Tag: food and drink

Music to Your Ears: celebration as Bross Bagels teams up with Jackpot Peanut Butter

Two pioneering food brands have joined forces to shine a light on grassroots music venues, while celebrating a classic food combination of bagels and peanut butter.

This weekend, (Saturday 4th – Sunday 5th September), Bross Bagels will reveal the first in a range of limited-edition bagels, which will hero purpose-led brand Jackpot’s unique peanut butter, which ranges from their original to the more creative twists including raspberry, wasabi and cookies ‘n’ cream.

Bross Bagels will launch a new limited-edition bagel every weekend throughout September, with profits from the bagels going towards national charity, Music Venue Trust, which supports and endorses local UK music culture.  The partnership will help raise funds and support for grassroots music venues at a time of need for music, culture, artists, their teams and crew. 

With the aim of celebrating grassroots music venues across the country, each limited-edition peanut butter bagel will be inspired by music and performance and named after a famous song or lyrics. 

The bagels will be available at the Portobello, Leith and Bruntsfield Bross Bagels shops across Edinburgh, every weekend throughout September.

The partnership aims to celebrate a classic food combination, while shining a light on grassroots music culture, a sector that has like many, been significantly impacted by the pandemic.  The collaboration is a unique celebration of culture, music and independent venues, subjects close to the hearts of both brands.

Jackpot Peanut Butters will also be available to buy in all Bross Bagels shops throughout September, with a donation from the sale of each of the limited-edition bagels and Jackpot Peanut Butter pots going toward Music Venue Trust. 

Launched in 2015, Jackpot Peanut Butter is an all-natural, traditional American peanut butter made in the UK – not dissimilar to Bross Bagels, who present authentic Montreal style bagels, made in Edinburgh.

The limited-edition bagels will kick off tomorrow (Saturday 4th September) with the (I can’t get no) Satay-Faction – a sesame seed Bross bagel filled with hot smoked salmon, Jackpot Peanut Butter, Bross’ infamous frickles, shrettuce, fresh chilli, coriander, and Mama Bross’ rock sauce.

Since the brand launched in 2017, Bross Bagels has been committed to working with other independent brands who are equally dedicated to their craft, and traditional production methods, while giving them a modern twist.

Commenting on the latest collaboration, Bross Bagels founder Larah Bross said; “We’re always looking for ways to work with other brands who have a similar commitment to their craft that we do.  When we came across Jackpot Peanut Butter, we felt there was a real synergy in our purpose, passions and love of good food and music that bring people together.

“Bross Bagels was founded on the joy of sharing foods that conjure up memories.  For me growing up, there was nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a bagel – especially a peanut butter and jelly bagel!  We all have our comfort foods – and they’re comforting because food connects us to one another. 

“Music conjures up the same sense of memory, belonging and connection, which is why we’re proud to be supporting both Jackpot and the Music Venue Trust.  And we had a hole lot of fun creating the new bagel recipes and names!”

Rupert Leigh, Creator and MD of Jackpot Peanut Butter said; “Bagels and Peanut Butter is a winning combination, as are music and food.  Never has there been a more important time to support grassroots music venues, and we’re thrilled to be able to work in collaboration with Larah and the Bross Bagels team to continue to support and nurture the culture of music.

“The sale of the bagels and Jackpot peanut butter pots will be donated to the Music Venue Trust, helping to support that next generation of music makers and fans – helping them grow and continue to entertain, and will highlight the need to look after and invest in our music culture.” 

For more information visit www.brossbagels.com

Scotch Malt Whisky Society celebrates annual Gathering with full lineup of UK-wide events

The world’s most entertaining whisky club honours its members in style with events and tastings across the UK for their annual September Gathering

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) celebrates its annual September Gathering by showcasing a range of whisky tasting events across its signature UK venues.

Throughout the month the Society is hosting a series of events for members and non-members, with one exciting activation every weekend across each of their four UK locations; Glasgow, London, Edinburgh Queen Street, and The Vaults, Leith.

