FOOD ÜGOT TO TRY QuickBite pays a visit to Ügot, a café with a healthy outlook

Snack Review Design inspirations Online & App Ordering Sandwiches & Wraps Snacks and impulse Take a look around Technology is vital for This staple lunchtime buys relate to huge sales Joe’s Southern Kitchen, a growing business item is changing, we figures, we review some Kentish Town’s, premier – Take a look at the find out about new of the best on the market chicken shop latest innovations flavours and trends

August 2015 Print edition £3.25 • €4.50 www.quickbitemagazine.co.uk The UK’s Largest Food-To-Go and Quick Service Restaurant Magazine Chicken at its very best

www.meadowvalefoods.co.uk A message from the editor

Welcome back.

For many, it’s been a long wait for the first all-conservative budget since Ken Clarke’s back in 1996, which he gave under the watchful eye of then Prime Minister, Sir John Major. But as George Osborne took to the dispatch box a few days ago his proposals for the coming years was a mixed bag for small and independent businesses.

The announcement that the Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) which gives businesses 100% tax relief on the cost of most new equipment has been set at £200,000 will be a welcome sign of stability. The AIA had fluctuated as low as £25,000 which made improvements and new openings often difficult. An increase in Employment Allowance to £3000 will also help employers further reduce National Insurance bills. One area that has stirred up much debate however was the introduction of the Editor living wage and the increase how much workers are required to be paid over Scott Rumsey the next 5 years. The minimum wage is currently £6.50 per hour in the UK but [email protected] next year is set to rise to £7.20ph before further increases to over £9.00ph for those over the age of 25. This increase is expected to hit those in the food Office: +44 (0) 333 003 0499 sector with many cafes, QSRs and fish & chip shops not being able to pay these rate. Staff retention could also prove difficult with small business owners Commercial Manager forced to recruit students or those under 25. Lewis Wantling [email protected] So, back to this issue. Office: +44 (0) 333 003 0499 This month we have all of the regular news and columns including accountancy, the legal pages, property and what’s new. Advertising sales Sandra Bouillet We also have our long awaited snack review. For this we contacted some of the biggest names in the world of crisps, nuts, popcorn and snacks and the [email protected] response was overwhelming. We also spoke to some of the brands that you Office: +44 (0) 333 003 0499 may not have heard about and have reviewed their products so that you can add these great impulse buys to your portfolio. Finance Laura Williams We look at technology with our online and app ordering feature and equipment [email protected] focus looks at the machines required to make the perfect beverages. Office: +44 (0) 333 003 0499 The menu focus in this issue looks at the lucrative sandwiches and wraps market which juices, smoothies and milkshakes also feature. Design Simon Warbrook Fried chicken shops are on the rise and we visit one of the best in the form of Joe’s Southern Kitchen and for those looking for a healthier bite we profile [email protected] Ugot, the clean living café chain.

Until next time,

Front cover image courtesy of üGOT Page 35

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Issue 23 August 2015 | 3 Contents

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Design 43 Design inspirations 21 We head to London to take a look inside Joe’s Southern Kitchen, Kentish Town’s premier chicken shop 06 News Round-up 38 Sandwiches and Wraps Here you’ll find all the latest news Sandwiches and wraps are about what’s been happening in amongst the most popular food to Equipment focus the industry go menu items and getting your offering right is key 47 Food display units Features Serving drinks of a consistently 51 Online and App Ordering high quality can be tough without Technology is at the heart of most the correct equipment, in this Market Research successful businesses so making 20 We speak to the experts at Sacla month’s equipment focus we sure that you utilise these tools about the deregulation of life and highlight the best beverage is key – We look at the growth of how changing work habits alter equipment on the market online and app ordering tools the way we eat Property  Waste Management Snack Review 58 This is often an area of the 21 Snacks and impulse buys are big Property industry that is neglected, yet 56 business and in this review we Take a look at what properties are we practise waste management sample the latest products on the available for sale throughout the everyday, so this month we market and see where you could country, right now thought we’d get some tips from find some added value some of the experts What’s new Juices, Smoothies 32 Accountancy New products and Milkshakes 60 We get behind the numbers with a 64 With the summer in full flow the Find out what new products are little help for McPhersons range of drinks available on the now available for the foodservice market is huge, here are some of sector the best ideas for boosting your Legal 62 Katee Dias of Goodman Derrick sales in this lucrative market LLP talks us through the legal Diary dates implications of collecting and Business Profile Dates for your diary 35 taking tips 66 QuickBite speaks to Joe Carnell, Make sure you’re up to date with founder of the healthy fast food what events are taking place chain, üGOT where in the coming months

4 | Issue 23 August 2015 Contents

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Issue 23 August 2015 | 5 News Round-up

Costa Teams Up with fresh food company Chop’d Costa one of the UK’s largest coffee shop chains have announce that they will launch a trial partnership with London’s premium salad brand Chop’d in a bid to cater for the more health conscious consumer

As Costa look to expand their menu choices incorporating the Chop’d products. salads appear in the stores and depending and cater to the ever popular health food The trial will initially see the Chop’d Jerk on response could see a nationwide rollout market it was decided that six of their Chicken, Tuna Niçoise, Feta & Lentil, Parma and permanent partnership. . central London sites would roll out a menu Ham & Mozzarella and Falafel & Houmous Speaking about the partnership, Carol Welch, Group Brand & Innovation Director at Costa said, “At Costa, our customers define the focus of our innovation, and having listened to their feedback, I’m delighted to partner with Chop’d in this trial.” ”As the handcrafted fresh food company Chop’d is a great fit with our handcrafted coffee. As brands, we both originate from London, which means we share a passion and expertise for offering irresistible coffee alongside freshly prepared, delicious food, aiming to delight our customers’ day in, day out.” Eddie Holmes, Managing Director of Chop’d said, “We are delighted to have been handpicked by Costa to be their salad partner. It really is a great fit due to our joint passion for using the best ingredients, delighting our customers and of course both being born and bred in London.” “To think that our food will be tasted by a far wider audience really excites us and helps us on our mission to offer the best salads, soups and stews the UK has ever tasted.”

Hospitality workers see 3.6% weekly wage increase according to ONS figures Average weekly earnings are continuing to rise in the hospitality sector according to the Office for National statistics with a 3.6% year- on-year growth to May 2015

Provisional findings revealed that the average worker in the sector fastest rate since 2007, and near record numbers of women in work. earned £248 per week in May 2015, up from £241 in April 2015. “With the government’s new productivity plan, and introduction In stark contrast to the rest of the UK workforce the sector of the new living wage, we are ensuring everyone benefits from the continues to fall way short of the average weekly earnings. Currently economic recovery.” the average pay is £462 per week, up £1 on April 2015 figures and The results also show the number of hours hospitality workers marking a 2.7% year-on-year growth. work on average falls far below the whole economy average. In Speaking on the subject, Priti Patel, employment minister, said: statistics from January to March 2015, the average weekly hours “The strength of the UK labour market is something we should of work was 27.6 hours, whereas the whole economy average is take great pride in. Today’s figures show real wages growing at the 32.1 hours.

6 | Issue 23 August 2015 3R EPOS, Simple to Use, BespokeNews Round-up System Catered for Your Needs Research shows average Briton ‘consumes six foreign meals’ every week The typical British household consumes food from six different cuisines during the course of an average week, according to research, with the traditional Sunday roast often the last British dish standing

A poll of 2,000 consumers, commissioned by Santa Maria Foodservice, found that six out of ten adults prefer ethnic cuisine to meals that are thought of as traditionally British. In addition, two thirds of respondents thought that international cuisine was more flavoursome than British food, with spaghetti bolognese topping the list of global choices. The study added that 45% of Brits considered themselves to be All this for “adventurous cooks”, with three quarters of people surveyed claiming that they were more adventurous with their food choices than their parents ever were. Highlighting the results of the study, Santa Maria Marketing Manager, Bhavika Thakrar said: “This research tells us that the £999 discovery of new tastes and flavours from around the world is a plus VAT or from £9.99 per week* priority when it comes to Britain’s taste buds. “Food lovers are relishing the opportunity to take more culinary • Package includes Cash Drawer, Receipt Printer, and Back journeys without leaving the kitchen. As a result we’re seeing foreign Office functionality tastes and flavours, including Mexican favourites fajitas, tacos and Optional extras include, kitchen printer, pole mounted enchiladas, rapidly becoming firm family favourites. • “With 60% of those studied encouraging their households to try as customer display, Head office software to manage multiple many foods as possible, it’s an exciting time for the nation’s palate. branches And the adventure is only set to continue as a variety of food fusions, Quick and easy to use with minimal training required including Tacos al Pastor, wait in the wings ready to shake up the • gourmet scene.” • Innovative, secure management systems giving complete The UK’s top ten international dishes were control for your business 1. Spaghetti Bolognese 2. Meat lasagne Quick access to top selling products 3. Chilli con carne • 4. Pasta and homemade sauce • Robust touch screen, designed to withstand spillages 5. Fajitas Built-in stock management modules giving remarkable 6. Chicken/lamb tikka masala • 7. Vegetable stir fry levels of control 8. Sweet and sour chicken Customer order history 9. Spaghetti carbonara • 10. Chicken chow mein • End Of Day & Shift Total Reporting functionality with access to previous reports • Convenient, simple hot key options • Look back on previous orders • Online training and assistance • Fully customizable systems allow daily additions for automated specials and promotions • Integrated Debit/Credit card payment solutions, GPRS terminals available for deliveries • Customer Service 24/7 365 Days

Telephone: 01992 574650 or email: info@3rtelecom. co.uk NOW and take advantage of our special offers www.3rsimplyepos.com *subject to 3R Telecom Ltd T&C’s Issue 23 August 2015 | 7 News Round-up

Boost for fish and chip trade as cod supplies rise Dwindling cod supplies in the North Sea left had many fearing for the future of their fish and chips, but according to the latest reports the supplies are on the rise and back on the menu

Thanks to tight controls on stocks of cod and plaice, the fish’s population is growing so rapidly that is could become commonplace on many menus and the buying cost will be reduced significantly enough for this national favourite to return. Decades of overfishing left supplies of cod and plaice falling, forcing officials to impose strict limits in 2006, this led to many operators looking for alternative products for their menus. Officials have now said they may remove the fish and chip favourites from the ‘fish to avoid’ list, which indicates sea life that needs to be protected. An assessment of fish stocks in the region by government advisors the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea found that plaice was at a ‘record high level’ in the North Sea. Talking to the national press, Eskild Kirkegaard, chairman of the council’s advisory committee, said: ‘Over the last ten to 15 years, we have seen a decline in fishing mortality in the northeast Atlantic and the Baltic Sea. ‘The stocks have reacted positively to the reduced exploitation and we’re observing growing trends in stock sizes for most of the commercially important stocks.’ In February, food industry experts warned that Britain could face a 25 per cent hike in the cost of fish and chip dinners thanks to a rise in cod prices The fish’s recovery in the North Sea could put a halt to the price hike, unlike that expected in the Mediterranean where overfishing is still prevalent. The European Commission currently estimates that 91 per cent of the region’s stock is overfished.

Springboard celebrate 25th Anniversary with ‘Silver Diamond Ball’ The Springboard Charity, one of the biggest names in the hospitality industry welcomed a landmark 25 years of helping young and disadvantaged individuals into work with their 25th anniversary ball last week

The charity celebrated at its Silver Diamond Ball in partnership “All of Springboard’s activities make a difference—to young people, with Delaware North who were also celebrating a landmark 100th to unemployment, to poverty, to industry, and to business. The Anniversary, an event which managed to raise a total of £135,000. world may have changed a great deal since 1990, but Springboard’s Over 800 esteemed guests from across the industry filled the underlying goal remains exactly the same: to promote the hospitality Bobby Moore Suite at London’s Wembley Stadium to support and industry and to get people into jobs. commemorate all of the charity’s achievements over the last 25 years. “The next 25 years will likely bring many more changes to the world, Delaware North UK, who provided the food alongside staff from and to the ways in which the organisation operates, but Springboard Springboard’s FutureChef Alumni course, treated the guests to an will hopefully continue to reach many more achievements, and to make excellent three course meal whilst entertainment such as a Queen a difference.” tribute band and silent auction took place. In total over £100,000 was raised for The Springboard Charity to support existing ‘Into Work’ programmes as well as investing in new ones. The Springboard beneficiaries then shared their stories to the group in an emotional yet uplifting presentation. Talking about the event, Anne Pierce MBE, Chief Executive of Springboard, said: “In 1990, when Springboard opened its doors at 3 Denmark Place, who would have known that 25 years down the line we would be here commemorating this Silver Anniversary milestone.”

8 | Issue 23 August 2015 News Round-up

BRITA Professional launches water training programme for operators BRITA Professional has teamed up with specialist barista duo, Rob Dunne and Victor Frankowski, to launch an exclusive coffee training programme

The unique training sessions have been specially created to help Each of the training sessions will take attendees through practical operators understand how water affects the quality of coffee. and theoretical elements including; the science of flavour, aroma and The one day, interactive sessions will be led by baristas Rob and taste, coffee cupping, sensory experiences and water theory. Victor, who bring their extensive experience of speciality coffee and Victor Frankowski, of DunneFrankowski, commented: “Baristas and education to the table. coffee operators across the board put an immense amount of effort into their coffee – from the sourcing and roasting of the beans, to the brewing and presentation. “However, water is often overlooked when baristas are perfecting their coffee recipe. We’ve been working with BRITA to explore how water affects both espresso and filter and we’re excited to share our combined knowledge through these sessions.” Talking about the importance of water quality when it comes to coffee was Sales Director for BRITA Professional, Miles Dawson, who said: “Water has come onto the radar of the coffee community in a big way over the last few years and is no longer taken for granted. “It’s now recognised as having a significant influence on the look, smell and taste of a cup of coffee. “Our new training sessions with Rob and Victor aims to help equip operators across the board with meaningful, in-depth knowledge of what’s in the cup and the water, so they can deliver exceptional quality coffee to their customers.” The sessions, which launched in earlier in the month, will be offered exclusively through BRITA Professional to customers, partners and operators interested in learning about water.

Costa announce £36m investment in new roastery Costa one of the UK’s largest coffee chains, has announced that it will invest £36m in the construction of a new roastery in a bid to expand output

The development is expected to increase the company’s capacity four- fold ahead of a period of significant projected growth. The high street stalwart have announced that they plan to build a 45,000 tonne-capacity facility in Essex to complement its existing 11,000 tonne Old Paradise Street operation in south east London. The investment was described by Costa as “strategically important – enhancing operational efficiency as well as roasting capacity”. The current facility is already at capacity, roasting coffee 24 hours a day, five days a week – and Costa have realised that they will need to increase this in order to meet growing consumer demand. Costa recently announced figures that shows a 17.9% uplift in sales in its full-year results and expects “to grow significantly” in the next five years. The new roastery which will find a home in Basildon is scheduled to open in early 2017 and incorporates a 10,000 square metre building on a 5.3 acre site. Talking about the plans, Costa Managing Director, Christopher Rogers said: “Costa is growing and to meet strong customer demand we need to increase our coffee roasting capacity. “Our existing Lambeth site does not have the long-term roasting capacity to cater for our increasing UK and international demand. “The solution is to build a second roastery in the London area, which will continue to produce the high quality coffee our customers love in the quantity the business requires.” shop. We are immensely proud of our coffee and our heritage which is Costa master of coffee Gennaro Pelliccia added: “My job is to why we have worked so hard to ensure our new roastery will continue oversee the roasting process, and, most importantly, ensure Costa’s to meet our high standards. Mocha Italia and Old Paradise Street blends retain the same great taste “When our new roastery opens in 2017, we will have a cutting-edge as the Costa brothers’ coffee, first produced in 1971. roastery supplying the best quality, from bean to cup, right here in the “The quality of our beans gives our coffee the unique flavour – setting UK.” us apart from the competition and making us the UK’s favourite coffee Shoppers bought more than 460m cups of Costa coffee last year.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 9 News Round-up

Restaurants and cafes in Basildon are Tuck-in project supported by Basildon being urged to make small changes to make their food healthier under a new businesses in bid to serve healthier food government initiative, the Tuck-in project Basildon Council is just one of a number of local councils aiming to make changes to the way their constituents eat and are actively supporting the Department of Health’s Tuck-In project, which encourages local businesses to commit to improve the nutritional quality of their food. Asked to consider the fats, salts and sugars in their food, the local businesses will adopt a shared responsibility to providing nutritious food to the residents whilst not compromising their own trade. This can be done by making small changes such as reducing fat in food frying and letting food drain properly after it has been cooked. Speaking about the launch of the Tuck-in campaign, Terri Sargent, the councillor responsible for environment and community in the area, said: “I am pleased Basildon Council is working with food outlets to improve nutritional quality of their food. “When take-away food and eating out are such a central part of our lives, it is encouraging that Basildon’s food businesses are taking positive steps to ensure healthy eating plays an important part in improving people’s diets and reducing ill health.” Over the last few years the trend for eating on the go has grown enormously and consumers are constantly on the lookout for dishes with lower saturated fat, salt and sugars. One of the most popular trends has been to take inspiration from Asian cuisine and Roberto Marroni of Ned’s Noodle Bar is just one of the business owners serving these sort of dishes. Commenting on the initiative, Roberto said: “We are delighted to be part of this great scheme, we have been serving healthy noodles dishes for the last 15 years. “It is about time we focus on eating healthily in the UK. “We think the scheme will help people realise how healthy noodles are, and will stop people thinking we are just another local Chinese take away!”

