News and Trends

19 January 2023  by   Katherine Price Hospitality group Accor has launched its latest brand, Handwritten Collection, with 12 signings already secured. The group said it had more than 110 leads globally to join the brand, which it described as "charming bespoke hotels that offer an intimate and stylish hospitality experience". Handwritten Collection properties opening over the coming months will include Hotel Shanghai Sheshan Oriental in China; Le Saint Gervais Hotel & Spa and Le Splendid Hotel Lac d'Annecy (pictured) in France; and Wonil Hotel Perth and Hotel Morris in Sydney, both in Australia. Additional hotels will include Hotel Les Capitouls Toulouse Centre, Paris Montmartre Sacré Coeur and Square Lodge Hotel La Roche sur Yon in France; Oru Hub hotel in Tallinn, Estonia; Sunrise Premium Resort in Hoi An, Vietnam; as well as properties in Bucharest, Romania and Madrid, Spain. A spokesperson for Accor said they were unable to confirm any plans for the UK but that it...

 Namnews,  30th January 2023 Centra, the convenience chain in Ireland owned by Musgrave, has announced a €23m investment in its store expansion programme. The investment will see the opening of 18 new stores and the revamp of 35 existing sites during 2023. Centra’s expansion is in addition to the €25m spent last year, which included the refresh of 33 outlets across its estate. The retailer’s sales in 2022 hit €1.98bn for the first time from 167 million consumer transactions. The company noted that Centra’s brand has demonstrated strong resilience in the face of the ever-increasing economic challenges, which has resulted in a 17% increase in sales compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The lifting of Covid-19 restrictions last year and workers returning to offices in urban locations helped boost demand for Centra’s convenience offering with its on-the-go breakfast and lunch options increasing sales by 13% on 2021. Lunchtime deli sales alone increased by almost 11% (10.9%) com...

2022 saw record   Veganuary   numbers, with over 629,000 sign ups across 228 countries and territories via the   official Veganuary website . In our most recent research into  plant-based shoppers on ShopperVista , we found that the proportion of plant-based shoppers is stabilising, with the future of plant-based looking more flexitarian and vegans remaining a small minority. Despite stabilising numbers of shoppers, increased social pressure from consumers for brands to have more environmentally-friendly menu items has still resulted in a number of food-to-go and eating out establishments participating in Veganuary this year. Here are eight of our favourites so far in 2023: 1. The Breakfast Club: a 100% vegan site for January The Breakfast Club’s Berwick Street site has gone fully vegan and vegetarian this month. The ‘No Meat on Berwick Street’ campaign is running in partnership with plant-based brands La Vie and Redefine Meat. While the other sites will continue to ...

Namnews, 5th January 2023 Aldi has revealed that it plans to invest £35m in Scotland during 2023, including spending £10m to open two new stores in Cumbernauld and Coatbridge. The supermarket has also committed an additional £5m to upgrade its existing stores under its ‘Project Fresh’ initiative. The new layout offers increased space for the retailer’s Scottish range, including fresh meat and fish, bread and cakes, and beers and spirits, as well as an improved food-to-go section. The format has been created to make shopping easier for customers with increased space and clearer signage. In addition, the retailer will invest £20m to prepare for the roll-out of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme, which is due to launch in August. Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director at Aldi Scotland, said: “As we look to the New Year, our growth plan continues to be realised, with more stores and further investment in Scotland to reach more customers than ever before.” Aldi currently has 104 stores ...

 Namnews,  5th January 2023 Tesco has started rolling out digital advertising screens across its stores as part of a drive to increase revenues from its Retail Media proposition. According to trade publication The Grocer, Tesco is planning to have connected displays installed in 150 stores by March this year. The screens can feature animated content and visuals which contribute to in-store campaigns and product launches, alongside traditional point-of-sale activity. The roll-out of the displays follows the success of a trial last summer. They are part of Tesco’s Media & Insights Platform, which was unveiled in November 2021. At a supplier event  last month , the retailer and its data science unit dunnhumby launched new onsite and in-store media channels, announced a new self-serve capability, and confirmed several partnerships expanding the offsite channels available through the Platform. Speaking at the event, Nick Ashley, Tesco MD, dunnhumby, said: “Retail media giv...

 Namnews,  6th January 2023 Fusion and multi-ethnic foods, sustainability awareness, wellbeing and nutrition, good value dining, and spicy soups are set to be key food trends for the year ahead, according to Tasneem Alonzo, joint Managing Director at Lähde by EHL Ingredients. Here, she looks at the incoming trends for the year and shares her predictions on the foods and flavours we can expect to see during 2023. Multi-ethnic meals With so many British households, families, and friendship groups coming from diverse countries and cultures, we’re seeing a real melting pot of fusion foods emerge, especially within food markets, street food stalls and trucks, pop ups, and informal dining outlets. Think tikka tacos, sriracha hot dogs, harissa frittatas, cheeseburger pierogies – fun fusions of multiple cuisines in one dish. We’ve seen Afro-tacos, jollof rice with burritos, tabil sprinkled on pizzas, melekesha on flatbreads, and curried scotch eggs to name a few multi-ethnic dishes bu...

