The way in which we shop!

Recently, from shopping at Morrison's, I have noticed their attempts to look more like a market stall. From a help yourself olive deli, pick your own fruit and veg and a cheese deli counter. There has been an increase in the past year in the amount of organic produce purchased and this is replicated through supermarkets choices in how they market their fruit and vegetables. For example, Sainsbury's only sell fair trade bananas with even their basics range still being fair trade. This is because Sainsbury's wish to to portray a brand which is sustainable and conscientious of the environment, I believe that this is how they differentiate from other market leading supermarkets and how in fact they have managed to excel given the competitive nature of that industry.

The relatively new fruit and veg display in Morrison's is a fantastic way to offer more of a help yourself service. They have called the concept "Market Street", where the vegetables are set out in bunches like on a market stall, meaning that there is less packaging. This is a very wise move as the average consumer is more concerned about the effect  of plastic packaging on the environment. There is a spraying system over the fruit and veg, which reminded me of a European hypermarket, the idea is that it stays fresher for longer. This being both beneficial to the consumer and Morrisons as it means there is less waste. 

I am not an eco-warrier but given an ideal world I am all for purchasing my fresh produce at local shops and markets. However, given the way in which society has changed with more people working longer hours and convenience shopping being the most popular this is not realistic. As, in reality the ease of buying everything under one roof is putting local businesses out of business. However, it is nice to see larger organisations developing a more personal approach to their marketing and product offering.

Thanks for reading my woffley nonsense!!

Toni

xoxox

Rediscover the forgotten art of relaxation

It's official, I have the key for the door, I am now 21! This means I am officially an adult and as my younger sister keeps telling me, I am nearly 30, ahhhhhh!!!

For my birthday my mum bought me and my boyfriend a spa day and stay at Dunkenhalgh hotel on the outskirts of Blackburn. I have always wanted to go to a spa and was terribly excited for weeks before. On the day, we arrived early because we could use the facilities all day, including gym, saunas and swimming pool access. The building was beautiful it looked like a castle. After checking into our room, we were shown around the hotel by a very friendly lady and then taken to the spa and given our robes and given a tour of the surroundings. This made me think about customer service and how crucial it is for a business offering a personal service like a spa, this lady was very highly trained and a credit to Mercure hotels. This demonstrates that an employees passion for the work can deliver results, as she made my day very special and we felt comfortable to approach with any query throughout our stay.

After having a spot of lunch and a half-hearted attempt in the gym (as I didn't have a bobble, poor show Toni!) we hit the saunas. There were 5 saunas in total from mint flavoured steam rooms to an above 80 degrees rock room, they were amazing. I had somehow never experienced a sauna, but considering I used to faint it was probably for the best. However, I loved it and when Anne (the lovely lady) told me that putting crushed ice on your bum and legs after being in sauna reduced cellulite, I was alll over it!! This has inspired me to purchase a body brush (cue next blog post ;)

Then we had our spa treatments, which where heaven I had a facial, the beauty therapist was lovely and she used the range Decleor, which was beautiful on your skin and so relaxing. She again was very well trained and I was so relaxed. I decided there and then, that when I graduate and have a job I am going to indulge in a facial as a bit of me time, every few weeks.

The rest of our stay and this very long post is basically me reminiscing on such a good present and was simply wonderful to spend a few nights with my boyfriend, who spoilt me rotten as we are going to Michel Roux jr's restaurant in London, don't worry I will blog about my obviously fabulous experience.

Thanks for reading.
Caio
xoxoxoxo

When in Spain...

I have just come back from yet another holiday, this time to Majorca. It was very relaxing and a great opportunity to top up my tan! I was still on the hunt for new health trends in the market and whilst there, I came across the most fantastic frozen yogurt shop "yao-yogurt".

It sold frozen yogurt, smoothies, juice and fresh fruit pots. It was situated by the beach, along the main strip of shops, therefore experienced lots of passing trade throughout the day and also stayed open till about midnight in the evening. As you can see the main colour scheme is fluorescent pink, which is eye catching and runs consistently through the text, chairs, menu and staff uniform. This colour stands out in the sign against the competition surrounding where all the shops looked very similar and bland

Frozen yogurt is a relatively new trend in the market and offers the cold, creamy refreshment as ice-cream but with less than half the calories and sugar content. At "Yao-yogurt" you could choose from a variety of toppings, including fresh fruit, chocolate and cookies. I chose strawberries and then counteracted this healthy choice with white chocolate, but its all about balance (which I probably told myself far too many times last week). However, it was delicious and we visited a few more times throughout the holiday.

