8 Aug 2016 by Charles Manners

Ian Doughty and I recently attended at EP Hospitality Breakfast Event at Aveqia; www.aveqia.co.uk  which is an interesting venue which brings groups to-gether through cooking with others because  gastronomy can bring people closer in a way that few other activities can.

The EP events http://www.epmagazine.co.uk/  are always thought provoking, and an opportunity to hear other views from within the industry, the key themes coming out from the morning are below, and we see these coming up in conversations with many clients who are seeking catering consultancy advice:

Hotels - There is a new view that a strong F&B offer is becoming increasingly important within hotels which may increase room sales. Growth of the outsourcing model of working in partnerships with proven F&B operators that are experienced in attracting audiences; this has been talked about before and will be interesting to watch!

Technology is becoming increasingly important and the market is changing at pace.

Food tastes are styles are rapidly changing to be in line with lifestyle and work changes.

Rise of the Community Restaurant brings with it the independents vs. branded restaurants debate. The key is deemed design, ambience and food quality.

Food sits today at the heart of lifestyle and work, research shows that the average person in City Centre's will eat out 2.4x per week with an average spend in the region of £12-14.Breakfast, access to meals all day and nutrition are the key trends for restaurants.

There are genuine changes today in lifestyle that need to link to the workplace with Nutrition and healthy foods as increased emphasis in personal fitness and sports.

Executives seeking increased sporting/fitness facilities linked to the work place to support daily routines.

Executives also want to eat out socially twice a week within safe, relaxed environments have come to the fore. F&B source of interactive entertainment.

Social interaction increasing to create better communication and informal problem solving.

Mental health is becoming a vital issue, Stress is increasing, creating emotional physiological and social well being; Pilates 18% increase per year. Are we going to return to the past with a 1 hour lunch break and a 9 to 5 working day?

Key drivers include value for money, informality, the environment and ambience, speed of service, the welcome, indulgence, healthy eating and provenance.

Restaurant concepts - light, grazing food, health focus, good selection of wine and cocktails, good special design, strong visual impact and great service ethic.

Food Waste is becoming increasingly important; Accor have committed to reducing by 30%