Grab & Go

Costa Coffee sales surpass the £2 billion mark as Whitbread profits grow 11%

30th Apr 2013 - 16:32

Group revenue was up 14% to £2.03 billion and pre-tax profits up 11% to £357 million. The Hotels and Restaurants division made a profit of £313 million, largely driven by Premier Inn and the success of London’s Olympic and Paralympic Games last summer. Whitbread’s flagship brand Costa announced profits surpassing £90 million up a staggering 29% and the popular coffee chain is on course to double its sales to £2 billion by 2018.

Lunch Business Grab & Go Awards 2013 – now open for entries

30th Apr 2013 - 15:05

The awards, now in its second year, comprise 13 carefully selected categories, which are as follows: Best Coffee Experience Best Independent Outlet Best Lunchtime Menu Best Tea Experience Contract Catering Grab & Go concept CSR Award Group Area Manager of the Year Group Operator of the Year Group Outlet Manager of the Year Independent Manager of the Year Innovation Award Marketing Award Special Achievement Awards

Monin revamps website

30th Apr 2013 - 09:05

The site offers inspiration, great tips and colourful imagery, and contains a complete list of Monin products, recipes, techniques, the latest Monin news, information on the company and where to find Monin around the world. James Coston, Monin UK brand ambassador, said: “The new website really is a one-stop shop for drinks professionals. It will keep them updated with all the latest trends and innovations and introduce them to Monin products they haven’t necessarily tried before.

Nestlé campaigns for chefs to use better ingredients in burgers

30th Apr 2013 - 08:44

The Maggi Real Chefs campaign will try to engage new chefs through a Facebook page, which will encourage them to develop creative and interesting recipes around the current season’s food trends.

Pret a Manger owner ready to swoop for restaurant chain Côte

29th Apr 2013 - 15:37

Cote, which has experienced years of rapid growth, has been on the market since Autumn 2012.

Want the world’s tastiest fast feast? Head for the Story Deli in London...

29th Apr 2013 - 12:04

Story Deli in London’s east end took on competition from all over the world including Tokyo, Rome and Manhattan to win, not only the pizza category, but the headline award of the night.

Unilever Food Solutions recruits new sales director

29th Apr 2013 - 09:07

McLoughlin, who previously worked as Unilever Food Solutions’ global account director for contract caterer Compass, brings a wealth of customer development experience to the role. Tracey Rogers, managing director at Unilever Food Solutions, said: “Damian joins us with a strong background in contract negotiation. He’s an expert in building successful customer relationships, and will be instrumental in driving success across both our independent and chains business as we look to look to hit our global 2015 targets.”

Coffee tastes better with BRITA, finds new survey

25th Apr 2013 - 10:19

A staggering 8 out of 10 consumers prefer coffee made with BRITA filtered water. In a blind taste test study conducted at Lavazza Coffee, London by independent insight specialists Mindlab International, participants were given two Lavazza coffee’s to taste, one made with BRITA filtered water and the other with tap water. The participants were asked to rate each drink on flavour and taste and were wired up to EDA (electrodermal activity) sensory tests, which measured their emotional responses to the different drinks.

Mövenpick Ice Cream launches guide to increasing dessert sales

25th Apr 2013 - 09:05

As 80% of restaurant orders continue to exclude dessert, Swiss ice-cream brand Mövenpick has launched a new guide to reversing this trend by creating eye-catching dishes that will make customers si

UK’s ethnic restaurants and takeaways lose 123 million visits in just three years

24th Apr 2013 - 12:15

During the same time period, sales of spicy foods in supermarkets have soared suggesting that consumers are craving ethnic flavours but are no longer flocking to their local curry house for a fix.<