Generally speaking the idea that students will eat just about anything that’s edible is true. I remember my student days and when times were tough – or when the shop was just out of reach – we would all make do with whatever stale bits of bread, leftovers and other bargain basement items left in the fridge or freezer that we could find. Some almost saw it as a rite of passage, akin to earning the degree after a couple of years of study.
Well some students in Belgium have taken things to the next level. One academic institution in Brussels has started serving an insect-based menu in its canteen. The decision has seen it become the first commercial kitchen in Belgium to offer such products.
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Customer spending in the foodservice and catering industries may be on the rise, but according to a further report, conducted by EBLEX, there is no room for complacency in the weeks and months ahead.
After tracking customer behaviour, the latest trends and the potential for opportunities, the study has revealed that the cash splashed by consumers has grown by 2%. Yet despite these extremely positive signs some parts of the sector are flagging whilst others represent an untapped resource of revenue, according to analysts.
One example given is that in quick-service environments, the typical customer appears to be male as females have begun to desert such establishments.
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Here’s a question for you: What do you do when preparing to make a big decision?
Are you a meticulous planner or a spontaneous doer? But importantly, what we really want to know is if you’re one who snacks whilst mulling things over. If you are, new research suggests you’re best doing your thinking, evaluating and concluding on an empty stomach.
A study, which has just gone online in the journal PLOS ONE indicates that people predominantly make better decisions if there has been an absence of food.
Sub-titled Hunger is Associated with Advantageous Decision Making, the Dutch-led investigation instructed participants to start a fast at 11pm. [ Read More ]
A new report – conducted by the market research company JRA and the foodservice data specialists Horizons – has stated that over two thirds of operators have seen a year-on-year increase in food sales. Now that’s news to brighten up a Monday morning!
Over three hundred businesses were surveyed, including a large number of restaurants, pubs and hotels, and the results, as noted in the opening paragraph, indicate that the catering and food service industry is in rude health.
With there being a near sixty-six percent rise across the board, a quarter of those respondents described their increases as ‘large’.
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As parents, we know that it can sometimes be slightly problematic to get children to eat a varied and balanced diet.
Some take to their greens like the proverbial duck to water whilst others view fresh fruit and vegetables with a slightly more sceptic eye.
However researchers from the University of Edinburgh believe that if you play to a youngsters’ competitive streak, children are more likely to eat greens.
According to a recent study, the Scottish-based scientists found that primary school children consumed a third more ‘healthy options’ if mealtimes involved some kind of game.
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When Saturday comes, opposing supporters visiting the Swiss town of Sion could be in for a gastronomic treat.
The city’s Raiffeisen Super League outfit, FC Sion, has adopted a forward-thinking strategy in an attempt to minimise crowd trouble at the Stade Tourbillon.
Instead of implementing a heavy-handed police-based strategy to root out troublemakers or imposing draconian restrictions on their rivals, Sion is attempting to refine their rivals.
Back in July at the start of their latest league campaign the club based with the western Valais canton issued a press release that said:
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We live in an increasingly connected world where customers can voice their opinions within seconds and be heard by thousands in minutes. This social media age has changed the face of how restaurants react and respond to customer service complaints. But, despite the negative aspects, there are a huge number of positives too.
One website at the centre of this debate is the review-centric platform TripAdvisor and they have just announced the launch of their inaugural Exceptional Service Awards.
This new honour is set to honour and recognise those “remarkable hospitality professionals” who work across the entire service industry, including those waiting and bar staff who work in restaurants and other such similar venues.
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There are many numerous and well documented benefits to eating your greens and gobbling up your vegetables.
However a new study, conducted by researchers based at the University of Warwick, has revealed that eating your fruit and vegetables can boost mental health.
The people based at the Medical School, located in Coventry, collected data from the national Health Survey of England.
After crunching the numbers it was revealed that there was a correlation between a person’s mental wellbeing and the amount of fruit and vegetables that they consumed.
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When on the receiving end of some poor service when dining out, a number of people would leave feeling somewhat disappointed while some might even take the establishment to task online and leave a negative review of their experience.
But one American couple, who described their meal in an Iowan restaurant as “terrible” bucked the trend.
Instead of moaning, they gave their waiter a £60 tip
“People all around us were making fun of the restaurant and how back the service was. At one point we counted [that the waiter] had twelve tables [to look after],” the duo, Steven and Makenzie Schultz, said.
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The tradition of the full English breakfast goes back centuries and the formation of this culinary staple can be attributed to the Victorians.
Though the meal’s lineage can be traced back much further.
Once upon a time it was the landed gentry who saw an importance in being able showcase the fruits of their lands by commissioning their in-house chefs to create an assortment of dishes to wow guests and fill stomachs.
But, as that aristocracy began to wane the traditional large-scale breakfast became common place on the plates of all – no matter their social class.
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Author
Damien Wilde