Welcome to Rise & Shine
With Christmas in less than a week, we can imagine how busy you are. Hopefully getting all the hospitality news you need to know about in one place will help a bit. Don’t forget, if you do have any spare time, to contact our News Editor, Carolyn Moss, at news@breadandbutter.media or call her on 01305 897172 if you have any news you’d like to share. Follow us on Twitter @BreadButterNews for updates.
Wishing you a merry Christmas and happy new year from everyone here at Bread & Butter Media. We’ll see you in 2017, bright and early for our first Rise & Shine of the year on the 9th January.
Robin Alway
Group Editor
INDUSTRY NEWS
First Westquay Watermark restaurants open in Southampton
The £85 million leisure-led development next to Westquay shopping centre in Southampton has just served its first meals. Now the UK’s largest restaurant and leisure complex, it has attracted over 20 restaurants to the city including Franco Manca, Cau, Byron and Red Dog Saloon.
Owners Hammerson marked the opening with a weekend of festivities in the Esplande, a city plaza area that will host over 100 events and activities throughout the year.
Robin Dobson, Director of Retail Development at Hammerson commented: “Westquay Watermark is a stunning development and one that is particularly significant for Hammerson being its first solely leisure focused scheme to be delivered. Creating a new destination for Southampton that brings an entirely new dining and entertainment offer, it is great to see the first of the restaurants opening and we look forward welcoming many more.”
Councillor Simon Letts, Leader of Southampton City Council, added: “This extension to Westquay is one of seven Very Important Projects (VIPs), which are taking place as part of the ongoing City Centre Masterplan, so it is fantastic to see one of these projects coming to fruition.
“The Council’s strong ongoing relationship with Hammerson is underlined by this important milestone, which is key to continuing growth in the city. The new dining and leisure offering boosts the local economy and also creates hundreds of new jobs, helping us to deliver our promise of making Southampton a ‘city of opportunity, where everyone thrives’.”
St Austell Brewery buys film-featured hotel
The Pier House Hotel, a grade II-listed Cornish hotel that has featured in films, including The Eagle Has Landed, has been acquired by St Austell Brewery.
The 27 bedroom, 115-cover restaurant hotel with attached pub is located on the waterfront of Charlestown, a world-heritage status port.
The price of the deal has not been disclosed but it is thought to be one of the brewery’s highest value purchases ever for a single site in its 165 year history.
They bought it from the Morcom family who had run the business for 25 years. David Williams from estate agents Foot Anstey told Insider Media: “With the Morcom family looking to step out of the hospitality sector it was a win-win situation for them to have an eager buyer based less than two miles away who would keep the site as a hotel, restaurant and pub guaranteeing continuity for the hotel’s 50+ staff and loyal customer base.“
St Austell Brewery chief executive James Staughton said: “It’s no secret that the Pier House has long been on our wishlist. It is a remarkable building in a unique setting and the Morcom family has done an amazing job maintaining it at such a high standard for so many years.
Josh Eggleton opens second fish and chip shop in Bristol
The Michelin-starred chef is opening a second Salt & Malt in the city next year at Wapping Wharf, the new retail hub constructed from shipping containers.
The second phase of the development, Cargo 2, will have 49 containers and open in early 2017. It will be adjacent to Cargo 1, where Eggleton’s Chicken Shed is located.
As well as Salt & Malt’s signature gluten-free fish and chips, Cargo 2 will host tapas restaurant Gambas, Greek street food outlet The Athenian, Bristol’s first dedicated salt beef bar, The Pickled Brisket and CUPP Bubble tea, specialising in Taiwanese bubble tea and noodles.
Eggleton told The Caterer: “We’ve been thinking about a second Salt & Malt for a while now, but it was all about the right location. It was always important that any other Salt & Malt locations would be by the water, it needed to have that waterfront, and community vibe and Cargo 2 is the perfect spot for that.”
Head chef at Bournemouth hotel of the year hangs up his apron
After 30 years in the kitchen, Marsham Court Hotel head chef Tony Shepard is retiring. The hotel recently won the Large Hotel of the Year at the Bournemouth Tourism Awards.
Tony grew up on the Isle of Wight, trained at college in Portsmouth and worked at Winchester’s Wessex Hotel, the De Vere-owned Royal Bath Hotel and at the Four Seasons in Vancouver before taking over at the De Vere-owned Marsham Court.
