News and Trends

  bakeryinfo.co.uk Bertinet Bakery has unveiled what it claims to be a category first in the form of ‘fresher for longer’ artisan sliced sourdough loaves. Its six-strong range has been reformulated to offer a softer, ‘sandwich-friendly’ texture that has a shelf life of five days without the need for additives or shelf-life-enhancing preservatives. The sourdoughs – available in seeded, white and malted wheat variants – have been crafted using what Bertinet Bakery describes as ‘revolutionary new bakery methods’ using just flour, water, sea salt and seeds. The loaves take between 10 and 12 hours to make from starter to oven. The bakery told British Baker it has combined “age-old baking methods with ground-breaking scientific research” to create the loaves, studying the interaction between the yeast and PH levels at different temperatures within the fermentation of the sourdough. “Through lots of trial and error we have found the optimum balance of all the elements in the ferment...

  www.bakeryandsnacks.com According to The Good Food Group, brands are guaranteed to get their product into the hands of at least 30 buyers via the monthly subscription service. Pic: The Good Food Group The Buyer’s Discovery Club is designed to help brands gain exposure, while giving buyers the advantage to find the next big in-store listing. Each month, the Good Food Group curates a new box that champions the five best new finds from the hundreds reviewed, matching them with the ideal buyer for their category. “We’re delighted to have launched the Buyer’s Discovery Club; it works on a subscription basis so that brands have the opportunity to put their products into the right buyers’ hands every month,” ​ said Ross Carlin, MD of The Good Food Group, who’s track record includes working with the fast-growing brand Skinny Food Co, as well as the established MuscleFood, among others. “Our team of well-connected experts works closely with buyers to understand exactly the type of product...

  www.talkingretail.com Unitas Wholesale has formed a new partnership with online shopping platform Appy Shop. Unitas Wholesale members and retailers now have the ability to link up with the Appy Shop platform, enabling their stores to offer a home delivery and or click-and-collect service. Steve Hodson, Unitas Wholesale trading controller, said: “As customer behaviour continues to change particularly in light of the pandemic, providing stores with the technology to offer these types of services to their customers is vital in the convenience channel and also to create a differential versus local competition.” James Widdowson, group sales and marketing director at Appy Shop, added: “Appy Shop has enjoyed incredible growth over the past 12 months, and we have started 2021 in a fantastic position. This new partnership will aid our reach to even more retailers and will help us to continue to build on our successes from last year.” ...

  https://www.rpbi-openings.co.uk/  24 March 2021 On 7th April Padstow is to welcome a brand-new speciality coffee shop in a prime site in the middle of the harbourside town. Working with Cornish-born coffee roasters Origin Coffee, the Rick Stein Coffee Shop marks the arrival of the first speciality coffee shop in the area. Spearheaded by Charlie Stein – director of drinks across all Rick Stein restaurants – the launch aims to bring Cornwall some of the very best, ethically-sourced coffee from the Certified B Corporation roastery, and its global producer partners. Housed in the former Rick Stein Patisserie, the building has undergone a complete redesign by the family-owned restaurant group’s Directors of Design, Jill and Ed Stein. A mason and carpenter by trade, Ed Stein has built a stained wood service bar with bespoke zinc countertop – complementing exposed brick walls and the modern, paired-back style of the shop. Wooden benches sit in the shop’s windowfront overlooking the...

https://www.rpbi-openings.co.uk/  24 March 2021 Nottingham-based coffee roasters 200 Degrees Coffee has announced that its 12th coffee shop will open in The Hybrid Building, Mosley Street, Manchester towards the end of May. The 80-seat shop will be on the expansive ground floor of this new office development just off St Peter’s Square, next door to the Art Gallery, and will create 15 new full time and part time jobs. 200 Degrees director, Tom Vincent, sees this as part of the coffee roaster’s rapid return to growth post-Covid. He said: “It may seem a bit strange to open a coffee shop in a city full of great coffee shops at a time like this but we hope our independent feel and relaxed, comfortable style will add something memorable to the city. We’re also keen to show off our own hand roasted coffee and tempt people with our freshly made sandwiches and vegan brownies. “We’ve wanted to bring 200 Degrees to Manchester for many years and have finally found the perfect location – we’re ...

