Blog
Happy Christmas
Hello, we wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a very Happy Christmas from all of us at Grub Club Events. It really has been a year like no other! We hope you enjoy the festive season and are able to look forward to an improved and less challenging 2021. Read more
Afternoon tea at Elsie May’s Electric Lounge
Elsie May’s is a family-run cafe and bar in the market town of St Neots. It is in a wonderful location just off the market square. A lovely relaxed setting, hidden from the hustle and bustle of life, it’s a perfect spot to escape to.
Festive (virtual) Networking in Association with Delishops
Well, it was our first ever online networking food event and it’s fair to say it was great fun! After so many months apart, it was wonderful to welcome 38 participants from food-related businesses online for a 2-hour fun-packed networking evening.
2020 Advent Calendar Review
At Grub Club, we always get excited to see how brands bring their products to life in an advent calendar. Advent calendars are shrouded with excitement, anticipation and reward, so we see no better way to show off your brand and keep consumer loyalty.
We have picked out some of our favourites. We hope you enjoy them too.
FOOD BUSINESSES AND BREXIT: ADDRESSES FOR EXPORTS TO THE EU
The Q&A below is about Food Business Operator addresses on pre-packed foods exported into the EU. It is aimed at FBOs in Great Britain and covers the position if, at the end of the transition period:
(a) the UK is no longer part of the single market (e.g. as a member of the European Free Trade Association); and
(b) there are no provisions in any UK/EU trade deal which relax the rules on pre-packed food labelling which would normally apply to a third country importing into the EU.
The withdrawal deal envisages a transition period lasting until 31 December 2020; this can be extended by up to two years by agreement, with a decision having to be taken by 1 July 2020. During the transition period, and any extension, the UK will continue to operate as if it were a member state for trading purposes.
Food Matters Live announces a rich, connected virtual experience in 2020
As new challenges arise, so do opportunities to adapt and progress and find new ways of working, and here at Food Matters we are embracing these. With ongoing uncertainty surrounding international travel and formal guidance on social distancing measures, Food Matters is pleased to announce an exciting new virtual experience for the 2020 edition of the annual Food Matters Live event.
Taking place on 13 and 14 October, the Food Matters Live virtual experience will provide an engaging and inclusive opportunity to imagine, learn, connect and to explore what’s possible.
Food Matters Live 2020 will continue to provide the following opportunities to our global community:
- Access to the unrivalled education programme, offering five streams of topical evidence – based presentations, trend insights and thought-provoking panel discussions delivered via live webcasts and Q&A sessions
- Connect with exhibitors, access product demonstrations and information via virtual meeting spaces and presentations, and explore the latest innovative ingredient and nutraceutical solutions
- Access to the curated hosted buyer programme offering 1-2-1 meetings, enabled by modern video technology and operating across different time zones, supported by the Food Matters Partnership team
- Meet the Food Matters Live Awards Winners who will be announced by the judges during Food Matters Live – presenting a chance to connect with the innovators of 2020
- Explore the digital Nutraceutical Showcase featuring some of the most innovative nutraceutical brands meeting consumer demand
Looking ahead to 2021
During this period of transition, Food Matters has been working closely with 02 Intercontinental Convention Centre to agree a pathway for Food Matters Live 2021.
We are pleased to announce new summer dates for the 2021 edition which will see Food Matters Live take place on 29 and 30 June 2021. It will present a hybrid event combining a physical exhibition offering tastings and customer innovation experiences, The Food Matters Live conference and seminars, the hosted buyer programme and 1-2-1 and group meetings, the Future Brands competition, the Awards ceremony and the Food Matters Live Summer Social programme offering networking in a 5 star environment – all of which will integrate with a hybrid virtual experience.
Working closely with the venue team, and following the high standards that the Intercontinental Group are deploying across their global prestigious 5 star venues, Food Matters Live 2021 can assure that it will operate at the highest standards to ensure the health and wellbeing of all participants attending in person.
Briony Mansell-Lewis, Director at Food Matters said: Advancing innovation in food and nutrition together with enabling sustainable food production are going to be fundamental as we move beyond these unprecedented times.
We are pleased to be able to offer a virtual experience to enable the business of food and nutrition innovation to continue in 2020 and to support our global community in making connections, sharing information and inspire new thinking.
We are looking forward to working closely with all our stakeholders – exhibitors, attendees, sponsors and speakers to make Food Matters Live 2020 a rich, engaging and accessible event via a virtual experience and to taking the combined modern approach of a hybrid event to new heights in June 2021.”
Help is at hand newsletter 29th of April
We hope you are all well this week. We would like to share some useful information and opportunities with you this week.