There was a real gap in the market for this shop in  Majorca as the weather was gorgeous, therefore meaning that the ice-cream market would be thriving. However, I still believe this could be exploited in the UK, perhaps selling smoothies and juices aswell, to balance out the seasonality affect of the horrendous weather in England.

If  you have not tried frozen yogurt yet, then give it a try as I can guarantee it will surpass your expectations. You can also make your own in the freezer and serve with fresh fruit, meringue or fresh fruit purée for a healthier dessert option.

Thanks for reading, now to return to rainy English life.



Caio for now
Toni
xoxoxoxo

Juicy lucy

Hola, I have finally made my blog look prettier, wahoo!!

Recently, I have developed a real sweet tooth for fruity drinks. I think this has originated from my recent holiday to Spain, where frankly water is just not what you desire on a sandy beach, in the heat of the sun, whilst listening to the sound of the waves (ahhhhhh, bliss!) However, after reading the nutritional value of my favourite drinks, such as Fanta, Diet Coke and Lilt, I decided that they there were 2 options: cut them out of my diet or substitute for something healthier.

Cue healthy fruit drink review....

I spotted this drink on the supermarket shelves quite a while ago, purely due to its beautiful bottle. This is a fantastic marketing move due to the fact that the fresh juice market is very populated. With top brands such as Tropicana, Innocent and Copella providing natural, high quality, yet slightly above average price juices. There are also own brands, which also provide delicious juices, which are lower in price and have the consistent and reputable brand of, for example, Sainsbury's. Therefore, it is more important than ever for any new entrants which aren't category leaders to differentiate on the shelf.

Coldpress is a natural fruit juice brand, with the slogan: no cooking = pure taste. They differentiate through the technology of their juicing process. This process is called HPP, which goes against the widely used methods of heating the juice, in order to pasteurise it, so that it lasts longer. Instead coldpress, plunge their bottles into cold water, to ensure that each fruit stands out in the flavour provided.

Coldpress have various flavours, but I went for the pink lady flavour, which was beautiful. Pink lady apples are my favourite, however as a student I don't get to indulge in them as much as I would like, as they are quite expensive. But, fortunately my mum loves them just as much, so being back home is bliss! The juice was heavenly and low in calories for a sweet, fruity drink and would be perfect in the morning or as a mid-afternoon pick me up. It is priced around £2 a bottle, which is relatively highly priced compared to competition, but what it has to offer is fantastic.

Thanks for reading.

Caio for now
Toni <3
xoxoxoxxoxoxoxo

Vegetable cake..... healthy right?!?

This blog post is going to be slightly different, it was inspired by my dad bringing home what looked like 2000 pieces of rhubarb from his allotment. Summer time is fabulous in the Watson household, there are fresh fruit, vegetables and salad everywhere from my dads allotment plot, along with constant talk of watering cans, compost and the hose pipe ban ....

I have recently noticed the increase in emphasis in supermarkets providing their fruit and veg in more like a market style. Particularly Morrison's, where you pick the fruit and veg and even better it is guaranteed to be fresh, due to the fact that it is sprayed by a mist of water all day. This is a fantastic mover advantage for Morrison's as it makes them stand out from the market leaders, Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's. Which has definitely come at the right time for consumers, as there has been a significant increase in organic produce and customers being more interested in the freshness and origins in produce, as opposed to the cost.

So, with this mass of rhubarb, I decided to make a cake! Baking is not my strong point, but I gave it a good bash! It was a courgette cake (which alright is still cake, but surely slightly healthy as it is one of your five a day.... well maybe not!) with a rhubarb curd.

I mixed the rhubarb with sugar and water to make the curd and added it to crème fraiche, which is far healthier than cream. Then made a sponge mix and added about 3 grated courgettes, again fresh from the garden. I did add sultanas, however, on reflection would be better without.

The finished product was looking too good to be true to be honest, but in it went into the oven. Obviously licked the bowl prior to that, has to be done.