Consumers choosing healthier lunches according to survey A new survey into the UK’s eating out habits has revealed that the number of people who are looking for a healthier lunch has risen dramatically over the last twelve months

Research conducted by HospitalityGEM, one of the industry’s been duly noted. leading authorities on the latest trends, has found that 62 per cent of With taste, price and nutritional value coming out as the three top respondents think healthy food choices are more readily available at factors customers look for when purchasing a grab and go item at lunchtime than they were a year ago. lunchtime. Of those questioned, healthy eating choices were seen as a priority Over 50% of those questioned believe grab and go operators are for two thirds and the rise in the number of products available had leading the way in providing healthy choices whilst two-thirds of respondents believe that pubs aren’t doing enough to provide healthy food options on their menu, with only four per cent stating pubs had the best variety. Commenting on the findings was, Steven Pike, Managing Director of HospitalityGEM, who said: “It’s great to see that over half of customers are satisfied that grab and go chains are doing enough to provide healthy options but it looks like pubs could be doing more. “There is an obvious link to accessibility and the time it takes to sit down and eat at a pub as opposed to the increasing grab and go culture, particularly at lunchtime when we tend to be a bit more virtuous. “But this also presents an opportunity for landlords and other operators to evaluate their offering of healthy food to check it’s the best it can be for their target audience, possibly through greater menu differentiation for various day parts. “Additionally, our survey found that 43 per cent of people like to see calorie counts on the menu, but not when having a nice meal out. It seems that calorie counts on our lunch items help making healthy choices easier, but seeing calories when you are ordering a special meal can take the edge off a treat!” Of those companies who performed particularly well within this sector Pret a Manger and Tossed came out at the top by offering quick and easy healthy food at a reasonable price.

10 | Issue 23 August 2015 News Round-up

40% of British diners remain loyal to brands with reward schemes A recent study commissioned by Aimia, a leading marketing and loyalty analytics company found that more than a third (39%) of all diners in the UK say they are loyal to the restaurants and coffee shops they visit over the last year

When asked to rate from 1 to 10 how loyal people feel towards the survey were: restaurants and food and drink establishments, where 1 means no Costa Coffee Club 53% loyalty and 10 means extremely loyal, 39% answered 7 – 10. This Subway 30% remains consistent with last year, where 43% of people said the Caffe Nero Loyalty Card 26% same. Nando’s Loyalty Card 23% The most popular loyalty schemes that were highlighted in the My Starbucks Rewards 22% study included Costa Coffee Club, Subway and Caffe Nero. The findings show more than one in five people (22%) are a member of a restaurant or coffee shop loyalty scheme and 45% of consumers are willing to share their personal details to receive relevant offers and discounts. Talking about the study, Charlie Humphreys, Managing Director, Business Development EMEA at Aimia, said: “When consumers find a restaurant, café or coffee shop they like, they enjoy returning there time and time again. However, consumers expect something in return for their loyalty, with more than one in five consumers now being a member of a loyalty scheme. “Customers say they are willing to share their personal information with companies so they can receive relevant offers, yet many loyalty cards on the market don’t currently collect this level of data. “There is a real opportunity for restaurants to grow the relationships they hold with their customers if they are able to collect data and use this to offer bespoke deals tailored to customer preferences.” The percentage of customers holding loyalty cards was high across the board and the top five food and drink establishments in

Shake Shack announce new openings Shake Shack one of the US’ largest quick service brands has announced they will open two new shacks in late 2015 and early 2016, including a third London site on New Oxford Street

Thy company have also outlined plans to open their first ever Cardiff site, which will see a new store open in St. David’s shopping centre. The new London site adds to its existing presence in the capital, where the burger specialists already has sites in Westfield Stratford and Covent Garden. Talking about the continued rollout of Shake Shack in the UK, Randy Garutti, Shake Shack CEO, said: “We’re incredibly excited to bring our third London Shack to New Oxford Street and our first Cardiff Shack to St. David’s Shopping Centre. Our teams continue to seek out and deepen ties with talented local producers and more guests, as we extend our roots in the UK.” Shake Shack will be located on the ground floor of 80 New Oxford Street, a short walk from the Tottenham Court Road underground station, which will feature Crossrail access by 2018. Shake Shack serves 100% all natural Angus beef burgers and have been a huge success since both their 2004 launch and their entry into the UK market.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 11 News Round-up

Grind hits crowdfunding target for ‘grind bond’ Grind, the London espresso and cocktail bars chain, has successfully hit its crowdfunding target to raise £750,000 in the form of an investment bond

The mini bond was launched to fund the building of a new roastery, a building that will help with the continued growth of the company and which will see productivity and capacity rise with consumer demand. The money will also be used to fund the opening of a central kitchen and further site expansion. The ‘Grind Bond’, which was launched on CrowdCube, targeted £750,000 with a maximum fundraise of £1.5 million. The chain, which has a variety of different sites, serving coffees, cocktails and food, opened its first site in Shoreditch in 2011, quickly followed by sites in Soho and Holborn. The brand then opened a flagship site, London Grind, in London Bridge in February 2015 and will open a Covent Garden site in summer 2015. Gross sales are expected to reach £4.4m in the next 12 months from the four existing and two planned sites, and expect to serve in excess of 750,000 coffees in the period Grind was co-founded by David Abrahamovitch and Kaz James Creative and the pair offered the bond out in order to continue their growth. For those willing to invest there was a rather tasty proposition on offer. For an initial investment of £500, Grind & Co. Ltd promised to provide registered holders with a fixed rate of 8% gross interest per annum. The pitch has currently hit 241 investors, with the largest single investment at £60,000.

Allergy sufferers put at risk from fast food takeaways An undercover investigation by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has found just over two thirds of takeaways appear to be breaking the law. The investigation, which included 10 types of takeaways, found chicken shops to be the worst offenders

Of the chicken shops visited, four in five couldn’t supply legally required allergen information when asked, and none had records of allergens used as ingredients in meals or could signpost customers to allergen information. Talking about the findings, Shirley Cramer CBE, Chief Executive, RSPH: “Our research has uncovered alarming rates of apparent non- In response RSPH is calling for online food delivery sites, including compliance. Hungry House, Just Eat and Deliveroo, to make sure takeaways are “We appreciate that complying with this new legislation takes time providing allergen information before signing them up in order to help but we are concerned that in the meantime customer’s health may be protect the 2 million food allergic consumers in the UK. being put at risk. Other findings of the study included: “Increased education, support and ultimately enforcement are • Over two thirds of all takeaways visited failed to provide legally needed to ensure food handlers understand the dangers of non- required information on how customers can find out if the 14 major compliance and stop putting the public’s health at risk.” allergens are in their food Under new legislation introduced in 2014, takeaways are required to • Over half of fried chicken, fish and chips, Chinese, sushi and pizza be able to declare the presence of any of the 14 major allergens used shops unable to state whether their food contained an allergen as ingredients in their food, provide notices in a clear visible format • Four in five said they were not in possession of records stating and have a system in place to ensure information can be checked, is whether allergens were present in ingredients used and nine out of ten accurate and consistent. could not produce this when asked

12 | Issue 23 August 2015 News Round-up

One tenth of product launches ‘gluten-free’, says survey A rise in interest in free-from foods has been driven in recent times by the increasing availability of gluten-free product lines, according to Innova Market Insights

Products positioned on a gluten-free platform accounted for 10% of global food and drink launches in the 12 months to April 2015, the market research company claimed. Key areas of activity in recent years, it added, were in bakery and cereal products and snack foods, in part because of the rising demand for alternatives to the relatively high number of gluten-containing lines in these sectors. Innova Market Insights director of innovation Lu Ann Williams said: “This is partly due to improved labelling regulations, but also to rising awareness of gluten intolerance in the diet and the development of more mainstream and good-tasting gluten-free products across a whole range of food and drinks sectors.” Biscuits accounted for the largest number of gluten-free bakery launches with more than 40% – equivalent to 8% of total biscuit introductions – while bread held less than 16%. The share of gluten-free product launches in the cereals and snack foods markets was 21% and 13% respectively, but these figures rose dramatically to 43% and 42% in the US. Williams added: “Gluten intolerance is no longer the only reason for buying gluten-free foods. Issues such as overall well-being, digestive health, weight management and nutritional value are often deemed to be equally if not more important by consumers. With more labelling of gluten-free foods and the growing availability of a range of high quality products with a good sensory profile, the sector seems set to take further advantage of the huge potential market for this type of product.”

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News Round-up

Yorkshire fish and chip shop first to be awarded MSC certification Whiteheads Fish and Chips in Hornsea has been named the first fish and chip shop in East Yorkshire to win Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification

The certification is based on the sourcing of cod and haddock from MSC certified sustainable fisheries and is a testament to the work carried out by the business. The family business, established 18 years ago by Geoff Whitehead and his Mum Hazel, and had great customer response to the haddock and cod they had sourced from Iceland. “I am totally convinced that sourcing our cod and haddock from MSC certified fisheries is at the heart of the “Whitehead’s” taste,” said Geoff Whitehead. Talking about the accreditation, Geoff said:”All of the MSC cod and haddock cooked and served on our premises comes direct from Iceland through our supplier XpressFish. They who partner with ThorFish, who catch the fish in the cold Arctic waters around Iceland. “I visited Iceland to see first-hand ThorFish’s approach and to learn if Icelandic MSC certified cod and haddock would be available in dependable quality and volumes into the future – which thanks to the MSC’s sustainable seafood programme they are!” Talking about the award, George Clark UK cod and haddock, it was clear that achieving on Icelandic MSC cod and haddock and Commercial Manager commented; “It’s great MSC certification was the next goal. Geoff am confident it is the right decision for a to see that Whiteheads have embraced MSC continued, saying: “Our customers were sustainable business model.” certification and the fantastic Icelandic cod noticeably more vocal in their praise after “We are thrilled to have gained MSC and haddock and are so proud to promote it.” we started placing orders for Icelandic cod certification as it confirms our passion for a Geoff and his team have been serving cod and haddock; business expanded and that business model which is sustainable. We work and haddock from certified Icelandic fisheries convinced us we had made a step change in with suppliers that can provide consistent for four years and are now delighted that it can the way we were operating.” quality and volumes of ingredients that now be sold with the MSC’s internationally “Early in 2014 Whitehead’s 70 seater enable us to build a long term, dependable recognized blue ecolabel. restaurant opened, contributing to another future for our business and our customers for After a successful trial serving of Icelandic big uplift in our footfall. I now focus 100% generations to come.”

£1 Coffee outlet heads to UK marketplace The UK’s high streets are littered with both poundshops and coffee shops, but as yet there hasn’t been a mixture of the two

Look at almost any high street and you’ll see a string of cafes and pound shops but when you can pay £3.95 for a Starbucks’ coffee and more than that for a sandwich at Pret, you could rightly ask why there aren’t any pound cafes? Well, good news! Not only do they exist in huge numbers overseas, but there’s already one in the UK and a major chain is looking at setting up business here too. In late 2013 Cofix launched in Israel, less than two years later it’s got 80 outlets and is looking to expand to Britain. “It is a significant saving because I can go to - I won’t mention any names - these other fine coffee shops in Jerusalem but I can wind up spending four five times as much money for basically the same thing,” one happy customer told Reuters. “Here I get quick service, I can sit down and relax, the coffee is just as good, very consistent and cheap,” Yaakov Goldman said. Cofix has plans to launch in London, but they’ve already been beaten to the punch by copycat coffee shop Caffix. Caffix opened in late May this year and sells everything from baguettes to muffins to fresh juice and noodle salad for £1. And coffee of course. If you don’t live in London you can still get a 99p filter coffee from Pret – and a McDonald’s double espresso for the same amount - but why stop there.

14 | Issue 23 August 2015 News Round-up

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

Competing across 10 regions, the shops will now battle it out as they businesses in the UK while setting incredibly high standards for the vie for the ultimate title - Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of industry to aspire to. the Year. “The Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award The regions include: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, North East is one of the highest honours to receive as a fish and chip business. England, North West England, Midlands, Eastern England, London Many of our past winners and finalists have gone on to reap substantial & South East England, Central & Southern England and South West benefits, including international fame through industry trips overseas, England. increased shop footfall and turnover and even launching their own To get to this stage and secure a place in the coveted shortlist, products. shops have been appraised across a variety of judging criteria including “It’s great to see so many excellent shops through to this stage of the responsible sourcing policies, marketing and promotional practices and competition. I’d like to offer up my congratulations and wish them the staff training policies. best as they prepare to continue their quest towards winning a regional Over the coming weeks, they will be subjected to further judging as title, but also thank them for consistently helping us to reinforce the they receive mystery shopping assessments by industry experts. The UK’s reputation as the home of the world’s best fish and chips.” next stage of the competition will whittle down the line up, establishing Carlyn Kearney of Frankie’s Fish & Chips in Brae, Shetland, winner a UK top 20 which will compete for the prestigious ‘regional’ titles. of the 2015 Independent Takeaway Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Paul Williams, Chief Executive of Seafish, said: “The aim of the Award, commented: “Being crowned champion was a huge honour awards has always been to showcase the very best fish and chip for everyone here at Frankie’s. It was a goal for us since the moment we opened our doors in 2008 and since winning we’ve experienced so many benefits – including having customers travel over 700 miles just to get a taste of our fish and chips! “The judging process is very rigorous and challenging, but it’s worth every second of the hard work and effort involved. It’s a roller coaster experience and we would urge anyone with a passion for producing high quality, great tasting fish and chips to join the ride.” Culminating in an awards ceremony at The Lancaster London Hotel in January 2016, The National Fish & Chip Awards are recognised as one of the most prominent and respected seafood industry events in the UK. They celebrate the great British tradition of fish and chips, recognising the best talent, quality and choice offered by fish and chip businesses. In October, Seafish will announce the top 10 region winning shops competing for the flagship award. These shops will then be invited on an all-expense paid study trip to Ålesund, Norway, organised by award sponsor the Norwegian Seafood Council, to witness first-hand why the country is regarded as one of the world’s most sustainable fishing nations.

Nisbets moves into Wales with Cardiff site Catering equipment supplier Nisbets has added to its growing retail portfolio with the opening of its latest store in the heart of Cardiff

The supplier who offer a huge range of products to those in the foodservice industry have made the move in a bid to both expand their offering and to better serve their vast customer base. Nisbets Cardiff is the 10th Nisbets store and opened its doors yesterday, offering catering professionals over 3,000 products, with an additional 20,000 available for next day delivery. The logistics of having a new site means that the company can continue with their market expansion and there should be a substantial return on investment in terms of new business. The store stocks items such as chef knives, clothing, furniture and refrigeration from brands including, Buffalo, Polar and heavy-duty equipment brand Thor. Nisbets launched as a catalogue only business in 1983, but has since grown to develop a strong online presence in addition to a portfolio of retail stores in London, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Brighton and most recently, Nottingham.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 15 News Round-up

Pop-up street food market to take over former BBC building A pop-up food experience featuring a rotating line-up of street food traders will take place on the roof of the former BBC car park at Television Centre in White City, London

Storeys, which is a concept created by event production company Afternoon Delight LDN, will feature some of the UK’s most popular street food traders and cocktails across two levels and 24,000 sq ft. The iconic setting is expected to really stand out and there have already been a large number of street food traders signing up. Those to have put pen to paper include French-American fusion Le Bun, Caribbean street food concept White Men Can’t Jerk, Folkestone crab burger joint Crabbieshack, and buffalo wings centered Randy’s Wing Bar. The weekend venture will be open every Friday to Sunday, and brunch will be served on Saturday and Sunday mornings, featuring Nicaraguan coffee, organic teas and free-range BBQ sausages and smoked bacon rolls. For those looking for something in the evenings there will be a number of bars including a Bloody Mary bar complete with double day beds and the TV bar offering tropical fruit sharers and ice cold beers, will also be available. Storeys will also include murals from young artists aged 16-25, DJ sessions, daytime game areas, film screenings and early birds can even enjoy a rooftop yoga session. Storeys will open on Fridays to Sundays from July 31st with free entry.

QSR’s and food-to-go operators to embrace delivery options A new wave of takeaway outlets, QSR’s and food-to-go operators have revealed that they are embracing the use of electric bikes as a cost-effective and speedy way to deliver food

Pizza chains Firezza and Basilico, as well as of e-bike deliveries will gain even more to mopeds, saving a business more than the pan-Asian Restaurant Tootoomoo have momentum. £1,000 a year per bike. With zero emissions, recently joined early e-bikes adopters, such “Reliable and easy to ride, electric bikes they’re also cool, clean and green – an ethos as Papa John’s in Battersea. are incredibly inexpensive to use – running companies can be proud of and that their These sites have consistently battled costs are at least 40% cheaper compared customers increasingly look for.” against other chains and restaurants to make sure the residents of London receive their food quickly and that it is piping hot. The businesses are finding that e-bikes have many advantages. Firstly they do not require a licence or incur registration, tax or insurance costs, and their small portable battery can be charged up from any socket in a matter of hours, giving the bike a range of 30-50 miles. The increasing popularity of electric bikes in the UK mirrors, their extensive use in continental Europe, particularly Germany and Holland, where major Dutch chain New York Pizza, commissioned its own-design e-bike to replace part of its scooter fleet. One central London council is even granting takeaway licences with the proviso that electric transport is used for deliveries. James Royall, founder of PROPELLER, an electric-bike supplier, said: “There’s increased visibility of e-bikes in this country, as they are more widely used by commuters, and Transport for London’s upcoming trial of electric ‘Boris bikes’ will generate lots of interest and publicity. The new trend

16 | Issue 23 August 2015 News Round-up

Healthy Hot Dog concept comes to Camden HungerDog, a new healthy hot dog company are to launch into Camden in a bid to provide a more nutritious alternative to the street food favourite

Brainchild of husband and wife team Tim and Julie Mills, the HungerDog concept will open its doors at a site in Camden later this summer. The healthy hot dogs will consist of pork and beef sausages as well as a vegetarian option, with the option of creating your own dog. Hungerdog will primarily be a grab- and- go concept, dealing with the latest eating out trends and the business will serve hotdogs ranging from £4.50 to £6.50. Commenting on both the concept and the opening, Tim Mills said: “It took us well over 7 months to find meat and bread suppliers who were able to produce products to our exact specification as our bread had to be handmade fresh every night, with a touch of sour dough and our sausages received from farms of only the highest accreditation. “We were adamant to not serve brioche flavoured bread that disintegrates in your hand, nor would we serve smoked sausages that overpower the toppings and often feel like rubber!” Every month, HungerDog will hold an Instagram competition for followers to create their own hotdog and be in with the chance of winning an exclusive offer. The new site is set to open towards the end of August or the start of September.