https://www.rpbi-openings.co.uk/  25 March 2021 D’Acqua in Sunderland has been taken over by Christopher Spence, the owner of Emily’s Table in the city, to reopen as a fine dining restaurant. Subject to contracts exchanging he will transform it into an upscale dining experience, called Undisclosed. Located on St. John’s Street, Undisclosed is hoping to launch on the 17th May following the recent government announcements. The renovation cost around £10,000, and Christopher will be looking to hire experienced kitchen hands, waiting staff and cocktail bartenders to work when the restaurant opens in May. Chef Patron, Christopher, was inspired by the hidden bars he visited during his time in Australia. He wanted to bring the speakeasy influence to Undisclosed, which is why there will be little outside branding to give the restaurant an exclusive feel. Located in the basement of the building, the restaurant will feature a gastronomy menu and molecular cocktails. Christopher opened Emily’...

https://www.rpbi-openings.co.uk/ 25 March 2021 UK hotel chain Daish’s Holidays has reported bumper bookings for spring staycations from May 17 – a 495 percent increase on the same period in 2019. Daish’s has analysed data from March 1 to March 22 and stated that the majority of bookings made in this peak period were for June 2021 holidays, when the government hopes to lift all social distancing restrictions – a 699 percent increase compared to bookings made in the same period for June 2019. Paul Harper, Sales and Marketing Director at Daish’s Holidays, explained: “Spring and summer bookings have rapidly increased since January and it is evident that people feel reassured holidays on home soil can go ahead this year.” Autumn and winter bookings are also on the rise compared to 2019, with October to December breaks receiving an average 418 percent increase during this same period in March. Paul added: “It is reassuring to see that the influx of bookings are not just being made for summer...

https://www.rpbi-openings.co.uk/ 29 March 2021 Radisson Hotel Group is to open a Radisson Red at London Gatwick airport. Set to open in Q3 2021, the creative hotel will offer 185 contemporary designed guest rooms, a bistro style restaurant and bar, a well-equipped fitness room, as well as social meeting spaces in bold design waiting to kickstart the fun. Adela Cristea, Vice President, Head of Business Development UK & Ireland, Radisson Hotel Group, said: “We are very excited to strengthen our presence in the region with another Radisson RED property, bringing our UK & Ireland portfolio to 65 hotels and 15,000 rooms open and under development. We are grateful for the ongoing collaboration with Axcel Group, and we are very much looking forward to welcoming guests to this fun, upscale hotel at one of the most important airports in the UK.” Designed to create memorable stays, the fresh, upscale Radisson RED hotel will offer both business and leisure guests the best starting point t...

  https://www.rpbi-openings.co.uk/ 29 March 2021 Hilton London Metropole, the largest Hilton outside of the US, is undergoing a multimillion-pound refurbishment that will radically transform and upgrade the guest experience. The renovation is due to be completed by summer 2021 and will provide visitors with a completely new and upgraded stay. No element of the hotel will be left unchanged. The 1,096 guestrooms and suites have undergone a striking transformation, designed with a contemporary and bold aesthetic that reflects different London boroughs. The venue’s four restaurants and bars will be relaunched with new drinking and dining concepts, including an all-day British brasserie, serving locally sourced ingredients, and a new suitably relaxed market-style dining outlet, that celebrates London’s street food scene. The refurbishment will also see the opening of a state-of-the-art 200sqm (2,153sqf) fitness studio. Extensive renovations are being made to the hotel’s 35 event spaces ...

British Baker.co.uk By  Amy North 29 March 2021 Save article Source: Bridor French bakery manufacturer Bridor has unveiled a protein-rich bread called Legumi. The bread features a mix of lentils, beans and dried peas to create what the company describes as a ‘flavoursome and nutritional baguette’. Its ‘unique’ taste comes from a blend of T65 wheat flour, chickpea and green lentil flours, as well as the whole red lentils and touch of T65 wheat sourdough. Its topped with durum wheat flour which gives it ‘added texture and a crispy finish’. Legumi is available in two sizes – half baguettes which weigh 140g and bâtard loaves which weigh 300g. The two sizes, Bridor added, means it is suitable for a variety of occasions including on-the-go, at home consumption and eating out. “Pulses appeal to the healthy consumer as they have a low-fat content and are packed with vegetable protein and fibre, as well as vitamins and minerals, such as iron, zinc, folate, and magnesium. Bridor’s new baguet...

