Over a thousand farmers will see payments for their milk withheld next week as one of Great Britain’s biggest dairy companies announced that they would be delaying payments for a fortnight because of a substantial drop in prices.
The crash in value has, bizarrely, seen milk become cheaper than water.
The co-operative First Milk has said the last twelve months was a “year of volatility that [we have] never seen before.”
The group, owned by British farmers, also announced that they would be increasing levies on its members, which they believe will put the business on a strong platform ahead of the spring.
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The craze for unearthing new gastronomic trends and bringing them to the commercial market isn’t exactly new, but at the moment we’ve noticed that there’s a desire to be uniquely singular; to foster and idea based around one product and then unleash it on the world.
Recently we’ve seen a cereal cafe and an egg restaurant open up in London, but we think those concepts are so 2014 – so last year.
This is 2015, the year where the potato chips rule the roost.
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We’re still gently lowering ourselves into 2015, but what can those in the foodservice and catering industries expect over the course of the next twelve months?
Last year was certainly dominated by the rise of craft ales, locally sourced produce become exceptionally premiumised foodstuffs and the continued ascension of gluten free products, to name but a few. We fully expect these items to be hot tickets as the days, weeks and months pass by.
But – as we hear your calls – what could be on the horizon?
Here we round some of the predictions we’ve seen been put forward, and add a few of our own. Of course if you have a hot new trend then we’d love to hear what you have to say!
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It’s a simple question that required a very complex but forward thinking answer.
Just how do you keep food constantly cold in the most demanding of environments?
That was the question posed to Adande, a Lowestoft-based company that specialises in refrigeration and ventilation systems in offshore locations.
The company’s founders, Ian Wood and George Young, had been asked by people within the foodservice industry that worked primarily on North Sea oil and gas rigs, if it was possible to create a refrigerator or freezer that would constantly holds its temperature.
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It’s the bug that just refuses to go away and once again the potentially nasty campylobacter bacterium has been back in the headlines once again.
Health officials have said that many chickens sold within the United Kingdom are being sold with the bug present due to poor practices within the poultry industry.
People at Public Health England claim that without sufficient legislation in place then the entire industry will be slow to bring in improvements and changes to could reduce the threat of contamination because they fear it will drive up costs.
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Once the festive celebrations have died down and those credit card bills come through the letterbox after the New Year has been ushered in with a cavalcade of frivolity, many people embark on a month long process of reflection and detox known as Dry January.
Well this time – January is only twelve days away! – many within the pub and restaurant trade are hoping that a new campaign will take over from Dry January and gently guide people into trying new dishes.
Instead of abstinence, the industry wants people to get experimental in what they are calling Try January.
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Christmas is just ten short days away and the nation’s high streets are gradually getting filled with last-minute shoppers rushing through to find presents whilst navigating the masses.
But, from a gastronomic point of view, what would put a downer on this time of year?
According to a study commissioned by Unilever Food Solutions, the majority of people say that it just wouldn’t be Christmas without the presence of a roast turkey.
In a Family Fortunes style situation, one thousand people were asked to complete the sentence ‘It’s not Christmas without….’ and nearly sixty percent of those respondents replied with roast turkey. Christmas crackers came second.
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Some rather encouraging figures have been released that provide welcome reading to those involved with the restaurant trade.
According to a leading market analysis firm the nation’s restaurant and pub groups have, collectively, have seen like-for-like sales grow by over 2% during the month of October when compared to the same month last year.
“Overall, the [businesses] are seeing steady, consistent growth in eating and drinking out,” said Peter Martin, the vice-president of an insight company.
However, despite the heartening figures, it was London that led the growth: Those encircled by the M25 saw sales jump by 4%.
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Some tough sentences have been proposed for those who breach health and safety guidelines when it comes to food preparation.
These new guidelines – which are yet to be ratified – could see people face a potential fine of 700% of their weekly income or 18 months in prison, though this is only for the most severe of offences.
There are also suggestions that businesses determined to be “micro” (companies who turn over less than £2 million per annum) may be forced to pay around £120,000 for serious breaches whilst “small” businesses (those who have a turnover between £2-10 million) could be handed a £450,000 bill.
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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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Author
Damien Wilde