Papa John’s announce record first week sales Leading pizza operator, Papa John’s, has announced that its newest store in Bebington, Wirral, Merseyside has opened to record first week sales

The store which now employs 25 local people to deliver the Company’s renown, top quality pizza to the people of Bebington has been inundated with orders since their launch and it is hoped that the momentum stays high in the coming weeks. “Papa John’s concept of ‘Better Ingredients, Better Pizza’ has certainly given people food for thought, plus we topped that by putting some great ‘opening week’ promotional deals on the table,” explains franchisee Jitesh Patel who also runs a several other Papa John’s in the Midlands. “This combined with our local advertising meant we were very busy from day one!” Anthony Round, business development manager, Papa John’s confirms: “We now have more than 300 stores in the UK and our nation-wide TV advertising is really tempting customers to try our fresh dough pizzas created for a better natural flavour. The success of the Bebington opening reflects the growing popularity of the Papa John’s brand and we are currently welcoming applications from potential new franchisees who are looking for a slice of the action.”

Issue 23 August 2015 | 17 News in brief

Chipotle to continue UK growth with 7th site Kingfisher to quench nation’s

Chipotle, one of the US’ largest quick service thirst at food festivals restaurant chains are to continue their rapid Kingfisher Beer, India’s largest and expansion in the UK market with their 7th most popular beer brand are to London site. embark on a nationwide tour in their The chain, which brands themselves as bespoke Kingfisher Beer Truck, a Chipotle Mexican Grill will open its first site in The City when the doors open at 49, London move which is sure to prove popular Wall EC2M, on 8th July. with festival-goers across the country Chipotle, which hails from the US, opened its first restaurant outside North America, Between June and September the company will be touring the UK heading to 15 separate at Charing Cross Road, back in 2010 and festivals in one of the most vibrant vehicles the the latest opening is set to help the brand UK roads have seen. continue their rapid expansion. A spokesperson from the company told Commenting on the move, Jerome Tafani, journalists about the inspiration for the design Executive Director of European Business and the events, saying: “Delhi to Doddapundi Development, for Chipotle, said: ‘We are the roads are filled with lorries sporting highly delighted to open our first Chipotle restaurant intricate, colourful designs. They are hard to in The City, an area where we feel customers miss in India but ours will stand out even more will respond very positively to what we are as it travels up the M6. doing. “The Kingfisher Beer Truck will be visiting “We are changing the way people think fifteen food festivals throughout the nation so about and eat fast food, and we think that is a that consumers can enjoy a pint of India’s No.1 commitment that really resonates with people beer in the sunshine (hopefully). in London.” “The tour kicks off with the ‘Taste of London’ Chipotle, currently operates over 1,800 in Regent’s Park which brings together restaurants in the USA, and has been London’s most acclaimed restaurants and instrumental in establishing a new kind of chefs to present their signature dishes to thinking about fast food, what it calls ‘Food 60,000 people over 4 days.” with Integrity’, and it continues to bring the Kingfisher Beer Europe Ltd was set up same food philosophy to London. in 1982 with the sole purpose of producing and distributing the Kingfisher beer brand Respected industry leaders the group throughout Europe and in the UK. This has have recently been praised for its approach proved a highly successful move as the brand to the sourcing of its raw ingredients, and in is now available in over 90% of all Indian particular for its commitment to using free- restaurants. range pigs for its pork carnitas and RSPCA Gemma Watkins, Senior Brand Manager Freedom Food certified poultry for its chicken of Kingfisher Beer Europe Ltd said, “We dishes. are so excited about touring the UK in our technicoloured truck. As The Real Taste of India we love adding an authentic Indian twist to everything we do”.

Brakes announce huge top-line growth delivering growth together. There was a specific focus on catering supplies and Brake Bros, the UK-based foodservice group equipment and a joint customer and supplier owned by Bain Capital, have reported top-line event in Scotland saw ten new locally sourced growth but a drop in profits for 2014 after products being introduced to the Brakes list,” releasing their latest figures. Brakes said. The company, which has spun off M&J During 2014, “Brakes has also step-changed Seafood and two other fresh businesses into its purchasing scale, expertise and insight with a joint venture with Fresh Direct, reported buyers working together across six different turnover of £3.09 billion, up 2.5% year-on-year. European markets through new buying Despite this top-line growth, Brakes, which is partnerships”, the company said. currently believed to be in talks to buy Davigel, On the seafood side, Brakes introduced a Nestle’s frozen food business unit, reported new line in dolphin-friendly, pouch-packed tuna pre-tax profit of £75.4m, down 40.25% y-o-y. fish, so that customers benefit from knowing In 2014, Brakes introduced over 400 new how much product is actually in the pack and products to the range and re-developed a there is also less food waste and drain mess further 365 products. than the traditional tin. “In the spring, Brakes engaged over 30 Brakes states in its annual report that suppliers to collaborate on new ideas for EBITDA was up 6.2% to £115.4m in the UK

18 | Issue 23 August 2015 News in brief

Brew hits £180,000 crowdfunding target with ‘tea concept’ Brew, an interesting concept that would see the UK’s first ‘pub for tea’ open up, has announced that they have hit their crowdfunding target to raise £180,000 after a total of 224 investors pledged their support. The concept would see pots of tea being served instead of pints of beer as well as a light food offering which will see it capitalise on the strength the all-day café market. The crowdfunding will enable the first Brew to launch in South London this autumn, this will then be followed by a second site in East London a year later. Building on the success of the first two outlets, Brew plans to raise further finance in 2017 and expand rapidly with directly-owned and franchised outlets across London and other major centres in the UK. Brew have predicted a turnover in excess of £4m by June 2019, with a 78% gross profit. Giuseppe Mascoli has come on board as the lead investor. He is the entrepreneur behind fast-growing pizza business Franco Manca. He is joined by Iqbal Wahhab who is on board as non-executive director. The Cinnamon Club and Roast founder brings a wealth of experience to the company. At the time of writing the concept had raised £182,060 for a 28.03% equity share, with the largest single investment believed to be £35,450. If all goes to plan then the first Brew site is expected to launch in South London this autumn.

Mom’s announce launch of new ‘Beefy Dog’ the UK we have favoured pork. It is for that reason that the Beefy Dog has been two years Premium hot dog brand, Mom’s have in development, ensuring an authentic recipe announced the launch of their latest product profile, in line with the expanding trend for US which is set to shake up the grad-and-go style foods. market in the UK. A recent report from advisory firm BDO The new addition to the range of gourmet said: “In 2015 we expect new concepts and hot dogs – Mom’s Beefy Dog – offers the roll-outs in the smoke and barbecue world to consumer a skinless, quarter pounder dog have a great year. Brands like Bodeans, Red’s made from 86% prime beef with all of Mom’s True Barbecue, Porky’s and Jackson & Rye quality ingredients. will continue to grow, building on strong and The Beefy Dog has a firm, extra smooth smoky US flavours.” texture and a meaty flavour which is rich Other American themed upstarts nudged and juicy. Its flavourful character is further traditional British dishes out of the top 10 boosted with a hint of smoke, gained from dining out menu main courses last year, with gently smoking over beechwood. established favourites like sausage and mash In the US, hot dogs, or ‘Franks’, have making way for four new entrants since 2010 traditionally been made with beef or a mixture - hot dogs, pork ribs, grilled chicken and rib of 60% beef and 40% pork, where here in eye steaks.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 19 Research

Lifestyle choices shape the future of foodservice New research relating to the future of foodservice has been released, highlighting the fact that Britain has become a nation of foodies and that the deregulation of life has shifted the way we shop and eat Sacla’ one of the premium Italian brands Tomorrow responds to the UK’s increasing Some of the core themes from the report has unveiled a major new study into the passion towards food and consumers’ covered the change in frequency of key emerging trends and habits shaping higher expectations when it comes to purchases and the average spend per eating out in the UK. Based on interviews dining out-of-home. head. with more than 2,000 nationally- representative pub and restaurant “We are extremely excited to have • The foodservice market is worth £89bn customers, the new report in cooperation produced this brand new trends-driven a year, including £14bn on snacks with data and research specialists, report. It delivers an in-depth look into and treats against almost £194bn on Trajectory, is titled, Eating Out – Today the foodservice industry, and provides groceries – that makes a total of £283bn and Tomorrow, and explores ever-evolving strategic insight for operators looking to spent by consumers each year on food modern attitudes towards dining out. improve their offering.” and drink, of which almost a third goes to the out-of-home market such as Busy lifestyles, irregular working hours Paul Flatters, Managing Director at pubs, restaurants and cafes and financial flexibility are just some of Trajectory also commented on the • 56% of Londoners and 52% of non- the main factors when it comes to the launch and said: “This provides a fresh Londoners describe their working hours changes in consumer behaviour. It was perspective on UK consumer attitudes, as irregular, changing or unpredictable also noticeable how different age groups behaviours and expectations. Consumers • More than 30% of all respondents report have moved away from the traditional feel less constricted in their behaviour regularly skipping breakfast, rising to daily meal times, breakfast, lunch and by traditional norms of time, place and 40% of 18 to 24 year olds dinner. social status, a core theme throughout the report and a concept we labelled the The report is based on primary research Consumers are now far more likely to deregulation of life. from interviews with 2,034 adults snack mid-morning or mid-afternoon and exploring their lifestyles, regular routines the food–to-go and quick service sectors “The four fundamental elements of and habits, plus their relationship with are seeing their customer base changing deregulation of life – time, place, food and eating-out. Interviewees were their eating habits as a result. individualism and mobile devices – drawn from the Research Now UK demand that foodservice operators Consumer Panel and are a nationally- Discussing the launch at Home House consider how they could or should offer representative group, meaning that they in Central London, Clare Blampied, the flexibility and choice to match today’s reflect the make-up of the nation, based Managing Director at Sacla’ UK, said: deregulated lifestyles.” on gender, age, geographical location and “The launch of Eating Out – Today and socio-demographical grouping. Future of foodservice report – highlights

66% of all adults One in five 37% of people describe themselves as people last ate out expect to go out to eat passionate about food mid-morning or a sit down breakfast in and drink mid-afternoon coming years

20 | Issue 23 August 2015 Snack Review

For those who have a larger spend per head or whose meal deals and offers are for more premium products, there are a wide range of snacks to suit. Similarly at the other end of the spectrum there are affordable snacks that can still add value to a meal and offer strong margins for retailers.

Indeed this has always been the case and the concept of meal deals and impulse buys have always been an important sales Snack target for retailers, whilst some sceptics feel they are a loss leader when sold in conjunction with other products, in truth they raise the spend per head. Therefore adding crisps, popcorn or alternative snacks to your offering can really help to boost takings. Popcorn has seen a real surge in the last few years partly due to their low calorie nature. Many of the brands decide to pressure pop the corn meaning that there are no added oils and that they Review are a far cleaner product. The ability to bake in a flavour means The grab and go market is one of the that the products are often more exciting and get the customer’s imaginations and taste buds going. For too long popcorn has fastest growing areas of retail with more been a stagnant market with Salted, Sweet and Toffee the only and more of us looking to pick up a three flavours commonly available. This has all changed as you quick and easy meal at a fair price will see in the review below. Of the alternative snacks on the market, Pork Scratchings have According to analysts, the crisps and snacks market in the UK is gained a cult following for those looking for a high protein diet. worth £482m per year and these sales are dominated by handy They contain around 50% protein and many brands have been packs that account for over 60% of the market. associated with health and fitness magazines. Olives, nuts, seeds and dried fruits all feature heavily in the snack market too. Of all the handy packs that are sold, nearly 80% are brought in conjunction with another product and form part of a meal deal. With all of this in mind the team at QuickBite have tried and tasted Tying in the correct snack with the other products that you are some of the very best snacks that the UK market has to offer selling is key, the product must be correctly branded and have a so that you don’t have to. All of the products in this review are fair RRP to compliment the style and cost of the sandwiches you available to stock now and could make a welcome addition to are selling. your shelves and countertops.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 21 Snack Review

Portle Bay Inspired by his passion for sailing on the Salcombe estuary, combined with a love for healthier snacks made with the best ingredients, Jonty White founded Portlebay Popcorn in 2013. A market leader in the snack industry with its distinctive nautical-style branding, Portlebay Popcorn has seen huge success over the past few years with a staggering 230 per cent sales growth in the last twelve months alone. Keen to share their success, Portlebay Popcorn donate 25 per cent of all online sales to their nominated charity CHICKS.

Portlebay has a whole range of delicious popcorn flavours, from their most popular Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup to the age old classic Sweet & Salty Kracklecorn, all packaged with a scoop full of that outdoor, sunny, happy and carefree feeling. Portlebay believe popcorn is one Popcorn Kitchen of those simple things in life that just seems to make you Popcorn Kitchen is a family-run business smile. producing traditional, small batch popcorn, which is utterly moreish. They only use ‘real’ ingredients you could find in your kitchen Portlebay – Cappuccino popcorn cupboard and their mission is to create ‘the best popcorn you’ll ever taste”. We were really lucky with the timing of our snack review Currently available in 4 delicious flavours with as Portlebay had just released their latest flavour and after a new one launching soon: Sweet & Salt, Sweet Chilli (Great Taste Award Winner 2014), much deliberation it was indeed cappuccino that was Sea Salt & Olive Oil and Simply Sweet. Their declared our winner. The popcorn is excellent and opening unique ‘risk free trial box’ means that small the bag you are greeted with that fresh coffee smell. A light businesses can try their popcorn without the dusting of the flavouring is baked in and it really holds that risk associated with having to order a large flavour too. You can add the 25g bags to your inventory quantity. Popcorn Kitchen regularly support now with an RRP of around £0.79 customers with samples.

Popcorn Kitchen – flavour enhancers or chemically derived Sea Salt and Olive Oil flavours to enhance the taste.

Established in 2008 the brand have gone The team at Popcorn Kitchen have obviously from strength to strength, their eye-catching thought long and hard about what they want packaging puts them at the focal point of to achieve, their packaging is eye-catchingly any retail space and establishes them as a simple but this plays to their honesty about premium brand. what’s in the bag being the most important thing. This is a gluten, wheat, dairy, nut, soya The five flavours currently available are Sweet and GMO free product meaning that you just Vanilla, Cocoa Crisp, Fiery Salsa, Salty Sweet get great tasting simplicity. The sea salt and and Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper. olive oil flavour was fantastic, it gave you that salty kick at the start to get the taste buds going and then finished with a really rich, Love Popcorn – lingering taste of the olives at the end. This is Cocoa Crisp a great product and at around £0.99 for 22g it could be a top selling impulse buy. Love popcorn seem to do something really rather different to all of the others in this category, their popcorn seemed to have a Love Popcorn rather noticeable glaze on it and this really Hand made in the North-East of England, helped to lock in the flavour. The Cocoa Love Popcorn offer suppliers and consumers crisp flavour was brilliant and made a nice a diverse range of sweet and savoury alternative to other sweet popcorns. The popcorn, ideal for those on the go. The packaging is eye catching and the flavours in popcorn is made in artisanal kettles using this range would stand out on any counter or real kitchen cupboard ingredients and the in any basket, especially at an RRP of £0.89 development chefs refuse to use flavourings, for 27g.

22 | Issue 23 August 2015 Snack Review

Bare Popcorn Bare pride themselves on their in house policy of making sure that nothing is outsourced meaning that they can bring the market a lighter, fun and more delicious popcorn. All of the popcorn is handmade and every batch is taste tested to make sure that the customers are getting the very best.

The family run company from Buckinghamshire have over 30 years of experience in the industry and this has been put to use in order to craft their five delicious flavours: Jalapeno, Sea Salted, Sweet ‘N’ Salty, Bacon and Maple and Cinnamon.