  Namnews, 29th March 2021 At its virtual conference at the end of last week, Nisa Retail revealed it was investing £2m in cutting wholesale prices so that its retailers (partners) can remain competitive. The move will result in price reductions on branded as well as Co-op own-label products as part of the group’s new ‘Fresh Thinking’ proposition aimed at helping retailers meet changing shopper habits. The investment includes cuts in the wholesale price of Co-op chicken fillets, baked beans, and flour. Nisa stated that the reductions will not only support partner margin on individual product lines, but will increase bottom line POR. The investment in branded items includes Lucozade, KitKat, and Cathedral City Cheese, with the symbol group saying this will enable its retailers to stay competitive in an evolving market. Alongside the investment in price, Nisa revealed that it was planning significant promotional activity and new product development for this year to adapt to changing ...

  Namnews, 29th March 2021 Asda is reported to have been reducing prices and the size of its product range in recent weeks as it steps up its fight against the discounters ahead of the Issa brothers and TDR Capital taking full control of the business in the coming months. According to The Telegraph, the chain has been cutting the prices of some ranges such as desserts and baking products with industry sources saying further reductions will follow. It added that some product ranges are due to be pared back by as much a quarter. Before it was sold by Walmart, Asda  told suppliers last year  that it wanted to reduce its product range and focus more heavily on its everyday low prices (EDLP) strategy to help it win back shoppers from Aldi and Lidl. Amid a tough economic backdrop for consumers, the new owners are said to want to step up the focus on low prices. One Asda supplier told The Telegraph it was braced for extra price cuts as they expected the Issas to “try to save som...

Namnews, 23rd March 2021 Year-end figures from McColl’s confirm it benefitted from strong demand in the convenience sector during the pandemic, although profits took a hit as consumers shifted their spending to lower margin products. Over the 53-week period ended 29 November, the group’s total revenue rose only 3.2% to £1.26bn due to divestments and closures as part of its store optimisation programme. However, like-for-like sales jumped 12% driven by strong performance in the alcohol, fresh food and tobacco categories. However, gross margins fell from 25.9% to 23.9% as customers moved away from impulse products and food-to-go items to lower margin take-home products, as well as multi-buys and value items. McColl’s also said it made a strategic investment in price in key product areas to build loyalty with new and existing shoppers. The lower gross profit, a reduced contribution from services, and extra costs related to operating the business during the pandemic led to McColl’s adjuste...

 Namnews,  25th March 2021 Costco looks set to continue its gradual expansion around the world by entering Sweden next year. Local press reports revealed that the US warehouse club operator had exchanged contracts with property firm Trophi for a 13,000 sq. m. unit at Arninge station in Täby, north of Stockholm. The opening is expected in autumn 2022. The move was later confirmed by Trophi and a spokesperson for Costco, who said: “Costco is very happy to be able to offer our concept with membership to Täby and the wider market in the entire Stockholm region in the near future. We will offer consumers a wide range of quality products and services at low prices.” Costco has entered several new markets in recent years, including France and Iceland in 2017, and China in 2019. However, despite a positive response to the initial openings, the group takes a cautious approach to its expansion programme with all three markets still only having one warehouse. Costco currently operates 80...

  Namnews, 25th March 2021 Catering giant Compass is expecting to serve up better margins in its second quarter as it continues to trim costs to cope with the impact on revenues from the closure of schools, offices, and sporting venues. The British firm had a tough 2020 as the pandemic-related lockdowns around the world curtailed demand for its services. The group’s pre-tax profits plummeted 75.5% to £427m over the year to 30 September, with revenue down 18.5% to £20.2bn. To soften the blow, Compass has cut jobs and managed costs by reducing suppliers and the number of products it buys. The company said today: “We are controlling the controllable by managing our costs, adapting our operations and resizing our business.” In a trading update ahead of its half-year results due in May, the group revealed that margins in its second quarter to 31 March were on track to increase to around 4%, compared with 2.7% in the previous quarter. The revenue decline also eased slightly between the t...

by Tom Fender, Development Director,  TWC 24th March 2021 Those of us who have visited Amazon’s new Fresh store in Ealing (it has now also opened a  second store  near Wembley) have been impressed by the technology. Some have commented on the fact that the ‘just walk out’ concept reduces the number of jobs. However, I believe the number of staff deployed in these stores is significantly higher than the average 2.2k sq. ft. store – they’re just deployed ‘front of house’ in customer service roles rather than on the tills. At a time when Nasa has put a probe on Mars, it does make you wonder why we still patiently (or impatiently) queue up to pay for things in stores. Literally hundreds of customer research studies over many years have consistently shown that the biggest customer frustration when shopping (or in hospitality venues) is the paying part. Why wouldn’t technology make lives easier in this department, when technology makes so many other things easier? And foodservi...