SALT

A big salty welcome to Emma Hendry who has joined our team as one of our activations producers! 🔥 She comes to us with an impressive career - from producing intimate gatherings to large-scale events, locally and internationally, she has a history of collaborating with high-profile clients, all the while consistently delivering memorable moments. And we couldn't be happier to have her work with us on some juicy activations, she has already made waves within our team!

Sharing the ‘IT’ thing in fashion, places and restaurants on social media is nothing new. But now there’s a new breed of IYKYK posts doing the rounds which are hyperfocused on certain ‘cool’ ingredients. But they are not ‘in-vogue’ for their flavours – rather for their aesthetics, which have bred a plethora of ‘hue-coded’ appreciation posts which are driving culinary experimentation and unlikely brand activations. And right on top of that ‘IT’ list are pickles and cherries. Cherry-coded aesthetics have hit the boards of Pinterest, with searches including “cherry vibe”, “Cherry martini”, “cherry bedroom”, and “dark cherry red” all increasing substantially on the platform as people match cherry aesthetics to fashion, interiors, and make-up. Pickles have captured the internet’s heart fully (perhaps only matched by Erewhon celebrity collab smoothies). Aside from the odd addition to a Charcuterie board, there have been culinary experimentations like ‘pickle margaritas and pickle de gallo’ The pickle obsession also turned up a notch with the viral success of ‘Hot Girl Pickles’, from Good Girl Snacks as the brand constantly sells out of their pickle jars and creates concoctions like ‘pickles and coconut peanut butter spread over maple syrup’. Then you have nostalgia – or ‘New-stalgia’ – driving trends for ‘old-school soda pops’ as Gen Z & Millennials reinvent classics into something aesthetically in tune with the modern-day ‘vibe’. “Cream soda aesthetic” has hit the search bars as people seek to get their hands on these reinvented beverages to share. Expect to see more tablescapes ft trending ingredients, unusual brand collabs driving conversation, old products turned into new and drinks featuring the ‘it’ food of the moment. #foodtrends

When food meets design, great things can happen. Conversations are started, connections ignited, and attentions are hooked. It’s a chance to show off a style, particularly in the chef world, and a way to create a memorable brand. Chefs inherently do this within the context of when food meets plate and presentation. But some go that extra mile, adding a distinct flare of design to the presentations of their food as well as promotional activities. Take John Javier and Michael O'Hare who are masters at blending food and design together. John Javier announced the AW24 Season of his menu at the tent (at the end of the universe) with an array of stylised dish presentations on Instagram, akin to a designer presenting a new fashion collection. Michael O’Hare’s Pyscho Sandbar in Leeds itself was a unique culinary masterclass on turning fine dining on its head. He incorporated design elements within his dishes, from adding artwork directly onto his desserts to playing a grunge movie on repeat in the restaurant. While Psycho Sandbar has since closed, we know whatever is next for him will be packed with his unique style. Then there’s the brands that are taking the intersections between design and food to the next level: Bao London. (Hiii, we’re big fans) Their many, many clever brand activations push them ahead of the rest, with creative direction at the front and centre thanks to the brains of Erchen Chang. From releasing a ‘Bao World’ movie to unique drops and collabs with Simone Rocha to hype their Dover Steet Market kiosk (and basically all their social media) really drives conversation as well as awareness to their restaurants. They have a distinct brand design that incorporates clever art direction that has us constantly eagerly awaiting what they’re up to next.

The hospitality industry has been somewhat trapped between a rock and a hard place for the last few years. Rising costs, rates and inflation have meant prices for their guests have had to rise with them – the result clearly seen by the many closures. The recent budget announcement wasn’t the lifeline everyone was hoping for. Here’s our take on it from SALT’s Andrew Fishwick MBA FRSA: “Let’s start with some good(ish) news. Beer duty has been cut by 1.7% (hence the mythical 1p off a pint. But remember it rose by 10.1% inflation last year) and business rates won’t rise either… nor will they be cut. While it’s a sigh of relief that business rates will not increase, they have still remain high. Brick-and-mortar-based businesses fork out an extra 5% or more of total income for these rates as well as having utilities, bin collection etc to pay compared to online friends. The news that hospitality workers are getting a minimum wage increase is welcomed and needed but comes with a caveat - the rise in National Insurance Contributions and the reduction of the threshold will amount to thousands of pounds of extra taxes for small business owners. ‘No tax for the working class’ was only a half-truth and for hospitality operators, this means an extra £1.9bn bill. And, it implies that people who own and run hospitality businesses aren’t ‘workers’. The unmentioned elephant in the room, that could be a step-ball-change for the industry - VAT. As guests - quite rightly - bemoan the soaring prices of drinks at the local bar, owners and operators are hit with 20% VAT bills compared with Ireland’s 9%, Germany’s 7% and France’s 10% - which drives up costs considerably. What can we do about it? The next steps for hospitality operators are to double down on cost control and drive value for guests as costs rise. Focus on employing the best talent you can find to celebrate hospitality excellence, & working closely with partners to deliver better services & supply will be key factors in navigating the waters ahead. Finally, lobby like hell! Ministers need to realise the importance and vitality of our industry, its place in the economy but also its wider importance in our social fabric.”

Hyper-local cuisine has gone global. As a melting pot of cultures, London boasts an eternally expanding food scene. While craving authentic flavours is never not a trend and nothing new to the culinary landscape, hyper-local, or hyper-regional, cuisine is pinning its place on the map. Discerning diners now have a preference for unknown foreign culinary experiences – from unique and specific tastes to traditional styles of cooking. Instead of Italian, it’s Venetian cuisine, or the rich spicy flavours found specifically in Huế, Vietnam. Whether it’s true-to-form regional offerings like Kolae's southern Thai fare and Sonora Taquería's ode to Sonoran food, or third-culture cuisines that feature local dishes merged with British techniques like Korean cuisine from Sollip, the city can satiate any craving or curiosity for authentic tastes without you having to hop on a flight.

