News and Trends

  www.hot-dinners.com Finding unused alfresco space in the centre of London isn't an easy ask - but the folk at The Wigmore on Regent Street have managed just that. The gastropub, which is part of the five start The Langham London hotel, has not only found some alfresco space, they've found ALL the alfresco space. Cunningly, they've connected the pubs terrace with the hotel’s courtyard garden area to form one large dining area, all covered with vines and hanging baskets. Here'll you'll be able to order from the outdoor bar - how about a Château La Gordonne Provence Rosé jeroboam or ice-cold Froze will be served from a retro slushie machine. Michel Roux Jr. is responsible for The Wigmore's food, including the summer terrace, which will feature their ever-popular Masala spiced scotch egg and new dishes like buttered lobster roll, served with buttermilk onion rings.   More about The Wigmore Summer Terrace & Garden Where is it? 15 Langham Pl, Marylebone, Londo...

  bakeryinfo.co.uk Student and fourth generation baker at family-owned Signature Flatbreads James Eid has unveiled a ‘wonky’ bread subscription service. Eid, who is studying at Lancaster University, will distribute bread and baked goods which would otherwise have been disposed of during the production process due to its appearance, size or overproduction. He has started by utilising the ‘wonky’ baked goods from the family firm, which was set up by his grandfather Dr Samir Eid in 1984 , with plans to partner with local independent bakeries across the UK as his customer base expands. Customers who subscribe to the Earth & Wheat service on a weekly or bi-weekly basis will pay £6.99 per box, including delivery. The 2.5kg box contains a week’s worth of bread for a family of three or four, with contents including crumpets, sourdough crumpets, tortillas, wholemeal tortillas, butter-flavoured tortillas, pittas, wholemeal pitta, focaccia, scotch pancakes and buttermilk pancakes. Fo...

 

 www.thegrocer.co.uk It’s been a year since the UK first entered a national lockdown as the coronavirus pandemic swept across Britain. So as the country looks forward to a gradual reopening of the economy following what has been an extraordinary and transformative 12 months for grocery, what are the lasting impacts of the restrictions – and the pandemic – on Britain’s eating and shopping habits? The age of experimentation With hospitality forced to close its doors through multiple lockdowns, Brits have been cooking and eating more meals at home over the past year. Households across the UK are now having 136 million more meals together at home each week than they were prior to the pandemic, according to Premier Food’s recently published  Kitchen Cooking Index . In a bid to keep things interesting, shoppers have been experimenting with a greater repertoire of dishes and flavours. One third of households have added a dish to their weekly evening meal rout...

Namnews, 26th March 2021 The new report launched by McKinsey & Company and EuroCommerce examines the long term-trends and effects of the pandemic on the European grocery industry. With government restrictions impacting shopping patterns and accelerating the shift to online, the Disruption and Uncertainty – State of Grocery Retail 2021 study, based on both a CEO survey and consumer research, identified four key trends that will shape the industry over the next years. These are based on the areas consumers intend to spend more money on and what CEOs see as the key industry-shaping trends, with the majority expecting an increased focus on adjusting to shoppers who want variety, value and online. Lifestyle agendas drives food demand.  Different consumer groups have increasingly different demands that they expect grocers to fulfil. In addition to the demand for organic and local/regional products, consumers are calling for a wider range of ‘he...

 Namnews,  26th March 2021 A new study has evidenced that retailers can feel confident that they can stock and sell healthy (low sugar, low calorie) products – and still grow their businesses. That’s the findings from the Bestway Good Food Wholesale Initiative launched by Bestway Wholesale, in partnership with the charity Impact on Urban Health, undertaken by consultancy Rice Marketing, and supported by the FWD. The project sits alongside the Government’s current health agenda with the aim to reduce childhood obesity by influencing consumer shopping behaviours. Results from the study published in a report released today show that small and simple changes can have a significant impact on purchasing power, and ultimately on health and wellbeing of the nation. Piloting the study out of its Croydon Depot, Bestway Wholesale developed and marketed a Healthier Options range, ensuring strong availability of those products whilst making changes to its pricing and promotional activity, ...

Namnews, 26th March 2021 Asda is reportedly developing its first loyalty scheme that would offer customers savings on their grocery shopping. The supermarket already has an online scheme called George Rewards, which enables shoppers to collect points on homeware and clothing that can be used to unlock discounts. According to The Sun newspaper, Asda is planning to trial a wider reward scheme covering all groceries later this year. A source is quoted as saying: “It would be a move welcomed by customers. Other supermarket giants have loyalty card schemes and it allows shoppers to rack up savings throughout the year. “Asda is already very competitively priced and this way money will go even further for hardworking families.” Both Tesco and Sainsbury’s have revamped their loyalty schemes in the last couple of years to make them more relevant to current shopping trends and support their fight against the discounters. Tesco recently stated that its Clubcard Prices promotion has proved popular...