The cake suprisingly was beautiful and went down a treat with the family. However, now I am worried that we are going to have rhubarb coming out of our ears next year, with hope that more of these cakes will materialise..... However, in terms of health content I am going to stick to savoury vegetables and stir frys.... maybe ;)

Caio for now
Toni
xoxoxox

Fruity Goodness!

This blog post is dedicated to a recent craze which are smoothies! They are literally everywhere, from your innocent smoothies in the supermarket, to newest smoothie and shake bar in your local high street.

This blog post was inspired by Mcdonald's jumping on the smoothie bandwagon, just proving that the country is going health crazy! Since the mass marketing campaign to increase awareness of consuming your 5 a day, I believe consumers have become far more concious of a healthy lifestyle. A smoothie is a fantastic way to get at least 3 of your 5 a day and as people in general lead a busier lifestyle, there is no wonder why it has become the latest trend.

I think its great that fast food takeaways are acknowledging that health content is more important than offering the fattiest and tastiest oily food they used to sell. However, it has to be questioned is this because they CARE about their consumers and the increase in levels of obesity, or is it simply a question of reacting to consumer demands to increase their revenues. Personally, I think it is because McDonald's have felt the pressure of increased health awareness, with the increased popularity in fast food restaurant such as nandos and burrito bars, which use fresh ingredients.

In addition, this is more apparent as despite McDonald's being considered a GLOBAL brand, they adapt their strategy to each country. For example, in France they serve wine, in China they serve noodles and in America they serve extra large portions. Which I had first hand experience a few years ago in New York, when I ordered a chicken nugget meal and astonishingly received 20 chicken nuggets.... Therefore, making McDonald's an international brand which adapts their market offering to obtain larger revenues and to widen their target audience across the globe. Making their attempt to appear more en par with healthier food producers, as just a marketing attempt to appear more health concious, so as to not loose market power as consumers trends and tastes are becoming more aware.

I would suggest that if you want a smoothie, then a more legitimate smoothie would be from a smoothie shop or the supermarket, or even better make your own. You could make a smoothie to start the day with 4/5 pieces of fruit and mix it with natural yoghurt, which is low in fat and some natural fruit juice. It is truly delicious and a very substantial, fresh and healthy way to start a day and eating your 5 a day would already be ticked off the list.

Thanks for reading, caio for now xoxoxoxox

Le fromage

Bonjour, this post is dedicated to my guilty pleasure, cheese. Despite being ridiculously high in saturated fat, there are believed to be numerous health benefits to this delightful dairy product. The health benefits of cheese are rarely advertised in the commercial world, however it is high in calcium which can help prevent cavities and tooth decay and is packed full of protein. So especially for vegetarians or for people that don't eat much meat, can be a crucial part of a balanced diet. That being said, please don't take this as eating cheese all day every day will be fine, its packed full of natural fats which could cause weight gain.

There are many types of cheese, such as the classic cheddar, red Leicester, creamy brie or even the luxurious Camembert. I am curious as to which cheese is best for you and do you have to sacrifice on that intense cheesy flavour for a slimmer waistline?

Feta cheese is one of the healthiest, containing the least calories and sat fat. However, I think it tastes the best in a fresh Greek salad overlooking the beach on a sunny Greek island and just is not the same in the cold English weather. However, a variation of a classic dish to make the element of cheese healthier, is when making lasagne use half cheddar and half feta in the cheese sauce. I think this makes it more tasty, due to the strong taste of feta and gives the sauce more substance. It also means you are enjoying a cheesy delight with less calories.

In addition to this is goats cheese, which is strong in flavour and therefore requires a lot less cheese to have the desired impact. This is perfect on a pizza or as an accompaniment to a salad. There is on average 20 less calories in a portion of goats cheese compared to a cheese made with cows milk. My house mate, has just made me a butter nut squash risotto made solely from chicken stock and sprinkled about a teaspoon of crumbly goats cheese on top. It was beautiful and made it taste really creamy and flavoursome and wasn't that bad for you! (Thanks Hol!!)

Basically, my message is enjoying cheese in moderation is absolutely fine. My secret is to substitute for healthier cheese as much as possible. Unless I'm hungover, where me and boyfriend have a tendency to make a portion of nachos, stacked to the top with cheddar. Once in a while doesn't hurt anyone ;) As they say everything in moderation.