Bare Popcorn – Sweet Cinnamon popcorn Propercorn Founded in October 2011 by 31-year- This was a real treat for the team here at olds Cassandra Stavrou and Ryan Kohn, QuickBite as the popcorn offered something Propercorn has quickly emerged as the fastest for everybody, Bare really work hard on their growing snack brand in the UK. Turning over flavours and are great at marrying sweet and almost £6m in its third year of business, savoury tastes together. For a long time it Propercorn has ambitious targets to more than looked as though the Bacon and Maple Syrup double this to £15m this year. would come out on top but in the end we went for Sweet Cinnamon. This popcorn was of a Winner of two Great Taste Awards, Propercorn very high quality and gave you two distinct is gluten-free, suitable for vegetarians and tastes, it started as a sweet product and the every flavour comes in at under 130kcals. more you ate the more the rich cinnamon tones came through. These 28g are a great With hand-illustrated packs, showcasing a addition to any shop and are sure to fly off the vibrant colour palette, their popcorn comes in shelves. 5 delicious flavours; Lightly Sea Salted, Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sun-Dried Tomato, Sour Cream & Black Pepper, Sweet & Salty and Sweet Coconut & Vanilla.

Propercorn - Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sun-Dried Tomato

Of the flavours available the most popular with the QuickBite tasting panel was Fiery Worcester Sauce & Sun-Dried Tomato. This perfectly popped corn has been lightly cooked in rapeseed oil and wasn’t greasy to the touch. The flavour of tomato was sweet to start with and the Worcester sauce gave a long lasting, warming taste. These savoury snacks are Metcalfe’s perfect as a standalone product and would Metcalfe’s – Sweet ‘n Salt not be out of place forming part of a complete Skinny Popcorn meal. RRP £0.90 Metcalfe’s skinny is on a mission to rustle up healthier alternatives to crisps, cakes and Sweet and salted popcorn is a big trend cookies. A growing range of delicious and and harks back to the traditional flavours light healthy snacks made with top quality that adorned the shelves long ago. With that ingredients and limitless love and care. in mind it appears as though nearly every manufacturer make this flavour but Metcalfe’s It all started with a POP. As the Co-Founder of really stood out. The way the popcorn was Pret & itsu, Julian Metcalfe is obsessed with cooked meant that it was light in both texture delicious and healthy food. Back in 2009 he and colour and the flavours really stood was fed up of stodgy snacks that weighed him out. There was an even mix in the bag and down and he wanted to create something that this is a great product to accompany lunch. was light yet tasty to replace the bog standard As an individual snack it is perfect to grab crisp. Popcorn was the perfect fit & Metcalfe’s and go and at only 115 calories is a healthy skinny Popcorn was born. alternative.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 23 Snack Review

Joe & Seph’s Joe & Seph’s is an award-winning brand that has revolutionised the UK popcorn market with its gourmet air popped corn in exciting and innovative flavours, providing a totally unique taste experience.

Designed for taste adventurers and food lovers, each of its eclectic 34 flavours are created by a chef, made using all natural ingredients with extra-large corn pieces and no pesky kernels left at the bottom of the bag.

The Joe & Seph’s flavour range is immense, encompassing the sweet, savoury and traditional but always with a focus on innovation. From Gin & Tonic to Cheese on Toast, there is a variety to suit every palate and, since launching, the brand has achieved an incredible 15 Gold Great Taste Awards.

Joe & Seph’s – Goats Cheese & Black Pepper Popcorn Ten Acre Ten Acre is an innovative, quirky and award There can be no denying that the popcorn from winning brand of premium hand cooked Joe & Seph’s is some of the most premium on the crisps and popcorn. Gluten, Dairy and MSG market and their unique range of flavours and quirky Free, Vegan, Halal and Kosher, they are great packaging make this both a visual and edible treat. Of tasting snacks which everyone can enjoy. the flavours we tried the clear winner was the Goats Cheese and Black Pepper. A perfectly rounded, hand- Ten Acre crisps are available in eight popped popcorn that started with a spicy peppery delicious flavours including the award heat and ended with the smooth, creamy taste of winning The Day Sweet and Sour Became goat’s cheese. The foil packs keep the product fresh Friends, and How Chicken Soup Saved the and the 33g bag retailing at an RRP of £1.75 adds a Day. real touch of quality to your offering. Ten Acre popcorn is available in five exciting flavours including Cousin Maisie’s Fennel & Lemon, Ambrose Popperley’s Wasabi and Aunty Winifred’s Sweet & Salty.

Ten Acre – Ambrose Popperley’s Wasabi Popcorn Using 100% local produce the team have carefully crafted a range of six flavours packed in bags depicting iconic Kent images. One look at the Ten Acre website and The flavours in the range include, Sea Salt, marketing strategy highlights both the Roast Beef and Spitfire Ale, Oyster and personal touch and the effort made by the Vinegar, Smoked Chipotle Chilli, Sea Salt & brand in recent years. The company make Vinegar with Biddenden Cider and Ashmore both popcorn and crisps in a range of Cheese and Onion. flavours but it was the popcorn that came out on top. Wasabi is an ambitious flavour much like the brand but they tasted superb, a warm Kent Crisps – Oyster heat came from the snack and you could and Vinegar tell the corn was hand popped such was the quality, there were no kernels in the bag and the 28g portion with an RRP of around £0.69 These crisps were a unanimously popular would be a welcome addition to a meal deal. choice with the tasting panel, being described as a really ‘posh’ salt and vinegar. The salt taste that comes from the oyster is fantastic and you really get that seaside Kent Crisps feel, the vinegar is sharp and these are a Kent Crisps, made in the Garden of England, real taste of what Kent crisps do, they find are one of the fastest growing brands in the local ingredients and recipes and add them UK and the traditional hand-cooked crisps to their portfolio with aplomb. A great crisp are fast gaining a reputation as some of the and at 40g the bags are filling enough as a best and most inventive on the market. standalone or as part of a meal.

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Tags – Malt Vinegar and Sea Salt

Salt and Vinegar was recently voted as the nation’s favourite flavour and many companies make them, but no one does them quite like Tags. The salty bite and acidity of the vinegar make for a really nice crisp and with a host of stars claiming these to be the best crisps on the market, through their social media, the following of Tags could really hot up. Worth stocking.

Tags Golden Wonder TAGS Snack Foods Ltd born April 2012 by The Golden Wonder, the daddy of all crisps and Tague Family, TAGS has sold over 1,000,000 one of the best known names in the snack packets to date and are forecast to sell at world, have an unmistakable crunch and least 3,000,000 packets over the next 12 full-on flavour that doesn’t just ‘a-salt’ your months. TAGS are currently sold in over 200 senses, it explodes with a flavour intensity bars, cafes and sandwich shops and 39 Tesco that’s second to none. They make them Stores in the North West as well as Asda, B&M feistier than the average crisp, packing so Stores and Virgin First Class Lounges. much flavour into their bags that they pack a punch right back. Just dig in to one of their TAGS have created a unique brand to nine fantastic flavours and we dare you to challenge the more established brands in the disagree! market. TAGS branding is deliberately aimed at capturing both today’s and tomorrow’s consumers. Golden Wonder – Pickled Onion TAGS crisps are produced using only the finest ingredients to ensure customers always experience products that are bursting with One of the most famous names in the world great flavour and taste. of snacks have had something of a shake-up in recent years and their market presence is as strong as ever. A popular brand with great tasting crisps and we had the pleasure of trying the whole range. The sense of nostalgia crept in and it was pickled onion that came out on top. Crunchy crisps with a good flavour shown why these are still so popular. At an RRP of around £0.59 these are great for a meal deal and are sure to be a Kettle profitable and popular impulse buy. Kettle Chips one the UK’s original and leading hand cooked crisp brands have created a range ideal for Food to Go outlets and have cornered the impulse buy part of the market and retail sector well over the last few years.

The currently offer a wide range in their 40g bags and most popular are their Lightly Salted, Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar and Mature Cheddar & Red Onion flavours. Kettle were one of the first bands to launch Kettle Chips position themselves as into the supermarkets and have taken prime standalone impulse buys and complementary retail space for years with the sharing bags, products to sandwiches and soft drinks, this has led to some quarters forgetting the using grab towers which can be attached to individual packs. They won’t forget anymore chillers. For more price sensitive outlets price however with the Crispy bacon and Maple marked 40g packs are also available. Syrup flavour now launched. These are an interesting flavour that will appeal to the more adventurous and is a welcome addition to Kettle Chips – Crispy the market. We can see these developing a Bacon and Maple Syrup cult following so make sure you have some stocked at all times.

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Pipers Pipers Crisps are widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading premium crisp brands, and have been celebrated for their great taste, crunchiness and provenance of flavours.

Founder Alex Albone explained: “We also believe that Pipers Crisps represents something a little bit different. We don’t supply the major supermarkets, so our crisps are not seen everywhere; this fact is appreciated by consumers who value our originality and distinctiveness. It also benefits our retailers who can offer a real point of difference at a sensible margin.”

Pipers Crisps have won no less than 22 Gold Great Taste Awards since 2007. And, recently, the readers of Fine Food Digest voted Pipers as Britain’s Best Brand of savoury snack for the third consecutive year, and The Independent decided that Pipers were the highest ranked ‘Posh Crisps’. Just Crisps Award Winning Just Crisps are 100% Pipers – Lye Cross British, their delicious potato crisps are hand Cheddar and Onion cooked, flavoured, bagged and boxed on the farm. Their home grown potatoes are batch cooked in Just Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil, The flavour of these Pipers crisps are superb, they are 35% lower in saturated fat than sunflower oil, some of the best cheese and onion that we’d tried and which is grown, harvested, and filtered on the were the top pick in the range. Using local produce farm in Staffordshire. seems to be a specialism of Pipers and they have got it right again. These crisps will be a great opportunity to In fact, every process happens on the offer a premium version of one of the nations preferred Froggatt’s farm. Just Crisps come in a range flavours. Pipers come with an RRP of around £0.75 of delicious flavours and in 40g and 150g bags.

Just Crisps – Jalapeño producer of savoury snacks, operating in addition to the market and a fresh look at around 30 European countries. the traditional Hula Hoops. Sure to be a With spicy crisps seeing a rise and more and big seller in meal deals and as individual more consumers looking for something with purchases. RRP £0.59 a hint of chilli it’s no surprise that so many McCoy’s – Ridge Cut brands have listened. The team at just crisps Flame Grilled Steak have gone one step further and picked one of the hottest chillies on the market to produce When it comes to the ridge cut crisps, their fiery snack. These are a spice lover’s McCoy’s are the number one brand and of dream, packed with flavour and worth every the samples we tried it had to be the Flame penny of the £0.75 RRP Grilled Steak that came out on top. These are ‘man crisps’ if ever we saw them and café’s across the nation are noticing rising sales. Of KP Snacks the businesses that we spoke to many said KP Snacks is the UK’s number one that McCoy’s were a staple in their snacks manufacturer of nuts and number two section. Excellent crunch, great taste and manufacturer of bagged snacks. They make strong brand could lead to an increase of some of Britain’s most iconic snack brands your sales. RRP £0.79 including McCoy’s, Hula Hoops, KP Nuts, POM-BEAR, Phileas Fogg, Velvet Crunch, Skips, Space Raiders, Discos, Nik Naks, Hula Hoops – Puft Cheese Wheat Crunchies, Royster’s, Brannigans and Frisps. The team behind Hula Hoops have had They also produce many fantastic products a rather aggressive marketing campaign for the UK’s leading retailers. KP are proud that millions of people enjoy their snacks, over the last few months making sure as every day! KP Snacks is also proud to be part many people know about the new Puft of the Intersnack Group, Europe’s leading range as possible. These are a welcome

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Real Crisps Real Crisps – Ham and English Mustard REAL Crisps have bags of crunchy character – just check out the packs and you will see what we mean! Meet their eight-strong gang, each Real crisps with a real good taste, that’s what a personality and a half, including ‘Brian’ or we say about these snacks. The Ham and ‘Bully’ to his friends, a rugged charmer whose Mustard were very popular in the office and beefy burst will blast your taste buds and ticked all the boxes for the sampling. With ‘Sally Vickers’ who will twist your taste buds an RRP of £0.80 many retailers are picking like a helter-skelter with her lip-smacking salt these to add to their countertops. The brand and vinegar flavours. really stands out and with six great flavours to choose from these could be one to watch over the next 12 months.

Burts Chips Burts Chips was one of the first brands on the market to tap into the trend towards high quality ingredients with strong traceability credentials and recognise that if consumers are going to treat themselves they want brands to go above and beyond, as a result they are committed to innovation and taste to drive the premium-end of the market.

After the successful launch of their own range they have added lentil chips as well as chips created in partnership with big brands such as Guinness, Levi Roots and Wychwood Brewery.

Burts – Hobgoblin Spit Roast Steak

Burts Chips have has a long association with partnering up with other companies to create unique flavour combinations. In the past they have teamed up with the likes of Guinness Slabs and Levi Roots but the recent partnership Almost 20 years old, Great Food Affairs Ltd with Hobgoblin Ales is the best. The crisps (GFA for short) specialises in bringing gourmet tastes as described and the flavour of the ale food made in Spain to the UK. Beege Bourne, really came through and partnered will with founder of GFA has been involved in the snack the beefy steak. Burts have an RRP of around food industry for more years than she would £0.95 for 40g and are well worth stocking. care to mention having cut her teeth as a young sales rep for Smiths Crisps back in the early 80’s. Since then,

Beege fulfilled a plan to develop a premium crisp and at start of 2015 SLABS were born, a totally unique crisp, being 4 times thicker and larger than your standard hand cooked crisp, SLABS are a massive hunky chunky potato crisps like no other. SLABS come in 80g bags which, in retail, makes it a very generous single-serve or modest sharing bag.

from slabs of potatoes. A really thick crisp Slabs – Sweet Red Chilli with a really firm bite to them. There is nothing else on the market that we have seen to compare to these and the flavours in the range These without question stand out from the work really well. These could accompany a crowd, the 80g bags are big enough to share hot dish as a garnish or would add texture and in truth are big enough to be considered to a sandwich. A really nice product and our as a meal in their own right. The crisps are favourite was the Sweet Red Chilli flavour huge. As the name suggests these are formed which retails at £1.99 for an 80g bag.

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EDITOR’S Cracked Black Pepper flavour. The core range is available in 150g sharing packs PICK Mackies as well as 40g impulse packs for Food-to- Go. More recently Mackie’s Crisps have Mackie’s Crisps was founded in 2009 as launched a range of Ridge Cut crisps, a joint venture between third generation comprising six additional flavour varieties. Perthshire potato farmers, the Taylor family, and Mackie’s of Scotland Ltd, an Aberdeenshire-based family business Mackies – Haggis & renowned for their luxury ice cream. Cracked Black Pepper Mackie’s Crisps are made in Scotland with the best varieties of crisping potatoes. The If you’re going to have crisps from company take great pride in their unique Scotland then there can be no other gentle cooking method which ensures a choice than to buy the Haggis crisps great crunch, fresh potato taste and dry made by Mackies, these are good, honest texture. snacks, full of flavour and great to eat. The crisps are all pretty uniform in size and The core Mackie’s Crisps range consists really hold their crunch well. The flavours of nine flavours; these include traditional are baked in and they are definitely one flavours, such as Sea Salt and Mature that you would go back to time and time Cheddar & Onion, as well as Scottish again. Repeat customers will snap these Scrubbys Speciality varieties, such as Haggis & up and who can blame them. Scrubbys Gold Star Great Taste Award Winning Crisps have 30% less fat & 18% less calories than standard fried vegetable crisps, they are also UK Approved Gluten Free and Vegan/Vegetarian Friendly.

Scrubbys was born through passion & desire to bring a healthier crisp to market without compromising taste. Scrubbys aim is to continue innovating great tasting, gluten free, healthier for you snacks, building the brand to be recognised and chosen for these reasons. They have 3 new lines launching this month and are currently available in the FreeFrom sections of many retailers.

Tyrrells are proud of their English heritage, Scrubbys – Parsnip Crisps and only use potatoes grown locally in with Chilli and Lime Zing Herefordshire. These potatoes are hand cooked in small batches, thick cut and with the skin on, to deliver a rich flavour and a Parsnip crisps seem to be everywhere at the satisfying crunch. moment and getting these root vegetable The Tyrrells portfolio also includes vegetable treats right can be tricky. Scrubbys have crisps, apple crisps, ‘Furrows’ Crinkle Cut outdone themselves and indeed the rest of Crisps, TorTyrrells Tortillas, Poshcorn, Tyrrells the root vegetable market here. Adding Chilli ‘Alternatives’ and lime to the crisps gives a really fresh flavour and the way they are lightly cooked gives them a really nice bite. These are Tyrrells – Summer Butter suitable to many markets and such is their and Mint versatility they just had to be the Editor’s Pick. For those looking to add something different to their retail space these are a Tyrrells have long been associated with the must. premium crisp market and with a wave of smaller independent companies knocking on their door, they’ve had to up their game. Tyrrells New flavours can take time to perfect and the Butter & Mint that they’ve just released was Since its creation in 2002, Tyrrells has worth it. This is a great crisp with a nice bite grown to become one of the UK’s best and a great flavour. The taste harks back to a loved premium potato crisp brands. Tyrrells simple jacket potato but this is anything but. crisps recently scooped a Queens Award for We can see this being a big seller and with Enterprise, and are the proud holder of over an RRP of just £0.85 for 40g is should fly out 64 gold Great Taste Awards, more than any the door. other premium crisp producer.

