After Glee, GTN visited Lunch! at the Islington Design Centre, the trade show for... you guessed it, the lunch industry. Whilst many of the products and exhibitors were aimed at the food to go market, we found plenty of good ideas and new products that could give garden centre coffee shops and restaurants that extra edge, especially in the new Lunch! innovation area. Scroll through the images in the picture gallery below to see 10 of the best.
1 Soft Winter Kiss from Landgarten With Christmas in mind here’s a range of gluten free healthy chocolate snacks. Their Christmas range is available right now for garden centres to stock. www.landgarten.co.uk www.immergruen.co.uk
2. Cafe Direct and 3. Cafe Direct at Swanland If you want a coffee brand that has fair trade at its heart and high street recognition too, choose Cafe Direct – the original Fair Trade Coffee from Oxfam trading. As sold at Swanland Nurseries near Hull. mlord@cafedirect.co.uk or www.cafedirect.co.uk
4. Hoots Multigrain Snack With all the interest in Wild Bird Care at garden centres – how about selling Hoots multigrain snacks! www.thewiseowlsnackcompany.co.uk
5. Kent Crisps We hope Paul Cooling discovered these wonderfully named Kent Crisps to sell in Arthurs at Coolings. www.kentcrisps.com
6. Little Big Shot Energy If you want an energy drink to sell to younger customers, try Little Big Shot Energy. It’s 100% natural with minerals from deep ocean water. Tastes good too! www.littlebigshot.com
7. Maynards House Orchards Clive Williamson knows the garden centre industry well and believes his award winning Suffolk apple juice will be a winner. www.applejuice.uk.com
8. Unoco raw coconut water Coconut Water is becoming really trendy, but this is made from young green coconuts, never heated and always alive. It’s full of anti-oxidants that often turn it pink. www.unocodrinks.com
9. Delice de France Delice de France were the supplier chosen by Baytree to supply their pastries, toasties and panninis for their new coffee bar set up in the main garden centre. www.delicedefrance.co.uk
10. Baytree Coffee Shop What a trip to Lunch! can lead to! Nigel Wallis and Ute Birch proudly open the new coffee shop at Baytree Garden Centre.
Lunch! next takes place on September 23rd and 24th 2014 at the Islington Design Centre. See you there.
