Good morning, it’s time to Rise & Shine for the third time.
We aim to be more welcome on a Monday morning than the snooze button on your alarm clock and a big mug of builder’s tea. Our aim is to tell you everything worth knowing in hospitality in the south and south west and help get you sorted for the week ahead. If you have any news you’d like to tell the 20,000 fellow professionals who subscribe, get in touch with Carolyn – our Hospitality News Editor – at [email protected].
Have a successful week.
Robin Alway
Group Editor
INDUSTRY NEWS
New £200,000 Fund to Drive Coastal Tourism
Coastal destinations are being urged to bid for their share of a new £200,000 government fund by Coastal Communities Minister Mark Francois. The money can be used to set up Coastal Community Teams to help boost your local visitor economy. The Minister also praised the work of the National Coastal Tourism Academy (NCTA) which offers research and identifies new opportunities for coastal destinations.
Speaking on a visit to the Bournemouth-based NCTA this week, he described its work as “very valuable” in helping to boost coastal tourism economic growth, saying: “The NCTA has provided very valuable work in terms of helping us understand the coast better and to understand what works and what doesn’t work in terms of coastal revival and generating jobs and growth.”
NCTA director Samantha Richardson backed Mr Francois’ comments, saying: “I’d encourage those towns that don’t have a Coastal Community Team to seize this opportunity to start one. The visitor economy is critical in many coastal communities and the most successful destinations are those that are working collaboratively towards a strategic plan.”
The NCTA has highlighted that coastal tourism is worth £8 billion to the economy, narrowly regaining its pole position as the largest domestic overnight sector. However it faces significant challenges particularly in recruiting and retaining skilled staff.
To assist coastal communities, the government has spent £120m on more than 200 destinations around the coast and has announced further funding.
“We’ve secured another £90m from the Treasury for the next four years, which we’re pretty pleased about in an era when money’s tight,” Mr Francois added.
“By 2021, we will have spent about a fifth of a billion pounds on what we’ve branded the Great British Coast. We’ve also done some research that suggests for every pound invested, you get a return of up to £8.”
The government’s Coastal Communities Fund has underwritten 118 Coastal Communities Teams across the country, including five in Dorset.
Mr Francois said: “They bring together local authorities, businesses, voluntary and charitable groups and local residents to form a team to come up with an economic plan for regeneration of their coastal area.”
Taste of the West Event Attracts Royal Interest
Taste of the West’s Food Fair on the Green event in Exeter this week is set to get the royal seal of approval as their patron, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall will be attending. The event celebrates some of the best food and drink in the south west by showcasing over 60 food and drink stalls including some 2016 Gold product award winners. It takes place on Cathedral Green in Exeter on Tuesday 19 July from 9.30am until 5pm. Best practise your bows and curtsies.
Austrian Pizza Comes to Bristol
Yodel it across the Avon Gorge, successful Austrian pizza and pasta chain L’Osteria is launching it first UK restaurant in Bristol this summer. Boasting 45 restaurants across Austria and Germany, they will be in the Quaker Friars area of Cabot Circus retail centre in a 624 m2 unit, serving what they describe as the “best pizza in the city, pasta d’amore and heavenly dolci, like our original Italian tiramisù.”
Pru Naik at L’Osteria commented: “I’m excited to be opening the UK’s first L’Osteria and to be bringing this hugely popular restaurant brand to Bristol to begin our national roll out. We chose Bristol to be the home of the very first UK L’Osteria as it has such a vibrant social scene and because the city is used to embracing new dining concepts.”
They will be joined by four other restaurant chains in Cabot Circus this summer. French brasserie, Côte with its relaxed all-day dining will also be opening in Quakers Friars alongside Carluccio’s, having signed up to take a 278 m2 restaurant.
Handmade Burger, serving freshly made burgers, is set to make its debut in Bristol next to Pizza Express on the centre’s first level. Similarly, authentic Brazilian style restaurant, Casa Brasil which offers a Brazilian rodizio experience will be making its debut in the South West.
Itsu, the popular British Asian-inspired restaurant, will also be debuting in the city, with a new restaurant located in nearby Broadmead.
Sarah Fox, Head of Restaurants and Leisure at Hammerson, the owners and operators of Cabot Circus, commented: “Welcoming these five new restaurants to Cabot Circus and to Bristol is testament to the vibrant and modern destination we have successfully created for the city. Providing the perfect backdrop, Quakers Friars has become a hub for premium global brands, both dining and retail, within the centre and we look forward to each restaurant opening so that our customers can make the most of these new and exciting brands which continue to help keep Cabot Circus at the heart of the region’s retail, dining and leisure offer.”
TV Chef Takes New Cornish Pub Job
TV chef and food entrepreneur James Strawbridge is taking charge of the food at the new St Austell Brewery pub, Havener’s Bar & Grill in Fowey, Cornwall.
Strawbridge is the founder of the Posh Pasty company and made his TV debut with his family in BBC2 series It’s Not Easy Being Green. More recently he’s presented two series of The Hungry Sailors and Saturday Farm on ITV and co-wrote a series of books on traditional artisan skills, Made at Home.
