Grab & Go

This is an increase of 6.4 million servings to 63.7 million for the whole year.  Brownies came a close second, growing 10.9% with a total of 54.6 million servings for the year. And chocolate bars topped the league table of the favourite snack food items away from home. Nearly 1 in 14 snacks consisted of a chocolate bar, with 245 million servings sold during the year.

Following on from the bad weather at Christmas, many across the UK have been suffering due to the adverse conditions, including flooding, heavy rain and high winds. The Hospitality Action is urging all those across the industry who have been personally affected to contact them for assistance.

In his new role, Merrick will be responsible for developing the success of the company’s leading portfolio of brands including Bonnet, MBM, ELRO and Wolf. Merrick has joined Hobart from Manitowoc Foodservice, a manufacturer and supplier of professional kitchen equipment, where he was sales director, responsible for UK, Ireland and Scandinavia.  

Research commissioned by Taylors of Harrogate delves into the habits of the 84% of the UK population who regularly consume tea. 63% of the population said that they would purchase tea out-of-home if it was available on menus. Crucially, a further 46% said they would pay more for a cup of Yorkshire Tea, giving operators an easy way to satisfy the demand for a proper brew out-of-home and profit in the process.    

Stu Baker, Chip Week campaign manager for Potato Council, said: “It’s only a short while before chip celebrations begin, so now is the time to put your preparations in place. The Week offers the ideal opportunity to make chips the star of a specials board and increase sales - after all, no menu is complete without a chip offering!  

This regulation introduces a number of label information changes, most of which are straightforward. However, a primary requirement is to clearly indicate, within the ingredients list, any substances which are classed as food allergens and this can mean a considerable amount of work to modify existing labelling methods.

A new A-Z glossary of food terms, preparation and cooking techniques has been added to the website. The product pages have also been reworked and new photography has been added to the dedicated media section. Essential Cuisine managing director, Nigel Crane, said: “We pride ourselves on being chefs first and businesspeople second, which is why we wanted to compile and share some of the knowledge and expertise that makes the Essential Cuisine team the unique institution it is.

The scheme, which has been gradually rolling out since April 2013, has already attracted big names in the industry, with Whitbread PLC the latest signatory, seeing the owner of Costa Coffee and Premier Inn join the likes of Red Carnation Hotels, CH & Co, Ed’s Easy Diners, Calcot Manor and the Vineyard at Stockcross, amongst others.