The Gathering 2021 launches at The Vaults on Friday, 4September and ends with a virtual tasting on Thursday, 30 September.

As part of the Gathering, the Society has partnered with Linn Products, creators of some of the world’s finest music systems.

Founded in Glasgow in 1973, Linn goes to extremes to pursue musical perfection and designs and manufactures premium music systems that bring consumers closer to the music that they love.

The partnership will feature Linn Lounges at Society’s London and Glasgow venues, offering both members and non-members the opportunity to taste whisky whilst enjoying music from some of the worlds most decorated bands.

Other key events in this year’s programme include The Gathering’s take over at Glasgow’s WEST Brewery, which includes a three-course dinner and a five-dram tasting event hosted by Master Ambassador, John McCheyne and, a spectacular festival of whisky in Edinburgh’s Queen Street Gardens, featuring dram bars, culinary delights from local producers and a live DJ performance from long-standing BBC radio presenter, Vic Galloway.

Helen Stewart, Head of Marketing and Membership at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, said: “For this year’s Gathering we have taken advantage of our four stunning Members’ Rooms to celebrate the love of whisky with our members.

“The 2021 Gathering line-up features a wealth of exciting events, which encourages our members to share their passion for whisky and offers the chance for new guests to explore the Society’s flavour profiles and what our Members’ Rooms have to offer.

“From a colourful festival of music and whisky to dram tastings and Society suppers, each occasion is incredibly unique and this year we look forward to welcoming our members and their guests to this annual celebration of our whisky community.”

For members ‘afar’ there will also be an immersive programme of home entertainment and virtual tastings, to bring ‘the spirit of The Vaults’ to members, no matter where they are.

Joe Rodger, Linn International Brand Manager, added: “The parallels between good whisky and good music run more than skin deep. Music is the soundtrack to the best times of our lives, and when it’s done right, we savour the difference.

“We are both proud and excited to be partnering with the SMWS. The meticulous focus on quality and provenance of Scotch whisky aligns beautifully with our own mission; we know our music systems are in good company, alongside whisky, as Scotland’s finest exports.”

For details on all the events and to buy tickets, visit: https://cutt.ly/SMWS-The-Gathering-2021

September Gathering Programme

Edinburgh, The Vaults – 4th September:

  • 4th September – The Gathering in the Courtyard. Members will  have the opportunity to purchase a ticket for a tasting session throughout the day. These include a rum tasting with Society ambassador Olaf Meier and an in-depth tasting session featuring this year’s Gathering exclusive releases hosted by The Vault’s own Dean M.

Edinburgh, Queen Street – 11th September:

  • 11th September – Gathering in the Gardens. For an extra £20, members will be able to take part in a signature one hour Gathering tasting masterclass, taking place at 3.30 pm and 7.00 pm.

London, Greville Street – 17th September – 18th September

  • 17th September and 18th September – Greville Street: Linn Lounge – Fleetwood Mac Whisky and Music Experience.

Glasgow, Bath Street – 24th – 25th September

  • 22nd September – Bath Street: Linn Lounge – Led Zeppelin Whisky and Music Experience.
  • 25th September – The Gathering goes West.
  • 29th September – Bath Street: Linn Lounge – Pink Floyd Whisky and Music Experience.

For more information about The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Membership click here.

Community Renewal Fun Day at Bingham Park this Saturday

Community Renewal Lifting Neighbourhood Together is a ground-breaking project, which is currently testing a new approach in lifting a whole neighbourhood out of poverty in five years. It has received funding from the National Lottery Community Fund and is being delivered in Bingham, Magdalene and The Hays.

The official launch took place in October 2020. However, lockdowns and Covid safety measures stalled the team’s visits to the local residents, so they have decided to host a fun day and picnic to officially launch the project to the community.