He said: “It will certainly be strange not to come into the hotel every morning. I’ve been walking up Russell-Cotes Road every morning for over three decades. But it’s time to pass the apron to someone else and enjoy my retirement.”
Wood fired cook book a hot pick for Christmas
The trend for wood fired oven cooked food shows no signs of burning out or cooling off. Experts in everything wood fired, David and Holly Jones of Manna from Devon Cooking School have released their second wood fired oven cookbook just in time for Christmas.
“Wood Fired Flatbreads and Pancakes” features new recipes for everything from American pancakes to Yorkshire puddings.
Holly comments on the launch of the second book: “With more restaurants, food vans and hotels choosing to cook with fire, it is no wonder people have acquired a taste for the smokey delicacies wood fired ovens produce and are opting to install wood fired ovens at home. The new cook book teaches readers how to prepare, manage and use the fire to cook a whole range of flatbreads and pancakes, from luscious creamy naan breads to Yorkshire puddings, sweet and salty pissaladiere and breakfast pancakes. There’s so much more to flatbreads than pizzas!!”
The book is available now from http://www.mannafromdevon.com/ for £15.97 RRP.
New craft gin launches in Salcombe
Salcombe Gin ‘Start Point’ is a new 44% ABV gin hand distilled in copper stills by company co-founders Howard Davies and Angus Lugsdin.
It features citrus fruit flavours in its botanicals as a nod to Salcombe’s heritage of trade with the West Indies in the 19th Century and uses “some of the purest and softest water in England” that originates in the Dartmoor National Park.
It’s created in the town using the one shot method, according to the ‘London Dry’ standard and is available nationwide in farm shops, food halls and delis or direct from www.salcombegin.com.
EQUIPMENT NEWS
Dish caddy steps up to the plate
FEM’s new Cambro Adjustable Dish Caddy solves the problem event caterers face of storing and moving large numbers of plates of different sizes.
Featuring a fully adjustable tower with six dividers, it allow operators to store between 45 and 60 plates, bowls, platters and trays of assorted shapes and sizes. Swivel casters at each corner and a rigid central caster make it easy for operators to move the Caddy where needed, even when fully loaded.
The Cambro ADC33 Adjustable Dish Caddy is available from FEM distributors for a list price of £1170 plus VAT. Visit www.fem.co.uk for more details.
APPOINTMENTS
Home Grown Hotels hire new people person
The owners of The Pig hotels and Lime Wood have appointed Steve Rockey as a people director to oversee recruitment and development of staff across the hotel group.
Formerly head of people at Byron and Big Easy Restaurants he joins them in January with a brief to ‘nurture and develop new recruits and long-standing team members’ and help support the group’s growth plans.
CEO Robin Hutson told Big Hospitality: “”Steve brings with him a wealth of experience from entrepreneurial hospitality businesses, I look forward very much to him joining the senior team…The post-Brexit era is likely to be a tougher recruitment theatre, to thrive, we will need the most dynamic, creative, recruitment and development programs in the sector.”
SHOW SPOTLIGHT
The Source trade show takes shape
The South West’s biggest hospitality trade show – The Source – will have one of its most diverse range of exhibitors ever in 2017.
Taking place at the Westpoint Exhibition Centre in Exeter on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th of February 2017, over 200 exhibitors will include the best from local, regional and national food and drink producers, as well as service providers, and a selection of Taste of the West members.
Many of the products at the show are award-winners – such as the Great Taste Awards for the curries from Bini Fine Foods, and the Gold Taste of the West award for the Garlic flavoured rapeseed oil from Bell and Loxton. Other award winning exhibitors include Westaway Sausages, judged to be the best UK brand for Traditional Pork Sausages at the 2016 British Sausage Week Awards, Skinner’s Brewery, recently winners of 5 CAMRA awards at the Falmouth Beer Festival, and Devon’s Powderkeg Brewery, who won Best Lager at The IWSC Beer Awards for its pilsner ‘Cut Loose’.
Joining familiar faces at the show like Abbots (S.W.), A E Roddas, Chunk of Devon, Hunts Foodservice, Total Produce, and Voyager Coffee, are many companies that will be exhibiting there for the first time. Food and drink making its debut in 2017 include quality real ales from the Dartmoor Brewery, the award-winning, authentic Indian restaurant style curry products from Anglo Indian Chef, the fiery sauces from the Chilli Alchemist, and the award winning artisan ice-cream & sorbets from The Cowlick Creamery.