Caio for now.
Toni

Preserve your youth and beauty

Clinique

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, in exam hell!! Nearly half way through them (thank god)!! This has meant that I have been indulging on far too many motivational chocolate treats and therefore feel like it would be hypocritical to say the least if I was to blog about any healthy food, as consumption has been low!!

However, health is just not controlled by what you eat, it is a combination of exercise, skin care and general well being. This blog post is specifically dedicated to the face care range of Clinique, which is my favourite brand of skin care, I am genuinely hooked on their products. I religiously use their 123 face care range, where there is a face wash, skin cleanser and moisturiser which is simply heavenly and I swear by it.

Clinique is a high end beauty brand and their products aren't cheap, however I think your skin is worth the investment in the long run, especially for us girls. They pride their brand on the research and complete natural origins behind their range. They emphasise this through their staff wearing lab coats (but nice fitting ones) in stores, this pushes the quality and reinforces the research element. The Clinique stall stands out in the condensed cosmetic sections of the department stores, through what they wear, where competitors such as Dior and Estee Lauder merge as one.

Clinique differentiate through their total product offering, not only through their product range where you are guaranteed to get a product that is genuinely good for your skin. But also through the service provided to each individual customer, where the advice is centred around the scientific benefits of each product, instead of being enticed by the smell, colour or other artificial factors of the products. I think this is really clever, as Clinique have established a gap in the market and exploited this through providing simple but effective products which do the job which they are bought for.

Their high price is justified through how they distribute their products, it cant be purchased solely from a store shelf and is exclusively sold in certain cosmetic shops and boutiques. Clinique use personal selling to market their product, ensuring that each consumer gets the high level of customer care that they deserve. Where are staff are highly trained, professional and polite, this being a huge selling point for me, as it is too common to be put off a make up brand due to the woman selling you a foundation which is going to make you orange not "nicely tanned".

I would definitely recommend this brand for both females and males, as they do have a great men's section. With their full emphasis based on quality, I can guarantee that it works and a nice way to end a stressful day.

Good luck with exams guys!

Caio for now
xoxoxoxooxox

Lick the lid of life

Now that its starting to become slightly warmer, I have become obsessed with yogurt. I think this is mainly because they are refreshing and fruity and quite frankly just not the same in winter.

The yogurt market is packed full of different flavours, brands and quality. This blog post is going to be specifically about the brand Muller  which is a household favourite and a food company who are a key example of providing a full product range, to suit a wide variety of consumer needs.

Muller corner 

This is Muller's classic answer to an everyday yogurt to an everyday person, they have a wide variety of flavours available, which are always on special bulk offer in supermarkets. The concept of pouring the flavour into the yogurt was innovative when first brought out, where the consumer can pour as they like, giving them more control and the ability to exercise preference in how they eat their yogurt. However, now this innovation, seems to give Muller less of a competitive advantage, as supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl have brought out own label versions of yogurts with this same design. With Aldi even doing a comparison of their version against Mullers on their TV advertising, emphasising that they offer a cheaper product but with the same taste, which slightly tarnishes the quality and unique offering which muller had.

Muller light

Recently, I have noticed an increased variety of their light product range, this is due to the increase in health concious purchases by the consumer. I would like to specifically mention their muller light greek style range, which is absolutely delicious, with a wide variety of flavours, my personal favourite being the coconut and with only 83 calories in each pot, they are gone before you can blink an eye out of my fridge at home. My mum likes to put  it on a meringue, with fresh raspberries, which is heavenly and still not that bad for you :) The TV advertisement of this product reminds me of holidays in Greece and reinforces the tastiness of this yogurt and that it really is that good for you, its not a myth. Trust me, if you tasted them you would question it too!

Muller deluxe

This is where my inspiration for this blog post came from, where me and my boyfriend purchased this new variety from Sainsbury's in an introductory offer of £1. They are new to the market and offer a deluxe yogurt of 4 different flavours: Marc de Champagne, Crème Praline, Coconut Dream and After Dinner Mint. We tried the Marc de Champagne and it was simply delicious, with raspberry flavoured balls to pour on top of the champagne yogurt. They still had less than 130 calories per pot, which is a whole lot less than the gu dessert which was my intentional buy...... (woops). There aren't a wide variety of deluxe yogurts offering as an alternative to a dessert in the market, especially of such high quality with the black packaging. I think that these will be a success in the market and after trialling them for the small price of £1, I will definitely going back for more and prepared to pay a much higher price.

