The TAF Catering Consultancy attended “Plant Based World Expo, Europe” today at Olympia (London); Europe’s biggest professional event; and only 100% plant-based one for foodservice, retail, distributors, investors & manufacturers.
Why? If you’re catering for a workforce, through your own staff restaurant, we challenge you to ask: “do WE have what it takes to engage OUR people TODAY with plant-based menus (as a main focus rather than tick box)?” If the answer is “no”, do take a look at our TAF’s Top Ten Plant Based Takeaways for inspiration to re-imagine a culinary revolution.
Knowing WHAT CUSTOMERS WANT & HOW TO MANAGE YOUR CATERING BUDGETS are never more important than today, heading into the festive season; demand for workplace hospitality rising (around labour shortages and soaring food price rises). What must you in FACILITIES AND PROCUREMENT be mindful of?
FAST FACTS
Headlines| According to this month’s national news, the cost of living is increasing at its fastest rate in 40 years, largely as a result of rising food and energy prices and the Bank of England has increased interest rates to 3%, the biggest hike in more than three decades.
Definition of Inflation | For example, if a bottle of milk costs £1 and it goes up to £1.03 a year later, then annual milk inflation is 3%.
Inflation Rate | To come up with an inflation figure, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) keeps track of the prices of hundreds of everyday items. This is known as the “basket of goods”.
Goods Inflation | According to the ONS, the CPIH goods annual inflation rate increased to 14.8% from 13.2% September.
Workplace Wages | According to official figures, average wages, not including bonuses, rose by 5.7% in the three months to September 2022, compared with the same period in 2021. Wages for people working in the private sector increased by 6.6%, compared with 2.2% for those in public sector jobs. But overall, once inflation is taken into account, average pay actually fell by 2.7%.
TOP TEN TRENDS TO HELP TACKLE INFLATION THROUGH WORKPLACE CATERING, ENTICE CUSTOMERS TO “STEP INTO CHRISTMAS” WITH THEIR EMPLOYERS WHILST MANAGING YOUR CORPORATE BUDGET
FOOD
FOOD PRICES | UK grocery prices have gone up 10.2% compared to last November, as inflation slows.*1
EGGS-PENSIVE | The price of eggsin the UK is rising fastest across the UK’s 5 leading grocery retailers.*1
CUT BACKS | Brits have reduced their purchasing in seven out of nine categories.*2
LUXURY BRANDS | 7 out of 10 Brits are buying less premium or luxury food.*2
CHEAPER BRANDS | 2% of Brits are switching to cheaper F&B brands.*2
CHEAPER CUTS |4% of Brits are choosing cheaper foods i.e. cheaper cuts of meat.*2
FOOD-TO-BUDGET |2% of Brits sticking to a budget when they go to a supermarket.*2
ALTERNATIVE SHOPS | 4 out of 10 Brits are switching to cheaper shops, those shopping at Aldi and Lidl increasing to 39.1%.*2
CRISPS & SNACKS |3% of Brits are switching crisps/snack brands.*2
CEREALS/BISCUIT/SWEETS |1% of Brits are switching both cereals and biscuit/sweet brands.*2
COFFEE
MORE COFFEE | Over 50% of Brits drank more coffee while working from home during the pandemic.*3
MORNING COFFEE | The average time for a Brit to drink their first cup of coffee is 9:01 am. *3
COSTS | Costa is the most popular coffee shop chain in the UK. *3
FREQUENCY OF VISITATION | 80% of people that visit coffee shops visit at least once a week.*3
MILLENIALS | Millennials are the most likely generation to visit coffee shops.*3
PRICE OF COFFEE | Brits pay on average £2.75 for a coffee shop cappuccino.*3
HOME COFFEE | 73% of coffee prepared at home is instant, Brits spend c.£16 p/m on coffee at home.*3
COFFEE MACHINES | 39% of Brits have a coffee machine at home.*3
TEA | The same number of people consume coffee every day as those that drink tea.*3
POPULAR COFFEE | Five times as many cups of takeaway coffee are sold compared to takeaway tea.*3
*1 – The Grocer | Key Value Items (KVI) tracker monitors prices and promotions on circa.200 items across 10 categories, inc. own label wholemeal bread and tinned tomatoes, and branded items like Kellogg’s Corn Flakes and Coca-Cola, tracking in up to seven retailers (Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose).