A special feature of the show is the Newcomer’s area for new companies that have yet to exhibit at a trade show. Sponsored by Diverse Fine Foods, companies from the South West that have been given the opportunity to showcase their products to retailers include Ebb Tides, Powderkeg Brewery, Artisan Chai and Louise’s Larder.
This year the Demonstration Kitchen will feature three of the winning chefs from this year’s South West Chef of the Year. Taking to the stage are; South West Chef of the Year 2016 and South West Professional Chef of the Year 2016, Jamie Coleman; South West Young Professional Chef of the Year 2016, Timothy Kendall and South West Student/Apprentice Chef of the Year 2016, Harrison Brockington.
The successful and growing Westcountry Tourism Conference will be running alongside Source, with two half day events bringing together leading tourism businesses and industry experts. The conference is designed for businesses working in the tourism industry across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset and further afield.
This year’s show marks ten successful years of the organising partners Hale Events and Taste of the West working together to create a “complete one-stop shop for everything a food business needs”.
The organisers say: “If you are looking for that special ingredient for your menu, that unique product for your shop, or the essential equipment for your kitchen, then the Source trade show will both inspire you and help your business grow. Give your business the impetus it needs going into the new season with this huge spread of comparative tastings, networking opportunities and inspirational experiences.”
For more information about the show, to book a stand, or register to attend, please call 01934 733433, visit http://thesourcetradeshow.co.uk/, or follow @SourceFoodDrink.
EVENTS
North Devon Christmas Street Food Party – Supporting Children’s Hospice South West
22nd December, 6-10pm
Barnstaple Pannier Market, Devon
The area’s largest gathering of street food traders, along with outstanding local musicians, a fully stocked bar, craft stalls and children’s entertainment. Organised by North Devon Street Food, with Barnstaple Town Centre management and supporting Children’s Hospice South West. This year’s event boasts eighteen diverse street food traders from the area, including many award-winners.
http://northdevonstreetfood.co.uk/
http://facebook.com/northdevonstreetfood
LAST BITE
Bowls over? 13 hot food trends for 2017
One of the world’s pre-eminent restaurant consulting companies, Baum + Whiteman have announced their food trends for 2017. Founded by Joseph Baum and Michael Whiteman, the boutique US firm have been creating high-profile restaurants internationally since the 1970s, including the Windows on the World and the Rainbow Room in New York as well as the world’s first food courts. Known as the “food expert’s experts”, their fascinating annual report reveals the 13 hottest food and drink trends in restaurant and hotel dining and suggests delivery, vegetables and bowls are only going to get bigger but kale is on its way out…
1. Falling food prices are killing restaurants
It’s counter-intuitive, claim Baum + Whiteman. “Wholesale prices of meat, chicken, eggs and other essential commodities have plummeted” but restaurants are closing. One reason is that highly competitive supermarkets are passing savings to customers in the form of cheaper prices whereas restaurants are more likely to hike prices as they grapple with rising rent and wages. Consumers are acutely aware of the widening cost gap between eating out and eating at home and are shifting behaviour, particularly as many people now work and shop from home.
Baum + Whiteman suggest conversely, upscale restaurants are “too hot to fail” and have access to investment and marketing and are the beneficiaries of the global economy’s well-educated earners who own little but have good discretionary income.
2. Restaurants without seats; seats without restaurants
Having foreseen the “uberization” of food delivery with Amazon, Google and Deliveroo in the UK, for 2017 they spotlight “virtual restaurants” as a disruptive force in eating out or rather staying in, as customers have meals professionally prepared in “low-investment restaurants without dining rooms” and then delivered to them. There are also start-ups assembling networks of home cooks to prepare meals and deliver them to other people’s dining rooms – “seats without restaurants”. This is as well as corporatization of the earlier underground restaurant trends with AirBNB and others taking reservations for dinners in home cook’s dining rooms. There are growing numbers of meal-kit companies and also experiments with drone deliveries with Google delivering burritos at one US university just the start.
3. Cauliflower marches on
Vegetables will “extend their domination of the dinner plate, shoving animal protein to the edges … or off the plate altogether.” They point to a surge of serious chefs tilting menus towards vegetables as well as fast-casual chains like Pret a Manager. There is also the investment in the development of plant-based burgers, environmental worries around meat production and the increasing respect for vegan diets for health as well as ethical reasons.
