New research data from the Food Standards Agency has revealed that a total of 86% of pubs, restaurants and take-away outlets would have been awarded three stars or more under the Scores on the Doors Scheme, which is due to be introduced on a voluntary basis later this year. The FSA also revealed that 40% of the premises would have achieved the top five-star rating. Makes you feel good about the willingness of the industry to embrace new initiatives that will ultimately increase consumer confidence. But …. the question I’m left with is … shouldn’t all establishments have five-star ratings? Is three stars really good enough?
John Lewis and Waitrose staff have good reason to celebrate this week after being informed that they are to be rewarded bonuses worth nearly eight weeks’ wages. The department store and supermarket giant posted a 9.7 per cent rise in profits, putting it on course to overtake M&S as the store of choice for middle England.
I remember when I first started drinking coffee that the only option available on a daily basis was a jar of Nescafe. Now the choice is staggering. It started with the arrival of the cappuccino and then the latte, and now the UK is simply bursting with speciality coffee choices from all manner of outlets - from the chains to the small independents.
I was interested to see the article on the popularity of the flavoured coffee – whilst I’ve never taken sugar I will happily ingest lashings of syrup – is there really anything better than a caramel or gingerbread flavoured start to the day? I still get excited by the choice of coffees on offer – and the mention of sugar free syrups – the next trend – was good to note too.
The great British fry-up is a welcome weekend treat for most, but according to today’s Daily Express it could slowly be killing us as one in four adults admits to eating it twice at weekends.
A study of 10,000 people revealed the perfect breakfast consists of a fried egg, two slices of fried bread, two pork sausages, two rashers of smoked bacon, fried mushrooms, one hash brown potato, baked beans and tomato ketchup, adding up to 1,190 calories and 95.7 grams (about 3½oz) of fat.
Harley Street nutritionist and behavioural therapist Mary Strugar said: “The traditional fried breakfast was conceived in the industrial revolution when working class men would burn up to 6,000 calories a day. Now we lead much more sedentary lifestyles we cannot expect to consume such high fat meals regularly without suffering the consequences.”
Despite being an increasingly health-conscious nation, the good intentions that we start the week with usually slip by the weekend….
Forget your fad diets and exotic vegetables – the humble egg is the new superfood according to the scientists who reviewed 71 research and reference papers to examine the nutritional composition of eggs and their role in diet. I think it’s great that such a relatively inexpensive and filling food is now claimed to be so good for us but let’s be good to the hens too and make sure we only buy free range 
Gone are the days when most family shops consisted of a trip to the butcher, the baker and the greengrocer, as more people rely on the supermarket. However, if Tesco has its way, the days of visiting the supermarket could soon be numbered too. An article in Saturday’s Grocer says that Tesco wants people to ‘prefer shopping online at tesco.com to coming into its bricks and mortar stores’.
If online is the latest big thing in retailing, and commentators predict a big shift in shopping habits once every 20-30 years, it makes me wonder what will be next – telepathic shopping could make the weekly shop much more interesting.
Today’s Daily Mail has shared with the world what many of us in the trade know already – frozen veg can be more nutritious than fresh.
A study commissioned by Birds Eye, and carried out by the Institute of Food Research, is sure to raise some eyebrows among unsuspecting shoppers who, according to the survey, believe fresh vegetables sold in supermarket are less than four days old. The article will deliver a reality check as fresh veg can actually be up to nine days old when it reach the supermarket and stay on the shelf for four more! Now where are my frozen peas…
The Scottish & Newcastle Pub Company have come up with a novel way to boost business. Their new initiative means that pub-goers will be able to order flowers, drop off their dry-cleaning or order takeaway pizza – all whilst enjoying a pint. I have visions of a whole ream of HABs (husbands and boyfriends) suddenly becoming a lot more enthusiastic about popping to the shops!
So McDonald’s have teamed up with Weight Watchers so that customers can see which of the fast food restaurant’s meals they can eat whilst on the diet. It may have been launched in New Zealand but it’s probably only a matter of time before it hits the UK.
It’s a good example of how out of home establishments are responding to pressure from the FSA and an increasing consumer demand for healthier options. Eating out is no longer seen as an indulgence and with one in six meals now eaten out of home, it’s important for operators to offer healthy choices. That said, I question whether chicken nuggets or anything deep fried could really be healthy and they are hardly the most filling meal. Give me a big juicy salad over greasy, cheap chicken any day.
From today, diners can look out for window stickers in restaurants that give a “green guarantee” that the place is run on sustainable practices.
The Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), launched at Hotelympia this week, is a not-for-profit, nationwide, membership-based organisation committed to promoting sustainability across the UK’s restaurant industry, from high street chains to fine dining operators.
The SRA, which is supported by restaurant bookings website Top Table and advisory firm Sustain, offers its members a range of services to become more sustainable including an audit where a gold, silver and bronze accreditation is awarded.