*2 Attest | Attest’s survey of 1,000 working-age UK consumers finds grocery shoppers are keeping a tight rein on their spending, with 42.3% sticking to a budget when they go to the supermarket. Consumers have reduced their purchasing in seven out of nine categories.
*2 Coffee Affection | CA blog about everything coffee. Gear, beans, types of roasts, and all the new inventions that are introduced to the industry every year. They blog daily, and constantly try to up game by following other blogs, news, and YouTubers. They publish multiple pieces each week.
CONTACT US TODAY for 100% independent eyes on your catering to support your facilities and procurement teams to manage YOUR budgets:
And so to TAF Catering Consultancy’s FOURTH birthday, we reach out to all of those contract caterers, with whom we currently engage – and there are over 40 in our network today – to say WELL DONE, THANK YOU & KEEP STRONG…
Well Done | It’s been a tough year but you’ve achieved so much – more than you probably realise – so if you’re reading this, give YOURSELF a pat on the back (whether you’ve won a trophy or not).
Thank You | For your support, site visits and successes you’ve shared, throughout the last four years, these have enabled us to give corporate clients hope for solutions to feed those who matter the most to them.
Keep Strong | Rewriting history is not easy, you’re carving out a new foodservices path in a new era of catering and foodservices. We just wanted to say that nothing, as far as we’re concerned, has gone unnoticed.
Thank you for the catering, the food you’re making … for all the joy you’re bringing!
To all the caterers we engage in 2022: Accent Catering Services | Aramark | ARTIZIAN CATERING | Atalian Servest UK & Ireland | THE BALANCED FOOD COMPANY LTD | BARTLETT MITCHELL LIMITED | BaxterStorey | Bennett Hay | Blue Apple Workplace Catering | THE BLUE STRAWBERRY GROUP LTD | CH&CO | City Dining | Compass Group UK & Ireland | Connect Catering Ltd | Delaware North UK | Elior UK | Eurest UK | Feastly | Fika Catering | Food by Dish | Fooditude | Four Gables | Gather & Gather | The Genuine Dining Co. | The Good Eating Company | Graysons Green & Fortune | Harrison Catering Services | Houston & Hawkes | ISS A/S | Lexington Catering | Levy Restaurants | Olive Catering Services Limited | PS Catering Management Ltd | Radish Restaurant Associates UK | Rhubarb Hospitality Collection | NEW Savoir | Searcys | Sodexo UK and Ireland | Talkington Bates Ltd | Thomas Franks Ltd | T”n”S Catering Management Services | Vacherin | Wilson Vale |
Well what a year it’s been since 1st January 2022 alone, for our catering consultancy, catering consultants, TAF’s friends and associates, as I draw breath on our FOURTH BIRTHDAY today. Above all, there are many things to be THANKFUL for.
Whilst it has been super challenging to provide FRESH, FORWARD-THINKING, INNOVATIVE, APP-SAVVY & SUSTAINABLE foodservice and hospitality solutions, in an industry that faces continuous challenges, we’re inspired by so many in our network, which means we’ve been able to present bespoke solutions to our many clients – whether corporate, care or council feeding.
If you’re trying to weather the storm and need support around YOUR IN-HOUSE or OUTSOURCED foodservices – Catering Audits, Catering Tenders, Customer Engagement, Design & Branding, Food Safety, Mobilisations, Research & Insights or Benchmarking – then contact us, there are options and we can support you to the best one for YOU!