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QUICKBITE Fruit Heroes Fruit Heroes – Apple & Raspberry Fruit Bar The team behind Fruit Heroes have dedicated PICK themselves to creating products that have natural and healthy ingredients at their heart, These 20g fruit bars are really versatile, and find their products as an interesting when purchased in retail they can be a great addition to the food-to-go market. lunchbox filler for children and can be used in home baking but the truth is they are a Fruit Heroes fruit bars are a delicious snack, great way to get one of your five a day and which celebrate the fresh flavours and taste fresh thanks to the lack of preservatives. goodness of fruit. They can count as one of The Apple & Raspberry bar was a particular your “five a day”, proving that snacks and favourite and at 20g was a nice portion size. A treats can be sweet and satisfying but also perfect treat to keep hungry kids happy on the part of a balanced diet. go. RRP £0.45 per bar

Created using only the finest ingredients, to offer a unique range, which is full of variety and flavour that’s tempting to all – not Freshers Foods just kids! The bars come in four flavours: Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Banana and Apple & The UK’s increasing appetite for different Raspberry. tastes is reflected in three new flavours of traditional favourite pork scratchings developed by top snack food company Openshaws of Lancashire.

Freshers Foods are rolling out three big new flavours targeting all snack food connoisseurs

The triple whammy of pork is served up under the “Openshaws - Gastro” banner, includes: Black Pudding flavour Pork Scratchings, BBQ Pulled Pork flavour Crackling and Cumberland Sausage flavour Pork Crunch.

Managing Director David, Openshaw who has been in the snack food business for over 40 years is predicting a big and tasty future for this new range.

Freshers Foods – Openshaw’s Black Scott Farms Pudding Scratchings Scott Farms is the largest importer of sweet potatoes into Europe and cooks all its chips here in the UK, so it is able to deliver Like a fry-up in a bag these pork scratchings traceability, provenance and freshness. The are a taste sensation. The earthy taste of the farm, which has been in the Scott family black pudding really comes through and the for over four generations, launched its scratchings are tasty and easy to eat. The eponymous award-winning orange variety of 45g bags are nearly 50% protein and are full sweet potato crisps nationally in the UK last of flavour. These are a welcome addition to year and has already seen strong sales in both the market and offer something different in independent retailers and overseas. the scratching market. The familiar sweetness of the orange variety, when eaten alongside the rich earthy tones of the purple chips and the delicate taste of the little known white variety, create a delicious contrast and eating experience

Scott Farms – Sweet Potato Chips

Sweet potato is really on trend at the moment Chips. These vibrantly coloured sweet potato and with many of the larger crisp companies slices are hand cooked in the skin to lock in keen to focus on vegetable or alternate crisps all of the great taste. For those looking to sell it can be a difficult market to enter. Scott something a little different to their lunch time Farms have really pulled it off however with customers, an RRP of £0.99 for a 40g bag of their Orange, Purple & White Sweet Potato these could be the answer.

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Corkers Made with potatoes unearthed from the rich soil of the fenlands, twice cooked for double enjoyment and naturally flavoured with flair, these quintessentially British crisps are true Corkers.

What makes Corkers crisps so special is the fact they are made from delicious Natural potatoes, grown in the black, peaty fenland soil of Cambridgeshire, which give the crisps a unique crunch and makes them perfect for frying. Not only are the potatoes grown on the family farm but it’s also here that they are hand-cooked.

You can pick your packet from seven bold British flavours, each featuring top quality, all-natural ingredients and cooked in fresh sunflower oil. Look out for classic combinations such as Pork Sausage and English Mustard, along with unique Black Country Snacks offerings such as Duck and Hoisin Sauce. Black Country Snacks, are a manufacturer of Pork Scratchings and Pork Crunch products based in Walsall (The Heart of the Black Corkers – Gressingham Duck Country). and Hoisin Sauce

They have been producing a high quality products within the Black Country for over When it comes to making the most of unusual flavour 30 years and during this time the Pork combinations the Corkers are some of the best in the Scratching has gone from being a local business. These Gressingham Duck and Hoisin Sauce crisps delicacy to a nationwide favourite. were fantastic and taste just as described, the earthy, woody flavour of the duck really came through and these would be a Pork Scratchings are now becoming the very wise product to stock for those retailers looking to offer number 1 snack in public houses across the something slightly different or a little more premium, there is UK, especially with Real Ale taking a more a really nice crunch to these crisps. The 40g bags of Corkers prominent step back in to local pubs. They come with an RRP of £0.80 and are well worth the money for have also found a massive growth in the retail retailers and consumers alike. sector with most now stocking several weight and flavour options. Their range compliments both areas with many now stocking their products. snack pouches began seven years ago, in the local delis and cafes along the South Coast.

Black Country Snacks – These zingy bags pack a mere 50 calories, Alf Turner Dragon’s Fury huge amounts of vitamin E, and are gluten, dairy, wheat and nut free. Also awarded Star K Kosher certification, this means they are These scratchings are the collaboration of suitable for vegans, vegetarians, coeliacs and two great businesses, Black County Snacks, lovers of clean and healthy diets alike! who as the name suggests are from the midlands and Aldershot- based butcher, 100% natural, 0% nonsense. Stone free, liquid Alf Turner. The Dragon’s Fury Crackling is a free and in four fab flavours, these little bags premium chilli flavoured product. The spice ooze a lot of loveliness, fuss free! works really well with the salty taste of the crackling and it’s no surprise that such a good product was snapped up on the hit Oloves – Lemon show Dragon’s Den. You’ll definitely do no and Rosemary wrong if you start selling these! The 50g bags come with the promise to make a donation to Help for Heroes for every bag sold and have These could be some of the best new an RRP of £0.99. products on the market in terms of food to go, the natural, green, pitted olives come in a handy pouch and aren’t greasy to the touch. There are at least 10 in every sachet and it Urban Fruit makes a refreshing change to buying a whole Oloves pot of olives which was previously the case. Made with 100% fruit that’s been hand-picked Currently producing and selling olives in The rosemary was a lovely addition and the in season and gently baked, packs of Urban over 14 international countries, OLOVES lemon flavour really lingered to cut through the Fruit contain no sulphites, sugars or nasty are making waves from their seaside HQ in oil of the olive, really fresh, really tasty. RRP concentrates, making them a delicious and Shoreham-By-Sea. OLOVES’ award winning £0.89 per 30g pouch. nutritious snack.

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they can be found in Marks and Spencer Real Pork Crackling Co and Fortnum and Mason as well as in quick service locations. Stocking these will really Formerly known as Green Top Snacks the add to your sales. Real Pork Crackling Company are now one of Europe’s largest producers of high quality pork scratchings. Starting out in a small The Real Pork Crackling butchers shop, making the snacks for a Co – Pork Crackling local pub it seems scarcely believable that the company now produces 8 tonnes worth of scratchings and crackling every week, There has been much stigma over pork but that is a testament to the quality. The crackling and similar products over the years scratchings are of such a high quality that but there is a trend to making them more of a health food due to their high protein count. These sorts of products regularly feature in fitness magazines alongside beef jerky and a great source of energy. The original pork crackling we tried was crunchy, salty and had an all-round good flavour. It didn’t leave a fatty film in the mouth and is some of the best pork crackling available to the public. Strong branding makes this product stand out and it is sure to be a big seller.

Whitworths The leading manufacturer’s Shot range offers a series of under 100 calories snacks to fill a gap between meals, and its convenient skinny packaging makes each product easy to slip into a handbag, pocket or in a desk drawer. Recently redesigned Easy to find on the high street, and available in to highlight calorie a variety of flavours including ‘Tremendously content for the Tropical’ (Mango, Pineapple, Banana and health-conscious baked Coconut), ‘Magnificent Mango’, consumer, the range ‘Smashing Strawberry’, ‘Perfect Pineapple’, boasts eight varieties, ‘Superberry Blueberry & Blackcurrant’, four of which were ‘Awesome Apple & Pear’, ‘Brilliant Banana’ launched at lunch! and ‘Cheeky Cherry’, there’s something to suit 2014; Fruity Biscuit, every taste. Urban Fruit comes in two sizes; Orange & Chocolate 100g/90g packs that are perfect for sharing or Seed, Berry & White 35g snack packs that are great for munching Chocolate and Toffee on the move. Pecan.

Urban Fruit - Whitworths – Berry and Strawberry Pieces White Chocolate Shot

This 90g pouch is a great way to boost your For those looking to move away from crisps energy and to fill you up. The gently baked and popcorn at lunchtime then it could be fruit retains all of its flavour and the Strawberry worth turning to these excellent products from Pieces were rather tasty. The fruit ticks one Whitworth’s. The ‘Shots’ come in range of of the ‘five-a-day’ boxes and is still juicy and flavours and are ideal for snacking, with a mix succulent whilst easier and cleaner to eat of nuts and fruit they are a tasty addition to on the move. This could be the start of a big lunch and our favourite was the naughty but trend in the food to go market and we really nice Berry and White Chocolate shot. This is like it. RRP £1.00 for 90g. a healthy sweet treat with lots of flavour and with only 92Kcals for 25g and at an RRP of £0.59 there’s a lot going for them.

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Juices, Smoothies & Milkshakes

With the summer now in full swing many in the industry will have noticed a strong transition between the sales of hot beverages to cold drinks

The cold drinks market therefore is a key that orange is by far the most popular are set up to offer these products could area for all operators in the industry to juice variety offered at restaurants, increase your spend per head. target, and making sure that you are up to especially during breakfast. Statistics date with the latest trends is vital. from market analysts Datassential, show When it comes to adding flavour to a It is also important to make sure that you orange juice on the menu at nearly 90% smoothie one of the biggest trends is to have the correct equipment and that you of all food-to-go outlets. This is followed add coconut water or a flavoured milk are stocking the right product lines or by apple (62 percent) and cranberry (34 such as almond milk, this allows for menu ingredients. percent). variety.

Trends But various bottled juice blends can deliver exotic fruits, including kiwi and Without question the biggest trend in the pomegranate, to limited-service menus. drinks market is the rise of healthy drinks and smoothies. The phrase ‘Juicing’ is “There is clearly a trend toward often batted around and it is vital for all more innovative and less common operators in the sector to follow this trend. juice flavors,” says Maeve Webster, Datassential’s director of research. Growth There is a wide range healthy products on in vegetable juices, which are regularly the market and there are many fruit and served at juice bars, is “certainly indicative vegetable juice options. Businesses in the of consumers’ increased interest in UK can also benefit from stocking a range better-for-you options and their increased of flavored waters and low-calorie juice willingness to experiment” with new drinks too. These items lend themselves items, she adds. well to the market and can expand a quick service outlets, The concept of blending fruit, vegetables, beverage menu. nuts, seeds and berries into smoothies In terms of popularity it is not surprising is big business and making sure that you

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Flavours a recent development that sees the yogurt When it comes to flavours, it can be a bit frappe now available in 2kg tins, it’s the difficult to know which stock is the best ideal time to invest in your new staple option for dressing up your menu, there’s menu item without having to worry about a lot of choice out there but which are the fresh stock or allocating fridge space. most versatile and won’t sit on the shelf to go unnoticed. This is where companies When you add yogurt frappé to your such as Sweetbird can help. menu you give your customers more variety. Mixing this frappé powder with Sweetbird Smoothies has eight flavours smoothies, syrups and sauces creates to choose from; Banana, Mango, Mango unique signature drinks for your menu & Passionfruit, Peach, Raspberry & that are flavoursome whichever way you Blackcurrant, Strawberry and Strawberry decide to serve. All you need is ice, milk & Banana. To Make Sweetbird Smoothies and one scoop of Zuma’s Yogurt Frappé is super simple; just pour over ice and powder, blend and you’re done - a creamy blend for consistently smooth and blend of goodness with a tangy edge that delicious smoothies every time- it’s the your customers will love. perfect option for businesses that don’t run a dedicated smoothie operation to Equipment include ice blended drinks on their menu. The 7 flavours can be mixed together to An easy way for cafes and snack bars to create your own unique, signature drinks, capture the health market is to offer pure and that’s’ before you start mixing with fruit or vegetable juice as a menu option. syrups & frappé powders! The taste and the nutritional benefits There are both manual and electronic make it a popular choice. As well as being juicers available. Manual models are ideal The Sweetbird syrup range has 48 a premium product, freshly prepared juice for smaller venues wanting a low cost, different flavours to choose from that are is a particularly good source of vitamins reliable way of beginning to offer juices. perfect for blending with you smoothies and minerals. For bigger establishments, or for catering and frappés; all you need is 2 pumps to with a higher demand, a heavy-duty add to your mixture to make delicious Juicers, blenders and drinks mixers, electric juicer is better. Electric-powered signature drinks for your menu. such as FEM’s Hamilton Beach range, juicers allow operators to quickly extract enable coffee shops to offer a wider the maximum juice from the fruit, with Zuma Yogurt frappés are the go-to range of beverages, such as fresh juices, minimum effort. solution for businesses that want to milkshakes and iced coffees. As well as include ice blended drinks alongside for producing perfect drinks, blenders It is important to purchase a juicer that is their menu items, but also want a tasty can double up to be used to speed up easy to clean and that has acid-resistant alternative from your standard mixes. With food prep. finish to prolong the lifespan of the unit.

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Other important considerations are how much noise the unit makes, how the juice is transported to glasses or containers and if it has safety shut-off switches.

Mark Hogan, marketing and sales manager of Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM) said: “Freshly made smoothies command premium prices and are very popular with the customer who perceives them as healthy options. Many establishments think that making smoothies is a time consuming practice. However with a good quality blender, smoothies can be quickly mixed up and served.”

Ice

For a ready supply of ice, most bars will need an ice machine. If you are crushing ice cubes to use in smoothies or milkshakes, then a specialist ice crusher is the best solution.

The latest back-bar icemakers are designed to produce large amounts of ice without taking up too much space. Many establishments use two types of ice waste. They will almost certainly need Cocktails, shorts and soft drinks all look – cubes for drinks and flake for cocktails, a water filter, too, to protect them from and taste better when served in quality smoothies or food display. In the past this limescale build up. Filters last around six glasses with a generous amount of crystal has meant two ice machines and two ice months and are easy to replace. clear, long-lasting ice. storage bins, but now Hubbard Systems has launched the Ice Duo, a combined All ice machines need to be installed with There are now icemakers that are built to system that links an ice cuber and an ice a drain air gap to ensure that there is no cope with the fluctuating temperatures flaker, in a single, space-saving unit. risk of the ice being contaminated by experienced back bar during a long backed up drains. serving period, their adaptive cycle control Before you fit an ice machine, consider fine tunes the machine functions for best where it will go and what services it will Based on how and where the ice machine performance and top quality ice cubes at need. All ice machines (except very tiny is installed, it may need a pump, often all times. ones) need plumbing in to water and referred to as a condensate pump. This is to pump waste water from the bottom of the machine to the drains – it is essential if the machine is lower than the drain. An easy option with a self-contained ice maker is the Scotsman EC Fit, a machine with a pump built in. If you do chose a machine that needs an external pump, bear in mind that you will also need a second power supply to run it.

Choose models with practical features that make life easier. For example, when it comes to a back bar ice maker with an integral storage bin, you should be looking for half the capacity as storage. In other words, for a machine that makes 40kg of ice per day you should have ice storage for around 20kg. This helps cope with peak demand.

34 | Issue 23 August 2015 Business profile

ÜGOT - Health food cafe The culinary landscape has seen much change over the years and consumers now appear to be taking on the warnings of health experts by making an active decision to purchase healthier foods and lighter lunches

This has had a noticeable effect on healthy, nutritious food to the busy at the lack of decent food eateries on many of those independent businesses public. As a result Ugot was born the high-street, and at times debilitating in the industry but it has also created a and now operates out of two of the gluten intolerance.’ says Joe. few positive opportunities. UK’s busiest railway stations (outside London), York and Newcastle. Here is “Founded by myself and Jamal One such entrepreneur is Joe Carnell their story. Edwards, the master mind behind urban who saw a gap in the market for a music channel SBTV we wanted to open café that prided themselves on serving “Ugot was really born from frustration somewhere that catered for all diets and

Issue 23 August 2015 | 35 Business profile

provided healthy options for the public at all times of the day.

“Our ethos is to, ‘Live Fresh’. This applies to our customers and also to ourselves.

“Obviously we are a healthy eatery so living fresh in that sense comes from eating clean. But for us, ‘Live Fresh’ is simply the way of life we lead. From the clothes we wear to the choices each of us make and the way we treat others for example.

“Ugot’s core mission is to create have seen since opening. who are incredibly passionate. a lifestyle if you will, to set a good Having highlighted the station locations “Whether I work with Yorkshire lasses or example. It’s not for a specific age as the building blocks of the brand Joe Geordie guys, their energy is amazing grouvp; just young minded people.” tells us that there are also ambitious city and we want to take that to the high centre plans in the pipeline. streets.” With an eager eye for an opportunity Joe and Jamal quickly picked out train He said: “We are busting onto the high- Going back to the flagship store in York, stations as the ideal locations for their street, and you’ll find us in the centre of Joe tells us: “Ugot’s first site opened in first sites with high footfall and a real Newcastle and Harrogate by the end of October 2013 at York Railway Station, emphasis on serving quick, convenient October. Its exciting times. service point to Britain’s ‘Most Beautiful and nutritious food-to-go to those that City’. are passing buy. There is also a real “Cities in the North have such an opportunity at sites likes these to build incredible energy, which matches the “We believed this was an ideal site to up repeat business something that they vibe of Ugot as well as all of our staff launch a startup independent business.