The event will take place at Bingham Park on Sat 4 September 1 – 3pm

During the day, residents will enjoy family friendly events, entertainment and much more. And along the way, the team will be talking to residents to find out more about their aspirations for the neighbourhood.

All residents from Bingham Magdalene and The Hays are welcome.

Food Festival comes to Dalkeith Country Park for the first time

The Great British Food Festival is back this year and is visiting Dalkeith Country Park near Edinburgh for the first time on the 11th and 12th September. The event runs all weekend from 10am-5pm.

After missing 2020 because of the pandemic, the organisers say they can’t wait to be back doing events and are looking forward to bringing their food festival to the area for the first time.

Dan Maycock, one of the organising team said: “Tickets have been selling really well and we are really looking forward to a fantastic foodie weekend”.

Dan added that there is a lot for all the family: “we have lots of great food and drink, chef demos and talks but also forager walks, kids entertainment and great live music, and free parking with your festival ticket.”

The fantastic live music has a play list packed full of local bands and artists, so you can do some shopping, grab some food and then have a well-earned relax with a local beer listening to some great live entertainment all within the beautiful grounds at Dalkeith Country Park.

The events is the perfect recipe for a fun, foodie day out where the whole family ‘bubble’ can get together, visit www.greatbritishfoodfestival.com for more details and tickets (some time slots are now sold out, so book quick!).

Morrisons: It’s Good to Grow!

Morrisons are launching a new initiative for our local primary schools to register to receive free gardening equipment 👩‍🌾🌻🌱🌷👩‍🌾

From Monday 6th September to Sunday 24th October for every £10 spent in store, customers with a My Morrison’s card/account will receive 1 Grow Token.

These tokens can then be donated to a registered school.

From 1st November schools will be able to redeem their Grow Tokens against a wide variety of gardening equipment.

Terms and conditions apply.

IMPORTANT: Schools need to register at www.itsgoodtogrow.co.uk. Registration is open now.

Start collecting from Monday 6th September

Aldi donates over 22,000 meals to Edinburgh and Lothian charities over the school summer holidays

ALDI – GLASCOTE TAMWORTH FOOD DONATION – TAMWORTH HEART CHARITY Pictures by Adam Fradgley Pictured: Lisa Richards (Aldi) and Simon Peaple (Tamworth Heart) with the trolley of donated items at the Tamworth store

Local charities across Edinburgh and the Lothians helped Aldi donate 22,752 meals to people in need over the summer school holidays.

The supermarket paired up its stores with local charities, community groups and foodbanks to donate surplus food, with the majority of meals going to causes supporting families and children.

The donation is part of Aldi’s commitment to donate 10 million meals across the country in 2021, in partnership with community giving platform Neighbourly.

Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK, said: “We were proud to support so many incredible causes across Edinburgh and the Lothians this summer, helping them to donate meals to those in need.

“The school holidays can be a hard time for families, particularly when many are experiencing heightened financial hardship due to the pandemic, and this is why we committed to donating more meals than ever before.”

Steve Butterworth, from Neighbourly, added: “The summer school holidays are always one of the busiest times for the nation’s charities and food banks, but this year things were even busier. Aldi’s donations have never been more of a vital support to these organisations.”

Aldi stores across the country work with Neighbourly to partner with local charities, who can collect surplus food and perishable products, such as fruit, vegetables and baked goods, up to seven days a week.

Don’t Brek The Bank!

Morrisons is offering half-price breakfasts from Bank Holiday Monday

  • Morrisons cafe deal means customers can grab a fry up for less than two quid –
  • Available in all Morrisons cafes in England, Wales and Scotland until 26th September –

From Monday, Morrisons is halving the price of its much-loved cooked breakfast for four weeks.

This means customers can get a fry up with sausage, bacon, fried egg, grilled tomato, baked beans and toast for just £1.87 – a price hard to beat anywhere else on the high street.

For those customers looking for the full works including mushrooms, black pudding and hashbrowns as well as extra sausages and bacon then Morrisons Full English Breakfast is now just £2.75 along with the Veggie or Vegan Breakfast options.