TAF Catering Consultancy wish to thank all of our clients for trusting us to guide you over the last FOUR years, especially given recent financial headwinds, to provide the best possible catering and foodservice.
We’ve been lucky enough to have been employed by so many of you – over 30 in fact – and don’t take any clients for granted given the importance of those you feed.
Without each and every one of you, we wouldn’t have been gainfully employed to provide FRESH, FORWARD-THINKING, INNOVATIVE, APP-SAVVY & SUSTAINABLE foodservice and hospitality solutions to celebrate today.
If you’re not a TAF client and are still trying to weather the storm and need support to help shape YOUR IN-HOUSE or OUTSOURCED foodservices – Catering Audits, Catering Tenders, Customer Engagement, Design & Branding, Food Safety, Mobilisations, Research & Insights or Benchmarking – then do contact us. There are ALWAYS options & we can guide you to choose the best one for YOU!
Rising inflation is driving Brits back to work this month and the TAF Collective Model defines a crucial new way to collaborate around WORKPLACE FEEDING – focusing Corporate Client, Caterer & Consultancy like never before.
According to Tracey Fairclough, Managing Director, it’s the consultancy’s definitive and fresh approach to 2022 foodservice solutions that fosters more collaborating, openness, transparency and value bespoke solutions AT THE SAME PRICE AS BEFORE.
THE CHALLENGE
According to the Bank of England, the rate of inflation started rising in 2021, largely due to increased spending on goods during the pandemic. As the UK reopened, after restrictions eased, some businesses struggled meeting extra demand because of difficulties in obtaining materials.
Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine led to a sharp increase in the price of energy and caused increases in agricultural commodity prices, such as grain, needed to produce food.
Today with more job vacancies than people to fill (i.e. 174,000 according to UK Hospitality), employers must offer higher wages (to attract applicants) and businesses must charge more for products/services. All this has pushed prices up, and rate of inflation.
Higher inflation = higher cost of living.
With most of us buying less, earning the same as before – household income staying the same – we’re already finding our money doesn’t go as far. For younger people, esp. GenZers, aged 18 to 25, experiencing significant inflation for the first time, those in facilities must prepare for their return to the workplace to be fed, as they seek to reduce their cost of living.
THE SOLUTION
With vast numbers heading for the workplace to reduce their household costs, TAF Collective offers corporates – seeking to feed them there – better than ever post pandemic consultancy support.
Rather than being forced to use only those we know or the only available resources from a damaged hospitality sector, where caterers have made resource cut-backs; TAF Collective offers the best practice, bespoke foodservice solution; serving corporates by recruiting and managing the “best” external branding, marketing, culinary, digital and social, food safety and production installation specialists – SME business owners in their own right(with individual track records). These specialists currently help TAF to shape not just good but great post-pandemic foodservice experiences.
By design, TAF Collective delivers the freshest, forward-thinking, innovative, app-savvy and sustainability-focused workplace feeding nationwide. READ on for your THREE key facilities questions answered.
Question 1| WHY is a “collective” model better than a traditional consultancy model?
Question 2| HOW does a “collective” model benefit corporate clients?
Question 3| WHO sits in the “collective” to provide unique solutions?
CONTACT US TODAY if your workplace feeding needs a refresh and, in these post pandemic times, you’re not sure of the potential “best fit” bespoke solutions to feed those who matter the most to YOUR business!
CLICK here to make contact, send us an email and tell us what your top FIVE key challenges are:
In an unprecedented year, 2022, the team at the TAF Catering Consultancy is, again, delighted to have found out this week we have won another award. This time we have been awarded the Most Innovative Catering Consultancy – South East England in the Hospitality Awards 2022 hosted by LUXlife!
Apparently there must be … “evidence of expertise within a given field; dedication to customer/client service, satisfaction and retention; and an on-going commitment to providing excellent work.”