36 | Issue 23 August 2015 Business profile

“We stumbled upon a site in York station “We’re only small, our Newcastle station mindset and launching innovate products that previously had stood unused for 10 sits around 15 and York Station 5, but and stores that embody what a fresh years. I approached the station manager the nature of the sites means people only lifestyle is, that’s the plan, so make sure and propositioned that if we could open spend around 3 minutes with us, it’s all you keep your eyes peeled and your in three weeks, could we have it. Luckily food to go.” outlook healthy. for us they agreed and we got to work. Dawn till dusk for three weeks!” The menu at Ugot brings together the teams love of locally-sourced, seasonal From those early mornings and late food, which stays clear of food products nights a really successful café was born high in calories. They believe the best and the second site soon followed, the foods are full of natural goodness and team of 20 dedicated staff in-store and at taste better for it. head office work tirelessly to bring about their ethos and ideas to the public. This ties in with the company mission, where Joe and his team believe food Joe commented: “Our ethos is very has the power to connect people. Ugot much reflected in the walls and furniture treat their suppliers, farmers, employees of our stores. and loyal customers all the same and see them as part of the family. They “As mentioned earlier, live fresh is an celebrate the local food champions and entire ideal and lifestyle. It is reflected the benefits of their produce and say that across all aspects of the company, their biggest supplier is the planet. including our sites. This eco-minded business are currently “I have never been one to over working on 100% recycled packaging complicate things, so our stores are that is compostable too. They believe simple and uncluttered. that a business is only as good as its community, and they like to give back. “The public response has been fantastic, which is always nice, especially when it’s So what next? Well Joe jokes: “world very much suited to my own taste! Any domination” but really expansion and age can enjoy our stores from food to the educating the public of living a clean aesthetics of the place. lifestyle is the aim. Creating the right

Issue 23 August 2015 | 37 Menu ideas

Sandwiches and Wraps When it comes to lunch, sandwiches and wraps still remain the nation’s favourite food-to-go dish

The ease and convenience of these Breads pre-packed bread and analysed bread products is a huge factor and over the Many bakers would argue that it is the consumption in Britain over the past five years the choice has grown. There is bread that makes the sandwich and with years. even a been a swing towards the street that in mind it is really interesting to see food sector with market data showing that the consumer demand for artisan The findings showed that pre-packed that sandwiches, wraps and burritos bread is growing, bread experienced only 2% growth in (22%) top the list of popular street food value terms whereas speciality bread, choices, placing sandwiches as a firm According to a food and drink analysts such as, wraps, bagels and pittas, grew favourite with consumers for their lunch. working with research group Mintel, the strongly by an estimated 8% and 9% latest Bread and Baked Goods report respectively in value terms. Eimear Owens, Country Sales Manager - has seen a rise in the speciality bread UK&Ireland for Santa Maria Foodservice market. Mintel stated it expected the bread and said: “With 81% of consumers choosing baked goods market to grow by around to eat street food or grab-and-go items Heidi Lanschützer who works with the 24% in value terms by 2018, reaching a for lunch, offering street food specials at group said that consumers seek out total of £4.8bn. lunchtime can help operators attract new artisan goods “for the fact that they offer customers. expertise, sensation, a personal touch Operators are using various baking or even an opportunity to express our styles, ingredients, tastes, and textures— “It’s easy to give diners the choice of individuality”. along with assorted sizes and shapes— cuisines and flavours they want by to differentiate themselves from their simply introducing a different street food The report revealed consumers were competitors. Bread trends that quick- inspired sandwich or wrap each day. switching to artisan bread offerings over serve chefs and menu developers are

38 | Issue 23 August 2015 Menu ideas

following, including creating artisan these carriers are filling the sandwich For those looking at serving a hot varieties, using whole and multiple needs of a wide variety of consumers. sandwich then look no further than grains, rolling out healthier products, Meadow Vale’s Chicken Mini Fillet and offering breads derived from other Fillings range. These products have long been cultures. a favourite of the sandwich makers. Chicken is the most featured protein Made from the best part of the breast Heidi added: “Given the maturity of the on sandwiches and wraps, at 83% and these inner fillets deliver on texture, bread and baked goods market, with 80% respectively, according to recent appearance and flavour and are best penetration standing at almost 100% research by Food Genius so it is no served in a baguette or wrap. They are for bread and over 80% for baked surprise that so many companies are however versatile enough for pitta and goods and usage frequency being high, tailoring their products especially for the chunky sliced bread and come in four potential for growth in volume terms is sandwich and food-to-go markets. great flavours, Hot & Spicy, Southern arguably limited. Fried, Battered and Breaded. One such company is Meadow Vale “Value sales, on the other hand, continue Foods who have created a range of As an innovative company and one of the to be fuelled by the rising prices of products and menu ideas to help you leaders in the poultry market, Meadow wheat, which have at least partially make your lunch items stand out. Vale constantly identify market trends been passed on to consumers, as well and look at how they can incorporate as by consumers’ growing interest in They offer a wide range of Cooked Sliced their products. higher-priced bread alternatives, such as Chicken Breast Meat, available in a bagels, wraps and pittas.” variety of flavours including Cajun, Tikka With flatbreads such a big trend at the and Chinese Chicken and all of which moment, one of the most popular menu The analyst said that, over the next 12 are pre-cooked and ready to use. The ideas that Meadow Vale customers have months, Mintel expects value to continue convenience of these allows operators taken on board is using whole chicken to outpace volume growth in the UK the chance to concentrate on serving skewers as a filler. Taking one of the bread and baked goods market. So at busy lunch periods as the work has Meadow Vale Chicken Tikka Skewers whether they’re traditional breads, buns, already been done. and pairing this with lettuce, cucumber tortillas, bagels, pitas, or flatbreads, and mint raita inside a flatbread give

Issue 23 August 2015 | 39 Menu ideas

the customer a great tasting and aesthetically pleasing alternative.

The Chicken Tikka Skewers are pre- marinated with a deep tikka flavour and are fully cooked meaning that all the caterer has to do is heat them straight through from frozen. This can be done in a number of ways and with a variety of appliances including ovens, grills, microwaves, barbecues or fryers. The product can also be thawed and served as a cold menu choice. This convenience and versatility makes them the perfect product for any operator and any size of business.

Other interesting trends in the sandwich market are:

• After chicken, pork is the second most featured protein in sandwiches and wraps.

• Mustard (honey and Dijon varieties) is only the third leading sauce found in sandwiches and wraps.

40 | Issue 23 August 2015 Sliced & Grated Cheese

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[email protected] | www.grhfood.co.uk Issue 23 August 2015 | 41 Menu ideas

• Pita, ciabatta and focaccia bread Jalapeños or add Santa Maria Chipotle the lack of choice when it comes to represent the specialty and flat breads sauce to pulled pork – both fillings are gluten free lunches. At present there most commonly found in sandwiches. great served in a wrap. are very few products on the market that cater for those with the condition Flavours The open sandwich is commonplace in and this leaves a huge potential market Scandinavian countries - and over the untapped. Using spices that you wouldn’t normally past few months, London has become expect to see can help differentiate the latest city to embrace this type of Celebrity chef and Coeliac ambassador, a menu from the competition. Try hot sandwich in cafés, pubs and restaurants. Phil Vickery spoke about the problems brisket with Santa Maria Smoked Think open sandwiches with toppings faced by those with the condition and Paprika and Santa Maria Bourbon such as prawns complemented with said: “There aren’t many gluten free BBQ sauce served in chunky sliced the finest spices, such as Santa Maria sandwiches on the market and the only bread. Or use Santa Maria Paneng Red Wasabi & Sesame, mayo, dill and egg on real choices in terms of snacks are Curry Spice Mix to season prawns and chia black bread. Or add freshly ground crisps and fruit. noodles which work well served in a Santa Maria Tellicherry Black Pepper on wrap. an open salmon sandwich or add it to “This means that there is a growing tomato and mozzarella on sourdough for number of people that are affected by With a simple change of seasoning or open sandwiches that are bursting with menu choices and are ultimately going sauce you can update your menu quickly flavour. elsewhere. and cost-effectively to tap into the demand for Mexican hand-held snacks, Gluten Free “If you can add product to your menu the most popular street food cuisine. and use gluten free flours and breads Try spicing up chicken with Santa Maria One of the common problems that those then there is a substantial revenue Mexican Hot Sauce and adding sliced suffering from Coeliac disease face is stream that can be opened up.”

42 | Issue 23 August 2015 Top 10 Sandwich facts

The sandwich is named after John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who started a craze for eating beef between two slices of toast

Around 12 billion sandwiches are eaten every year in the UK billion12

The British sandwich market bought ‘on the go’ is currently worth £2.8 billion £2.8billion

In the last year 1.69 billion sandwiches were sold ‘on the go’, at an average price of £1.66 £1.66average price

Over 62% of the population buy a 62% sandwich at least once a year

Over 19.7% of sandwiches are bought in work (work canteens and staff shops etc) 19.7%

The most expensive place to buy a sandwich is London - £1.83 versus a national average of £1.66

Wraps account for 4% of total sandwich sales, baguettes for 10%

One third of the market value is accounted for by 25-34 year olds

Over 30% of all sandwiches sold have chicken as a filling and six chicken sandwiches are eaten every second

Issue 23 August 2015 | 43 Design inspirations

Joe’s Southern Kitchen fried chicken with a twist Fried chicken is one of the biggest trends in the UK at the moment and when it comes to the quick service and food-to-go markets making sure that you get it right is key for business success

One such place that is radicalising the by the American South and served up in enables each business to provide its own on-trend dish is Joe’s Southern Kitchen a fun & unpretentious atmosphere, has sort of personality. with their Covent Garden and Kentish been a huge hit with Londoners. Town, locations in London. “In 3 words its fun, dynamic and “With Kentish Town’s growing reputation innovative.” This month we spoke to General as a gastronomic hub, Joe’s Southern Manager of Joe’s Southern Kitchen, Kitchen & Bar has been a welcome How many locations are there? Max Fox-Andrews about the history and addition to this thriving area and offers design of the business as well as their something completely different, we’re “We have 2 locations for Joe’s Southern ethos and plans for the future. becoming very famous for our fried Kitchen - Covent Garden & Kentish Town. chicken in the city.’ Good afternoon Max, so, tell us a little “We are however part of a larger group bit about the business? What is the ethos of the company? (Maxwell’s) but each unit is an individual location with an individual feel, they all “Having launched in Covent Garden “The company has a great family feel cater for very different groups of people on the 4th July 2013, Joe’s Southern from the top to bottom this reflects over and tastes but always with the emphasis Kitchen’s food and cocktails, inspired to our employees in each venue which on quality and value.

44 | Issue 23 August 2015 Design inspirations

“We have 11 sites in total for the group Why did you decide to go with this style What sets you aside from other similar (including Joe’s): Maxwell’s Covent of shop fit for Joe’s? restaurants in your area? Garden, Roadhouse, Sticky Fingers, Maxwell’s Oxford, Cafe de Paris, Pj’s “We felt that at the Kentish Town site “I think our food and service, whilst there Bar and Grill, Palm Court Brasserie, this sort of interior was current with what are other restaurants doing similar things Boulevard Brasserie and Guanabara.” people wanted so we designed it similar no-one seems to be able to provide to Covent Garden but also differently in consistently succulent fried chicken and Where are they based? its own way as we like to think we are a the high standards of service that we brand not a chain.” provide here.” “The majority are concentrated around Covent Garden however we have What has the public response been like How many can you accommodate? restaurants in Kensington, Chelsea, to the design? Oxford and Kentish Town of course! “We have 114 covers (including outside) “The public response has been great I which keeps our staff (77 across two “London is a very dynamic place and it think because we were the first of its kind sites) very busy.” is an area where you can make several in the area and people loved the change different things work, the response to from Kentish Canteen to Joe’s so people How would you describe your menu? all of the restaurants has been great were very excited about us joining the especially here.” neighbourhood especially with a brand “The menu features many of the new interior.” favourites from the original venue, but the main focus is the venue’s signature recipe, Sweet Tea Brined Fried Chicken with Lemon Salt & Tabasco Honey.

“Alongside our signature chicken, the menu includes our famous Beef Short Rib and Southern favourites like Devilled Eggs, Mac ‘n’ Cheese and gooey Corn Spoon Bread.

“Breakfast and brunch will also have a big focus and will feature American breakfast favourites that have been given the Joe’s treatment. As always, Joe’s dishes are designed for sharing with friends, getting your fingers dirty and your face sticky.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 45 Design inspirations

So what’s the most popular dish on the “The key is that we remain a brand and menu then? not a chain so in terms of design we are always willing to look at how best to “Without question it’s the fried chicken, design a place so that we fit in with the we sell around 300 portions a week it community and it’s not hard in such a almost doubles any other dish we sell. diverse city like this. It’s the best chicken in town just not if you’re dieting!” “Whilst we wish to focus all over London I have a feeling that our next It seems like a very exciting time, so venue will be in South London.” what are your plans moving forward? What is your busiest time of the day? “You’re right it is a very exciting period for us and we are looking to constantly “The evening is very busy pretty much grow but never at the expense of our every night, but also our Thursday and ethos or the quality of our food and Friday lunches have started to pick up service. especially on Friday as we do half price fried chicken between Midday and 1pm “We aim to have two further restaurants we call it ‘Fried Chicken Friday’.” by 2016. We are continually looking for new sites to take over which have a Joe’s Southern Kitchen can be found good location and a reasonable rent. at 300 Kentish Town Rd, Kentish Town, London, NW5 2TG

46 | Issue 23 August 2015 Equipment focus

Beverage equipment Ensuring that you have the correct beverage equipment to deal with demand is vital and there are a number of considerations to make. Is the product suitable? Can it cope with demand? Is it versatile enough to make multiple products? How much maintenance does it require? Is it quick and easy to operate?

Issue 23 August 2015 | 47 Equipment focus

Taking these points on board and looking Designed with the individual operator’s to give you the answers you need we outdoor requirements in mind, the range have spent the last few weeks talking is robustly constructed from stainless to industry experts to get their views on steel making it ideal for all events. everything from water boilers to coffee No external electrical connection is machines. required; rather a standard LPG gas cylinder connection ensures complete In the world of quick service, water flexibility and portability at all time. In boilers are becoming an ever more addition the range features a number popular appliance for cafes. Recently of unique, patented features including Glen Dimplex Professional Appliances Burco’s locking tap design, which allows has launched a range of innovative gas the operator to switch from constant powered water boilers which combine to user controlled flow, the boilers are flexibility, portability and consistency for able to handle even the busiest of all outdoor events. events.

The Burco brand has been synonymous For enhanced efficiency and with quality water boilers such as the the utmost in safety, both the iconic tea ‘urn’ for more than 50 years, standard and deluxe models have now, with the economy beginning to producing appliances built on reliability dual wall technology which not only grow, they are starting to buy new again. and consistency in manufacturing. maintains water temperature over a However, the buying criteria have most The new Gas Water Boiler range is longer period but also ensures the definitely changed. If the recession manufactured in the UK has a simple and external surface remains at a cooler did any good at all it was perhaps to sleek design for easy usage and a large temperature if accidentally touched by highlight the high costs involved in capacity available in either the Standard an operator and ensure ease of mobility repairing and maintaining poor quality or Deluxe models. at all times. A safety flame supervision equipment because when it comes device is fitted on both models, while to buying new we are certainly seeing the deluxe model features the more of our customers showing an latest Piezo ignition system interest in whole life costs. In the case and securable feet for fixed of water boilers this means factors such installation so that the operator as warranty length, in-built filtration and can place the product on other features for which they might pay uneven ground or fix to a a little more but which will ultimately stable structure for transportation extend the life of the unit as well as or use. maintaining its operating efficiency.

The upkeep of the Gas Water Indeed, filtration is becoming an Boilers should be maintained to increasingly important part of the ensure that the maximum quality purchasing decision for many of the product is reached. Thanks customers. Many machines now have to their flat interiors, cleaning and built-in filtration but the quality varies. descaling is made easy making For example, there are machines that continued maintenance quick and have filters that need changing after simple. For added peace of mind 3,000 litres whereas the filters on our Burco’s products are built to the machines are good for up to 13,500 highest standards and include a litres. So, although the rival machine three year parts and one year labour might be cheaper to buy, it will get warranty. Backed by the company’s through as many as four filters for every extensive national network of highly one of ours which means that when qualified, experienced service you take into account the cost of the engineers, operators can be sure replacement filter and the labour to fit their products will be ready when it the whole life cost is actually greater. most needed. This is a good reason why the person responsible for the cost of maintaining The recession meant that a lot of the equipment should be involved in the operators have spent the last few purchasing decision. years spending a good deal of money on repairing existing equipment rather Talking of filters and water, we spoke than purchasing a replacement. But to the experts at BRITA Professional.