Morrisons breakfasts are available all day every day and the offer is valid in all 406 Morrisons cafes from Monday 30th August until Sunday 26th September. 

Ali Lyons, Head of Cafes at Morrisons, said: “A traditional cooked breakfast has long been a Great British treat.  As the nation returns to work and school we wanted to offer our customers a hearty meal, at an unbeatable price, to ensure they are setting themselves up for the day. 

“Many of our customers are key workers and don’t work traditional office hours, so we’ve made sure that the discount is valid all day so no matter what time you’re eating breakfast, customers can take advantage of the offer in our cafes.”

Morrisons recently introduced a brand new menu and has invested heavily in coronavirus safety measures including screens and a contactless ‘Order & Pay’ app.  

For more information and to see the cafe menu, visit:

my.morrisons.com/blog/food/new-cafe-menu/

Revealed: The World’s Most Popular Beer is …

  • “Corona Beer” has been searched globally 115,000 times in the past month 
  • Asahi is the second favourite, while Amstel is the third 
  • Beer production worldwide is 1.91bn hectolitres – the equivalent of 76,000 Olympic swimming pools. 

A new study has revealed that Corona ranks as the top beer globally, revealed as the favourite in countries such as the UK and the US.  

New research by kitchen equipment experts Maxima Kitchen Equipment has analysed Google search data to determine the most searched beers from the 50 most popular beer brands worldwide. 

It revealed that Corona is the most popular beer with “Corona Beer” being searched globally 115,000 times in the past month. During 2019, Corona beer sales within the UK rose by 40%, a total of £68 million in supermarket sales. In the US, there were an average 42,000 Google searches for the beer. 

Beer is an immense part of the US and UK culture. According to Beer Marketer’s Insights, the consumer price index for beer has risen 2.2% since June 2020.

Corona beer falls under Constellation Brands, Inc. who, according to Investopedia, are one of the best value beer stocks for value, growth and momentum, 2021.

Corona places #63 on Forbes ‘World’s Most Valuable Brands 2020”.

Corona Beer has a higher google search volume than the three Cambridge children, heir to the throne Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, combined (61,400).

The second most searched for beer in the UK is Asahi, with Amstel coming in third.  

Asahi beer has seen 5,100 Google searches in the UK in the past month. This is closely followed by 4,100 searches for Amstel beer. 

Japanese-made Asahi first hit shelves in 1987, and more than 100 million cases have been sold every year since. Asahi Holdings also own other popular brands such as Peroni and Lech. 

This is closely followed by 4,100 searches in the UK for Amstel beer. Amstel, which is owned by Heineken, sell to 190 countries across the world. They are also Europe’s No.1 biggest brewer. 

Guinness Beer makes it into the top 10 for most searched for beer in the US but does not for the UK.

According to Statista, the revenue in the Beer industry worldwide equates to $612,406 million in 2021 and is expected to grow annually by 10.51%. 

Beer production worldwide is 1.91bn hectolitres- the equivalent of 76,000 Olympic swimming pools. 

A spokesperson from Maxima Kitchen Equipment said: ‘The beer industry has grown more and more profitable over recent years and these search numbers are promising, suggesting that beers have always been and will continue to be a staple of British culture despite the closing of pubs during the UK lockdowns.’ 

Worldwide most searched Beers : 
Beer Brand Global 
Corona beer 115000 
Sapporo beer 36000 
Modelo beer 34000 
Kingfisher beer 30000 
Asahi beer 23000 
Heineken beer 23000 
Tiger beer 22000 
Carlsberg beer 21000 
Tuborg beer 17000 
Budweiser beer 15000 
The UK’s most searched for Beers 
Beer Brand UK 
Corona beer 18000 
Asahi beer 5100 
Amstel beer 4100 
Modelo beer 3800 
Tiger beer 3600 
Kingfisher beer 3200 
Sapporo beer 3000 
Carling beer 2600 
Heineken beer 2400 
Carlsberg beer 1500 
Most searched for Beers in the US 
Beer Brand US 
Corona beer 42000 
Modelo beer 28000 
Sapporo beer 23000 
Busch beer 12000 
Tecate beer 8200 
Asahi beer 8000 
Heineken beer 6400 
Carlsberg beer 5500 
Kirin beer 5200 
Guinness beer 3800 

The analysis was conducted by Maxima Kitchen Equipment which has more than 40 years of experience in the supply and maintenance of professional kitchen equipment. 