So guys, everyone has a sweet craving from time to time, so substitute that doughnut from the bakery for a yogurt and with such a wide variety to choose from, muller is the brand to go for.

Caio for now.
Toni
xoxoxoxox

2 cubes of chocolate a day, can in fact keep the doctor away!

Happy Easter

Hey guys, seen as it has just been Easter weekend, this post is dedicated to chocolate. I seem to not be able to last a day without my daily fix, however recently I have been converted into a dark chocolate lover. I know that it is an acquired taste, but once you have tried Green and Black's, I swear you will never go back.

Green and Black's are a deluxe high end company, which place great emphasis on being high quality and environmentally friendly. The brand name itself is very clever as green depicts the natural and organic origins and  the "black" signifies the high intensity flavours. With the increased emphasis on looking after the environment and more consumers purchasing organic products, Green &Blacks have developed a strong footing in a growing market. I believe that as it is a treat purchase, consumers are willing to pay the higher price with the knowledge that there is high quality ingredients in every bar, feeling at ease that the suppliers of the cocoa beans have been paid fairly with every bite being that of extra delight. You can find it available in any retailers and perhaps being priced quite highly, I can assure you that you will not be disappointed.

Dark chocolate is high in anti-oxidants which can help reduce the risk of cancer and can reduce the signs of ageing (which my mum had a field day when she found out haha). The advantage of dark chocolate is that you can't really eat too much of it, as its stronger in flavour. I put mine in my top drawer and have a few squares at night after a busy day. Upsetting news is that its not a substitute for fruit, but as a treat in the evening and in moderation, cheers all around!!

I have been working my way round the flavours, with my personal favourite being the chilli one, chilli and chocolate may sound strange, but it is absolutely beautiful.

So great news for fellow students as exam period approaches at a far too rapid pace, reward yourself with some dark chocolate and feel no guilt! Wahoo!! :)

Caio for now.
Toni
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Everyone's grazing

So basically, I have been meaning to start writing a blog for ages, and now that term has finished (thank god) here I am. My name is Toni Watson, I'm a 20 year old second year business studies student at Lancaster University. I am an aspiring marketer, and have a true passion on anything related to health and food. This first post is dedicated to a relatively new and upcoming product.....

Graze boxes

Its true, I'm addicted to grazing, whether its nuts, seeds, brownies or popcorn, I just can't get enough of it and I'm not the only one, they are everywhere!

Graze offer a trendy, healthy and convenient product, which is totally unique in the market. All you have to do is say when you want one for and it comes straight through your letterbox. The packaging itself is natural, which reinforces their health image, opening the packaging each week is a real treat to find out what you have got this time. As a student drowning in work and as eating on-the-go being gospel throughout the day, I probably get too excited!

Each box is priced at £3.89, which is perhaps relatively expensive but I do believe that consumers are willing to pay this price for this novel product. In each graze box it gives full nutritional information on how many calories, fat and the exact ingredients contained. I believe that each portion is the perfect snack size to keep you going between lunch and dinner. My personal favourite being the banoffee pie, as they contain pecans which are high in antioxidants and are naturally filling, dried bananas, almonds and toffee pieces, which make this snack a lot tastier and give me my sweet kick in the afternoon. All of this with only 149 calories, who can complain? They are a more exciting way to get all the nutrients you need from nuts, without the meticulous task of eating 5 pecans and 3 blanched almonds a day (Boring!!)

You cant get away from their marketing campaigns once you have signed up and with their first box being free you are fool not too really. I have been bombarded with offering my friends discounts, getting the next three boxes free for filling out a quick survey and rating my boxes. Normally, I am not a believer of "harassing" as a form of marketing, but Graze put more into it by making each message personal and some of their offers are simply too good to ignore. 

So everyone swap that afternoon cup of tea and cake and start grazing, hope you have enjoyed my first post, ciao for now.

Toni 
xoxoxoxoxoxo