As part of our never-ending mission to stay up to date with food trends and developments in the market, we recently embarked on a food safari through Elephant and Castle organised by Lumina Intelligence. We spent the afternoon discovering a diverse mix of flavours, cultures, and culinary gems. Each stop offered something unique, showcasing the rich food scene in this vibrant part of London.
For those who find themselves in the Gen X category, or even some of you Boomers, I am sure you will recall Hotelympia. Well, it may not be called that anymore, but that hasn’t stopped HRC (it’s current moniker) celebrating an incredible 90 years! Over that time, it’s true that much has changed across the hospitality industry, but the one thing that hasn’t is the fact that at its heart it’s a people business. However much technological advances can help drive guest experience and operational efficiencies, people will always be at the core of hospitality. Which is why it was so good to head up to the ExCel with fellow bean Clare Freeman to check out in person not one, but the four co-located shows: IFE, IFE Manufacturing, The Pub Show and HRC.
At jellybean, it’s our job to stay on top of the ever-changing foodservice industry. That’s why we’re members of the Lumina Intelligence Food Strategy forum and make sure we make it along to their quarterly briefings as we did this March for their Q1 update. As expected, the UK foodservice market is adapting to economic shifts, evolving consumer behaviours, and exciting new trends. Here are the key takeaways from Lumina Intelligence’s latest insights.
We’re thrilled to announce that the Make It Mutti Immersive Dining Experience has been crowned Best Marketing Campaign at the World Food Innovation Awards 2025! Recognised for its bold creativity and immersive storytelling, the activity has set a new benchmark for brand activation in the food industry.
If you’ve been following tabletop trends in hospitality and foodservice, you’ve probably heard whispers about the BPA ban. But what does this mean for you, your business, and your customers? Let’s break it down…
Language and food; two of my favourite things. Working as we do at a leading food and drink marketing agency, office conversation routinely turns to the latter – restaurant recommendations, preferred snacks, new recipe triumphs (new recipe fails), sweet vs. savoury, favourite trends, overrated fads, kitchen hacks – the list goes on.
We’re a happily hybrid working lot at jellybean – between working from home and days off-site visiting clients, attending insight sessions or leading photo and video shoots – days in the office are always filled with much needed work and life updates with colleagues.
Ever since returning from Austria, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about their incredible food. I originally booked for the skiing, but I was just as excited to dive into the local cuisine. Rather than sticking to the usual dishes you can find anywhere – like pizza or pasta – I wanted to experience the real flavours of Austria. As someone who never says no to a sweet treat, I was in my absolute element.
As a leading integrated food and drink marketing agency, social media management is one of many services we offer our clients. From paid and organic social, to content creation, influencer collabs and strategy, we’re on hand to help your food and drink brand grow and maximise on the opportunities provided through social media platforms.
At a recent Alliance of Independent Agencies event, I heard a staggering statistic that there are now around 30,000 agencies in the UK, with 16,000 of those set up in the last 10 years! With so much competition and increased pressure on marketing budgets it’s never been more important to have a clear specialism as an agency. Thankfully, jellybean has always been all about food and drink, from our foodservice roots to our natural evolution into retail and consumer. For over 37 years we have been laser focused on food and drink be it foodservice, retail, convenience or consumer. Of course, the downside to being a sector specialist is that you can limit your potential growth into other areas and on occasion come up against client conflict. We believe the upside far outweighs these factors as we have created a clear vision for our business and team, attract other likeminded food-obsessed colleagues and build a depth of knowledge that can help clients’ brands and businesses grow.
Typography. You just click the drop-down and choose something you like the look of. Simple. Serif if it’s formal, sans-serif if it isn’t. Job. Done. Well no. Typography is almost certainly the most under-appreciated element of visual design. Done well it’s amost invisible. Change the typeface on Apple, on Easyjet, on Nike or on Converse, and the entire brand is lost. It’s the tone of voice, it’s the personality, it’s the rhythm and meter of the message and it’s been that way since the earliest letterforms began organising communication, writing histories and spreading news around our world. So what should be looking out for in 2025. Read on good traveller, read on.
Video content is at an all-time high. In fact, research suggests that the global average for video consumption could be up to 17 hours a week![i] This includes time spent on the usual suspects of Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, as marketers and brands look to reach new audiences. Indeed, video content on Instagram has never had a more important place in marketing strategy as it has today.
As we covered in our previous blog post – ‘Wellbeing, Connection and Growth, we’ve bean embracing January!’ the first month of the year presents the perfect opportunity for us to take it easy and detox, with challenges like Dry January. This initiative has been around for 12 years now and has stuck for good reason, with over 200,000 people signing up last year. For some, it provides motivation to try cutting alcohol out of their lives for a month, and for others, it’s the chance to reflect and be mindful of how much alcohol we actually drink and see if we can cut down at all (if we want to, of course).
I was fortunate enough to banish the January blues earlier this year with a ski trip to the Austrian Alps. I returned full to the brim with cheese and chocolate – here are some of my favourite spot Read More
At a time of year when summer feels so far away and the dreams of exploring warm European cities seems out of reach, I find myself daydreaming of past holidays to pass the dreary month of January. One of my favourite cities in recent years is Lisbon, which is full of culinary delights, sunshine and interesting culture and architecture. What more do you need from a city?
January is often seen as a month of fresh starts and new beginnings. At jellybean, we see it as a perfect opportunity to focus on wellbeing, as individuals, a team and the wider community. As an employee-owned agency that values workplace culture, and has wellbeing at its heart, we believe in starting the year with small but meaningful steps toward a healthier, happier future.
The hospitality industry is undergoing a major transformation, thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI). From improving operational efficiency to enhancing guest experiences, AI is reshaping how businesses operate. A recent report by CGA powered by Niq with industry leaders found the following:
It feels like it has been an age since I last wrote about the ‘soon to come in’ Food Waste Legislation, and that’s because it has! However, we are now at a point where the UK government has given some clarity around the significant changes to waste handling that are now required of businesses across England.
As we usher in 2025, the food and drink industry is poised for exciting changes. As a leading food and drink marketing agency, we’re here to help you navigate these trends and turn them into actionable strategies. Here’s a deep dive into some of the trends set to shape the industry in 2025 and how you can leverage these insights to stay ahead.