48 | Issue 23 August 2015 Equipment focus

Water is responsible for 70% of beverage • Select the correct filter - There’s no correctly. This is set to match the machine breakdowns in the UK and ‘one size fits all’ answer to water composition of your water identified affects the look, smell and taste of filtration, which is why we provide a in the test. The bypass will create the coffee, which is why it is so important to range of filters, with varying capacities optimum balance of minerals and level any operator serving hot beverages. and technology. The type and size of carbonate hardness in your filtered of filter you need depends on both water to achieve machine protection Miles Dawson, Sales Director, BRITA the composition of your water and and enhanced taste. Professional, tells us how easy it is to the amount of water that needs to get started and ensure the best water for be filtered. So, we use the water test • Exchanging on time - What’s really your coffee. and estimate your water usage before key to water filtration being effective recommending the right filter. is proper maintenance and exchange Five steps to effective water filtration: of your cartridge. Just having a filter • Installing the filter - The filter itself is installed isn’t enough, you have to • Test your local water - The composition quick to install, so there is minimal exchange it regularly, and on time, to of tap water varies depending on where disruption to your business. Our filters keep coffee at its best and equipment you are in the UK, but all operators will are designed so they can be used both protected. If you don’t look after your benefit from water filtration whatever vertically and horizontally, wherever filter in this way, you risk a damaging type of water you have. Even in soft space permits, meaning they don’t and costly build-up of limescale, water or gypsum areas, BRITA water take up valuable space. And, once in disruption to your business as well filters regulate the composition of your place, our standard filter head means as deterioration in the quality of your water to optimise it for your coffee. So, it only takes seconds to replace the drinks. We work with all our customers before a water filter is installed, our filter cartridge when it’s time for an to help monitor this process so you can engineers use a simple test to identify exchange. concentrate on running your business what’s in your local water which allows and ensure your filter continuously us to understand what filtration solution • Set the bypass - Once installed, the delivers the best quality coffee. you require. bypass on the filter needs to be set

PARRY MORE for less... Fryers, Water Boilers, Merchandisers, Ovens, Griddles, Panini Grills and even the Kitchen Sink.

Find out MORE... parry.co.uk/more4less @ParryCatering #more4less Equipment focus

Aside from tea and water boilers the Lavazza tower easy to use but it is easy other main revenue stream for the to maintain and keep clean. The machine equipment suppliers is coffee machines. within has been programmed to create a These unit come in a range of styles ad great espresso in 28 seconds, and there size to suit all businesses but making are options available that provide a range sure that you have the correct one is vital of coffees, tea, hot chocolate and soup.

Manish Shah, director at eXpresso PLUS It is also important that the machine told QuickBite: “There is a wide range is managed effectively. Keeping the of machines available, from traditional ingredients refilled, a range of drinks bean-to-cup espresso machines that will available, and the machine clean and be operated by a barista to self-serve well-maintained will encourage custom units, which stand alone and can be and prevent machine downtime, which operated easily by the customer. can cause loss of sales and reduced profit. To get the right coffee machine to satisfy demand, operators need to look at the Another company who specialise in this needs of their customers. sector of the market is WMF. Their latest machine, the Espresso, sheds a new light Today customers have a greater on the different types of coffee machine understanding of coffee as a product, available to operators. and therefore their expectations in terms of quality have also changed. Customers The machine upholds the Company’s have come to expect decent coffee on main objectives of producing beautifully the go. The ideal is to partner with a well- designed machines, with a host of known, established hot beverage brand, innovative features, made to a quality so you can instantly attract brand-loyal build, offering enhanced functionality customers who know you will meet their for the operator, in order to deliver expectations. beverages of a consistently high quality.

For operators wanting a self-serve The age-old dilemma of traditional versus option, machines such as eXpresso’s automatic becomes a thing of the past Lavazza self-serve tower unit are ideal. It as the WMF Espresso combines all of houses an automatic bean-to-cup coffee the positive features of both systems machine that produces a quality coffee in a hybrid. The culture & theatre of a consistently high standard, enabling at the push of a button. Not only is the a coffee prepared from a traditional them to enhance sales, whilst also machine, handmade by a trained barista, concentrating on other aspects of their is produced with all of the efficiency, business, no matter who makes the consistency and pace of an automatic coffee.” bean to cup machine, giving operators an alternative choice and the best of The WMF Espresso benefits from both. enhanced software and a colour, touchscreen display making things easier Marcus Gansloser, Managing Director, for the operator, which is key in the high WMF UK Limited said: “WMF has intensity of a busy service period. extensive proficiency in coffee machines as we launched the very first fully Other features include separate brew automatic Espresso machine. Since units for different types of coffee; three then technology has progressed beverage buttons for each brew unit that immensely but our core values remain; can deliver up to 12 modifiable, coffee that of building quality solutions to recipes and the ability to turn off the enhance our customers’ businesses. internal grinder.

“The WMF Espresso combines all of the With all of these features and the emotion and individuality of a traditional ability to deliver up to 300 espressos machine with the functionality and or 240 cappuccinos per hour, the WMF productivity of an automatic bean to Espresso now offers everyone the cup machine so the operator can now prospect of serving handmade coffee, rest assured his or her coffee will be of automatically.

50 | Issue 23 August 2015 How to...

Online and App ordering The food industry is one of the most diverse business sectors in the country and is ever evolving

Issue 23 August 2015 | 51 How to...

The trends that we report in this a day to day basis. can be said for many new start-ups which magazine and that we see on the streets • Create efficiency in the ordering often place digital / technology offerings of the nation reflect this, but it is not just process – this is often one that at the heart of their service. It is the older, the food that changes, technology plays requires a little bit more thought SME’s where there are no in house skills a big part too. in regards to internal processes, and low budgets for investment where it won’t happen by itself! Having the technology lacks. With more and more consumers looking a digital ordering system means What sort of investment is required for either a quick, convenient meal or that you can decrease paperwork to set up a fully functioning and something that can be pre-prepared and data entry in the sale process, interactive website and App? or delivered the use of online and app this frees up employees time while One of the biggest misnomers is that ordering platforms are creeping up. In this having no impact on the customer there is a ‘sort’ of investment when it feature we ask the important questions experience (arguably it improves it). comes to any technology. It is all about as to how the industry is changing and the project, what it entails and how garner key insights from some of the What percentage of businesses strategically important it is. A website can leading businesses in the industry. currently have these technologies? be created on a budget from anything like Amongst large companies, the uptake of £5k to £50k. There is no rule that says We recently caught up with Daniel Childs, digital technology is very high. The same the £50k investment will be better, it’s all from workwear supplier, Tibards who has been conducting research on the area to hear his views.

What are the main benefits of setting up an interactive website or a mobile app? There will be huge variety of benefits from doing this based on the context of any particular business. Some businesses will enjoy all of the benefits from their project, while others will only enjoy a few. It’s all about the project and then benefits only come if it was done right.

The most universal benefits on offer to most projects include;

• Open business up to a wider market – online traffic is far higher than any footfall to a bricks and mortar business. • More control of sales + increased margins – this is most relevant to B2B companies who traditionally sell through distributors or wholesalers. An online presence lets you build up your own customer base who buy lower volume at higher price. • Outward perception of modern business – having a great website shows that you are a modern business and capable of delivering a modern service. Increasingly customers place a huge value on good web presences. • Build loyalty and increase customer retention – Having a mobile application gives you brand space and positioning in your customers life. This increases loyalty and retention as you are around them on

52 | Issue 23 August 2015 How to...

about context and being fit for purpose. like in terms of orders for small do that in house or match the level of

companies? spending. The issues comes down to What is important, is to understand the Return on investment is what people what is going to be offered, while JustEat level of investment will almost always will ultimately look for in any investment, is a perfect one size fits all option, it may be a significant proportion of turnover. but just like any other investment, you not cover everything the business wants A business specifying a £50k website only get out what you put in. If you have to do. This is a situation when you would is likely to turnover far more than one done everything in line with best practice, then look at doing it yourself, even then, needing a £5k website, the level of understood what you want and why it may work out far more cost effective investment however, is substantial to you want it then the returns are likely to to live with the trade-offs and reduce both. be quite high. Equally, any shortcuts or ambition accordingly. mistakes along the way, especially in It’s also important to ask, what will it terms of compromising is also likely to How much ongoing support do cost us if we don’t invest? compromise your return. companies need once they have set up Our overall project of digital their ordering platform? modernisation, efficiency through In terms of the food-to-go industry This will again be linked to the original technology and offering a best in class many retailers use larger ordering level of investment, if you have spent service through e-portals will have cost sites such as JustEat - do they need a lot, it is likely that you have created around £400,000 over the 5 year period. this security at a cost to themselves a system that requires a high level of This is a large investment involving a in terms of profit or should they go ongoing support. For example, a system large project team and multiple external solo with their own online ordering for ordering with trade customers will contractors – it is also a highly important platform? need human set up of new customers, a strategic move in order to ensure the website on the other hand will generally business operates in a modern way. This all depends on the complexity of the see customers set their own accounts up. When that is taken into consideration, the offering being taken on. JustEat performs investment is incredibly good value. so well because there entire operating Equally, new products being added to a expenditure is focused on the success system, optimising the system, improving What are the returns on investment of their digital systems, no business can and expanding the system are all likely

inTouch touch-screen computer systems that really deliver

Use ininTouchTouch to take orders over the telephone; the internet; your takeaway counter and even your restaurant. Be faster, more efficient and market your business more effectively than your competition. Call Integer on 08700161 162798 07667307

167-169 Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester M25 1LB T 08700161 798162 73070766 F 0161 773 3151 E [email protected] integer Offices in Manchester, Scotland and London www.integeruk.com We’re in touch, are you?...

Issue 23 August 2015 | 53 How to...

events. If the business does not have vast sums on promoting themselves our team spent a great deal of time native experience in house, then they will and are therefore very effective at talking to takeaway owners and staff to be paying high fees to agencies. encouraging consumers to place orders. ensure we created an all-encompassing Unfortunately the cost associated with mobile ordering solution to address Almost any level of investment in a digital this business model means they need to these requirements in a single service. system requires an ongoing in house charge a significant percentage on each Appaway have now created hundreds of presence, not just for after the launch, order to recoup their investment. but the management of the development is not something that should be left in “We feel takeaways do need to make unexperienced hands. use of these online ordering services to attract new customers, but should So what have we learned? then be taking control and building As demand for online ordering increases relationships directly by providing their the big challenge facing takeaway owners own ordering system for them to use. today is how to provide this service to customers in a simple, cost effective “Businesses looking to do this by manner. themselves need to consider many things - how to create a digital menu; how to Damian Guy, Managing Director at create a mobile app; how to process Appaway says: “Online ordering has card payments from customers (one of really taken off during the first half of the main reasons customers like to order 2015 and doesn’t show any signs of online); how the orders will be received by slowing down as consumers turn to their the kitchen; how to get customers to start smartphones and tablets for even more using the system; and how to send out convenience. on-going promotions to encourage more frequent ordering. “There are some great services available in the online ordering space who spend “Prior to launching in January 2015

54 | Issue 23 August 2015 Mobile takeaway ordering apps for businesses all over the UK, each one benefiting from this research. ordering “We provide each of our clients with a robust ordering system available as both a website and native mobile ordering app; an online dashboard to receive orders and update content; a fully integrated card processing service; an optional GPRS printer; without the a team of experts on hand to provide guidance on launching and marketing the app; and helpful customer service staff available to lend a hand at any point. All for a modest setup fee bite taken out! and flat rate subscription starting at just £10 per week – most importantly no commission to pay, regardless of the number of orders received.

“Having your own online ordering system should not be seen as an unwanted but unavoidable cost, instead it should be considered an investment in building customer relationships.”

Another company who are performing well in the market are Integer who have been developing and supplying their inTouch software and touch screen epos systems to the fast food “ If just 40% delivery and takeaway sector, and restaurants, since 1994. of customers

For the last 8 years, Integer have offered a fully integrated on- use my app line ordering service with customer orders arriving directly on to I’ll save the epos system. Integer offer a standard yet fully customisable on-line ordering template to which operators can link from their £500-600 in own website. Alternatively, Integer have worked closely with commission some of their customer’s web designers to create seamless every month ” and fully integrated e-commerce baskets. Yones Shamsi – The owner of Operators can update their on-line menu with new dishes, Pizza House Company, Leeds price changes, photos etc. whenever they wish. Customer e-mail addresses are retained and available for marketing. Secure on-line card payment is available via a gateway partner A mobile ordering app exclusively with the facility for customers to store their card details for fast for your business with absolutely no ordering on return. The proceeds of each transaction are paid direct into the operators account – unlike the portals. commission to pay on any order...ever!

All of Integer’s websites are responsive to and fully optimised 3 No commission to pay on any order for mobile devices and smart phones which now account for 3 Flat monthly subscription fee more than 50% of on-line orders. As with mobile ordering from a PC, customers can add or remove toppings, select dips, add 3 Free promotional marketing pack cooking instructions and add delivery instructions. Customers 3 Comprehensive sales dashboard can also use promotional codes and pay for their order by 3 Professional design and setup 0% credit card from their smart phone. 3 Technical and marketing support Commission Integer also develop personalised Apps for their operators for on every 3 Unlimited customer orders both IOS and Android. The App allows customers to see the order location of a store on a map on-screen, check the opening 3 Delivery and collection options hours, touch the screen to call or e-mail the store, visit the 3 Push notification marketing website, and keep up to date with the menu and special offers. 3 Payment by cash, card or PayPal As Geoff Whittle of Integer says “We see the percentage of on-line orders which originate from smart phones and tablets increase every month. An App builds an identity on-line, Call us on 01423 437005 strengthens a brand, provides a gateway to e-commerce between a business and its customers, and cements their loyalty”.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 55 Property

Our property pages highlight Property businesses for sale, nationwide!

Thriving & Highly Profitable Fish & Chip Shop This well established and highly profitable fish and chip shop occupying a much sought after city centre trading location with increasing levels of trade is now being offered for sale by licensed and leisure property specialists, Stonesmith, of Exeter. With favourable overheads and the prospect of new college and office developments close by predicted to increase trade levels still further, The Clock Tower Fish Bar offers incoming operators a thriving and well regarded high quality fish and chip shop and takeaway which has benefited from considerable investment and expenditure by our clients during their 3 years of ownership. The purpose equipped premises occupy part of a character building and prominent landmark position in a vibrant city centre trading location, provides an exceptional operating environment, and boasts an established highly regarded reputation. The business does not currently have a website and there is undoubted potential to increase and extend the levels of trade by advertising and marketing, making particular use of social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Exeter is the regional capital of the South West and as such, is a popular tourist destination year round. Renowned for its historic Cathedral, University and waterside developments, Exeter boasts excellent transport communications with 2 mainline rail links to London, an International Airport and easy access to the M5 motorway at Junction 30. Stonesmith are now offering the leasehold interest of The Clock Tower Fish Bar for sale at £165,000. Full details can be viewed on Stonesmith’s website www.stonesmith.co.uk. Viewings and enquiries can be made by calling us on 012392 201262.

High Quality Cafe/Delicatessen The Black Olive is a very well organised business, located in the attractive up market town of Horbury in Wakefield. The business is well established and in a town full of good quality independents and plenty of car parking. The business trades 6 days only with no evening opening. This is a well known destination for good quality local food especially wines, cheeses etc. There is an adjoining cafe area seating 22 and with scope for further development into an intimate bistro. The premises hold an off licence. This business is currently run under partial management so this is ideal for a hands on working owner who can develop the business further and capitalise on the current vendors previous work in establishing this business as one of the best local cafes in the area. New lease terms available with sensible rental. Extremely competitively priced at £35,000. Originally offered at £64,950. Available through Clifford Lax with AWG Business Transfer. Tel: 0113 2390330/01924 368200. www.awgbusinesstransfer.co.uk or www.clifford-lax.co.uk.

Fashionable Lock-up Coffee Shop City Centre, Winchester. Occupying a prominent corner site with a long main NEW INSTR road frontage. Air conditioned ground floor seats 32, lower ground floor seats UCTION 44 and pavement seating for 24. Easily manageable menu. Current turnover £4,000 p.w. GP 65%. Open congenial hours 8.30am - 6.00pm and 10am - 4pm Sunday. Council lease from March 2014 @ current rental of £32,000 p.a.x. - £75,000 + S.A.V. Tel: 01794 522228 e-mail: [email protected] website: www.andrewgreenwood.com

56 | Issue 23 August 2015 Property

UNDER 60k

SUPERB COFFEE SHOP & BISTRO South Yorkshire

Type: A traditional Coffee Shop & Cafe seating 32 with external seating for 12

Price: Leasehold £54,950 Details: www.clifford-lax.co.uk

UNDER 320k

Freehold Fish & Chip Shop Oldham, Greater Manchester

Type: Long Established Business Located Within Dense Residential Area

Guide Price: £319,950 + SAV Details: www.sovereignbt.co.uk

under 20k

Popular Sandwich Bar Staffordshire

Type: Prime positioned sandwich bar with 5* hygiene rating & vast scope to increase T/O

Guide Price: £19,950 +SAV Details: www.sovereignbt.co.uk

NEW under under INSTRUCTION 100k 80k

Coastal Coffee Shop LOCK-UP FISH & CHIPS TAKE AWAY MODERN CAFE/COFFEE HOUSE (24 + 8) Sidmouth, Devon Southampton Hockley, Essex

Type: High Quality Daytime Only Coffee Shop Type: with 56 cover licensed restaurant Type: Busy daytime trading cafe/coffee house in Prime Trading Location. in this affluent commuter town

Price: £95,000 Price: OIRO £100,000 + S.A.V. Price: £75,000 Leasehold Details: www.stonesmith.co.uk Details: www.andrewgreenwood.com Details: www.bradleyscountrywide.co.uk

Issue 23 August 2015 | 57 Waste Management

Waste Management Putting Waste Management at the Top of the Food Chain

With an estimated 76,000 tonnes of first step in reducing the potential for food – a key indicator of disposal cost – for food waste produced every year in the being wasted. Without these measures in establishments with this type of offering, fast food sector, many operators in place, over ordering is likely, leading to the are often double, or even triple those seen the industry are increasingly focused disposal of food before it is even opened in other types of food service businesses. on reducing their food wastage and and used. disposing of it in a more effective, Waste management processes environmentally-friendly way. Portion control is another important consideration. Most of the food waste Following the implementation of effective Recently QuickBite spoke to Martin we collect from clients is actually created stock and portion controls, the next area Mayhew, Head of Corporate Accounts at by the customer in the form of leftovers. of focus needs to be putting processes the leading waste management services Good portion control is a difficult and services in place to successfully provider, Biffa, to outline how businesses balancing act, but it’s key to reducing capture the waste that is produced. can improve food waste management waste. It’s a particular issue in buffet- performance. type restaurants where the customers Kitchens are busy places with maximum themselves control their portions and space set aside for preparation and Keeping tabs on quantity are encouraged to return time and again cooking and minimal space for capturing for refills. waste – usually one or two containers Ensuring effective stock level controls are set aside for all waste, whether it’s and a robust food ordering process is the The average food waste container weight recyclable or not.