Opening this July, Havener’s Bar and Grill is a 200 cover quayside venue in the heart of Fowey offering informal, modern dining and drinking with friendly service and an picturesque waterside setting.
Featuring gumbos, crab claws and oysters alongside traditional burgers and fish and chips, the menu is designed to show the very best of local produce in new and exciting ways for both locals and visitors alike to enjoy at family friendly prices.
“We want people to come to Fowey and have their first experience of truly luxurious seafood but we also want to inspire people to go home and try out our menus for themselves, so we want to engage with people through master classes and workshops and getting them to ask questions about the menu. It’s all about confirming Fowey as a true destination for great food.” said Strawbridge. “To be honest I have spent years creating this menu, especially when it comes to the seafood side of it. I’ve probably stopped and cooked in every port from here to London Bridge and I’ve been constantly planning for this moment. Nobody’s excitement can match my own and I can’t wait to start cooking!”
As part of a grade 2 star listed building on the Town Quay, Havener’s incorporates elements that date back to medieval times which have been painstakingly preserved by local craftsmen using traditional building materials and methods and through the interior design concepts of Cardiff-based Design Management Partnership.
Havener’s Bar and Grill grand opening is Monday 18th July on Fowey Town Quay.
Charity Calendar Produces the Goods for Dorset Food & Drink
Shockingly, this charity calendar features no nudity. Just (fully clothed) top female producers from Dorset showing off their acclaimed artisan products, in aid of local Dorset charities Weldmar Hospicecare Trust and Julia’s House. The Dorset Food & Drink Calendar 2017 has been co-ordinated by award-winning preserve maker Tracey Collins from Ajar Of and other participants include the women behind well respected Dorset producers like Dorset Pie co, Jalopy Pizza, Riverford, Woolsrey Cheese, From Dorset With Love, Dorset Blue Vinny and Purbeck Ice Cream. Local photographer, Lara Jane Thorpe donated her time and photography expertise to shoot the entire calendar and In The Bag PR are offering marketing services as The Dorset Food & Drink Calendar sets out to raise £8000 for the charities.
Katharine Wright, Dorset Food & Drink Co-Ordinator comments: “Dorset is increasingly becoming known as a hotspot for amazing local food producers and this calendar is a celebration of the women behind some of these brands. Not only are we keen to highlight the women and the amazing Dorset products, we also want to show those at home how to create some of the delicious products with the on-page recipes. We hope to see Dorset recipes cropping up in kitchens all over the country!”
Pick your calendar up from any of the producers involved at food events over the summer or contact Dorset Food & Drink for more details.
Tewkesbury Park Hotel Unveils New Spa
As part of its extensive two-year renovation project, Tewkesbury Park hotel has unveiled a new spa, offering visitors a stylish space to relax and unwind.
Tewkesbury Park has teamed up with Bath-based skincare brand, Natural Spa Factory, to offer customers a range of chemical-free treatments inspired by nature, with everything from facials and invigorating massages to reviving body therapies and manicures.
The hotel also benefits from an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts, along with a Leisure Club complete with a sauna, a steam room, an outdoor hot tub and an indoor pool, all of which were refurbished last year, along with upgraded gym equipment.
Squid Ink in Trencherman’s
Squid Ink restaurant in Looe, Cornwall say it is “with the greatest of joy” that they can announce they are in the Trencherman’s Guide online, the well respected dining guide for the south west. Only restaurants that meet its strict scoring criteria are invited to be listed. Squid Ink aim to serve the finest local and seasonal Cornish ingredients in innovative, creative and exciting modern dishes. Wherever possible they purchase fish that are certified by the Responsible Fishing Scheme.
LEGISLATION
Northern Ireland Gets Compulsory Food Hygiene Ratings. England next?
Compulsory Food Hygiene ratings will be introduced in Northern Ireland from October. This will mean that food businesses who sell food directly to the public, and who receive a rating under the statutory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, will be required by law to display their food hygiene rating sticker at their premises. This includes restaurants, takeaways, mobile caterers, schools, hospitals, residential care homes, delicatessens and supermarkets. Council environmental health teams score outlets from zero to five based on factors such as kitchen cleanliness, cooking methods and food management. Compulsory ratings already exist in Wales. but businesses in England do not yet have to display the so-called “scores on the doors” ratings they have been given, however it is widely expected to follow suit in the not too distant future.
NEW PRODUCTS
Somerset Producer Launching Smoked Gin
Gin – there’s no stopping it. But just when you think you’ve tasted every style, Somerset gin producer, GinJar, are set to launch their New Smoked Gin this summer. Subtitled “Refreshingly Twisted” It joins their range of small batch gin featuring 100% British grain spirit. They supply a number of small specialist retailers, Butcombe Brewery in the south west and restaurants including River Cottage Canteen in Bristol, the River Exe Cafe and a number of festivals throughout the summer.
New Forest Ice Cream Launch Lemon
Now here’s a refreshing new ice cream flavour for all the hot weather we’re guaranteed to be enjoying any day now. Continental Lemon Curd promises to bring a sweet but sharp note to a traditional ice cream base. As with the existing products in the company’s Continental range, the new Lemon Curd flavour has been made without cream to let the vibrant, zesty tones of the curd ripple come though.
