Author Archives: Admin

As it’s a leap year in 2012, ladies, it’s your chance to pop the question to your men!  He will of course say yes…..and then the fun starts! Where will you get married, what sort of ceremony will you have, what venue will you have the reception at, what type of cake, where are you going on honeymoon and one of the most important points is what food will you serve!

Choosing the food is one of the top, most important choices to make for your special day.  Everyone remembers the food, the cake and the little touches that make the day special.  So….how do you go about choosing a wedding caterer?

• At Robinsons, you won’t have to think about anything to do with the food on the day apart from eating it!  Why do you want to worry whether special dietary requirements are catered for, if there is enough food and the timing of it being served?
• Why not sample the food first?  Then you can pick exactly what you want and you know what it’s going to be like before the Big Day!
• We can cater for every wish you have…so if, like Prince William you have a sweet tooth and love rich tea biscuits, we can incorporate your favourite foods (however bizarre!) into our menus.

The consumer watchdog Consumer Focus Wales has called upon parents to take action against poor food hygiene in schools in an attempt to ensure that school catering standards are kept up to snuff.

The organisation made the advice after receiving shocking information that revealed that 48 educational institutions had gained poor marks in relation to their hygiene as part of a Food Standards Agency scheme.

Whilst the issues are apparently being dealt with, the watchdog is still warning parents to be vigilant about the quality of school catering in their local schools.

Liz Withers, Policy Head for Consumer Focus Wales, commented “[Parents] can do this by demanding information about what action will be taken to improve the rating and to see inspection reports.”

The Daily Mirror has highlighted that there is an increasing demand in the catering industry for young and competent professionals to make their mark on the catering world.

They h ave highlighted

a astonishing 32,000 catering jobs that are ideal for caterers of all age groups, experience and lifestyle. In doing so they have also highlighted that the industry is very much alive and well, despite the recession.

“Once people get a taste of this amazing industry invariably they’re hooked,” says Anne Pierce, chief executive of Springboard.

She adds “It’s vibrant and no two days are the same.

“Employees very quickly realise that career progression can be rapid and that the sector offers a host of opportunities and rewards. It doesn’t matter what age you are or ­the background you’re from, there’s a place for you in British hospitality.”

Compass, who gained national notoriety when confronted by Jamie Oliver over the sale of Turkey Twizzlers to schools as part of their school catering program, has purchased the Warrington based Cygnet Food Holdings for a sum believed to be in the region of £5 million.

The group, which still cooks meals for 2,000 schools and more than 100 colleges, has managed to rebuild its image after the Oliver scandal and has since rebuilt itself into a profitable enterprise in Britain.

The deal to buy Cygnet should boost the number of schools it serves by 25%.

Jim Cartwright, managing director of Cygnet Catering, commented “We are delighted to be working with Compass. Its business culture is very similar to Cygnet Catering, which makes it an ideal fit.

Compass understands the education sector and has the expertise and specialist support to drive our business forward.”

Ian Sarson, group managing director of Compass Group UK & Ireland, added “At a time when the public sector is coming under increasing budgetary pressures, it will enable us to offer more local authorities a proven cost-saving solution at the same time as delivering nutritionally balanced and healthy meals.”

A number of contract catering jobs have been created in Sheffield after a catering company in the region won a contract that will see them provide meals at Sheffield Wednesday FC’s Hillsborough Stadium.

The catering contract will see the company cover matchday catering, hospitality, conferencing, banqueting and non-matchday events at Hillsborough. The contract itself was worth £8.2 million.

The contract is to last for five years an began at the start of this football season. It will replace the in-house catering system that

the club previously had in place.

Paul Aldridge, the club’s vice chairman, commented “The 2011-12 season ahead marks the start of a new era in Sheffield Wednesday’s 144-year history and we have great ambitions for the club – both on and off the pitch.”

A pub in the West Midlands has been revamped to create a host of new jobs for caterers and serving staff throughout Stourbridge. The pub, which was previously known as the Waggon and Horses, was reopened on August 22nd under the name David Murphy’s.

The pub had undergone a £200,000 renovation according to the S

tourbridge News, with working taking place over a twelve month period to bring the former watering hole bang up to date.

The reinvented venue was named after landlady Trina Keane’s late father, who died in 2008, aged 86.

