Four award winning products from Casual Dining Show

Despite the ravages of storm Doris the GTN Food Xtra team managed to get to London on Thursday last week to check out the Casual Dining Show at the Islington Design Centre.

Whist the show is mainly taregtted at the pub and restaurant chain market, the clue in the name of Casual Dining means there was plenty of interest for garden centre folk looking for new ideas. After all it is possible that garden centre's represent a bigger share of the "Casual Dining" market. The show guide lists the Top 20 Casual Dining brands - Pizza Express at No 1 and Giraffe at No 2 - who have 3,033 outlets between them. Assuming a universe of 1,500 garden centre restaurants puts us at the same size as 50% of the Top 20 Brands. And if Wyevale Garden Centres were included as a Casual Dining Brand, they would be at No 7.

With so much to see we've focussed on 4 of the Innovation Award winners who were voted for by visitors on the first day and then had to pitch to a panel of judges on the Thursday.

Grab a Pizza the action - easliy...

Ascentia won a Gold Innovation Award for their F1 countertop "rapid cook" stone bake pizza oven. With no extraction required and it doesn't use microwaves this could be the ideal way to add fresh pizza to your menu without having to build a full scale pizza oven. The smaller version (see picture gallery below) can even be used using a normal 240V supply so that would be great for a "pop up" cafe out in the planteria this summer. E-mail: neil.mantle@ascentia-fse.co.uk. Website: www.ascentia-fse.co.uk

Double Dutch - Refined, high quality soft drinks and mixers

If you're looking for a different range of mixers to sell alongside your wines, spirits in your food shop then the 100% natural, british made, range from Double Dutch could deliver with fruity and botanical links to boot. Double Dutch Pomegranate + Basil makes a slightly sweet on the tongue drink comined with gin or vodka. Cucumber + Watermelon is refreshing and soothes your gin or vodka. Double Dutch Premium and Slimline Tonic Waters are made with the highest quality quinine and a subtle twist of botanical flavours.

E-mail: sales@doubledutchdrinks.com Website: www.doubledutchdrinks.com

Fun pasta for "little customers"

With catering for young children becoming an even bigger opportunity on the back of soft play installations in garden centres the Amichetti with cheeses by Laboratorio Tortellini Kids could be a great way of keeping children and parents happy while eaing well and healthy. All of the ingredients used to prepare the Amichetti are organic. They are filled with cheese because "all kids love cheese" and the turtles, geckos, fish and ducks can be combined with almost any sauce to make meal time fun time. We can see this on soft play cafe menus as well as special items for summer kids activity days.

E-mail: surgital@surgital.it Website: www.surgital.it

Karma Cola is a Natural Winner

Karma Cola, Gingerella ginger ale and Lemony lemonade were Gold Award winners at the show and we reckon this range of 100% natural soft drinks can be a winner in any garden centre wanting to maximise on environmental, ethical, natural and wellness concepts.

The Karma Kola story began on a beach in New Zealand but since the cola nut comes from Africa a company was formed to find ingredients that were good for the land, good for the people who grow them and good for the people who drink and eat them. Karma Kola have built a bridge in the village where the project started in Africa and now provides funding to encourage other entreprenurial activities from the community that grow the ingredients.

Oh, they taste great too and boy were we happy to have some bottles with us to drink as we sat on a very slow train home. As the Karma Cola story says "What goes around, comes around."

Email: sam@karmacola.co.uk Website: www.karmacola.co.uk

< >