TAF’s consultants are super humbled, proud and delighted to have been even considered and thank LUXlife.
Tracey Fairclough says: “We have to pinch ourselves as it’s been a phenomenal couple of years for our consultants and well worth the hard work and effort, as it’s all signalled the dawn of more rewarding collaborative working!”
The TAF Catering Consultancy is delighted to announce it’s won Catering Consultancy of the Year – UK award, awarded by Corporate Live Wire’s Innovation & Excellence Awards 2022.
During the awards process we invited over 90,000 businesses and corporate professionals, magazine contributors and our subscribers to nominate companies & individuals based on factors such as service, innovation, experience, sustainability and other key criteria.
Additionally our research team put forward firms deserving of recognition. Award winners gain a place in the Innovation & Excellence Awards Guide 2022 distributed to businesses and professionals in the Corporate LiveWire network.
The judges were impressed with your team’s personal touch, community feel and passion for what you do.
TAF is humbled and delighted to receive this wonderful award and thank Corporate LiveWire for the amazing acknowledgment. We’ve been busier than ever been supporting corporate return-to-work workplace catering strategies with bespoke and best practice solutions by being focused on LISTENING, COLLABORATING and DELIVERING better.
With vast numbers heading back to work for more days a week to reduce household costs, where a damaged hospitality sector, having made significant resource cut-backs, is having to feed them cost effectively for the business; our TAF Collective approach now offers corporates better than ever post pandemic consultancy workplace feeding solutions support.
How? We serve corporates by recruiting the “best” external branding, marketing, culinary, digital and social, food safety and production installation specialists – SME business owners in their own right (with individual proven track records). These amazing specialists help TAF to shape (not just good but) great post-pandemic foodservice experiences. So, it’s through the support, dedication, skills, expertise and passion of these specialists in TAF’s community, by design, we deliver the freshest, forward-thinking, innovative, app-savvy and sustainability-focused workplace feeding solutions, as well as that all-important personal touch!
Pictured (left to right): Carey Trevill, Owner of Mission Element (and TAF Collaborator driving creative inspiration to deliver commercially), Tracey Fairclough, Owner of TAF Catering Consultancy (collaborating and delivering catering and foodservice solutions to deliver sustainable post pandemic growth), and Helen Groves, Owner of Food Safety Logic (TAF Collaborator providing expert food safety advice keeping customers safe).
Following the lifting of the Working from Home Guidance in January 2022, millions of UK employees have been heading back to the office, triggering an immediate increase in the purchase of food to go, with the market forecast to grow by 31.8% this year (£21.3 billion value).
However, whilst dining out and food to go are back to the forefront of everyone’s minds, the cost-of-living crisis (resulting from post-pandemic return to work labour shortages, post-Brexit trading rules affecting UK imports from the EU and the war in Ukraine driving up food and fuel prices) means everyone is looking for ways to make their money go further.
With this in mind, TAF’s latest Benchmark Report “Planet Lunch” (June 2022) set out to establish:
(1) WHAT options UK consumers have today when considering dining out and food to go for lunch, (2) WHICH of the UK’s market leading companies/brands offer the biggest potential savings and (3) HOW consumers rank them when it comes to food quality and taste.
Report Content
The Report addresses 2 Key Insights:
Consumer Research | Insights based on the latest market intelligence from Global Data, addressing the eight most relevant 2022 consumer megatrends and the five factors influencing food purchasing decisions.
Lunch Benchmark | Insights based on TAF’s unique field research, conducted in February and March 2022 addressing how UK consumers are looking for ways to make their money go further.
Rising inflation is driving Brits back to work this month and the TAF Collective Model defines a crucial new way to collaborate around WORKPLACE FEEDING – focusing Corporate Client, Caterer & Consultancy like never before.
In an unprecedented year, 2022, the team at the TAF Catering Consultancy is, again, delighted to have found out this week we have won another award. This time we have been awarded the Most I
Report Content