The notion of design affecting how we perceive and feel is not a new one. In psychology, colour can affect your mood and emotions – yellow makes us happy, red gives us a sense of pleasure or danger, black evokes anger etc – and the interior design of a restaurant can set the tone of how you enjoy the food. But – can typefaces influence how you taste food? This is exactly the research that Sarah Hyndman (@typetasting) has dedicated a lot of her career to. She’s conducted experiments that involved testing how the taste of a jelly bean changes when paired with a different font, or asking audience members to vote on what type of coffee they’d be ordering if they were just going off the font being used to present the word ‘coffee’ – the same with wine. “Over the years, Sarah’s developed a few general findings that often ring true when accounting for our limbic responses – “your completely intuitive responses to letter shapes”, she explains. In this instance, very rounded typefaces like your Vag Rounded will evoke feelings of creaminess, and sweetness – in her coffee experiment, the most common answer to the rounded, curving type is a frappuccino – while spiky, pointed type like Albertus is commonly associated with strong, aversive flavours, like sourness. In the same coffee experiment, the most jagged type is always chosen for americano or espresso.” - Words from Sarah Hyndman and It's Nice That So, what taste is evoked by certain fonts? - Rounded typefaces are typically associated with cafes. - Distressed textures can evoke ‘organic’ or ‘craft’ great for certain beer brands. - A papyrus-filled menu can signify a ‘country pub’ vibe. - Skinny, minimalist sans serif styles evoke “skinny” and “low-carb” for healthier dishes or products.

Lashed by cold Atlantic water and warm channel currents, we are surrounded by water, but it also comes readily from the sky giving us the greenest of pastures, rich fields of grass and rolling hills. Both terroirs give us hungry Brits access to a larder of unrivalled seafood and meat. Two culinary maestros who are more than familiar with this are Richard Corrigan, of Bentley and Shaun Searley, of Quality Chop House.   When the two heads of these gastronomes come together, you have the perfect foundation for an epic night of Surf and Turf (AKA Reef & Beef). Both chefs and the iconic hospitality team at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill, along with Sera, hosted 60+ of these hungry Brits in a display of fine food, wine, and hospitality. The menu perfectly paired the sea with the land, some of the standout dishes (all of them) were the oysters Croque Monsieur, squid stuffed with black pudding, and beef chops with crab thermidor.   This dinner was never caring about trends but was a pure display of flavour-driven cooking, the best ingredients, and the vibe of a Mayfair institution.  A night we will remember for a long time!

We are delighted to welcome Tara King as our new(ish) Events and Activations Manager at SALT 🙌 She has a wealth of experience within the global art world, refining her skills by partnering with clients to manifest their visions into unforgettable experiences. Her proficiency extends beyond the art realm, to the dynamic landscape of the food and beverage industry, where she seamlessly incorporates culinary experiences into her event planning repertoire. She has already made waves within our team at SALT over the last few months and we are so lucky to have her with us 🔥

Throwback to our recent event we produced with one of our favourite talents to work with, Nancy Silverton, to produce a special one-night-only dinner for Sera members. Nancy kindly let us take over her iconic Pizzeria Mozza in London to fill the room with some of her biggest fans. Guests were treated to a one-off menu of her greatest hits featuring dishes from her famous LA establishments like Chi Spacca and Osteria Mozza. Nancy has always inspired us with her passion for what she does and her world-class ability to build flavours that comfort us to our core. Her non-stop and electric energy is contagious and it’s always a joy to see the smiles she brings to people's faces when they have the privilege to meet her and try her food. 

Over the past decade, veganism has surged in the food and beverage sector, becoming a mainstream lifestyle choice adopted by a growing number of people. This transition is driven by a heightened awareness of the impact of dietary decisions and the environment, resulting in an increased demand for plant-based options.  Even traditional eateries have adjusted to this rise by incorporating vegan dishes into their menus to cater to evolving consumer tastes. "The proliferation of vegan restaurants in London is a long-awaited recognition of the desire for ethical and sustainable dining options." Tara, SALT. However, just as the mainstream is embracing the shift to plant-based, the infamous LA vegan restaurant chain - Sage Vegan Bistro - announced recently they were adding meat to the menu. Chef Mollie Englehart cited this was in part due to her interest in regenerative agriculture and its benefits to nature and soil. Both Regenerative farming and veganism share similarities in that they both call for a change to better our food systems. Whether this is a notable shift, only time will tell, but as restaurants look to pull in diners across the spectrum by offering a wider variety of dishes, we don't see plant-based options going anywhere. Here's Tara's pick of plant-based places in London Plates: Kirk Haworths "Plates" focuses on seasonal, organic ingredients and innovative flavour combinations. A long-time champion of delivering memorable culinary experiences celebrating plant-based cuisine's richness, Kirk's culinary genius was rightfully celebrated when he recently won the Great British Menu. Bubala: With a contemporary twist on Middle Eastern cuisine, Bubala offers vibrant flavours and seasonal produce. From roasted cauliflower with dates and tahini to crispy potato latkes with spiced apple sauce, their inventive dishes showcase diverse plant-based cooking. Aun: Specializing in Japanese-inspired vegan fare, Aun serves sushi, sashimi, and small plates. Their sushi rolls feature inventive fillings like marinated tofu and avocado, providing a unique plant-based take on traditional Japanese cuisine. #foodtrends #foodforthought