards with with sound, sound,light, light,laser laser and and effects With effects systems, PSL operate exclusively to our requirement for engineering perfection. systems, PSL operate exclusively to our requirement for engineering perfection.

Constantly Constantly what re-inventing we doparticular and payingattention particular to every re-inventing we do what and paying to attention every client’s visionclient’s allowsvision our allows our passion work to and standshoulders head andabove shoulders above our competitors. passion for our workfortoour stand head our competitors.

Whether your project is venue based, an event, festival or tour, involving PSL at the design Whether your project is venue based, an event, festival or tour, involving PSL at the design stage is a decision that guarantees your vision is in safe hands. stage is a decision that guarantees your vision is in safe hands.

Call us today for a friendly chat.

Call us today for a friendly chat.

Call: Call:

TRAINING & PROGRAMMING

OFFICIAL

01256 781000 01256

Email: info@psl.limited info@psl.limited Email:

www.psl.limited

DEALER

FROM GRAPE TO GLASS: MOËT ACADEMY CREATES A VIRTUAL AND IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE TO CELEBRATE THE ART OF CHAMPAGNE IN LONDON Moët & Chandon is once again bringing the magic of Champagne to the heart of London. Taking place at the Condé Nast College in Soho this year, the Moët Academy will take guests through a virtual reality tour of the iconic vineyards and guide them through an immersive experience from grape to glass. Ever wondered what differentiates Champagne from sparkling wine?

Hosted by wine gurus Susie Barrie, Peter Richards, Jane Parkinson and Simon Stockton, the Moët Academy is an invitation to learn, taste and ultimately share all of this newly found Champagne knowledge with friends.

The know-how of champagne The Moët Academy is a celebration of Champagne savoir-faire. From 21st March to 3rd April 2016 the Condé Nast College in Soho will be transformed into an enticing virtual world of lush vineyards and legendary cellars of Moët & Chandon.

An immersive 360° virtual reality experience will transport guests through the vineyards of Maison Moët and show moving imagery captured by a drone from the original French vineyards and cellars to get a first-hand experience of where the maturation and bottle fermentation are taking place. The virtual tour will leave guests feeling as though they’ve visited the Moët & Chandon estate in Épernay,

without the need to travel far.

Not sure of the difference between Dry and Demi sec Champagne? 2015 Champagne ambassador Simon Stockton and award winning journalist Jane Parkinson will join Masters of Wine Susie Barrie and Peter Richards to reveal the secrets of all things ‘bubbly’ during intimate and interactive tasting sessions.

Suitable for newcomers and connoisseurs alike, the Moët Academy is a fun celebration of the art of making champagne.

Enjoy the now - Celebrating with champagne The Moët Academy will showcase Moët Impérial, Rosé Impérial, Moët Grand Vintage 2006 and Moët Ice Impérial alongside a sparkling wine to illustrate the difference in winemaking styles. The highlight will be an exclusive tasting months ahead of the new Moët Grand Vintage Rosé 2008 launch – a daring expression of Rosé for the truly audacious.

sold worldwide currently is from the delicious Moët & Chandon range, which makes the brand the Number 1 Champagne, both globally and in the UK.* The Moët Academy is part of the ‘Open The Now’ campaign created by Moët & Chandon to capture unforgettable moments: moments of enjoying life spontaneously and living in the ‘now’ – connecting with the world of Moët & Chandon to elevate these moments.

“By bringing the magic of Champagne to the heart of London, we inspire consumers to create and share their own ‘Moët moments’” comments UK Marketing & Communications Director Julie Nollet.

“The Moët Academy pop-up is an invitation to experience Moët & Chandon in an exciting,interactive way and benefit from the brand’s rich expertise to learn more about Champagne in general.”

Get in touch +44 (0)1634 568925

Moët & Chandon can be considered the world’s most loved Champagne brand: almost every tenth Champagne bottle

VENUE

Tickets for a 90 minute session at the Moët Academy are £45 per person and will be available from February 2016 on:

www.moetacademy.co.uk

INSIGHT

NIGHT TIME INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/VENUEINSIGHT

WWW.TWITTER.COM/VENUEINSIGHT

Selected Installations:

Void Acoustics designs, manufactures and distributes advanced professional audio systems for the installed and live sound market sectors. The company oers an evolved series of audio solutions that encompass loudspeaker systems, power ampliiers, control electronics and accessories.

voidacoustics.com

A-Z ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY Page 37

Bonzer

Tel +44 (0)182 576 5511

Website. www.bonzer.co.uk

Page 5

Brintex Events

Tel +44 (0)207 973 6401

Website. www.londonwinefair.com

Page 15

Cult Furniture

Tel +44 (0)208 185 6960

Website. www.cultfurniture.com

Page 27

Drink Stuff

Tel +44 (0)176 326 4280

Website. www.drinkstuff.com

Page 23

Ice Entertainment

Tel +44 (0)207 298 5572

Website. www.iceentertainments.com

Page 29

Impress Promotions Ltd

Tel +44 (0)162 275 1449

Website. www.4u2promote.co.uk

Page 49

LSE Lighting

Tel +44 (0)19 052 2243

Website. www.lselighting.com

Page 21

My Solution Ltd

Tel +44 (0)208 123 9652

Website. www.mysolutionuk.com

Page 52

OHM (UK)Ltd

Tel +44 (0)156 565 4641

Website. www.ohm.co.uk

Page 47

PSL Limited

Tel +44 (0)125 678 1000

Website. www.psl.limited

Page 39

TenderOne

Tel +44 (0)175 329 0353

Website. www.tenderone.co.uk

Page 33

Stivy’s Shots Ltd

Tel +44 (0)178 681 7000

Website. www.stivys.co.uk

Page 2

The Funky Spirits Co Ltd

Tel +44 (0)199 230 2577

Website. www.candyskullshots.co.uk

Page 31

Thor Drinks

Tel +44 (0)203 151 7221

Website. www.thordrinks.com

Page 50

Void Acoustics

Tel +44 (0)844 410 1440

Website. www.voidacoustics.com

NEXT MONTH...

PAYMENT SYSTEMS | BUSINESS PLANNING | FURNITUR E TRENDS | ENERGY DRINKS | WHISKY If you have any news for the night time hospitality industry including product or business launches, please email us at: editor@venue-insight.com for consideration in our future issues.