It is great to hear so many of you opening up in new ways this week. Please don’t forget to update us so we can give you a shout out on social media.
Wishing you the best of health, take care.
Team Grub Club
Thanks to those of you who joined us for last weeks webinar, for those of you who missed it, don’t worry you can catch it here.
During these times it is vital that we come together and support each other as we are so much stronger together. We need to share advice, learnings and tips to come through this chapter. So check out the Delishops foodie community, it’s a great foodie tribe of businesses who are keen to grow and support each other.
To get involved register here
We have teamed up with the fab team at Montgomery to offer a weekly competition series on our Instagram feed. Please share and get involved there are some great prizes.
British Cheese Weekender, Early May Bank Holiday, 8-10 May
This is a great message to share with your customers and a wonderful foodie wave to be part of.
So get involved. They have a star-studded foodie line up of events for the weekend. Have you got the perfect cheese accompaniment, or can you offer a delicious British cheese collection to sell to you customers?
The three-day event will encourage the public to enjoy the country’s best cheeses with a series of free, online tastings by the country’s top cheese experts. Please visit here to find out more and use the #BritishCheeseWeekender
If you are looking for support as how to trade online then check out Speciality Food’s ultimate guide to online retail. It is free to download here
Help is at hand! 22nd of April
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We hope you are all well this week. We just wanted to share some useful information and opportunities for you this week.
Wishing you the best of health, take care.
Team Grub Club
‘Business as usual’, it certainly is not! Join Vhari as she shares insights into new routes to market during these extraordinary times. From online listings to delivery boxes, let’s delve into who you can sell to now and how you can plan for the future. This webinar is great for producers, retailers and brands looking to grow sales.
To get involved register here
If you missed last nights cheese class with Charlie Turnbull, catch up on Youtube and be sure to tune in next week.
British Cheese Weekender, Early May Bank Holiday, 8-10 May
To celebrate the amazing range of cheeses made by small producers in the UK and to highlight the crisis they face The British Cheese Weekender will be taking place over the Early May Bank Holiday weekend (8-10 May). The three-day event will encourage the public to enjoy the country’s best cheeses with a series of free, online tastings by the country’s top cheese experts. Please visit here to find out more
An online Food & Drink Festival has been created so you can discover and buy epicurean delights for direct delivery to your own home.
They are also looking for more brands to get involved, so check it out.
The Food Marketing Experts Social Media Calendar is brimming with #SocialMediaDays, key foodie events and helpful tips to keep you relevant and your brand on track throughout the year.
Simply sign up below and download your copy now.
Great finance advice from leading accountancy firm
Those Grub Club friends who are in the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure industry should hopefully be aware of the RHL Grant. This is being administered by your local authority. I urge you to look at the details on the government website and if you have not heard yet from your local authority, give them a call. Grants are starting to be paid, so the money has been received from central government.
Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund
- Under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant (RHLG), businesses in England that would have been in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure) on 11 March with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will be eligible for the following cash grants per property
- Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of up to and including £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000, in line with the eligibility criteria as set out in paragraphs 24-31
- Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of over £15,000 and less than £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000, in line with the eligibility criteria as set out in paragraphs 24-31
Thanks to Marissa Lebeau
This Weeks Help is at Hand Newsletter
Hello
We hope you are all well this week. We have been sharing lots of your stories and enjoying seeing what wonderful work you are all doing. Thanks so much to you all for keeping us fed and watered.
We are working on the Velvet magazine Fathers Day feature, so please get in touch if you have any products you would like featured.
We have a number of new opportunities coming up so please stay in touch, we will share more news next week.
Wishing you the best of health, take care.
Team Grub Club
Why not take the opportunity to get your products some additional attention!
The Great British Food Awards are open now until the 22nd of June.
Fresh Montgomery is bringing a series of weekly webinars to you to share insight, guidance and support from the industry to the industry.
To register for these webinars visit here
We are delighted to see so many businesses being so agile during this chapter.
So if you are looking to enjoy a home dining experience check out this round-up of who is doing what near Cambridge.
At this time we are all looking for sites and information to learn from. This is a great resource for the whole family. Eat farm have created a wealth of content for us to share and enjoy.
During the current situation, cash is king. Hopefully, by now, all business owners have a cashflow forecast set out over the next 6 months, taking us up to September, when we hope business will be back to normal (a new normal).
Over the last week, all of you who employ people should have received notification of the information needed to claim back the cost of furloughing staff from the Government. The time is now to collect this information together, on a spreadsheet, and get ready for Monday 20th April. This date is important. It is the date that the government hub becomes available for you to put your claim in for repayment of furloughed individuals. It will be busy. Be persistent. The sooner you put in your claim, the quicker the money will be in your bank account. Remember – cash is king!