4. Artisan butchers strike back
The rise of vegetables has seen as counter-trend for glorifying meat by marrying an artisan
butcher shop to a restaurant – the “butcher-to-table” trend. The idea is to wow consumers with nose-to-tail butchery of humanly-raised animal, unusual cuts of meat and all manner of charcuterie. They point to several butchers in the US that will cook and serve your steak right there in the shop.
5. Breakfast is becoming brunch
Chains like McDonalds now serve breakfast all day and “the very texture of breakfast is being transformed.” Where your first meal of the day used to be smooth and soothing, “today’s textures (and tastes) are turning aggressive … crunchy fried chicken, Sriracha, crispy chorizo, chimichurri, coarse whole-grain cereal.” They point to breakfast sandwiches as a millennials morning fuel and expect breakfast tacos and fried chicken to join them.
6. Hail kale … And farewell
Everyone’s favourite brassica is disappearing from snacks to be replaced by seaweeds (prized for their umami flavours) and other greens that, in the new “waste not” economy, are being used in pickles and condiments.
7. Fast-casual growth: is there no end?
According to Baum + Whiteman, “there seemed no limit to how much traffic the growing crop of fast-casual restaurants could steal from casual dining chains and fast food outfits”. But they point to a potential downturn as “after all, how many fast-cas pizza chains do we really need … and how many artisan hamburgers can the market support?” They think the fast-casual market is becoming formulaic and ripe for re-invention.
8. Bowls, they said
After acai, poke and ramen accelerated eating from bowls, aided by consumers rejecting breads and wraps in favour of grains and greens, this is one trend that’s going nowhere. Particularly as office workers find their lunch is less likely to end up on their desks and chefs can serve them up quicker than assembling food on a plate.
9. Oddball ice creams getting hot
The rise of the freakshake will continue. These milkshake ice cream hybrids, featuring insane amounts of sweet toppings will still “run rampant on Instagram”. Expect to see them mutate further with the addition of booze, candy floss and on a health-obsessed tip, savoury flavours from avocado and other veg.
10. Restaurants surrounded by wolves
Restaurants already facing their customers getting continually poached by other retailers – department stores to supermarkets to meal kit purveyors – will now find “themselves competing with their own suppliers.” Kellogg’s are opening a cereal restaurant in the middle of Times Square for example while Pepsi are planning a kola-nut-centric venue. More similarly branded restaurants are in the works as companies try to “project their brands beyond places you’d normally find them … and to make longer-lasting impressions”. Non-food brands like Moleskin and Samsung are also diluting the market by sneaking into the restaurant business “So restaurants appear to have their customers picked off by packs of retail wolves.”
11. Ramping up the spice … And then offsetting it
Foodies are demanding ever-increasing levels of spice and “the more different spices in a single dish, the better they like it.” According to Innova Market Insights, use of cayenne pepper rose 47% in global product launches last year. Other trending spices … caraway (up 40%), saffron (up 31%), horseradish (up 29%) and turmeric (up 21%). Expect to see Southeast Asian flavours like chilies, tamarind, lemongrass, turmeric, ginger etc used more but not all at the same time. These will show up in bottled drinks too and smart chefs will balance the heat with sweetness – watch out for jalapeno honey and jerk watermelon.
12. Where to look for innovation
Changes in the way we eat used to emerge from the “world of restaurants” thirty or so years ago. Now the hottest new flavours are more likely to appear in packaged snacks and beverages from new food start ups whose “young, fearless entrepreneurs are making insect bars, seaweed noodles, vegetable yogurts, bone broth pouches and…experimenting with pulses, fermented products, artisan superfoods and innovative beverages.” Expect to see the big consumer packaged goods firms take equity in and buy out smaller, innovative companies.
13. Vegetables are the new comfort foods
Analysis of Pinterest users suggests “people are sifting the concept of comfort
away from “emotional” dishes like mac-and-cheese to dishes that reflect more healthful considerations. The word “veggies” in Pinterest comfort food searches rose 336% in the last year… while lasagna, macaroni and stroganoff were off 69%, 55% and 50%.” Pasta sales continue to take a hit as consumers swap it for spiralized veg and grated cauliflower for rice or pizza crust.
For the full report go to http://www.baumwhiteman.com