Scottish Government launches local food strategy consultation

An opportunity to shape food policy

The public are being urged to help shape the first ever local food strategy produced by the Scottish Government.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon has urged everyone, from private individuals to businesses and organisations, to take part in a consultation – the first stage in a strategy to make high quality food accessible to all and promote the benefits of locally produced food and drink.

One of the Scottish Government’s 100 days’ commitments, the consultation covers a range of issues including promoting local produce, encouraging people to grow their own food and making quality local food and drink available to all.

It seeks views on the three pillars of the strategy, namely connecting people with food, connecting producers with buyers and harnessing the buying power of public sector procurement.

Vertical farming, a new agricultural technology that could help support local food production, is also included in the consultation.

The food and drink sector in Scotland is made up of more than 17,000 businesses which employ around 122,000 people, many in remote and economically fragile rural and island communities.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “Scotland has some of the best food and drink anywhere in the world and the benefits of consuming locally produced food goes well beyond the plate.

“By encouraging more locally-based production, we can reduce the distance food travels as well as enabling more people to grow their own food.

“As a nation, our approach to food has been changing for the better – people want to know how their food was produced, such as welfare standards and how far it has travelled.

“Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have accelerated that pace of change and we want to maximise the potential that local food production has to offer – enriching lives, improving diets, supporting local economies and ensuring that a low income is not a barrier to healthy, nutritious food.

“This consultation includes the use of new technologies like vertical farming and food production and harnessing the spending power of public sector procurement and I would encourage individuals, businesses and organisations to be part of the process that will make Scotland a good food nation.”

The consultation runs until 26 November. 

Scotmid customers to benefit from new digital labelling technology

Customers at Scotmid stores across Scotland are set to benefit from clearer product pricing and information thanks to investment by the convenience retailer into new electronic shelf labels (ESLs)

The integrated technology, which will display accurate pricing and promotion details – as well as extended information such as allergens and country of origin – allows customers to make easy and fully informed decisions on their product purchases.

Customers and staff at stores involved in the trialling of the ESLs, experienced increased efficiency, reduced paper wastage and an enhanced store team morale. Scotmid now plans to install the digital labels in further stores across its estate.

The investment comes at a time when Scotmid is looking to drive store change through technology and adopt sustainable practices that reduce the need for paper usage.

Allan Robertson Programme Manager, Innovation and Change at Scotmid said: “As a retailer based in the heart of communities we serve, we continually look for innovative solutions which will deliver genuine benefits for our customers as well as our colleagues.

“These electronic labels look tidy and modern and mean that we can present our price and product information more clearly for customers.”

Steven Cannon, Branch Supervisor of a trial store, said: “The feedback from our team and customers has been fantastic. Overnight updates mean the store is customer-ready as soon as we switch the system on each morning.

“Without manual price and promotion tasks to complete and check, we have more time to assist and serve customers.”

The technology is manufactured by SoluM, a Samsung invested company, with the supply and installation carried out by Cambridge based Technology Integrator Herbert Retail. 

Scotmid and Herbert Retail are members of the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).

The first Scotmid stores to install the ESLs are:

Pilrig – Edinburgh

Barnton – Edinburgh

Rannoch – Edinburgh

Old Mill Road – Uddingston

Inverkeithing

Rimbleton

South Queensferry

West Calder

Leven Street – Edinburgh

Broxburn

Uddingston