You are definitely in the right sector

Two recent bits of research say cafes are a great sector.

Allegra Strategies Eating Out in  the UK 2011 and Mintel, as reported in the Caterer, state that:

• out of home eating is increasing in the low to mid-value end of the lunch market despite the economy
• coffee shops have the highest visit frequency of any catering outlets
• fast casual 'refuel' snack lunches are what consumers want
• local sourcing has real appeal and is the most important ethical initiative you can undertake
• customers are slowly getting the message about, and buying, healthy options

It is hardly surprising that there are new magazines (Lunch Business "for the 'grab & go' business professional"), new shows (Lunch!) and web portals (Caffe Culture).  I am delighted to say that this blog is now getting over 100 page views a day plus an increasing number of followers on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.  We're rocking.

More on Macaroons

We had the giant macaroons at Peter Jones - see blog post dated 12th April - and now we have Macaron Frappes courtesy of Paul.

You may also have seen the Unifine food and bake ingredients flyer in your Caterer magazine publicising their French Macaroon Mix - mix with hot water for 4 minutes and bake for 20 minutes - and all the colourful things you can do with a macaroon!