58 | Issue 23 August 2015 Waste Management

To avoid food waste being sent to landfill – internal and external – as well as food waste and instead sent for recycling to an educating staff to prevent contamination disposal, such Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant, it needs and poor segregation. as dehydrators to be segregated from all other waste. (to reduce the Anaerobic Digestion is a treatment Making waste management part of volume produced) process for organic, biodegradable your staff induction process, ensuring and composting material, including waste food. The adequate signage is in place and equipment, which process utilises naturally occurring keeping your teams abreast of their can provide a source microorganisms already present in the performance are all key as increasing of free fertiliser for waste to break it down in the absence volumes of food waste are now being sites’ gardens. of oxygen over a three week period, sent to AD, reducing the volumes of producing a fibrous ‘digestate’, similar waste sent to landfill. As the government to compost, and a methane rich ‘biogas’ and industry used for the generation of renewable Green credentials associations continue energy. their mission to improve the industry’s Naturally, all segregated food that is sent green credentials and businesses The process will only work effectively if to AD will count towards landfill diversion become more aware of the need for the food waste is separated from other statistics, which will not only improve effective waste management, a thorough waste, such as packaging and napkins, your green credentials, but will also help review of food quantity controls and and this requires additional to keep waste management costs under waste management processes enables containers control through avoidance of landfill tax. companies to have a much clearer insight into the steps they can take to It’s also worth considering play their part and ensure less food other options for waste is sent to landfill.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 59 Accountancy

Landlords – How to pay less tax on your buy-to-let properties

Could your buy-to-let property be more tax-efficient? Are you claiming back all of the allowable expenses? Here is our guide of what is allowable and what isn’t which will help you to keep your dreaded tax bill to a minimum.

Fees if you are using a Letting agent Capital Expenses against rents received for permanent Let’s start with the expenses you works such as extensions that have If you use an agent to let and manage can’t claim for. These fall mainly in enhanced the value of the property at the property, you will typically pay 10- the category of Capital Expenses. the date of sale, although these can be 15% in fees. All of this can be claimed For example, the purchase price of claimed for capital gains tax purposes. back against your tax. On a property the property, conveyancing fees and with rent of £1000 per month, this is estate agent fees can’t be claimed for. So, what exactly can you claim for? £150 per month or £1800 per annum You also can’t claim for improvements you can claim as an expense.

60 | Issue 23 August 2015 Accountancy

Your costs to find tenants if you are not or furniture within it. For example, etc. – all of which can be claimed back using a letting agent repairing the microwave, fridge, oven, against tax. This is also relevant when painting and decorating, cleaning the property is empty. Any costs associated with finding a carpets and the services of a gardener tenant. For example, advertising, legal are all claimable. Note, you can clean Insurance documents, credit checks, obtaining the carpet and claim but if you replaced references, can all be claimed against the carpet, this will come under Landlords require landlord insurance tax. improvements. which covers liability, buildings, loss of rent amongst other things. This is an Interest if you have a mortgage on the allowable expense. property “Any costs associated Other direct costs Every penny of interest you pay on your mortgage can be used to offset with finding a Any phone calls, travel to your property, your tax bill. It is wise to keep your postage, stationery that are related to property mortgaged for this very reason tenant. For example, renting your property are allowable. In otherwise you will miss out on this big fact, if you use an accountant to do tax break. For example, if the price of advertising, legal your tax return, their fees are also tax the buy-to-let property is £200,000 and deductible! At McPhersons, our best you take on a repayment mortgage for documents, credit advice is to keep all your receipts so we this amount over 25 years, your total can prove all the expenses are genuine! payments will be £1,055 repayment plus checks, obtaining £667 interest. The £667 can be offset against your tax. For an interest only references, can all be mortgage, the whole amount can be Need more help? offset. Many landlords take this option with a longer term view that the housing claimed against tax.” market will rise. Assuming the property is let out Mortgage fees furnished, you can claim a ‘wear and tear’ allowance of 10% of rent per Although the costs associated with annum. This can be claimed without buying the property weren’t allowable, HMRC requiring any proof. any arrangement fees or mortgage broker fees are tax deductible in that Leasehold-related costs year. Service charges, ground rent and General upkeep, repairs and similar charges paid to a freeholder are maintenance allowable expenses. As long as it doesn’t fall under the Bills paid on behalf of the tenant renovations, extensions restriction, you can claim any reasonable expense As a landlord, you can opt to pay for a relating to the upkeep of the property tenant’s council tax, water, electricity McPhersons Chartered Accountants and McPhersons Financial Solutions are offering businesses free advice, so get in touch now to arrange your meeting. Simply email Peter Watters [email protected] or call our head office on 01424 730000 for a free consultation at mcphersons’ London, Bexhill or Hastings offices. www.mcphersons.co.uk.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 61 Legal

Tips about Tips Payment of tips and gratuities in the restaurant industry is perhaps more common than in any other sector.

These are spontaneous amounts paid If tips and gratuities are paid to “collecting box”.) Whether these sums voluntarily by the customer. Set out #2 you as the employer and you in are classified as remuneration or not will below are some pointers on dealing with turn pay them over to your employees depend on the specific circumstances of these sums from an employment law (for example, if a tip is added to a credit the arrangements. perspective: card payment or you collect all such sums in and then account for them at a Whether tips and gratuities If a tip or gratuity is paid directly later time), this is likely to count as part #4 are treated as remuneration #1 to your employee by the customer, of their remuneration. or not can be important for a number it will not usually count as part of their of reasons, from the calculation of remuneration for employment law If such sums are instead pooled redundancy and maternity pay to purposes as it is the property of the #3 together and then distributed out Employment Tribunal compensation in employee. However, this is likely to only by someone other than the employer the event of a successful claim. be applicable to cash tips and gratuities (say, the Head Waiter), the arrangement as other payments methods (such as is likely to be considered as a “tronc” debit card payments) are unlikely to be and the person who runs it is called the Since 2009, tips and gratuities directly received by the employee. “troncmaster”. (This term is derived from #5 should not form part of your the French phrase for “poor box” or calculations for the purposes of ensuring

62 | Issue 23 August 2015 Legal

Need more help?

Katee Dias is a senior solicitor in you meet your national minimum wage There are complicated rules on Goodman Derrick’s employment team obligations. By way of a reminder, the #7 whether income tax and national advising on all aspects of contentious current hourly rates are £6.50 for those insurance contributions must be paid on and non-contentious employment aged 21 or over, £5.13 for those who are tips and gratuities. The tax treatment is law, from recruitment to the end of 18 to 20 and £3.79 for 16 and 17 year usually determined by reference to how employment relationship. She has acted for clients in the hospitality and leisure olds. These rates will rise in October. the sums are actually received by the sector for many years. Katee has been employee. Your accountant or tax adviser recognised as an “Associate to Watch” Whether tips and gratuities need should be able to advise you further by Chambers & Partners Guide to #6 to be taken into account for the about this. the Legal Profession and as a “Super purposes of calculating holiday pay Lawyer” by The Telegraph. Goodman Derrick is a leading commercial law firm will depend on whether the sums are It is sensible to ensure that your in the City of London. remuneration or not. As you may recall, #8 employees understand exactly there has been a lot of recent case law how the distribution system works within Katee Dias developments in the area of holiday pay your organisation. This can often help Senior Solicitor but the basic rule is that holiday pay avoid disputes arising in the first place. Goodman Derrick LLP 020 7404 0606 should reflect the normal remuneration The best way to do this is by way of a that the individual would have received written communication to each of the had they been at work. employees, ideally at the outset of the employment relationship.

Issue 23 August 2015 | 63 What’s new We take a look at some of the latest products available!

Company: A Turner & Sons Product: Dragon’s Egg EGGS Contact: www.alfturner.com SNACKS Company: Serious Pig Product: Snacking Salami This premium Scotch Egg has a Contact: www.seriouspig.london taste like no other and is set to put a modern twist on the classic Scotch Egg. For those Serious about a nibble! Authentic salami prepared from the finest British Pork and a careful blend of herbs and They use their Award spices. Currently available in two delicious winning Best of British flavours, Serious Pig can be enjoyed as a Sausage meat and then add spontaneous snack anytime, anywhere. the Dragons Blood Hot Chilli Equally enjoyed as a pit stop in a busy sauce produced by Chilli pepper schedule or unwinding at your local, the Pete ltd to create a unique taste honesty and quality of their salami truly pays homage to the craft of charcuterie. experience for Chilli lovers.

Sauces Company: Brakes Product: Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce www.brake.co.uk Contact: HOT DRINKS Brakes has launched Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce, an authentic Company: Peanut Hottie Asian sauce, which has been tipped as the hot new trend in Product: Peanut Butter Drink the casual dining sector. Contact: peanuthottie.com/uk Widely seen in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, it is traditionally used as a dipping sauce or as accompaniment to seafood, Peanut Hottie is an amazingly delicious and but in western kitchens it is being increasingly used to turn moreish peanut butter flavour instant hot up the temperature of casual dining favourites, such as beverage. topped chips and burgers. Getting your peanut butter fix just became a whole lot easier. Just add boiling water to make Peanut Hottie, at home, at work, on the go, anywhere and everywhere…

Company: LEC Product: Pizza Prep Counter Made with real peanuts the drink is caffeine REFRIGERATION Contact: www.glendimplex.com free, suitable for vegetarians, and has no artificial additives or colours and is under 100 calories per cup. The Pizza Prep Counter range combines the practicality of undercounter refrigerated storage with a durable granite work surface and flexible ¼ Gastronorm refrigerated ingredient trays to ensure all round efficiency in a busy kitchen environment. Available in both a two or three door format and featuring a standard 700mm depth, operators are able to select their appliance to suit the specific needs of their establishment.

Furthering the flexibility of the unit, the Pizza Prep Counter features 1/1 Gastronorm refrigerated storage and a 5, 8 or 10 ¼ Gastronorm topping unit included as standard. With a -2°c - +8°c operating temperature controlled via a digital temperature display and self-closing doors to minimise temperature loss, the appliances in the range prove versatile as well as practical.

64 | Issue 23 August 2015 Company: Catering Equipment Ltd CONTAINERS Product: Stainless Steel Containers Contact: www.clickonstore.co.uk FRUIT BARS Company: Get Fruity Catering Equipment Ltd in Birmingham in collaboration with their manufacturing colleagues in Product: Baked Fruit Bars Italy has a world first in an identification system, which follows HACCP standards for 304 stainless Contact: www.getfruitybar.co.uk steel. Mark Prestage the managing Director said, that customers have been asking for some years for a fool proof, permanent identification system, so we have gone one better with a removable colour coded polymer knob. Fruity Bars come in three fabulously moist and juicy flavours. Apricot, Orange and Ginger, Moist Mixed Berry and Scrumptious Strawberry. All Furthermore customers can write any further details on the knob for instance the date with a of their bars are Gluten Free, vegan, and the water based marker. Finally the polymer handles can withstand a temperatures of up to 200deg sweetness comes only from fruit and fruit juices C. Markers can be changed from lid to lid and are removable for washing. meaning they don’t add any nasty preservatives, artificial colours or sweeteners.

DIPS Company: Atkins & Potts Product: Inspired Dips Contact: www.atkinsandpotts.co.uk

Atkins & Potts have launched a new range of Inspired Dips. Perfect for dipping crisps and other snacks they will be available from the start of August. The new flavours were available to try at IFE and the Deli & Farm Shop Show and received great feedback about the range and flavours available. PORRIDGE Company: Stoats The range of ambient dips come in Product: Grab-and-go porridge four flavours: Chipotle Chilli & Garlic, Contact: www.eatstoats.com Caesar & Chive, Classic Salsa, Jalapeño Chilli. Trade price £10.26 (case of 6), RRP £2.45. A unique blend of quick-cook Scottish oats in handy porridge pots perfect for the grab-and-go market. Simply add hot water and you are away with a nutritious, healthy breakfast. Available in 60g pots and three great flavours: Apple & Cinnamon, Classic Scottish and Cranberry & COLD DRINKS Blueberry. Company: Just Bee Drinks Product: Honey flavoured water Contact: www.justbeedrinks.co.uk

Just Bee is a refreshing spring water drink infused with honey and other natural things. No refined sugar or artificial sweeteners, they only use pure natural honey to sweeten their drinks.

• 100% natural • Hydrating and refreshing • Natural energy replenishment • Less than 50 calories!

Want to see your new product or See your piece of equipment in What’s New? product here! Then call 0333 003 0499

Issue 23 August 2015 | 65 Dates for your diary

Discover what exciting events and exhibitions are taking Diary dates place over the coming months for the foodservice industry

The definitive event for showcasing artisan food and Here you’ll also find the Speciality Chocolate Fair Speciality & drink to high quality trade buyers, the Speciality & – the only event in the UK dedicated to fine quality Fine Food Fair Fine food Fair allows you to meet delis, farm shops, chocolate and a unique opportunity to taste and independent retailers, restaurants, hotels, caterers and source the very best suppliers and chocolate products wholesalers who are all looking to source fine food. from a wide range of chocolatiers and producers. Location 6th-8th Olympia, London There are many different areas at the Show including The Show will take place at Olympia, London on: September the Fine Food Forum – a live demonstration kitchen 2015 Sunday 6th September: 10:00 - 17:30 focusing on practical advice and tips from some of the industry’s most experienced chefs and personalities Monday 7th September: 09:30 - 17:00 to help keep you up-to-date with the industry’s Tuesday 8th September: 09:30 - 17:00 current trends and the Small Business Forum where you can benefit from the experiences and advice of Find out more by visiting small business owners and experts to overcome the www.specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk numerous hurdles an SME faces.

lunch! is frequently cited by food-to-go retailers and Theatre, Innovation Challenge Awards, Innovation lunch! buyers as their key annual event for discovering Challenge Showcase, and the British Smoothie innovative new ideas and concepts and, as such, Championships. has enjoyed significant year-on-year increases in both attendees and exhibitors (37% and 42% “lunch! just gets bigger and better each year,” says respectively in 2013 alone). Andrew Rose, head of purchasing at Caffѐ Nero. “It has a great mix of suppliers covering a range of Location lunch! 2015 will feature around 300 exhibiting categories, enabling me to keep up with trends and 24th-25th Business Design Centre, companies showcasing a wealth of new food innovation within the industry.” September London 2015 and drink products, packaging, equipment and technologies. The 2015 exhibitor list is available to To register for a free trade pass, visit view and search at www.lunchshow.co.uk. www.eventdata.co.uk/Visitor/Lunch. aspx?TrackingCode=PR Show features include the Working lunch! Keynote

The event is designed to give you all the tools seven theatres that cover new food technology, Takeaway Expo you need to grow and to develop your takeaway, marketing, maximising your output, new food and whether that is franchising your restaurant, adding menu ideas as well as the Keynote Theatre an automated online ordering system or re-branding yourself to move to the top of the food chain. 120 Exhibitors The Show aims to bring you the widest range of Location You’ll be able to talk shop with peers and suppliers, products and services from leading lights in the 29th-30th Excel, London hone your business skills and take away a wealth of catering and business world. With everything from September free expert advice on everything from Murgh Masala shop front signage to online ordering systems, to 2015 to e-marketing. food wholesalers; to help you find the perfect way to diversify your business. Takeaway Innovation Expo 2015 will include the following: Keynote theatre Hear from some of the UK’s leading experts in Workshops business and catering as they impart their skills, Their series of ‘How To...’ workshops aim to give you knowledge and expertise on how you can improve the inside track on how to grow your takeaway; find your takeaway, as well as speakers from catering out from the experts exactly what will be involved offering some fascinating insights into the food and how to make it work for you. service industry.

85 Free seminars Find out more and to order your free ticket, visit These seminars are run by some of the foremost www.takeawayexpo.co.uk. experts in the food industry; they’ll be speaking from

Chips and Potato Products - Potatoes are Coffee Shops and Tea Rooms - A look at such a versatile product and this feature will why this area of foodservice remains popular aim to look at what’s available for foodservice, and continues to grow. Aims to give tips and In the including the obvious – chips! Aims to give advice on how to make the most of your ideas and inspiration to uplift your menu offering if your business is in this area. The Dairy Products - We take a closer look at feature will also focus on how best to attract next issue the dairy products market and discuss the customers and what new products options available to the foodservice industry, are available to make you stand out from from cheese to milk we’ve got it covered the crowd

66 | Issue 23 August 2015 29 & 30 SEPTEMBER 2015 ExCeL, LONDON

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24-25 September 2015 Business Design Centre | London Everyone loves lunch! Your essential trade show for food-to-go “lunch! 2014 was a terrific event, not only a great opportunity to catch up with current suppliers but to meet some really exciting new suppliers bringing great innovation to the industry.”

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

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68 | Issue 23 August 2015