As we look ahead to the next 12 months, at the forefront of our thinking has been the inflationary backdrop in most major markets. This has driven a significant increase in production costs and retail prices. Meanwhile the collective actions of central banks have increased borrowing costs, pressurising businesses and consumers. This has led to an intense focus on driving out costs, improving efficiencies and delivering value to consumers in new ways. While many of the initiatives are reactionary, they are helping retailers to reset the cost base and develop go-to-market models for the future. Alongside this, retailers continue to progress multi-year initiatives centred on health and wellness, sustainability and digitisation. Progress in these areas is incremental but will drive significant long-term change in the shape of our industry. To help suppliers and retailers navigate these changes and plan for the year ahead we have published our predictions for global retail trends in 2023 an...

 rpbi-openings.co.uk,  06 January 2023 Parent company Sixco Limited, which runs 13 sites in the UK and Ireland, will open four new UK restaurants, as well as new bar and bakery ventures early 2023. Plans have also been drawn up for international expansion, with potential to launch in Dubai towards the end of the year. The Six by Nico brand was founded in Finnieston, Scotland in 2017 and offers six-course themed tasting menus for £44 in London and £37 outside the capital. It now employs over 500 people and serves over 10,000 people a week, the company said.   Sixco's portfolio includes nine restaurants under the Six by Nico brand and the Beat6, CheateauX and 111 by Modou sites in Glasgow. Simeone said: "We're really confident that, despite the economic headwinds, our high-value and high-experience restaurants will continue to excite our customers into the new year and beyond."

Source: Getty Images Industrial action aside, the UK travel market has recovered fairly well following the pandemic, something that has been good news for Upper Crust and Millies operator SSP. 2022 was an exceptional year for the travel food business, according to chair Mike Clasper, with turnover up 162% to £2.2bn as it bounced back from the restrictions forced on the industry by Covid-19. Recovery was even stronger in the UK division, with revenue up 224% year-on-year to £614.9m, although sales averaged only 73% of 2019 levels. SSP made a reported operating profit of £27.7m, versus a £57.4m loss the previous year. The company’s annual report revealed key opportunities and trends that will be relevant not only to SSP but other baked goods retailers and suppliers. Here we pick five of them:   Menus: Healthier and sustainable food is driving development SSP is developing menus to offer healthier and more sustainable options. The company explained that by the end of 2022, 33% of meal...

What consumers are seeking from their snacks. Pic: Polyudova_Yulia In 2019, 34% of consumers admitted to seeking out an indulgent treat, and this blossomed to more than half the population (54%) in 2021. However, although consumers were more likely to admit to caving into a moment of indulgence in 2019, within three years, 10% of them were actually seeking out snacks as a means to support their health . This again demonstrates how consumers are prioritising health, said Emily Ann Smith, content and editorial executive for FMCG Gurus – meaning that any bakery or snack product maker still not ready to jump onto that bandwagon is bound to miss a trick. “This presents the influences of the pandemic on snacking and how people perceive products, with an increase in the number of consumers looking toward better-for-you products that contribute to their health in the long-term,” said Smith. Consumer attitude Pic: GettyImages The pandemic was pivotal in bringing personal health sharply back int...

Source: Pret A Manger Pret A Manger has unveiled low-priced sandwiches and a January meal deal targeted at consumers hit by the cost-of-living crisis. Following a trial last summer, the chain is expanding its Made Simple value range to include eight freshly made sandwiches priced from £2.99 in the majority of shops. The Made Simple Granary Sandwich range comprises Ham & Cheese, Egg Mayo, Tuna & Cucumber, Mature Cheddar & Pickle, BLT, Chicken Salad, Ham Salad, Houmous & Veg. Pret is also running a deal on its baguettes during January, with products including Chicken Caesar & Bacon, Pole & Line Caught Tuna and Posh Cheddar & Pickle available for £5 with a packet of crisps or popcorn. The new menu is available from 10 January. “At Pret, we’re committed to continuously innovating our menu in response to customers’ needs,” said interim UK managing director Guy Meakin. “With the cost-of-living crisis impacting people across the country, this year we wanted to intr...

Veganuary is celebrating its 10-year anniversary and bakers are happy to cater for the occasion with a host of sweet and savoury vegan-friendly baked goods. Here are 10 bakery launches for Veganuary 2023: Source: Patisserie Valerie Lotus Biscoff Cake, Patisserie Valerie Patisserie Valerie has embraced the trend for Lotus Biscoff flavoured delights with its latest plant-based cake. The cake, which is available in 12 and 14 portion sizes (from £34.95), consists of three layers of Patisserie Valerie’s plant-based vanilla sponge filled with layers of Lotus Biscoff crunch and ‘crunchy cream’. It’s finished with cream flavoured with the spiced biscuit and topped with a drip design and buttercream swirls. The business has also introduced a vegan chocolate cake which has three layers of chocolate sponge with hand-piped chocolate plant-based cream. Source: Crosstown Rhubarb & Jasmine Doughnut, Crosstown This Veganuary is set to be Crosstown’s biggest yet as the doughnut specialist unveils t...