New Forest Ice Cream Director, Christina Veal comments: “We have been producing varieties of lemon ice cream for years, however none have compared to the wonderful flavour and rich, deep colour of our new Continental Lemon Curd. With the tangy, sweet but sharp taste coming from the curd ripple and the smooth, indulgent texture being a result of the continental base, designed to offer a light product that accentuates the flavour, we are confident that this new launch will quickly become one of the most popular varieties in our range.”
Free from artificial colours and flavourings, this latest flavour takes its place in New Forest Ice Cream’s range of over 50 ice creams and sorbets.
NEW EQUIPMENT
Coffee That Doesn’t Cost the Earth
Lots of coffee gets consumed in this office, let alone the world so we should all welcome 918 Coffee Co’s launch of an environmentally friendly coffee roasting system. The Coffe-Eco System provides roasters, suppliers, retailers and consumers with a sustainable solution to reducing waste as well as carbon emissions. The process starts with eco roasting the fresh coffee, packing it into bio-degradable and compostable packaging and delivering it to the customer. To keep the carbon impact neutral, collection and delivery of the used and new products are done together.
Once the customer has consumed the coffee, they use the special environmentally friendly compostable bags and collection bins provided to store the coffee waste. Once collected the coffee waste is processed using secondary heat from the Eco Roast process and the coffee fuel is then used to roast new batches of coffee in the new Eco Roaster. It’s the circle of coffee life! The Coffe-Eco System also uses 100% compostable cups and lids for its coffee.
Co-Owner Chanel Cornelius says, “Coffee is the world’s second largest commodity, second only to oil and is responsible for more than 1.8 million tonnes of carbon emissions produced in the UK alone. Our Eco Roast Technology makes substantial reductions in the roasting, packaging and disposal parts of the process. Whether you are an individual who enjoys delicious coffee, a coffee shop or a blue chip corporation, both you and the planet will benefit from using our trademarked Coffe-Eco System.”
918 Coffee Co won overall Business of the Year, the Business & Product Innovation category and was Highly Commended in the Ethical – CSR – Green Business Award, at the FSB Worldpay UK Business Awards earlier this year.
New E-Mix Mixer Gets an Exclusive Partner
Electrolux has a mighty new 5 litre mixer – the E-Mix – and R H Hall have announced they are the exclusive wholesale partner. The E-Mix has a 5.5 litre capacity bowl which can handle the smallest of tasks – a minimum of 1-2 egg whites, up to a maximum of 1.5kg of bread dough. 500W of power generates a variable speed of 40-240rpm. The unit is supplied as standard with bowl, semi-spiral hook, paddle and whisk. There is also a Type Kattachment hub for additional accessories, such as mincers and pasta kits. Ergonomically designed throughout, the bowl features 2 handles for ease of use. A special patented bowl lift system links to the bowl guard when opening. The E-Mix is in stock now with special launch offers available.
INDUSTRY EVENTS
Bellavita Expo London
17th-19th July
Business Design Centre, London.
Italian Food & Wine Trade Show, including the launch of new innovative products and celebrating the expertise of some of the world’s top chefs.
Gloucester Quays Food Festival 2016
22nd-24th July
Gloucester Quays
Celebration of food & drink with Nadiya Hussain, Tom Kerridge & Levi Roots. Live chef demo’s, Kids cookery school, 120 food stalls.
Mid Devon Show
23rd July
Knightshayes, Tiverton, Devon
Celebrating food, horticulture and farm life across Mid Devon.
2016 Cotswold Food & Drink Awards
25th July
Cheltenham Racecourse
14th Annual Cotswold Life Awards, celebrating the region’s food & drink industry.
New Forest & Hampshire County Show
26th-28th July
New Park, Brockenhurst.
2016 Great Dorset Chilli Festival
30 & 31st July
St Giles House, Wimborne St Giles, Dorset
The hottest day out in Dorset!
AND FINALLY…
The Secret Ingredient Changing Cocktail Colours
One of the hottest ingredients in Stateside bars currently might remind you more of a childhood chemistry set than a cutting edge cocktail but it’s undeniably striking. The butterfly pea flower’s party trick is changing your drink’s colour. It starts as a vivid inky indigo blue. Add lemon or lime juice and it changes to a rich violet. The blossom behind this natural colour change effect is native to tropical Asia where it’s used to colour rice and drinks in Malay and Thai cuisine. You can find it in various forms including a tea, powder or extract. It’s now the Instagram-friendly star of drinks like the Disco Sour, where it’s frozen in a blue ice cube. Or the Mood Ring, from Mission Chinese Food in Manhattan, where the dried flower sits at the bottom of the glass and does its colour changing thing when rum and lime juice are added in this take on a Mai Tai. It’s also commonly drunk as a tea in Thailand and Malaysia where its subtle green tea taste is often mixed with citrus and palm sugar. Although it might be difficult to find in your local supermarket, the internet is as well stocked as ever, with the likes of bluechai.com offering every possible variation.