She commented ”He would love it, he was fond of a drink, we have a glass with his name on behind the bar.”

David Murphy’s is expected to bring 12 new pub jobs to the area.

A new study has found no evidence for the prevailing belief that prolonged breast feeding protects infants against developing eczema and other allergic diseases

Researchers in Britain gathered data on more than 50,000 children ages 8 to 12 in 21 countries, assessing the prevalence and severity of eczema with skin examinations of the children, family medical histories and questionnaires about past symptoms. The children also received skin-prick tests for common allergens.

There was no evidence that breast-feeding prevented eczema or limited its severity Even among children who had been breast-fed for six months or longer.

The results were the same for children whose mothers had a history of allergy and for those who had a positive reaction to the allergens used in the skin-prick test.

Breast-feeding actually was associated with a slight increase in the risk for eczema in more affluent countries. The researchers suspect that this is because mothers who see an allergic reaction in an infant may try to breast-feed longer, not because breast-feeding causes the allergy.

“We’re not questioning the benefits of breast-feeding,” said Carsten Flohr, the lead author and a senior lecturer in pediatrics at Kings College London. “But when it comes to prevention of eczema, neither breast-feeding itself nor prolonged breast-feeding seems to be protective.”

Adia Nutrition, a division of 3Me, Inc., is pleased to provide an update to its shareholders.

Since the launch of its probiotic powder and chews, Adia Nutrition has been working hard over the past two months. Adia can currently be found in over 30 locations in Newport Beach and Boston, Massachusetts. Adia has partnered with local businesses, including yoga studios, fitness centers, and tennis clubs.

“We have been having several tastings a week with our partners in the health and fitness industry.

We have found our grassroots marketing effort to help build awareness of our brand, and help establish our products,” said Adia CEO Wen Peng.

About 3Me, Inc. 3Me, Inc. (fka:PivX Solutions)(fka:Inc.) is a brand development company that operates two subsidiaries. 3Me Media develops and markets consumer products through television, internet and mail. Adia Nutrition is a developer and marketer of nutrition products.

The Central government of India has specially launched a scheme for mothers and infants to make them healthy and disease-free. Maharashtra government has made special efforts at the Central government level to design and implement the Indira Gandhi Matrutva Suraksha Yojana. The state has now started its implementation, said minister for women and child welfare Varsha Gaikwad in Bhandara at the official launch function

of the scheme.

Indira Gandhi Matrutva Suraksha Yojana was launched at Patidar Bhavan in the presence of president of Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal Prabha Oza, Bhandara ZP president Vasant Enchilwar, MLA Nana Patole and ZP vice president Deepak Gajbhiye.

Pregnant woman as well as infants are frequently found malnourished, particularly in rural areas, said Gaikwad. The Central government has decided to give them Rs 4,000 for three months to get nutritious food. The amount will be deposited in the woman’s bank account and from this fund she will be able to buy nutritious food for herself as well as her child.

On Tuesday, Tata Global Beverages Ltd said that its research and development efforts will continue to develop new products focusing on health and nutrition.

“The emphasis on innovative and differentiated product development will contribute to the New Product Development (NPD) funnel that is focused on keeping in step with the rapidly changing global beverages market.

In its Annual Report and Financial Statements 2010-11 the company said: “More focus would be given for innovation and adoption of new technologies and processes to develop and optimise products for the target consumer.”

It said NPD projects of global nature, which were commercial and technically driven, with a health focus, would increasingly be part of the agenda.

“We continued the emphasis on the specialty category in the UK and Tetley Infusions in Canada, with the launch of two new flavours. Further initiatives are under way for breakthrough innovation in our key strategic growth areas of health and wellness,” it said.

The Group with a view to improving competitiveness, across key geographies and functions, is undertaking a strategic review of the cost base and this exercise is expected to be completed during the current year.

The company said it was increasingly looking for growth opportunities in the functional beverages category.

On the industry, it said the outlook was for a dearer and strong market as new season’s teas went on sale. Markets in South India were witnessing a weak trend as the weather had been drier.

“One of the major challenges for our business is the increase in input costs. A strategic review of the cost base to identify cost rationalisation opportunities and improve competitiveness is being undertaken,” the company added.